Have you ever moved houses and wondered what the best churches are near your new home? Maybe you’re looking for a church because you want to start attending again. You’re not alone. There are tons of churches out there, and they don’t always show up in the best light when it comes to social media. This has led me to create this list where I reveal my own personal list of favorite churches.
Churches are ditches, don’t dig them. That was the realization which about 4 years ago finally jolted me into becoming a church-goer. But I had no idea where to go or what to expect. Churches can be so confusing. Have you ever searched online for local churches near me? What did you find? If you go to Google and type in Churches with good youth groups in (your city/town), what kind of churches would you expect to see at that point?
If you are having hard time choosing a church for your family, then this article is for you. By reading this article you will have a clear idea about the churches which have a good youth group nearby. You will find a list of 10 of such churches.
Churches With Good Youth Groups Near Me
In my Prayer journal, there are many entries which ask for good youth churches near me. In fact, prayerful requests for the advent of good youth groups are not to be found solely in my notebook. All over the world, prayerful requests of this nature rise up to God’s Throne. I find that this is a common cry among parents and youth workers alike. Everyone wants a place where teens can be discipled and grow in faith together with like-minded people.
If you’re looking for churches with good youth groups near me, look no further than [church name]. We offer a wide variety of youth ministries that cater to each individual child’s needs, which is why we’ve been voted the best youth group in town year after year. Our staff is made up of people who have been through the same struggles as our students—they know what it’s like to feel lost and alone, and they want nothing more than for their students to find the love of Christ.
Churches with good youth groups near me.
In the search for churches with good youth groups near me, there are a few things to consider:
- What is your church going to do to help you develop spiritually?
- How will your church help you grow in your faith?
- Will you be able to connect with other people your age and share experiences?
- What kind of resources does the church have for young people?
Youth Group Ideas For Small Churches
Introduction
While I’m not a religious person, I have found there are some great churches with good youth groups near me. These might be worth checking out if you’re looking for an interesting place to worship and want a great religious experience.
Trinity Baptist Church
Trinity Baptist Church is a large, evangelical church in the Baptist tradition. The church is located in the heart of the city and has been serving the community for over 75 years. Trinity Baptist Church has a growing youth group which is open to anyone who wants to learn more about Christianity.
If you’re looking for an alternative place to meet new people or are interested in learning more about Christianity, then Trinity Baptist Church is worth checking out!
Christ the King
If you’re looking for a church with a good youth group, Christ the King has one. They offer support to teens in three age groups: 12-18, 19-25, and 26-30.
In each of these age groups you’ll find a safe space where your children can explore their faith and meet other young people who are going through similar experiences. The youth minister helps guide them through weekly bible study sessions as well as activities such as hanging out at the beach or watching movies together at his house on Friday nights.
First Presbyterian
First Presbyterian Church is a great church for youth. The youth group has a lot of activities and young people, as well as people who are young.
The first Presbyterian church is a great church for youth. They have lots of young people, as well as members of the congregation who are young (and sometimes not).
First Methodist
First Methodist is a great church for young people. They have an excellent youth group, and there are many other young people at the church. The youth group has many activities for them, including games and fun fellowship times. Many of the young people who attend First Methodist also lead their own activities such as Bible studies or small groups for younger children to learn about Jesus.
St. John’s Episcopal
St. John’s Episcopal Church is a beautiful church located in the heart of downtown. They have a great youth group, and their youth pastor loves to play with kids and make sure they have fun while learning about Jesus.
Grace United
Grace United is a United Church of Christ church located in the suburbs of Chicago. The youth group for high school and college students runs on Sunday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m., while the middle school and elementary school groups meet on Saturdays from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m.
There are a lot of great churches near me.
There are a lot of great churches near me. Of course, there are also a lot of bad and mediocre churches as well.
There’s no reason for youth groups to be bad or mediocre. They’re mostly the same: kids get together on the weekend to hang out with their friends, play games and listen to someone talk about Jesus or whatever else they happen to be talking about. But there are some things that set apart the best youth groups from everyone else—things you can only see if you know what you’re looking at! Here’s what I’ve discovered:
- Youth ministers are important or not depending on how much they care about their job
- Youth ministers who care more have better youth groups than those who don’t
List of Youth Programs In Church
Church youth groups are a time-honored tradition for teens all around the world. They are an event where teens get together, usually once a week, to talk about almost anything. While almost all church youth groups are primarily focused on faith-based activities, those activities can vary widely from location to location.
Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with things for the kids to do. They get bored doing the same thing and, as anyone with teens knows, they can have fickle tastes.
Below is a comprehensive list of activities that any youth group of any size can do. Hopefully, the list will be helpful to group leaders, parents, and participants.
Incorporate Faith in as Many Activities as Possible
Sometimes it’s easy to set aside the faith part of a youth group meeting, especially when playing games, but try to incorporate it whenever you can.
Games
Games are an essential part of any youth group. If games aren’t played, participation and attendance will quickly decline. Make games a part of almost every meeting. The students will appreciate it and you’ll have a lot of fun too.
Ice Breakers
| “Would You Rather” Game | Participants gather together and the 1st person picks a questions and the other people have to answer. |
| “Roll the Dice…Break the Ice” Game | There are 12 questions and kids go around the room rolling the dice and answering the question next to the number they roll. |
| M & M’s Game | Get a couple bags of M&M’s and participants go around the room and pick one out. They have to answer a question based on the color of candy they choose. |
| “This or That” Game | Go around the room and have people take turns asking “this or that” questions. |
| Concentric Circles | Form chairs in 2 circles, with one ring inside the other and facing each other. Have kids choose seats and give them a topic to discuss for a certain amount of time. Then have the kids shift chairs and ask another question. Play for a while. |
Active Games
| Gaga Ball | Make a pit in the church multipurpose room. Our church stands the foldable tables on their sides. The kids are in the pit and when the ball is thrown in anyone can hit it. If it hits a player below the knee, they are out. If the ball is caught in the air, the player who threw it is out. Play ends when there is one player left. |
| Sleeping Bag Worm Races | Have 2 sleeping bags ready. Have kids pull a name out of a hat and that will be their opponent. Have them get into the bag and crawl down the hall like a worm. Winners go on to race other winners until there is one champion. |
| Human Tic Tac Toe | Set up 9 chairs and divide kids into 2 groups of Xs and Os. Start playing. |
| Don’t Break the Streamers! | Tape crepe streamers crossing a hallway. Tape them low and high and some on a diagonal. Participants have to make their way down the hall without tearing any down. |
| Ready, Aim, Starburst! | A bag of Starburst candy is needed as well as tape or, if playing outside, sidewalk chalk. Make a target on the floor with a few rings, almost like a bow and arrow target. Have kids pair up and each person gets 10 pieces of candy. They get 10 chances to hit the target and get the points that the candy lands in. The winner gets a prize or moves on to play other winners. |
Faith-Based Games
| Bible Jeopardy | Design a layout on a chalkboard or the wall like the Jeopardy tv show. The answers should be biblical references. |
| Bible 20 Questions | The leader has a biblical figure or episode in mind and the group asks questions. If they can guess the answer in 5 questions they get 20 points, between 6 – 10 questions – 15 points, 11- 15 questions – 10 points and 16 – 20 questions – 5 points. |
| Bible Super Bowl | Group is divided into 2 and there is a football field drawn on a piece of paper. The first team is asked a biblical question and if they answer correctly they get 10 yards. Keep playing just like football rules and decide when the game is over. Set a timer for answering questions. |
| Bible Scavenger Hunt | Design a scavenger hunt around church using biblical references. |
| Blind Faith Toss | Get a bag of mini marshmallows, some plastic cups and bandanas for blindfolding. Have teams of 2 with one person laying on the floor with a plastic up on their forehead. The other teammate is standing with a blindfold on trying to get marshmallows in the cup. The players get 2 minutes and then see who wins. |
| Bible Trivia | Leader has trivia questions and participants get a point when they answer correctly. Winner is the one with the most points at the end of the game. |
Get Church Members of All Ages Involved!
Some of the elder members of churches love to help out with youth. Have a signup sheet and get a different volunteer for each meeting.
Mission/Service Projects
Mission and service projects are another integral part of any youth group. So many important lessons can be learned when the students participate in mission work.
Their faith grows as they help others and it’s a very powerful lesson for them.
| “Operation Christmas” Boxes | Letters to the Troops | Visiting Women’s Shelters |
| Care packages for church members who are in college | Church Clean Up | Visiting Homeless Shelters |
| Visiting Senior Centers | Food Bank Collection | Clothing Drive |
| No-Sew Blankets for Children in Hospitals | Blessing Bags | Helping Out Shut-Ins |
Topics For Church Youth Programs
One of the hardest jobs in a church these days is that of youth minister.
Not just because the schedule of activities can be grueling or the work can be physically demanding. The reason, instead, is ever-increasing demands placed on churches and pastors for what youth ministry should look like and feel like.
The days of the one-size-fits-all, “y’all come” youth ministry I knew as a teenager in the 1970s are long gone, especially in urban areas where youth and their families have lots of choices in learning styles, leadership, worship styles, fun factor and access to peer groups.
Life for teenagers today is full of so many more choices than in previous times. That’s neither a good thing or a bad thing, just a reality. As television choices have grown from three networks to hundreds of options via cable and satellite, so have choices in virtually every other area of life expanded. Churches are not exempt from this competitive marketplace.
The problem: Few churches have the capacity be all things to all youth. Instead, churches have to make choices about what kind of youth ministry they’re willing and able to offer. And even this has been complicated by the influence of parachurch youth programs that often take on lives of their own and duplicate what once was the mainstay of church youth ministries.
This market segmentation creates havoc for families who have kids with different temperaments and needs, and for families with kids who disagree with their parents about what church is best. When that parent-youth tug-of-war erupts these days, nine times out of 10, the teenager wins the battle because the parents would rather sacrifice their own spiritual development for the sake of their kids.
What I speak of here is not just the experience we’ve had at our church in Dallas but what has been confirmed through informal conversation as the experience of many other pastors and churches in many other places. And yet most church lay leaders and most parents of youth may not understand the systemic dynamics at play.
Here are some of the key factors I’ve witnessed or have gleaned from other church leaders that would be worth additional conversation among church leaders and youth parents:
- Peer groups hold the greatest sway. There’s nothing new in the fact that teenagers want to be around their friends. What is new is the degree to which this crowd-sourcing goes unchallenged by parents who want, above all, for their kids to be happy. We’re seeing this happen now as early as fifth grade. One of the dangers here is not helping teenagers learn to make friends where they are or learn to adapt to the environments in which they are placed with their families. Adaptation is an important life skill.
- Theology doesn’t seem to matter. As I argued in a previous commentary, people too often today choose churches based on aesthetic or feel-good factors and fail to account for differences in theology. While perhaps not essential to salvation, these differences are real and have consequences for the future. What pastors and youth leaders see as important distinctives in theology and pedagogy simply don’t register as important with parents.
- Perception is reality. I have talked with parents who have children in the same grade in our youth program and yet have opposite viewpoints on what the experience is like for their kids. And there is no solace in telling them someone else has a differing perspective. What their kid perceives is the reality for that family. The oddest variation on this occurs when an awkward teenager finds immediate community and acceptance in the youth group and other more average kids swear to their parents no one talks to them and they can’t make friends in the same youth group. Even within the same family, sometimes children have opposite experiences, with a younger sibling fitting right in while an older sibling feels disconnected.
- Time is short. Students today have less discretionary time than ever, meaning they and their parents have to make choices. Usually, church gets the short end of that stick. Playing in club sports teams competes head-to-head with Sunday morning church, and a plethora of summer options competes head-to-head with summer church camps, choir tours and service projects.
- You’ve got to show up. Amid all these competing schedules, it is easy for teenagers (and their parents) not to show up at church often. When a parent complains that their child doesn’t feel connected to the youth group, one of the first questions to ask is, “How often is your child there?” One former youth minister compared teenagers to electrical plugs and churches to electrical outlets: “You don’t get the power if you don’t plug in.”
- Sometimes the problem is with your kid. This is hard to say and no doubt hard to hear, but few parents are capable of imagining that the “problem” with the church youth group might be their child more than the rest of the youth. While attention to every child’s needs is important, the entire structure of a youth program cannot be upended to suit the unique needs of one child. And by the way, sometimes teenagers don’t want to be at church because they don’t really want to be anywhere.
- There’s an expectation of entertainment. One friend reported on a conversation with parents at his suburban church, asking them why they had chosen that church. The answer: “Because the youth group is good.” But when pressed to say what made the youth group “good” or what those parents hoped for their children by way of spiritual formation, the crowd went silent. They mainly were happy that their kids were being entertained in a safe environment. One youth minister said in response: “It is not the church’s job to entertain your kids. There are plenty of other places available to entertain them. We want to teach them.”
- Diversity creates challenges. Urban churches, and even many suburban churches, must deal with students from multiple schools. In our youth group of about 100 kids, 30 schools are represented. Few churches today are neighborhood churches the way they were in the old days. Churches that have the luxury of serving a homogenous community still gain a distinct advantage in acculturation and retention.
So, pity the poor youth minister who is expected to solve all these problems, be a friend to every child who passes through the doors, offer parenting advice on call, cook up fun programs and deep Bible study at the same time and meet the expectations of congregants who don’t even have kids in the youth group but remember the glory days of a previous generation.
Despite these challenges, many women and men continue to faithfully answer the call to service in local churches as youth leaders. They are brave souls. Next time you see one of them, thank them for what they do and perhaps engage them in a meaningful conversation about any of the points outlined above. That’s a conversation they are uniquely prepared to address.
Catholic Church Youth Groups Near Me
I have a small church, and I’m looking for some ideas on how to get our youth group started. The kids in the youth group are all very different, some are into sports, others don’t play any sports at all. We will be doing a lot of fun stuff, but I would like to know what other churches do for their youth group.
I’ve tried to find some good ideas online, but most of them ask for money or seem like they would cost a lot for me to get started on my own.
Can anyone help me please?
The Catholic Church is a global community of faith, prayer, and service. These are just a few of the many ways that youth can get involved.
The Catholic Church is a global community of faith, prayer, and service. These are just a few of the many ways that youth can get involved.
Youth Group Ideas for Small Churches
Whether you’re part of a small church or a large one, it’s important to create experiences that help your teens connect with other members of their faith community. Here are some ways to do just that:
Invite guest speakers. If you have someone who has gone through something similar to what your teens are going through now, invite them to come speak about it at your youth group meeting or event. This could be someone who went through abuse or bullying, someone who came out as gay or transgender, or someone who had an addiction in their past — any situation where your teens might need support and advice from someone who has been there before them.
Host events with other churches. You don’t have to run all your own programs; get together with other churches in your area and host joint events like community outreach projects or movie nights at local movie theaters (where proceeds go to charity).
Youth Group Ideas for Small Churches
When the size of your church is small, you may be wondering how to organize a youth group. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Start with a few core activities that everyone can participate in. These could include Bible study, worship and prayer. You can also have activities designed just for teens, like games and movies nights.
- Create smaller groups within your youth group so that everyone has someone to connect with and share their faith with. This could include dividing up by age or gender, or even by interest (for example, group members who love sports could play basketball together).
- Use technology! There are lots of free websites and apps out there that make it easy for teens to connect with each other, share interests and learn about God’s love for them (my favorite is LifeTeen!).
Youth group ideas for small churches.
I would like to suggest some youth group ideas for small churches. They can be used as an inspiration for your own youth ministry and/or as a resource for your local diocese to help them in their work with young Catholics.
If you have any other suggestions please feel free to add them in the comments below!
- Find out what your young people are interested in and use that as the basis of your activities. e.g. if they like football, set up a football club; if they like art, set up an art club etc.
- Don’t forget about sports! Sports are a great way for young people to get involved with each other and build their team spirit (and hopefully develop some healthy habits). If you are short of equipment, there is always scope for fundraising – bake sales, car boot sales etc. You might even consider having a sports day at the end of term or during the summer holidays – it could be something really fun and different to do!
- Take advantage of local opportunities – e.g. if there is an outdoor event taking place nearby (e.g. music festival), why not take some time out and go along? This could be anything from
Planning youth group activities can be a daunting task if you’re a small church. You want to make sure that your teens have a good time, but you also need to keep them safe and have enough volunteers on hand to help out.
Here are some ideas for small church youth groups:
- Take advantage of free resources online. There are tons of free games and activities available online that you can use in your youth group. You may find yourself printing them out or creating copies on the computer, but there’s no need to spend money on supplies or materials. Some great sites include Cool Cat Teacher, Cool Cat Teacher’s Blog, Games4Teachers and Kids Play Zone.
- Plan field trips for large groups when possible. If you have a large group of teens who want to go on an outing together, try planning one at a community center or park instead of renting out an entire space yourself (such as a movie theater). This way everyone can participate without having to worry about finding someone who can watch over the younger kids while they’re gone.
- Make use of music videos and games found online if you don’t have many volunteers available during your meetings. These resources are usually free and easy to find with a simple Google search; many even provide