My Experience as Youth Pastor

The Youth group is growing again so that is cool, but we aren't quite to the point of splitting into Jr. High and Sr. High so that presents some problems. The biggest problem is the things that the younger group really get into the older group pretends they are too cool to enjoy. I say pretends because if you watch you will catch them off guard from time to time getting into it until the remember their friends might notice and put the cool face back on.

Game night is where this become most obvious. I do various ice breakers and such ever week but once a month we have a game night with fabulous prizes, well not so fabulous, and there is at least one game where the Youth get to do something to me. It can be quite nasty for me but they enjoy it.

Right now the Jr. Highers volunteer for all the games. OK I might have to volunteer a few of them but they have a great time once they are dragged up front kicking and screaming. I can't even drag the High Schoolers up. Trust me I tried. I might have one or two that will get involved, but most of them just sit back and chill. I've tried various kinds of games but they just aren't into it. I've even setup my Wii, PS2, and Xbox 360 with various games and pretty well didn't get any involvement from most of this group. I do know a few of them are into certain games such as card games that aren't really right for the game night, but even those games I know that at least a third of the older students wouldn't be involved with.

I know this is something that other Youth Pastors have dealt with. How do you get them involved? Even if they don't actually get up and play I'd like to see them interested in the things we are doing.