2007

Year of Renewing

I d e
as and Suggestions
f o r Yo u t h L e a d e r s
 200 7
Year of Renewing

Starter Kit

Produced by the
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist
Youth Min ist rie s D epa r tme n t
 Ideas and Suggestions
for Youth Leaders

STARTER KIT
The introduction on the following page is designed to motivate you and

your group into action! This is followed by a small collection of Quotes from

Scripture and Ellen White which should help as you create written material

or offer reports to the church family. Finally, you’ll find Suggested Activi-

ties, simple suggestions for building on the themes for that quarter.

 Year of Renewing: starter kit for 2007

 INTRODUCTION
• If your car starts once out of every three tries, is it reliable?
• If you don’t go to work once or twice a month, are you a loyal employee?
• If your refrigerator stops working for a day or two every now and then, do you say, “That’s
alright. It works most of the time”?

• If you miss a couple of loan payments every year, does your bank say, “Ten out of twelve
isn’t bad”?

• If you fail to worship God one or two Sabbaths a month, would you expect to be called a
faithful Christian?

This year, we will be “waking up” our youth with a refreshed and renewed sense of
responsibility. Being a Christian means more than attending church or paying an honest tithe. It’s
all about turning the love God has placed in our hearts into acts of kindness. It’s about living life
in a constant, soul-stirring attitude of worship.
Praise, thankfulness, prayer, acts of faith, and trust in divine power are all aspects of
worship that can energize us anytime and anyplace. There’s no limit to God’s power. There
should be no limit to our worship.
During the next twelve months, dig for ways to make worship the enjoyable,
rejuvenating, and mind-expanding experience it was designed to be. Lead your youth into the
fertile fields of worship-inspired service to God. Your church and your community will benefit
greatly from each and every effort you put forth.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once said: “Our concern is not how to worship in the
catacombs, but rather how to remain human in the skyscrapers.” This year, guide your youth
from the catacombs of ineffective traditions to the heights of real-world worship that will change
their relationship with their Creator forever. This Starter Kit is designed to prime the pump.

 Year of Renewing: starter kit for 2007

 Quotes
“Directed and trained by the godly instruction of the home, the influence
of the morning and evening season of worship, the consistent example of parents
who love and fear God, [the youth] have learned to submit to God as their teacher
and leader, and they are prepared to render Him acceptable service…Such youth
are prepared to represent to the world the grace and power of Christ” (In Heavenly
Places, p. 210).

“As Saul united with the prophets in their worship, a great change was wrought
in him by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit. The light of divine purity and holiness
shone in upon the darkness of moral depravity. He was himself as he was before God.
He saw and felt the beauty of holiness” (The Signs of the Times, 07-20-1882).

“But if from [the promised land] you seek the Lord your God, you will find him
if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29,
NIV).

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me”
(Psalm 51:10, NIV).

 Year of Renewing: starter kit for 2007

 1st Quarter: renewing the heart

ONE Begin a group-wide “one-to-one” program where each

TO member is reading a particular daily devotional book during
ONE the week. Each day, each member reads the same devotion.
During your weekly youth meetings, spend a few moments
reviewing the principles outlined in the book during the week
and ask for testimonials of how those principles impacted
lives.

PROJECT Take your youth group to visit places of worship of other

VISIT faiths in your area. Ask them to take notes of elements of
the worship services they observe that they find appealing.
Interview the faith leader about the history of that belief
system. Finally, find ways to incorporate those appealing
elements into the worship of the one true God.

2nd Quarter: renewing the family

FAMILY Teach your youth how to conduct a simple family worship
ALTAR complete with a few songs of praise, a devotional reading
(make books available), and season of prayer. Invite those
who’ve had experience with family worship to guide those who
haven’t. Tell all to keep their worships short and highly focused
on one central theme (love, service, relationships, etc.)

BRING Set aside one Sabbath per month as “Bring Along” day,
ALONG asking your youth to invite a family member to church. Let
the pastor know so he/she can plan a special service that
meets the needs of visitors. Make each visitor feel welcome
by having the youth introduce him/her to the church family.
Prepare a special health-strengthening meal for the visitors.

 Year of Renewing: starter kit for 2007

 3rd Quarter: renewing peers

STREET Invite the musicians in your youth group to create a “street

GANG gang for God” and take the gospel in song to local youth hang-
outs in your area. After obtaining permission from the proper
authorities, set up on a street corner or outside a popular eatery
and let other young people know that you love God. Have the
non-musical members of your group pass out literature.

PIXEL Set up a web site where your youth can post testimonies,
POWER pictures of recent youth activities, and a FAQ (frequently
asked questions) section focusing on spiritual matters of
interest of young people. Include a health section showing how
to overcome addictions or live a healthier lifestyle. Place that
web address on material distributed to youth in your area.

4th Quarter: renewing the

church
IN ACTION Create a section in your church’s worship service each month
where your youth can share with their church family what
they did during the past four weeks to spread the Good News.
Have them reenact in skits or readings what they did for Jesus
and explain how that interaction effected their lives.

YOUTH Arrange for a once-a-quarter youth-led worship service at

CHURCH your church. Have the youth prepare and present the entire
program. Explain to your group that good marketing (even
when you’re “selling” Christianity) focuses on the needs of the
target audience. Ask the youth to plan a program acceptable to
the church members even if it may not be their “style.”

 Year of Renewing: starter kit for 2007