When thinking about tips for teaching youth, I would have to use the same three tips given for all other ages. Reaching teens especially demonstrates how truly ministering to students requires teachers go beyond mere methodology and biblical content.
Relationships are critical at all ages, but are particularly important at this time in life. Teens need to know that they are truly loved, each individually for who they are. They need to feel affirmed, as though they matter, that they are truly being heard, not just being told what to do or what they need to know. Consequently, Bible teachers of teenage students need to focus on building relationships. For more read: The Focus of Youth Ministry
2) Be prepared for challenges.
Young people want their needs met and will often do just about anything for that to happen. Bible teachers of teens must work hard at identifying those needs and providing a palpable, godly alternative to how those needs are met. When that happens, Bible learning becomes relevant to them, something that will get their attention. For more read: Young People Need Relevance (Follow the links in the ‘Related Posts’ for how they also need realness, relationship, reasons, and renewal.)
3) Foster an environment conducive to learning.
As already mentioned, youth need to sense that they are accepted not only by you but by their peer as well. Build a positive, community-based atmosphere, full of both grace and truth, where they don’t feel beat up when they fail. For more read: A Place Youth Want to Be and A Place Youth Don’t Want to Be
I need help I am into teenager ministry and I need materials in my email box to guide me
How good that you desire to be better equipped in your ministry with teenagers, Abiola . What we have available is what can be read online in our blog. You find all the articles about teens listed in the Youth Category. And, we do point you to resources on other websites. Here are some pages with resource links:
Resources Primarily for Teaching Teens
Resources About Youth Ministry in General
You should be able to find some helpful material in these links.
I am leading a care group of 7 teenage girls in 12th grade for about 6 meetings now. I have been teaching sunday school for 20+ years and It’s my 1st time to lead teens. I am so clueless on how to handle them. They talked alot and many times go out of topic. When I politely tried to get them back to the topic, they felt offended and said I cut them off. I tried my best to be a friend to them, I am 47 years old, they concluded a generation gap. They said I don’t know how to handle them. Please help.
Analiza Ho, it seems like you are facing some of the challenges in working with teens mentioned in point number two of this post. Teaching teenagers is definitely different from teaching children. So, first, I would say to learn as much as you can about this age group in general. Then, also try to learn what you can about your specific group.
Often teens will test new teachers to see what they can get away with. It’s important early on that you address issues. While you may want to be their friend, and relationships are important, you also are their teacher. That doesn’t give you rights to be overbearing and controlling but it does give you the right to steer the classtime toward the purpose for being there and for what is best for the spiritual development of all. Perhaps if you took time to discuss with them the purpose of the care group and what it will take to accomplish that purpose, it could help. You could seek their input in coming up with group guidelines. Make it about meeting good goals and not merely controlling their behavior. If they then do things that derail that purpose, you come back to the group guidelines.
While it would have been best if this had happened within the first week or two of working with them, it isn’t too late. But, it is important that they sense you’re coming at this because you care about them and not merely because you’re frustrated. You need to keep pointing them to the purpose of the care group and how group guidelines are for their good. The dynamic probably will not change immediately, and they may continue to test you, so don’t give up. Consistently keep bringing them back to the purpose. And, most certainly envelop all of this with prayer, seeking God’s help and wisdom.