Help for Young Life Leaders NOW

One of my favorite tools is the Navigator TMS Topical Memory System. I recently had a need for some quick-hit verses and questions. I came up with these and I thought I’d share them with you. Just print them and cut them out. I have included 40 verses with a question or two for each.

It is in Word format so you can edit as needed for your group.

I got an idea from a friend in an email for a scavenger hunt with a twist. It is Couch Olympics.We did it yesterday and tons of the kids texted me and wrote on Facebook… “Best YL Ever!”

Basically it is a photo scavenger hunt but you take the pictures in a couch which you take with you from place to place. We had two teams, each with a truck and a couch. I’d highly recommend leaders drive big cars and maybe even get some volunteers to help drive. We even stopped at some committee people’s house to take a picture with them.

Here is what we used. Enjoy! (Be safe on this one)

You can check out my Facebook for more pictures. I also did a talk about receiving Christ and the Holy Spirit coming to live in you, I used this video. Never did a talk like that before. Have you? I might share more on that later.

This is a great alternative club you can do. The Spring semester can be pretty long for kids and leaders, this can help mix it up. Here is what my friend Charles from Las Vegas told me about…

“All of our kids and leaders were told to dress up in weird outfits or costumes, bring a digital camera, and meet at one spot (Oxford Park) at 7:15PM.  There, we gave directions being pretty stern on drivers only driving and not making phone calls or texts and to no speed, and obey the law. A team is whoever’s car you’re in.  We released the first team starting at 7:30PM and released one team one at a time in about 3 minute increments and wrote down what time they started on their sheet. When all the teams are released, I headed to the last hangout spot.  They had one hour to complete as many tasks as they can before they met at the hangout spot (East Side Pizza).  You want to have a couple of volunteers (maybe committee or a leader in training) to take scores, and observe the pictures and items they brought because it’s a pretty exhaustive process, and the kids get pretty competitive. Teams literally come running through the door in hopes that they make it on time.  You accept their sheet, look at the clock, and indicate it on their time of arrival.  You take whatever items they brought and their digital camera and give it to the scorekeeper.  While waiting for the scores, you can give announcements, show the camp video, and meet the new kids that are there.   In the beginning, expect a bunch of phone calls from parents concerned about the logistics.  In the end, you have a restaurant full of dressed up kids in weird costumes psyched about what they had just did the last hour.”

Sounds like an awesome event. I’m gonna try it. I recommend leaders drive. Maybe get other adults to drive too.

Here is the sheet they use. Thanks Charles!

Here is our “Blue” club. All the kids dressed in blue, good times!

We used the cheap popsicles and just had blue ones at the end. Also we couldn’t find all blue M&Ms, so we had all the colors, but they only got “points” for blue ones.

Here is the fifth installment of Sync through Mark…

I’ve received a lot of positive feedback on these in email and conversations. Any feedback you’d like to post in the comments? Anything that has really helped or could be added to make it more useful?

A lot of our kids dressed up as super heros. I didn’t have much time so all I did was a cape, so that might work for you if you are pressed for time. The kids were talking about the donut game all week long! Also I was a little worried because our leader who did the “amazon women” type game had the guys pull apart the girls, something I always avoided for obvious reasons, but it actually went really well!