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This page is dedicated to providing strategy and resources for working in high schools. Our teens spend a significant amount of their time at school - it is crazy to ignore such a significant part of their lives. At His Youth we currently have active ministry in three high schools not far from our church. We also have other initiatives that teenagers themselves run, that we provide oversight and encouragement for.

The Prefects Initiative
Our church has a full-time children’s pastor who works in a primary school in our community. Each year we have a unique opportunity to connect with grade 7s (12 year olds) as the children's pastor helps the school to identify and develop the prefects. During the first quarter we provide refreshments for all the prefects in our youth room (just a 30 minute time where they get the feel of a fun and friendly space they could call their own), then in the second quarter we provide a 2 hour event training event to help them understand themselves and lead others. Download the Presentation and Handout. This initiative has led to significant numbers of 12 and 13 year olds joining our ministry from that school.

The Connect Group Initiative
During 2008, as we launched our Faith Journey at igniteYOUTH we started to encourage teenagers to consider launching a Connect Group or small group at their school. We concluded that it was going to take us a long time to get around to working in all the schools represented by the teens (at least 15) and with limited capacity that would not happen for quite some time. We also realised that it is a lot easier for teens who are already in schools to minister in their school than it is for us as leaders to launch an initiative. Here is a document that we used as a "how to" for teens:
Starting a Connect Group at Your School

 

The Vision Initiative
For some years we have had an outreach at a high school that is within walking distance of our church. About three months ago we were asked to step in and lead the SCA (The Student Christian Association) group that meets on a Friday at big break. We had just stumbled across a book by Pete Greig, Red Moon Rising, and were highly impacted by The Vision - a statement that as written in the context of worship in the 24-7 prayer movement in the UK. We decided to take the statement and build our year around it. Here is what we have created so far, over the past months:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Handout
Video Clip 1
Video Clip 2
Video Clip 3

 

The Service Initiative
At the start of the last school year a group of churches in our community got together and agreed to purchase a stationary pack for each learner. We were allowed to go from class to class to personally hand out the packs and even were allowed to pray for the learners with the teacher's permission. We assured the learners of our care and support in this time of schooling. Not long after that, our children's pastor was given a room to set up a prayer and counselling centre at the school. Here is an article about how the church can impact schools through service: Going Public

 

The Eternity Series
In the first term of 2013 we presented a series challenging teens to live on the edge of eternity. Here are the Powerpoint presentations used in each of the session:
Eternity 1: Intro (8mb)
Eternity 2: Think About Eternity (7mb)
Eternity 3: Connect With Eternity (5mb)
Eternity 4: Invest in Eternity (5mb)
Eternity 5: Talk About Eternity (9mb)

 

The Fences Series
In the first term of 2014 we presented a series dealing with the fences that God has placed around our lives to protect us from danger. We dealt with God's fences around Sex, Speech, Thoughts and our Hearts. Here are the Powerpoint presentations used in each of the session:
God's Fence: Intro (6mb)
God's Fence: Sex (4mb)
God's Fence: Speech (5mb)
God's Fence: Thoughts (8mb)
God's Fence: Heart (14mb)

 

The Divergent Series
The movie Divergent was released in March 2014 and having read all three books in the trilogy I decided to c3eate a teaching series based on the five factions in the book (Dauntless, Erudite, Candor, Amity and Abnegation) taking the angle that as believers we are meant to be Divergent in the way in which we embrace the five values represented by the five factions (Brave, Wise, Honest, Peaceful and Selfless). Here are the Powerpoint presentations used in each of the session:
Divergent 1 Introduction (8mb)
Divergent 2 Brave (16mb)
Divergent 3 Wise (14mb)
Divergent 4 Honest (15mb)
Divergent 5 Peaceful (14mb)
Divergent 6 Selfless (20mb)

 

The Fire Fighters Series
During the third term of 2014 we presented a series designed to help and equip learners to deal with tough issues in their lives. Each week was based on a well-known superhero. Here are the Powerpoint presentations used in each of the session:
Fighting Abuse (16mb)
Fighting Anger (9mb)
Fighting Anxiety (10mb)
Fighting Breakups (15mb)
Fighting Depression (15mb)
Fighting Drugs (18mb)
Fighting Pressure (10mb)
Fighting Suicide (13mb)

 

The Paradox Series
During the second term of 2015 we explored various seemingly paradoxical aspects of Christian living including how we are Doves/Serpents; Lions/Lambs; Sheep/Shepherds; Sinner/Saints; Earthly/Heavenly and Free/Slaves. Here are the Powerpoint presentations used in each of the session:
Paradox 1: Doves and Serpents (4mb)
Paradox 2: Lions and Lambs (4mb)
Paradox 3: Sheep and Shepherds (4mb)
Paradox 4: Sinner and Saints (7mb)
Paradox 5: Earthly and Heavenly (6mb)
Paradox 6: Free and Slaves (5mb)

 

Turbo Groups Strategy
During 2015 we launched an initiative to train learners in our high school ministries with skills to lead small groups (called Turbo Groups) during our sessions. We used a resource created by youth leaders at GodFirst called Mark Up - a study in the Gospel of Mark. Here is a link to download the material:
Turbo Groups Booklet
Turbo Groups Presentation

 

The Word-On Series
During the second term of 2016 we surveyed teens in the three high schools where we are serving and created a list of hot topics to explore each week. We also created separate WhatsApp groups for each school and a day before the session we posted small group question that would be used on the day. We started the session by getting the learners to split into their small groups (a teen leader with four to five learners) and they spent about 10 minutes exploring the questions before we had a 10 minute impartation from one of us and then closed in prayer. Later that day we posted the full set of notes to the WhatsApp group and encouraged learners to read it through slowly. The growth was huge in each group this term probably because of the issues that we explored and the interaction on the WhatsApp groups. Here are the notes for each of the sessions (No PowerPoint Presentations were created or used for any of the sessions):
The Word On Anger
The Word On Doubt
The Word On Drinking
The Word On Laziness
The Word On Pornography
The Word On Racism
The Word On Swearing
The Word On Tattoos

 

The Youth Alpha Series
During the third term of 2016 we introduced the Youth Alpha course into our three high schools. We watched the video in a break and encouraged the learners to meet on another day of the week to work through the three questions raised in the weekly video clips. The videos can downloaded from the Alpha website. I have also created short links to the videos on YouTube: Alpha Week 1. Subsequent weeks, up to week 12, can be viewed by changing the 1 in the link to 2, 3, 4, etc.

 

The Hostel Series
During 2017 we were approached to run weekly session at the Hostel at a bording school in Johannesburg. Here are the session that we created focussing on issues like Identity, Influences, Honesty, Standing Up and Temptation. Here are links to the material:
Week 1 Introductions Notes
Week 1 Introductions Handouts
Week 2 Identity Part 1
Week 2 Identity Part 1 Handouts
Week 3 Identity Part 2 Notes
Week 3 Identity 2 Handouts 1
Week 3 Identity 2 Handouts 2
Week 4 Influence Part 1 Notes
Week 4 Influence Part 1 Handouts
Week 5 Influence Part 2 Notes
Week 5 Influence Part 2 Handouts
Week 6 Honesty Notes
Week 6 Honesty Handouts 1
Week 6 Honesty Handouts 2
Week 7 Stand Up Notes
Week 7 Stand Up Handouts
Week 8 Temptation Notes
Week 8 Temptation Handouts

 

The More Series
During the second term of 2017 we presented a series based on the book by Greg Hawkins called More: How to Move from Activity for God to Intimacy with God. Here are links to the material:
More Series Presentation
More Series Notes
More Series Handouts

 

The Rebranded Series
During the fourth term of 2017 we launched an urban youth ministry curriculum called Rebranded at the Hostel at Parktown Boys - each session includes an intro video, a rap song, a testimony video and teaching and small group questions. You can register to use the free material and get the rest of the series if you want to go ahead and not wait for us to present it by visiting the Rebranded Website. Here are links to the material:
Rebranded Curriculum PDF
Rebranded Session 1 Creation & Purpose Presentation
Rebranded Session 1 Creation & Purpose Notes
Rebranded Session 1 Rap Song: Creation & Purpose
Rebranded Session 1 Creation & Purpose Video 1
Rebranded Session 1 Creation & Purpose Video 2
Rebranded Session 2 Chaos & Restoration Presentation
Rebranded Session 2 Chaos & Restoration Notes
Rebranded Session 3 Justice & Grace Presentation
Rebranded Session 3 Justice & Grace Notes
Rebranded Session 4 Faith & Provision Presentation
Rebranded Session 4 Faith & Provision Notes
Rebranded Session 5 Trials & Tests Presentation
Rebranded Session 5 Trials & Tests Notes

Permission is granted to anyone to download, print or distribute these documents for personal or ministry use as long as they are not sold for financial gain.