Quote:
Originally Posted by kingdomapostle
Soldout--
I am to preach during a youth service. What do you think its important for ministers to remember when preaching to a group of young people? I've preached to crowds large and small...but young people are BY FAR the most intimidating. They see STRAIGHT through you.  |
Kingdomapostle,
I'm not the typical UPC young person, so my answer might not be the typical opinion.
I've just never responded well to preachers jumping on pews, running around screaming, and doing acrobatics on stage to hold a youth group's attention.
As you said, most youth are pretty good at figuring out what a speaker's about and decide near the beginning of the sermon whether they're actually going to listen to the sermon or text their friends throughout.
All of the sermons that have really stuck with me over the years have done so because the speakers were real. They were open about their experiences, their challenges, their doubt, etc. Once I could see that the person in front of me dealt with the same things that I did, it made everything relatable.
That said, I think that topical sermons often appear to young people the most because it's most applicable. The one thing that I'd advise is not falling back on preaching about standards or anything that just seems 'easy.' Challenge the kids that you're talking to to really start caring about their future and the futures of those around them. Remind them of their destiny.
Just give them something on Sunday night that they'll be able to apply to their lives the next day.
Threaded Mode
