L1-07 YOUNG LIFE CLUB

INTRODUCTION

The Young Life club as we know it today exists because of a continual refining and adapting of our methods in pursuit of a singular goal: how best to incarnate and proclaim the person and love of Christ to every kid, everywhere, that they might enter into a life-changing relationship with Him. Yes, it’s a blast. We call it the, “party with a purpose.” The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Lively interactions allow our friends to engage with each other and with their leaders but everything you see, whether its music or mixers or games, is simply an effort to nonverbally communicate the Gospel. It’s all a lead in for the clear, verbal explanation of who Jesus is and what He has done as caring adults relate the Bible to real life.

Evidence of staff demonstrating this objective looks like:
  • Articulate the purpose of a club meeting and can communicate the why behind how it’s done in their context
  • Plans and runs a club that exhibits the 12 principles for a YL club
  • Regularly evaluates club with leaders and makes adjustments based upon those evaluations.
  • Is actively developing volunteers in leading club, supporting them and training them in basic club principles. ​
12 PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER FOR ANY CLUB
  1. The club meeting’s atmosphere is informal with boundaries and intentional direction. Leaders lead but the students feel it’s their club. Anyone who hosts the meeting (whether we’re talking caregivers, teachers, sponsors, or parents) must be invited to be within earshot of what goes on.
  2. A good Young Life club is relational in nature. Without the Christ-inflected relationships that leaders have with kids, we have nothing to offer. Everything, including pre-club times, the meeting itself, and the time after club should further relationships.
  3. Every club begins 45 minutes before the meeting even starts in the parking lot where leaders must be outside, investing time in their friends. A kid’s club experience can be made or broken in the first 10 seconds after they walk in the room. They will decide in a matter of heartbeats if they are welcome and belong. ​
  4. Club can last between 45 and 90 minutes. The total package may involve recreational and social activities. It might include meals for students or transportation arrangements. A WyldLife club might happen every other week and could include a small group component after the talk. Capernaum clubs might happen on the school campus. College and Young Lives clubs can be held in homes while others happen at school, either before or after. Regardless, consistency is key. Once it’s on someone else’s calendar, make sure it happens. ​ In places where the majority of teens experience home as a place to escape from, club becomes a safe place to be and kids want to stay as long as possible. ​
  5. The club event must be winsome. Our aim should be to have an excellent meeting; approached as a great privilege and responsibility. This demands prayerful planning. ​
  6. Leaders are free to experiment with new features, but the Gospel is non-negotiable and cannot be obscured. The club must not become mere entertainment. We are a mission of entrepreneurs. The best club work is yet to be done.
  7. The meeting is designed to introduce students to Jesus Christ. Nothing is pushed or forced since Christ does not force Himself. We slant the meeting toward what we call, “the furthest out kid.” They may know very little about the Lord, and could even be hostile toward Him.
  8. It should not become a clique for Christian young people; we must always guard against this as some clubs become safe Christian sanctuaries.
  9. That said, club has a not-as-obvious second function. It is a discipleship tool: a place to give Christian kids the opportunity to reach out to their unbelieving friends. The healthiest clubs have a group of Campaigners kids who are our partners. They invite friends and help make the club atmosphere friendly. Encouraging students to see club as a place for ministry teaches them to live as missionaries to the people God brings into their lives through school, work, and friendships.
  10. Young Life club is open to any student anywhere. There is no such thing as membership or dues. Leaders make every effort to cooperate with school or campus activities and help promote school spirit. We want school, church and civic leaders to view Young Life as an asset to the community. ​
  11. No club may exist under the name “Young Life” without the supervision of a Young Life staff representative. This means, among other things, an adequate reporting system on a regular basis.
  12. Team Planning: A Young Life club is under the leadership of men and women who love Christ and care about the kids in that community. Plan the semester before it begins. Make sure to include vision and input from student leaders. Meet before each meeting for preparation, prayer, and encouragement. These times are important because the quality of your team’s relationship communicates the Gospel in a powerful way. Kids will see the body of Christ in action. ​
A SAMPLE CLUB FLOW

Pre-Club:​ The 45 minutes before club is, “kid contact time,” inside and out in the parking lot. The first 10 seconds of the meeting are key...are kids welcomed? Are Campaigners or junior leaders engaged in the welcome? Have them spread out to greet every kid. Make sure they are greeted uniquely and specific to their comfort level. Are leaders coached to make the most of this contact work time?

Music: Music, played on a speaker or sung as a group during club, has particular value in getting people to do something together and to prepare them for the message. Music contributes to the meeting’s atmosphere, flow, mood, and effectiveness.

Humor/Play: (Skits, Mixers, and Games): It’s never just a game, but rather an important ingredient for breaking down barriers and making kids laugh and relax in a happy setting.

Announcements: Mainly used to break the stride of the meeting and cover any future plans for the club, celebrate birthdays, or community news. Camp promotion can be done at this time.

Gospel Message: The critical component of any Young Life club is when a leader has the opportunity to present Jesus Christ to young people who do not know Him. We grab their attention and give them an honest look at our friend and Savior.

The Close: Brief, but important in leaving kids with encouragement and a good impression of the meeting and what was said.

Post-club​ is when leaders get a chance to hang out and talk with kids. Many clubs go out to a local spot to get something to eat.

Remember to be culturally sensitive when you are planning club. What might you need to consider in regards to games, mixers, program and talks considering the least dominant culture in the room? What can you do to ensure all those attending feel welcome and safe to participate?

Some specifics on Club Humor: Mixers, Run-ons, Skits, Games and Announcements

One of Young Life’s distinctives is that although we are serious about Christ, we are not too serious about ourselves. We use humor all the time. Jesus Christ said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Laughter and fun are one link in the chain of a full life. Bob Mitchell, former president of Young Life, said it best: “Embrace kids with humor.” What a wonderful privilege! When Jim Rayburn started the first Young Life club, he wanted to make the meeting attractive to the disinterested kids. Since “minutes” were a part of a normal club meeting, he took the idea and made it into something crazy. Today, “minutes,” have become mixers, run-ons, competition skits, and even setup skits with a surprise.

Leaders must make certain all humor and each game are appropriate and in good taste. Learn the type of humor that works best with your club. Some groups love messy skits, others are offended by them. Not everyone can afford to ruin a shirt. We want kids to have fun and feel safe. ​

In Young Life we shun humor that distorts or degrades. We absolutely avoid whatever is negative, abusive, sexual, sarcastic, cutting, divisive, or downgrading to a particular gender, race, or person. ​ ​

One Young Life staff person said, “As kids discover the truth about Jesus Christ, I hope they experience a side of Him that enjoys good, clean humor. We in Young Life have the opportunity to demonstrate God’s ability to laugh.” To help kids laugh is a real gift.

Encourage Campaigners and leaders to laugh and enjoy. People like to laugh together. Scientists studying humor have discovered that when a person sees something funny, the first thing he or she does is look at a friend to see if that person laughs. By laughing, Campaigners and leaders make whatever it is funny to all who sit near them.

Skits and games help give a sense of fun to the evening. Kids should be up front and involved in the fun, not just observers. Laughter has healing power. It is a bridge builder. Humor focuses a diverse audience on a common experience. When skits are done well, they portray a commitment to excellence, which communicates caring.

EFFECTIVE MIXERS AND ICE BREAKERS
Since a club is made up of kids from a variety of groups who may or may not know each other, it is sometimes helpful to incorporate a mixer or ice-breaker into the club program. ​ ​
  • A mixer is a game in which everyone participates and demands each kid interact with at least one other person, if not everyone in the room. This “connection” with the other participants creates a feeling of safety for what will follow. They feel like they are all in this thing together.
  • An ice-breaker​ is a quick, funny way to defuse the crowd and put everyone at ease. In this case, kids don’t have to interact with others, but instead share a common laugh.
Though not essential, sometimes it can be helpful to have a team of student leaders kick off club with a mixer. Since they are initiators rather than the volunteers, other kids may feel freer to follow their lead. Obviously, student leaders must be the right kids.
Make the activity more fun than threatening.
  • Be sure the instructions are clear and well-heard; otherwise, no one will want to participate for fear of failure.
  • Test the idea yourself before doing it so you are sure to lead it effectively.
  • Be sure to have the right props.
  • Have leaders who are not running the mixer playing along with kids.
  • Encourage student leaders to look out for kids who are scared to find a partner.​
EFFECTIVE RUN-ONS

A run-on is a short skit that interrupts the flow of club. It can be a one-and-done or be built on for several weeks running. It can be used to sell an event or just get a quick laugh. A continuous run-on hopefully grows funnier and creates an air of anticipation for what is coming as kids look forward to the next act.

  • The characters should be clearly defined and easy to stereotype.
  • Be well-rehearsed. Some of the dialogue should be repeated each week so the kids can say the lines along with the characters.
  • Each episode should build toward a finale.
  • It is effective, where desired, for the underdog to experience victory in the finale.
  • Don’t drag it out — either by over-milking individual episodes, or by carrying it out for more than six or seven episodes. Leave them wanting more.
  • Pick an appropriate theme song to kick off the run-on so kids know it’s coming and get quiet for the dialogue. Use memorable costumes.
EFFECTIVE LEADER SKITS

A leader skit is a chance for leaders to provide a funny moment and allow kids to laugh at them. Two keys to being funny: be well rehearsed and have good timing. Show that we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Jim Rayburn liked to say, “A fool for Jesus is an honorable thing.”

  • Skits need to be in good taste.
  • Usually short: five to seven minutes. Keep them moving — don’t let it drag.
  • Never make humorous references to the spiritual aspect of club.
  • Make sure you understand what makes the skit funny to the kids in your club.
  • Avoid negative humor. When in doubt, don’t use it.
  • Kids are more into what’s visual and obvious rather than clever (creative uniforms, exaggerated action). ​
EFFECTIVE MIXERS AND ICE BREAKERS
Skits are designed to get kids up in front of their friends. You should choose names before club starts and know what kind of people you need to make the skit work. Don’t pick kids who don’t feel safe or might be embarrassed (like a kid at club for the first time). We don’t want a kid to feel humiliated. Involve a cross-section of the kids in club (don’t use the same kid or group each week). If the kid is going to get really messy, you may want to clue him or her in beforehand.
  • You should try to involve every member of the audience (cheering for their team, letting them in on the punch line, judging).
  • Introduce the skit with a creative idea that gets everyone’s attention (funny costumes and music are good for this). You want kids excited about the skit before it ever takes place. Don’t just say, “Now we are going to play a game.” Make sure your explanation is short and clear.
  • Never bore the audience. Have everything ready before you get up front. If you have props to set up or costumes to put on the participants, do it during a song. Set up quickly. Eliminate “dead” time.
  • Walk through the skit in your head. Think through what you will need and what could go wrong. How will you divide into teams? What will you do if kids cheat? If something goes wrong, play it off by making fun of it and yourself. When the skit is over, how will you clean up and lead into the next part of club? Always be prepared.
  • Think through how to stage the skit. Be certain everyone in the room has an unobstructed view. Make sure you are not blocking any kid’s view.
  • Protect the floor, walls, and participants’ hair and clothing from damage. Damage is never funny; it’s always distracting and doesn’t depict excellence. Make up a “skit bag”: drop cloth, paper towels, emergency kit, etc.
  • When you take kids out of the room, give them a pep talk. It’s scary and they need to know we are going to have fun, not humiliate them. Also let them know if they ham it up everyone has fun. Be enthusiastic. They are risking a lot by being up front, so we need to really take them into the skit, not push them into it.
  • Honor the participants with a funny prize, or at least a round of applause. Make all participants feel like winners! Teach Campaigners and leaders to cheer for everyone.
EFFECTIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcements are the vehicle we use for communicating upcoming attractions. Many of these events are key to our relationship-building and proclamation. Therefore, announcements should be heard and remembered to ignite enthusiasm.
We should try to think through creative ways to get important information to kids. This can involve humor, slogans, rhymes, repetition. Some clubs have made announcements into a fun weekly skit. For example, a trivia contest or a raffle. Some clubs celebrate kids’ birthdays or major events in the school or calendar year. The goal is to be clear, brief and fun. Announcements can be a great place to involve kids.
Typically, there is one “Big Event” that needs selling (e.g., a camp trip). It is good to preface the announcement related to this event with a short run-on or skit that motivates kids to want to find out the details. Sell things far enough ahead to build momentum, but not so far that they are uninterested. You should try to create a sense of urgency to respond to your invitation soon.
Some Typical Announcements​
  • Camp promotion or information.
  • Club meeting place for next week.
  • Special events, such as Parents’ Night, All-City Club.
  • Contest results.
  • News about kids or the school.
  • Community project plans or reports.
  • New club attendee’s registration- announce a way for new attendees to “sign in” or meet a leader.
  • Recognize special accomplishments, birthdays, etc.​
Since kids will forget most of what is announced at club, it is helpful after the speaker closes in prayer for him or her to highlight any announcements that require attention after club - like signing up for something, picking up a t-shirt, or giving a leader their weekend trip deposit.
Club Evaluation Sheet
ACCOUNTABILITY:
  1. Does the ministry team HAVE a club plan for the school year (or semester) that includes dates for clubs and assignments for which leader is responsible for what?
  2. Is the ministry team ACTIVELY inviting students individually and personally to Club? Is the team ACTIVELY planning and evaluating Club for excellence?
  3. Is the team SHARING the purpose of Club with Campaigner students and inviting them to SHARE in engaging their peers?
  4. Is the Club ministry GROWING and helping new students hear about Jesus?
ACTION STEPS:
  1. Plan a visit to another area to watch their Club and learn from what they do.
  2. Plan a time your trainer/supervisor will visit your team and Club to help you evaluate Club.
  3. If you have a club plan for the semester/school year, bring it to your next meeting and be prepared to talk it through. If you do not, work with your trainer/supervisor to begin a plan for your club rhythms. When can you meet with your team to get a club plan created?
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