33oC Review

This is at youth group we are in a series, a 33 week series, called 33 Weeks on Cool.
We're using a small book called every teenagers little black book on cool

Since we're a Bible believing youth group we've said the Bible's counterparts for the modern word cool are favored and accepted.

We started with 3 reasons why cool doesn't try- it is.

For your own beni I'll list them:
1.Being cool is an honor that only others can bestow on you. Only God and people can show you favor and acceptance.
2. Truly cool people focus on others, not on themselves. Matthew 23:12 says that those who humble themselves will be exalted.
3. Most cool people don't even realize they are cool. They're too busy making a difference in their world.

We then moved onto things that definitely are not cool as well as ways to know you aren't cool: like living in self-pity, having a sharp tongue and trying to impress people with your stuff being a few.

Three weeks ago we started a skit that will run all year, or at least the major part of the year. It involves 2 teenage boys, Eugene and Dewy, who are in a desperate search to become "cool". They've calculated all the figures and realized they are NOT cool, at least not cool as they they think it. So in the search for cool Eugene and Dewy have made themselves into Superheros Plunger Boy and Squirt. Last night was the unveiling of Plunger Boy (tall thin guy with black tights, silver cape, short shorts, mask and a plunger for a weapon) and Squirt (shorter heavy-set guy with purple tights, short shorts and a mask and squirt bottle)! It was hilarious when they came out, theme song and all!

The students seem to be taking to our new format this year and from what I see the majority are staying focused when Kev is speaking, engaging in meaningful conversations afterward and simply coming back week after week.

A note on our new format: we're running both our Wired, middle school, students and Refined, high school students on the same night. Wired meets for games and small group time and then comes to the main sanctuary for large group time, while Refined starts off with large group before splitting into small groups and games wrap up the evening. You know it's good when the small groups are still meeting well after our closing time of 9:00pm.

So, with only a few students complaining, and I wouldn't even call it that, about the new combined schedule, I think we're off to a good start.

On a personal note this year I am working with a small group of 11th grade girls. The past 3 years have seen me with 6th and 7th graders so it's been a time of adjustment for me. First of all my girls are mobile on their own and they're also a lot more mature than middle schoolers. There are 6 girls and myself who meet in the sweetest of rooms- Kev's office- and slowly but surely they're beginning to open up and share more. I've only been with them 3 weeks so the process has just begun. Last night was interesting as they asked some questions about me and my teen years- yikes! It is at these points that I wonder how I landed in youth ministry?

Overall last night went well, I've thought about grading our nights with a letter grade but that's not anything I'm good at, I'll either say A or F and with us I'd always lean toward an A!!

We're also starting to record all our skits and Kev's preaching/talking... whatever you call it, so once my techie wakes up I'll have him post it for ya'll.

Michelle