We just held a pretty big end-of-summer event, and we weren’t sure how much ice cream to order. We kept it simple with just chocolate and vanilla, although we had all kinds of toppings. We found that we could serve about six high schoolers per half-gallon of ice cream. We went through about 3 vanillas to 2 chocolates.

I hereby declare the end of poor communications within your youth ministry. I’m here to confirm what you already suspect: kids don’t check their Email. To them, Email is old technology, only good for formal communications with teachers, bosses, and other adults.

For high schoolers, it’s all about texting and Facebook. Generally, kids prefer a text message to a phone call because rather than having to drop everything to answer it, they can reply when it’s convenient. Kids prefer this for their personal communications, as opposed to the formal communications I alluded to earlier. Consider which category allows for more effective ministry, and then add a texting package to you cell phone account.

The real communications goldmine is Facebook–not just because all your kids are on it, but because all the other kids in town are on it too. Some people have a real hang up about Facebook, and I think it’s because they don’t understand how it differs from chat rooms. Facebook isn’t about anonymity. You set up a profile which includes your name and your picture, and then you seek out your friends to share in an online experience. Most kids who get into trouble online are interacting with an anonymous somebody pretending to be somebody else in a chat room, but not on Facebook.

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This may be one of the crazier ideas I’ve come up with, but I’m excited to see how it works out.

I have just sealed a deal with our local pizza shop to allow us to print a coupon on the back of our youth group T-shirts. Anytime one of our members shows up wearing the shirt, he or she can get a free fountain soda. T-shirts done right are great pieces of mobile evangelism and can be effective advertising for your ministry. This makes them even more likely to be worn in a crowded public place where several other teens hang out. Fountain soda is dirt cheap for the pizza shop, so it’s a great deal in exchange for their logo being flashed around town. Meanwhile, the shirts make an awesome handout after a lesson on redemption.