Live, Laugh, Love & Laugh some more!: Having Fun and Laughing Together

This is a Part FOUR of a blog series that Heather Zempel and I are doing. To catch up click here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

I get to work with kids and teenagers for a living, and quite honestly it’s the best job on the planet. And then, I also get to work with people who want to invest in those kids and teenagers, and I get to give them tips on how to develop relationships with these said kids and teenagers.

I’ve discovered you have to work especially hard to develop those relationships with teenagers. See, kids have an automatic trust for adults, but teenagers have a hard time deciding who they are going to trust and why. That’s why our “Uprising Getaways” are so valuable to our student ministry. Not just for our students, but for our leaders as well.

See, we intentionally plan so many opportunities for fun and games on these retreats. Games from “Poop the Potato”, to "Fly on the Wall", to “Human Foosball”, to “Blindman’s Volleyball”, to “Noodle Hockey”, not because I think ridiculous games make you closer to God and into relationship with Him. Its because when you get the kids AND leaders laughing together, playing together and having fun together there is this invisible bridge of trust that is built between the student and leader the moment they play together and have fun together. Sometimes you just need to do ridiculous things to make them laugh at you (Like wear a hotdog costume!!!). I don’t know that it’s a magical formula, but I have discovered the value of having fun together when doing ministry with and developing relationships with teenagers. If you are able to have fun together, the fun moments builds a bridge for deeper conversation and further discipleship.