2.28.2008

Vast Array Of Issues

At one point during our junior high track at last weekend's conference, we broke up into round table discussion groups. We offered for different round table topics and each participant could chose two of the four.

I was hosting the "misc. junior high issues" group. The idea behind this discussion group was simply to power our way through as many junior high topics as possible....topics that hadn't yet been covered in the 8-hour training track.

The first group came through and we put about a dozen topics on the board and had some really good discussion. When the second group came through, I assumed most of the topics they would suggest would be repeats from the first group. Much to my surprise, the list of topics proposed by the second group was ENTIRELY different; not a single repeat topic!

You are probably wondering what the topics were. So am I, because I foolishly left both flip-chart pages in the conference room. But I do know that they ranged from running games to dealing with abuse and everything in between.

So, just for fun: If you were in a circle of other junior high youth workers what is one topic you would want to discuss?

5 comments:

Steve said...

TOPIC: Aging jr high workers...how to remain when you've been in youth ministry longer then most of your students have been alive.

Mark E. Eades said...

Keeping God's truth at a level that is honoring to Him but digestable for the kids.

Anonymous said...

Topics -
1. BUSYNESS, students are so busy today (are youth groups adding to the problem?, are we helping families to navigate this arena?, etc.)
2. APATHY, it seems to me that many students are used to being entertained by media, video games, tv, etc. It seems increasingly rare for students to get some fire in their belly about spiritual things and act on it (maybe that's just my group?). It's so exciting to watch a student catch fire and have the Holy Spirit connect the dots on how to live under his power.

Anonymous said...

I was in that circle.. we also listed dealing with the immature student and integrating them in well and dealing with parents.

liz simmonds said...

my current issue is dealing with and integrating special needs students into the group--specifically aspbergers/autism. while i want for each student to feel loved & valued, some of these 'special' students are detracting from the group as a whole. the hostile, disrespecful, defiant attitude of two students who make things miserable for many/most around them.