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16 Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Service Projects

Ministry, Resources, Uncategorized, youth ministry

Just one week before our youth mission trip to St. Louis—and right before a major holiday—our only scheduled service project completely fell through. With a group of teens ready to serve and no time to secure new partners, I had a choice: panic… or pivot.

So instead of “crashing out” (as the kids say), I reimagined the entire structure of our service day.

And while most of the projects weren’t uniquely tied to St. Louis, that almost made them more magical. The youth kept asking, “Can we do this at home too?”—which, of course, was the real win.

To add: some of these are… unique. Because we had originally planned to do a VBS, I had some crafts such as Wreaths and Flower Pots that I was wondering if I could repurpose a little for service projects. But I think that was part of our magic! Many of these were also inspired from my community at Women in Youth Ministry. Need some creative last-minute ideas? These women will help!

I put the service projects on cards and laid them out on a table. Each project had a clear summary, budget, supply list, scripture verse, and a reflection question—so they were ready to completely own it.

I read the projects to the group all at once, let them talk about it, and when they were ready they came up and chose a card to do the next day. They had a half hour to plan during our evening gathering time, then the next morning had three hours to execute. I put the cash in a pencil pouch, handed it over to a youth in charge, and told them to tell our group where to go. They had full autonomy and did a phenomenal job!

Park Cleanup

Summary: Help care for God’s creation by cleaning up litter and beautifying a local park.

Budget Guide: Low ($0–$20 for gloves, trash bags, optional snacks)

Supplies Needed: Trash bags, gloves, hand sanitizer, optional sidewalk chalk

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Genesis 2:15 – ‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.’

Reflection Question: What does it mean to take responsibility for a space we don’t own?

Little Libraries / Little Food Pantries

Summary: Stock and decorate neighborhood mini-libraries and food pantries with books, canned goods, and kind notes.

Budget Guide: $25–$100 for books, food staples, and decorating supplies

Supplies Needed: Books, canned goods, markers, notes, stickers

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Matthew 25:35 – ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.’

Reflection Question: How does sharing anonymously still help us feel connected?

Cards & Treats for Local Police, Fire Stations, Emergency Room Workers, Etc.

Summary: Show gratitude to local first responders with handwritten cards and treats.

Budget Guide: $25–$75 for treats and card supplies

Supplies Needed: Thank-you cards, markers, store-bought snacks or baked goods

Spiritual Goal / Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – ‘Encourage one another and build each other up.’

Reflection Question: Why is it important to acknowledge people who serve in hard jobs?

Laundry Love

Summary: Leave quarters and detergent at laundromats for neighbors doing laundry.

Budget Guide: $25–$100 in quarters and supplies

Supplies Needed: Quarters, detergent pods, ziplock bags, tape, printed notes

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Galatians 6:2 – ‘Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.’

Reflection Question: How does meeting a basic need reflect God’s love?

Hygiene Kits for Shelters

Summary: Assemble and donate hygiene kits for people experiencing homelessness.

Budget Guide: $50–$100 for bulk hygiene supplies

Supplies Needed: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, wipes, soap, socks, ziplock bags. You could also make menstrual supplies kits (tampons, pads, wipes, even reusable cups/discs).

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Proverbs 19:17 – ‘Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.’

Reflection Question: Why does dignity matter when helping others?

Water + Snack Giveaway

Summary: Hand out water bottles and snacks at parks or bus stops with affirming notes.

Budget Guide: $25–$100 for snacks and bottled water

Supplies Needed: Water bottles, snacks, handwritten notes or stickers

Spiritual Goal / Verse:: Mark 9:41 – ‘Anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name… will certainly not lose their reward.’

Reflection Question: What does it feel like to give without expecting anything in return?

Lemonade & Listening

Summary: Offer free lemonade and kind conversation in a local park or busy street corner.

Budget Guide: $20–$40 for lemonade supplies and signage

Supplies Needed: Cooler, cups, lemonade mix, poster board, markers, chairs

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Hebrews 13:2 – ‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers.’

Reflection Question: What can we learn when we stop to really listen to others?

“Ray of Sunshine” Baskets for the Homebound

Summary:  Create cheerful baskets filled with all yellow items and handmade cards to brighten the day of members of the church who are currently homebound. Coordinate with (insert church’s name) contact list.

Budget Guide: $100 total

Supplies Needed: Yellow baskets/bags, yellow items (lemon drops, socks, journals, teas, candles, pens, etc), list from the church, handmade cards, tags for bags

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Philippians 1:3–5 – “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.”

Reflection Question: How can we reflect God’s light to those who may feel forgotten or isolated?

Unhoused Showers Ministry

Summary: Collect items for a local church or shelter’s Showers Ministry, which helps people who are unhoused.

Budget Guide: $100

Supplies Needed: Shower supplies – or check with the ministry’s list of needed supplies

Spiritual Goal / Verse:Isaiah 58:7 (NRSV) – “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?”

Reflection Question: What does it mean to see someone experiencing homelessness not as a stranger, but as kin?

Our group chose to donate these items to St. Charles UMC’s Shower Ministry, but any shelter or street outreach program would be blessed by this.

Diaper Blessings

Summary: Shop for diapers in a variety of sizes and donate them to a local diaper bank or shelter that serves families in need. Create handwritten cards or notes of blessing to include with the donation—something simple to encourage and uplift parents or caregivers.

Budget Guide: $100 total

Supplies Needed: Diapers, card-making supplies

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Psalm 127:3 – “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”

Reflection Question: What does it mean to support someone you’ll never meet? How does this kind of giving reflect God’s trust in us to care for each other?

Bandanas for Pet Shelters

Summary: Create cheerful pet bandanas for animals in shelters to wear during adoption events. These small accessories can make pets more approachable and increase their chances of finding a forever home.

Budget Guide: $25–$75 for fabric, pinking shears, and optional fabric markers

Supplies Needed: Fabric from a craft stores, sharp scissors or pinking shears

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Proverbs 12:10 – “The righteous care for the needs of their animals.”

Reflection Question: How can simple acts of kindness toward animals reflect God’s love for all creation?

Dollar Tree Dinners

Summary: Create shelf-stable, low-cost meal kits. Each kit should fit in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and include a simple recipe card. Drop off at a local food pantry to help people prepare a full meal with ease. Dollar Tree Dinners on TikTok has a examples.

Budget Guide: $100 total

Supplies Needed: Gallon-sized Ziploc bags, shelf-stable meal ingredients, index cards, markers/pens

Spiritual Goal / Verse: James 2:15–16 – “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?”

Reflection Question: How can meeting someone’s basic needs also help them feel seen, valued, and loved?

Food Pantry Restock

Summary: Many food pantries are facing shortages and budget cuts. This project invites you to research a local pantry, discover their most-needed items, and use your group’s budget to shop thoughtfully. Your donations will help restock their shelves and ensure families have access to what they need.

Budget Guide: $100 total

Supplies Needed:

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Matthew 25:35 – “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.”

Reflection Question: How does feeding someone—whether you know them or not—connect us more deeply to God’s love?

Because St. Louis experienced a tornado, we did a collective Tornado Relief drive. We dropped bags off on Monday and got them on Thursday – taking two days of our week!

Joy Wreaths for Nursing Homes

Summary: Research local food pantries and look up what they are in most need of right now. Many food pantries have lost funding.

Budget Guide: $100 total

Supplies Needed: Wreaths (we have cardboard wreaths), items from a craft store/dollar tree. Use cord/string for hanging.

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Reflection Question: How can a simple, handmade gift become a reminder of God’s joy and presence in someone’s life?

Flower Pots for First Responders, Nursing Homes, etc.

Summary: Decorate flower pots and plant seeds as a symbol of gratitude, growth, and care. Pair each pot with a handwritten thank-you card and deliver to people who serve or may feel forgotten—such as first responders, healthcare workers, nursing home residents, or long-time church members.

Budget Guide: N/A – items in stock!

Supplies Needed: Thank-you cards, markers, flower pots, peats, seeds, paint markers

Spiritual Goal / Verse:  1 Corinthians 3:6–7 – “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

Reflection Question: How can small, thoughtful actions plant seeds of gratitude and hope in someone else’s life?

Create Your Own!

Summary: Come up with your own service project! Stay within budget and submit your plan to a leader.

Budget Guide: Up to $100

Supplies Needed: Whatever your group dreams up!

Spiritual Goal / Verse: Ephesians 2:10 – ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.’

Reflection Question: What needs are you noticing that others might miss?

Click here to download the simple cards I made in Microsoft Word!

Choose Your Own Adventure Service ProjectsDownload

2023: My Soul

new years resolutions, Uncategorized

When I was in high school, we were encouraged to choose a “life verse,” a practice I love and encourage teens to do today. The verse I chose was Mark 8:36. My favorite version of it says, “What would you do if you gained the whole world and lost you, the real you? Is anything worth your soul?”

When I chose this verse, I was struggling reconciling my call to ministry. When I finally submitted to my call, I had to do some work to undo patterns that I knew didn’t align with my call. My soul — the piece of me that makes me “me” — was being sacrificed so that I could fit in and be like everyone else. I had to decide that being different was worth it, because I would be living into who God made me to be. Plus, that other stuff wasn’t really “me” in the first place.

For a long time, I didn’t really think about what this verse meant to me again — in fact, eventually I named a new “life verse” as I encountered some new things in my life. That was, until 2022.

In March of 2022, I had finally had enough. I was working my dream job as a youth pastor in a large progressive mainline church. I was living my absolute dream, doing amazing things for the church, community, and even the denomination. But there was something that I had been ignoring for years: an unhealthy work culture. By March I had encountered a number of situations in a matter of months that made me realize the pattern I had seen over the course of 8+ years.

In 2022 my word for the year was “brave.” So, I bravely spoke up. This blog post isn’t about what happened afterwards (I spoke about that very generally on my podcast). But I came out of the experience feeling absolutely heartbroken. Here was this church that I loved with my whole heart and this job that was my literal dream job: but it was costing me too much. I had lost my grip on goodness, sacrificed my self-assurance, and felt incredibly lost. Please read: I loved the people and loved the work. But the particulars around staff culture left me wondering if the work was still good if the leadership wasn’t.

I decided to meet with a pastor friend of mine, and ask for their guidance on my next steps. This was someone who had worked in the same church and had seen the things I had. I asked them — how did you know it was time to leave? And they told me, “I was told that I was the problem in the system. That my issues with the system were actually indicative of my own failures as a leader. So, I set six months on the calendar. In that six months, I focused on myself and allowed ministry to go to the back-burner. At the end of the six months, I was in the best shape I’d ever been in, was the closest to my family that I had been in years, and yet — I was facing the same issues at work. So, that was how I knew it was time to leave.”

I took this counsel literally. I set six months on the calendar. I joined a six-month cohort for women in executive leadership. And for the first time, I set a goal completely for myself. I focused on my health, which ended up being needed — as pursuing this goal resulted in getting surgery that resolved years of chronic pain, pain I had previously ignored.

During this six months, I was retaliated against relentlessly at work for shining light on issues in the church. But I leaned on the strength of my coaching group, my inner friend circle of WYM, and my family. I opened my heart to hear God, and placed up appropriate armor to block out the spiritual warfare I was encountering at work. I was able to hear God, even when things were at their hardest.

One week at a staff chapel, someone taught on Mark 8:36. Their take on the verse was encouraging the sacrifice of self for others. At this moment, something clicked. I had tried that for years. I had ignored my own mental, spiritual, and physical health and reasoned that Jesus taught us to put others before ourselves. And absolutely there is truth to that. But putting others first does not result in total loss of self.

I began meditating on Mark 8:36 again. And I re-imagined the words. “What if you had your dream job, but it cost you your soul?” I started thinking about what my soul is, what she’s worth. And I began fighting for her.

So, I allowed myself permission to dream about what could be, and on the very last day of the six month discernment period, was offered my current gig. My new job consists of things I have been learning about myself over the course of the years, but wouldn’t have sought out if I hadn’t been looking. On one hand, I hate that it took immense heartache to bring me to this point, but on the other hand — I can’t help but praise God for Their provision in this season. Every day I am grateful.

Classic to the personality of a youth minister, God speaks to me a lot through the music and movies that I take in. 2023 was “The Year of Women,” and the stories that women told through media this year deeply resonated with my quest for my soul:

  • Beyoncé’s Renaissance album came out in 2022 and went on tour this year. I blared this album every day for a year, especially “Break My Soul,” “Church Girl,” and “Cozy.” My mental health was at an all-time low a year ago, with panic attacks almost every day for months. As I drove to work during this season, I would listen to the affirmations of my soul being worth everything. And just as Beyoncé said to do, I quit my job and dyed my hair.
  • I have been obsessed for years with the Broadway musical, Waitress, and it came to theaters this year. Sara Bareilles has been my favorite singer for forever. Waitress is about a woman whose life didn’t look the way she planned. In the end, she chooses herself, even though it means enormous and heartbreaking change. Now, I can look at who I was and admire her strength, while celebrating the life I’ve bravely built.
  • Of course, the Barbie movie. At first, I absolutely hated the ending, but now I get it: Barbie left a perfect but plastic world for a real one. And the change, while devastating, was the only choice she could make in good conscience. She knew what life should feel like, and she knew that one she was living was fabricated, not authentic.
  • Taylor Swift’s Midnights album. Some people call it a breakup album, I call it her Renaissance. She remembers who she is, comes out of hiding, and reclaims it. She launches a tour celebrating who she’s always been, so that she can shine in the way she always needed to.

These women influenced my decision to choose myself, to choose my soul. To leave the known and embrace the unknown. To leave a job and people I loved, to find peace in my soul. And while I still have grief over different aspects, I also have peace. I hold these things hand-in-hand, damn proud of myself at all the hard things I had to do to be true to myself.

It reminds me of my favorite hymn, one I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with. Mostly because, when you’re having a bad time, it’s the last thing you want to hear.

When peace like a river, attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”

In 2023, I found peace in my soul. I did a ton of brave things this year, in addition to all of this. All because I fought for my soul.

My life looks very different than it did a year ago, all because I prioritized my wholeness. On Instagram, I posted:

In 2020, I found myself.

In 2021, I found my values.

In 2022, I found my voice.

In 2023, I found my peace.

A friend from my coaching cohort, who walked with me through my discernment process, responded: In 2024, may you find your power.

May it be so.

FREEBIE: GameShow Frenzy

Uncategorized

For our November events for middle school and high school, I decided to recreate some of my favorite game shows into competitions for our students! You can do this a few ways:

  • Create teams and have the teams compete for points
  • Allow students to earn medals for each game, and the person at the end of the night with the most medal wins. OR — each medal earns a spot in a drawing for a top prize.
  • Or, “Whose Line” style — where the points are made up and don’t apply!

Wipeout

For our first game, I showed a Wipeout clip from Youtube that I downloaded. Right before a stunt, I placed “Will they Wipe Out? Yes or No?” The audience moves from one side to another. You can decide to use this game as a warm-up like I did, or eliminate people who get it wrong.

NewlyFriends

You can play this two ways:

  1. You can invite students and their friends to the front of the room to guess questions about each other.
  2. Or you can do what I did — spread students apart and invite them to sit with someone they don’t know and have them guess questions about each other. I placed paper and pens on the table, assigned one person “a” and the other “b.”

Ask questions like:

  • A, what is B’s favorite color?
  • B, what is A’s favorite food?

Don’t Forget the Lyrics

For this game, I found this Youtube Video, cut 10 of my favorite clips, and used it as my game. I gave points for answering correctly, and double for singing it!

Press Your Luck

For this game, you have your guests guess trivia. I played this “Family Fued” style — I had a list of 10 possible answers, and if they got one correct, they got 100 points. However, they could press their luck and go for more points. They’d either bust “get a whammy” and be out, or they could stay and keep their points.

Minute to Win It Games

My blog on Minute to Win It Games is still one of the most popular of mine! We played several games from this post.

Price is Right: More or Less

  • For this game, we split into teams
  • Bring one person on stage to guess the price of the item
  • Each group guesses if the price is higher, lower, or exact
  • Double points are awarded if the person on the stage is within a dollar of guessing.
  • 1000 points if the person on stage gets it exactly correct

Wheel of Misfortune

  • For this game, I made our own Wheel of Fortune slides using this website.
  • I chose to do Avengers Movies.
  • Call each person up on the stage. If they get it right, they get points.
  • If they get it wrong, the Wheel of Misfortune is spun. You can play this two ways:
    • They have the opportunity to win or lose points.
    • There is a “challenge” they have to complete.
  • You can use a wheel generator like this to choose your own custom wheel!

We did both versions of this game with middle school and high school. I screen-recorded our wheel and placed it into our slides.

FAMILY FUED:

For this game, I purchased two items to make it easier:

How to play:

  • Split up the group into two teams – they are now “families” competing on Family Feud!
  • Split them between the two tables – Have them select a “team captain” who will go first.
  • To start the round:
    • One person from each team will come to the frontYou will choose a card from the Deck, and read it out loud.
    • First person to buzz in gets to answer.If there is another answer that could “beat” theirs, then the other team gets to take a guess.
  • The winning side gets to choose “pass” or “play.”
  • How to score:
    • The team gets to guess the rest of the answers on the card, and gets three strikes.
    • After three strikes, the other team can steal.
    • Whoever wins the round “gets” the card.
    • Play for 15-20 minutes – the team with the most cards wins!

CAKE WARS:

This was, by far, the most extravagant and expensive game of the weekend. But SO fun and worth it!

Supplies: Styrofoam shapes from the Dollar Tree or a craft store, frosting, cheap cake decorating kits from Amazon, plastic tablecloths, gel food coloring, small bowls, sprinkles

Instructions:

  • Split group into 3 to 4 teams
  • Place plastic tablecloth down on every table
  • Give each team 20ish minutes to build the best cake using the provided ingredients.
  • Have adults pre-mix food coloring into some of the frosting containers and give to students as needed.
  • Encourage groups to come up with a theme, and split up tasks – while one person is frosting the cake, another is mixing up food coloring for piping. It’s all about time management!
  • After 25 minutes, vote or choose the best cake from the group!

FLOOR IS LAVA:

Game One; Floor is Lava

Supplies: Spinner, construction paper, “lava” floor

Set-up: Scatter the markers on the floor over the “lava” tablecloth, snot river boards

  • Spin the spinner. Everyone has ten seconds to find that color marker and stand on it – people can be creative – like jump on people’s backs or whatever.
  • If they don’t make it on a marker, they are out!
  • If they are the last one to jump on that color, they are out!
  • To make it more challenging:
    • You may decide to remove papers or colors as the competition dwindles down
    • You may decide to spin TWO colors, and they have to do one body part on one color, another on the other (like Twister)
  • You may play a few rounds.

Game Two: Lava River

  • Split into two groups
  • Give each group a set of boards, cardboard, tablecloth, something to stand on.
  • Tell them they must get from one side of the room to the other without touching the floor (the lava!)

Download Here!

You can download everything I did here!

DOWNLOAD GAMESHOW FRENZY

2022 New Years’ Goal-Setting Workshop

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With the New Year comes a time to set new goals. Whether you choose to do a SMART plan, a “word” for 2022, or make a half-hearted promise over the champagne toast, 80% of New Years’ Resolutions fail by February.

In my opinion, the reason resolutions fail is because they are too vague. We don’t think through the potential obstacles, hard conversations, or limiting beliefs that holds us back from achieving something, even if it could literally change our lives. Then we find ourselves believing that we can’t actually achieve our goals, because we believe we have “tried before,” even though our attempts were really half-attempts.

Often times, we do know what will help us achieve wholeness in our lives, but we don’t have the systems in place to make those steps. We need the clarity and accountability that a coach gives us.

My coaching isn’t like those Life Coaches you see on Instagram that post quotes that inspire you for a moment. You see, we live in a society that worships information and inspiration, and the result is the illusion that insight creates transformation. This workshop is designed to move insight into behavior so that “what could be” turns into “what will be.” No more excuses for incomplete dreams, failed visions, and another year of not hitting resolutions.

Group Workshop – $20

Ideal for someone who already knows what goal they want to set, and doesn’t mind setting it in a group setting. Groups will be capped at 10 people.

There are two times to choose from –

  • Monday, January 3rd 7-8:30pm EST
  • Saturday, January 15th 10-11:30am EST

If you decide to add on a 3-month coaching package, it will be discounted by $20.

SIGN UP HERE!

Individual Session – $50

Ideal for someone who wants a more individual approach, especially if they feel what will get them “unstuck” is undetermined yet.

Times will be on Fridays & Saturdays throughout January, although an alternative time can be scheduled by contacting Heather directly.

If you decide to add on a 3-month coaching package, it will be discounted by $50.

sign up here!

Digital Resource Download: $10

If you don’t have time to complete a class, you can purchase the resource that I’ve created to complete on your own. Venmo or Paypal @heatherlea17, include your email, and I will send it to you!

FREEBIE: Halloween-Themed Escape Room / Unlock the Box

games, Resources, Uncategorized

Each year for Halloween, we have an event called the Halloween Heist. Each year the Heist looks a little different — one year it was a Scavenger Hunt, another year a murder mystery party.

This year I decided to take inspiration from Escape Rooms and do an Unlock the Box-style event. There would be 4 “safes” that students would try to unlock. They would complete a series of puzzles to do so.

We did this with our high schoolers, and had them play the games as a small group. I think you could do this with any size group, and just adjust the prizes for your group’s culture. Our students had a blast, and I think we will do this type of event again!

Here are the details/script for the host:

  • Welcome to the Halloween Heist
  • The objective this evening is to solve all your puzzles first and crack the code to the safe
  • The first four teams to do so will win a fabulous prize. All four safes have the same code, but if you’re first place you will want to go for the largest prize, second place the second largest, etc.
  • The puzzles are in each room of the Lodge. You can do 1 through 5 in any order, and there is no limit of how many can work on a puzzle in the same room. (YOU COULD ALSO PLAY THIS THAT THEY COMPLETE EACH PUZZLE IN THAT ROOM, 1 THROUGH 5)
  • Do not cheat. Do not use google or a calculator.
  • When you are finished with each puzzle, a puzzle master may check it for you.
    • (LEADER) is the Puzzle Master upstairs, (LEADER) the Puzzle Master downstairs.
    • If you’re not correct, you’ll need to correct your puzzle.
    • We will have extra puzzles in case you have to start over.
    • If you’re stumped, the puzzle master may give you one clue.
  • Play to the strengths of your team, and work on it together.
  • When done with all 5, you will come get the final puzzle from me right here. When you have the final answer, it will be the combination to the lock. Come up and try your combination to win!

DOWNLOADS THE HEIST HERE:

heist-2021-2Download

These are the puzzles and answer keys.

ABOUT THE SAFES:

I chose to place locks on toolboxes and fill the toolboxes with prizes. We had small groups play together, so I placed in a treasure trove of snacks and Halloween candy that they could enjoy over time.

We also did gift cards to Dominoes and Starbucks that groups could use to enjoy together. We did this with our high schoolers, who often meet off-site or meet during an eating time. They were very excited about this!

Minute-to-Win-It Games

Uncategorized

This year we pivoted to a completely small groups-based model, which means that all of our events are now in the context of small groups too, whether they meet online or in-person.

We give groups creative freedom to do some fun games online through this list I compiled, but we ALSO wanted to give special days devoted to fun. We are calling them “Party-in-a-Box” because we are creating kits for each of our students, whether they are in person or online, that have all the materials to create a party with their small group once a month.

For March, our theme is “Minute-to-Win-It” games. For reference, we are making 250 kits, and it cost $800 on the dot (all I have budgeted for each of these!).

Kit Contents

Games

  1. Separate skittles into their individual colors; first to complete wins. (don’t eat because of other games)
  2. Place a popsicle stick in your mouth, and place a skittle on one at a time. First to balance 6 skittles wins (or whoever can get the most on in a minute wins)
  3. Cup-Stacking: First to make a tower with their cups and tear down wins
  4. Move The Cup: Place the red cup on top, and the five clear cups below it. Move the cups from the bottom to the top one by one. The first person to move their red cup to the bottom wins!
  5. First to suck their jello through a straw wins!
  6. Each person blow up one balloon. The person who can keep their balloon in the air the longest with just a straw wins! (or hands if in person)
  7. Using a straw, transfer gold fish from one cup to the other. First one wins.
  8. First person to bounce all three ping pong balls into one cup wins!
  9. Fill up each cup with water almost all the way to the top. Place the ping pong ball in the first cup. Blow the ping pong ball into the next cup until it lands in the last cup. First one to do one wins!
  10. Line up cups in a line on the edge of a table. Blow up the balloon (don’t tie it). Use the air to blow the cups off the table one by one.
  11. Come up with a creative way to pop the balloon without using your hands!
  12. There is a puzzle in the bag. First to put it together wins! Bonus: they can color the puzzle to make it their own!
  13. There is a Rubix cube in the bag. First to place it together wins!
  14. Use the playdoh to make a creation. Get the group to guess what you made — first one to guess correctly gets a point.
  15. WHEN DONE: Use everything in your bag to make an epic tower! Best one wins!

BONUS MINUTE GAME – Scattegories – Instruct everyone to get a pen and a piece of paper. Place one minute on the clock — name as many XYZ in a minute as you can. Whoever has the most UNIQUE characters at the end wins! You can also use an online version of Scattegories.

35+ Group Games Games You Can Play on Zoom

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This year we pivoted to a small groups-based model, with both in-person and online options. While in-person groups have board games and other activities they can do, we initially found it difficult to keep our groups on Zoom entertained. Here are some of the games we’ve loved — 35 games listed just as a starting point (and I’ll add more as we go!)

Group Games – Extra Device Needed

Group Games – Download the Same App

  • Among Us: Have everyone download the app, get a private room, and play along!
  • Heads Up: It’s like Charades, but an app everyone would have to have
  • Psych: Like Two Truths and a Lie, a fun hit!

Group Games – No extra device needed

  • Powerpoint Games from DYM: We LOVE using games from Download Youth Ministry with our group. Since we are in a small groups model, we download the games and then place them on Google Drive. We tell small groups they can play those games, and have created a small library for them. Just be careful not to use games that are “Sidekick Only,” as each leader would have to purchase and download Sidekick.
  • Charades/Pictionary/Hangman/”Gurgle the Song”: We’ve given groups a bunch of words (or they can do their own) and then they can choose how to play those. Some groups love annotating on Zoom. You can also use this generator
  • Random Trivia Generator: You can show the trivia on your screen or read it from your phone, and students can anser.
  • BINGO – You could always send the students the cards and chips.
  • Murder Mystery Parties – You would send the materials in advance. Here are is one option of virtual mystery parties!
  • Scavenger Hunt – Come up with a list of items, and have your students race to find them! You can also do this with sentiment; i.e. “find the item that best represents your week,” “find a picture that means something to you,” etc.
  • I-Spy – Play using anything from anyone’s screen background!
  • Chopped/Cooking Competition – With parent permission of course, you can do cooking challenges with your group via Zoom. Send them some supplies to cook from, set parameters (microwave only for middles?), and let them dream!

Color Wars

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As summer is around the corner, so is the excitement that it will soon be warm enough to do “color wars” again!

What is color wars? Color wars consists of kids throwing different color paint powders at each other. Sometimes there are team competitions involved. Sometimes there is a charity run involved, where every mile a new color gets thrown at contestants! The goal is to get as messy and colorful as possible!

How do you accomplish color wars? You CAN buy color wars pigmented powder, but it gets VERY expensive. The color goes much more quickly than you might expect. I’ve done color wars now 3 times, and here is our fool-proof way to do it!

DRY COLOR BOMBS

The most popular way to do color wars is with dry powder — and I like to use dry tempera paint. Here are the products you’ll need for about 60 people for 20ish minutes of free play (like I said, it goes quick! When in doubt, buy more):

One hack that was helpful for us was to mix the color powder and the corn starch into the bucket, then use a dixie cup to scoop 1-2 dixie cups into each knee high. Then, tie it off making it a “ball.” We learned the hard way to snip off the excess sock, as students used them to sling them at each other and hit one another.

COLORFUL WATER GUNS

Here is what you will want to purchase:

OTHER MESSY GAMES

We set up pools of messy activities, as well as served messy food (without napkins!). We opted for a “messy games” night versus a “color wars” because I just don’t love that term, to be honest. My favorite thing to call it is a “Mess-tival.” Here are some of the pools of mess we had:

  • Slime Baff – it took 20 packets to fill up a standard rectangle kiddie pool
  • Jello – don’t use real jello, use this fake stuff! One of these fills 100 gallons.
  • Pool of Orbeez. It takes SO MANY ORBEEZ to fill up a pool. And they are not ask biodegradable as they appear; they will leave a surface slick for a long time unless you wash them away. It takes over 1 million water beads, or 20 of these. Make sure to leave at LEAST overnight and covered in order for them all to expand!
  • We also did buckets of water balloons. Can’t go wrong with Bunch-O-Balloons or its cheaper versions!
  • We also love to add other water activities — water slides, slip-n-slides, and a foam pit we get from our local inflatables guy! And don’t forget tons of Ice Pops or Snow Cones!

Creative Service Projects You Don’t Have to Leave Campus For

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Youth Ministry pre-2020 used to be an in-person ministry with some digital opportunities, but the pandemic has flip-flopped us to be a digital ministry with some in-person opportunities. As we look forward to the summer, it can be overwhelming dreaming of creative experiences for our students, especially ways for them to serve. Most of our service partners are not taking volunteers, and may not take teenagers for the forseeable future.

I took to our Women in Youth Ministry Facebook group, as well as some other brains, trying to dream up a list of some creative ways to serve this summer, ways that could be helpful for any age (including our 5th-8th graders, who are constantly rejected from service sites in the first place!). Here are some ways to serve this summer, no matter the age, in easy ways that honor social-distancing:

  • Create hygiene kits and snack packs for local homeless shelters. Here is the wish list I created that contains all the materials we gather when doing these. I’ve done this 5 times now, and it’s always a hit!
  • Do a meal packing with organizations like the Million Meal Movement here in Indy. It costs a little bit of money, but you could even do a fundraiser where students ask family friends to sponsor their meals they pack.
  • Create bags for kids with activities. You can donate these to food pantries, to fire stations/police stations to give to frightened children, to the Ronald McDonald House, etc.
  • Create an alphabet coloring book. Have each student draw an outline of a letter, and they can decorate it to their creativity’s extent. Copy and make into a coloring book and distribute to children.
  • Do a Poverty Simulation
  • Do a Canned Food Drive. You can even drop off flyers/bags on the doorsteps of homes in your church’s neighborhood with instructions to leave the products on the doorstep another day. Then students can go pick them up — without making contact with people.
  • Write cards to first responders, your church’s shut-ins, or the residents at a senior living facility.
  • Pot flowers and deliver to a senior living facility.
  • Make care packages and deliver to first responders. Make homemade soaps, scrubs, baked goods, etc.
  • Partner with a local farm or urban garden.
  • Do a car wash! Make it free, or charge and donate the proceeds to a cause.
  • Do a prayer walk or an anti-racism walk with information about the roots of racism in the community.
  • Create kits for the younger children in your church for worship.
  • Do prayer stations, or do a twist and create prayerful “service” stations. An example is making inspirational rocks that students can scatter throughout their city. They can also write a thank-you card to a ministry leader or first responder.
  • Make tie-blankets. Donate to a shelter.
  • Painting anything around the church (but make this intergenerational and have lots of adults!)
  • Washing windows is always my default when we’ve run out of other projects!

I believe that these service projects will survive the pandemic and be go-tos for our middle school ministry in the future, as it is so tough for service organizations to take them! Sometimes it takes experiences like the last year to get really creative and think out of the box. If you have any ideas to add to this list, I’d love to hear them!

Bob Ross Painting Party – Part 2: Watercolors!

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Hey friends!

About a year ago I posted about how we did Bob Ross IN PERSON using acrylics, which was a huge hit for our kids. Right now, we are a completely small groups-based ministry, which means that groups are meeting in 10 or less in-person or on Zoom. Since we are not doing large events, we developed “Party-in-a-Box,” where we put some items into a kit and they can do them together as a group. This month we are doing a Bob Ross Party.

Separating and dropping off/mailing Acrylics to 225 kids was a logistical nightmare. So I thought: what about watercolors?

I was naïve, unfortunately, to think that all I would have to do is sub watercolors and everything else would be the same. What I didn’t realize is that Watercolors are a completely different medium altogether. With the help of my friend Jason Rockacy, an architectural illustrator who specializes in watercolors, he helped conceptualize a painting and the tools needed to pull this off with our students.

I encourage you to go give Jason some love over at his website: http://www.rockacystudios.com/

ITEMS NEEDED:

VIDEO:

* you may use this video with your group!

TIPS:

  • This may take the ENTIRE HOUR, and if students are in-person they may have to go home with the painting still drying on the cardboard (or you may choose to leave it in your space). Make sure to watch the end of the video so they know how to take tape off and dry.
  • WATCH THE SECTION, THEN HIT PAUSE WHEREVER IT SAYS “PAUSE.” Encourage the students to listen the entire time before painting so that they understand the instructions.
  • Encourage creativity! If they decide to red mountains and a purple sky, hey. It’s their world to live in.
  • Encourage them to do their best, and don’t laugh at their mistakes. Students need a safe place to “fail,” and we should never laugh at them.
  • you will have two cups – one for dirty water and one for clean water. Don’t dip a dirty brush into clean water. 
  • let an area dry completely before painting next to it
    • if the paint bleeds, push it back with brush and/or dry with paper towel
    • Paint will flood wherever water lives.
    • You will know when it’s dry when it’s no longer glossy
  • watercolors dry lighter than it looks
    • if you want an area to be darker, wait for it to dry and then paint another layer over it
  • don’t get your paper too wet:
    • If you get too much water on your paintbrush, squeeze the extra off
    • If you create puddles, dab with paper towel
  • If you don’t like a paint color you’ve created in the well, wipe it with a paper towel and start again!

I hope your group enjoys this activity!