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Finding the Cracks in the Wall of Communication


Are you dying to grab your teen's attention? Do you feel like you're shouting over a wall whenever you speak to them? Developing a relationship with your teens and finding ways to make your message applicable to their lives is like taking a sledge hammer to "SMASH and CRASH!" that wall down.

Relationships
Teens value relationships, and an effective youth ministry must be based on them. Often teens do things they don't want to do, or even become someone they despise just to gain acceptance. Building a solid relationship is the most powerful tool you have to reach your teens and change their lives.

Building relationships is like searching for the strong and weak spots in the wall. Spend time with your teens, even if it's just before and after your youth meetings and don't be afraid to ask questions about their lives. It will help you find their strong and weak spots.

Application
Take a strong swing with that sledge hammer by applying your message to your students' lives. Unless teenagers see how your message affects their life today, their wall will never come down. Many teens don't view Christianity as something that applies to them. Use language and illustrations they will understand and show them how to walk it out in everyday life.

In the same way you need to know how demolition equipment works before using it to knock down a building, you need to know what to use to knock down the wall that exists between you and your youth group. You don't have to walk in the room wearing sunglasses, a bandana, big gold chains and baggy pants screaming "Wusssss UP!" Unless it's some sort of joke, that won't impress anyone. Hit that wall with reality by simply using their daily life to relay the message.

You need both relationships and application to communicate well. It's good to know what's going on in your teens' lives. Try figuring out what they struggle with at school, home or among their peers, and even find out what make them laugh. Using these familiarities will let them know that you care about them, and showing them practical lessons that apply to their lives will help them grab the info and grow.

Watch as the wall CRASHes in front of your face. Lessons will start coming alive to your teens and you will start to understand them on a whole new level. Then, they will see the Lord in their own lives, not just a thing for someone else.