Ways to Connect with Students During the Christmas Season
Over the course of the year there are lots of great opportunities that allows ministers to connect with people they are ministering to. One of the great times of years that provides festive and creative opportunities is Christmas time. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and there are so many things you can do during the Christmas season to connect with students that go beyond the normal youth group or small group time. Even during a pandemic, there are lots of opportunities.
Here are a variety of ways you can connect with students over Christmas:
Online Game Nights. Sure everyone is Zoomed out but I do think a lot of that zoom out was when many student ministries were trying to do “youth group” on Zoom. For the most part, I believe students are done with that but they WILL show up for fun. So host an Online Game Night and make it Christmas themed. If you are looking for game options, Download Youth Ministry has a TON of ideas you can do.
Serve together. Christmas time is always a great time to serve and care for others. Sometimes your Church will have a ministry organization they are partnering with. If that is the case, be part of that. If your Church isn’t doing something like that, come up with an opportunity. Whether it is getting gifts for families in needs, doing a food drive or helping with other community service options, Christmas is always a great time of year to help others.
Reunion Gatherings. If you have former students in college or those who have moved away, use Christmas time (either right before or right after) as a way for you to do a reunion gathering. It doesn’t have to be anyting fancy or formal, just provide a way for former students to meet up and see each other again.
Christmas Caroling. Caroling around the neighborhood is always a festive thing to do. Get your group together at a house, have some cocoa and desserts ready for the students to eat and some song sheets ready. After you spend a little bit of time together, go outside and go caroling from house to house spreading Christmas cheer to the neighborhood. You don’t have to sing a lot of songs, but make a song sheet of 4-5 songs and sing a song at each house.
Go Christmas Shopping. One of the best ways to relationally connect with students over Christmas is to go shopping with them. Teens like to go shopping. Whether they are shopping for family or friends, take some students out with you to go shopping for their family and friends as you go shopping. It’s a great opportunity to take a small group of students with you.
Bake Off. Teens love to bake, even if it isn’t good tasting sometimes. With Christmas there are a ton of creative recipes for fun Christmas food that you could get students together for. You could do it in a variety of ways to adhere to COVID restrictions in your area. It doesn’t even have to be in person. It could be an online only event where students post their creations, tag your student ministry account and use a hashtag.
Conclusion
Over the course of the year there are a variety of different things that you can do as a student minister to connect with students. Even if you are in the middle of a pandemic, these Christmas specific opportunities can be used as they are or modified in some way. Remember, it’s not about the event or the program. The point is to use these to connect with students relationally. Pick and choose any of the above and use them as a way to connect with students during the Christmas season and deepen your discipleship relationships with students.
What do you think? What are other ways you can connect with students over Christmas? Share below or on social media using #ymsidekick when you share.
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