Youth Ministry Conversations with Pulse

As we have all been trying to navigate through our ministries during COVID, it is important for leaders to connect and share their experiences in how they have been adapting.

Along with the Children’s and Family Ministry Conversations and Intergenerational Ministry Conversations, a Youth Ministry Conversation was also held, allowing space for leaders to share their stories, resources and ideas.

Michaela at Roseville Uniting Church has shared a great amount of online zoom games that she ran with her youth group as well as some safe socially distant games that they were able to run in person:

Zoom Ice Breakers Games

Human what’s missing (Turn the screen off, change something, then come back on and people have to guess what’s missing/changed).
Tongue Twisters (take turns in saying some twisters)
Draw what I’m describing (describe something, while others draw what you say).
Name the book (Someone reads from a book and the others have to guess what it is).
Where’s wally (Screen share, find wally or other objects).
Celebrity Heads.
Making paper aeroplanes.

Zoom Games (Online)

Home scavenger hunt (name an object and youth have to run around
Jack Box Games (Played on Nintendo switch or Play station and screen shared, participants use phone/computer to play).
Category Choas
Kahoot.
Articulate (Actual board game, with camera on it- pieces moved by leader and words typed by leader in personal chat).
Werewolf online (If you purchase subscription you can choose who plays, youth just need to make an free online account)
Reverse charades.
Code names
Netflix Party.
Name that song (Play a song and youth have to type in the chat the answer).

Social Distanced Games (In person)

Werewolf (Card game, Played sitting on chairs, cards not touched, leader showed youth and they had to remember their character).
Pictionary (On large white boards, everyone has their own marker).
Trivia Crack (App played on phone/ipads, projected on 2 large screens – played multiple games at a time).
Empires
4 on the couch
Bingo

Eilidh from Glenbrooke Uniting Church shared different ways they’ve run online and in person gatherings which included:

Zoom with online games – Skribblio, Jackbox, Wikipedia game, etc.
Zoom with guest speakers – leaders, international youth workers
Zoom milkshake-making session
Zoom movie night
In person board games and sports in the park
In person backyard campfire

Daniel Gibb aka Gibbo from Baulkham Hills Uniting Church shared what he has currently ran for youth on zoom:

Show and Tell
Ready Steady Cook/Master Chef
Tutorial Night
Scavenger Hunt
Zoom Mini Games (Online Games)
Story Telling Night
Around the World Night
Trivia Night
Game Show Night

Emma Hunter from Terrigal Uniting Church shared that she found the Accidental Counsellor Course as well as the COVID19 Awareness Food Service Training very useful during this time.

Throughout the discussions it was obvious that there was and continues to be a wide spectrum of how leaders are adapting their ministries. There was great value in being able to share each others journeys and hope to continue these conversations monthly.

You can keep in touch with PULSE by signing up for our monthly newsletter, or for further information contact our team via email, Facebook or Twitter.

Ofa Foiakau is the Field Officer (Central/West), and responsible for youth/high school ministry as a part of the PULSE team.