Small Group Leadership Quick Tip: Draw Out Ninja Nina

The following is part of the on the go training that I’ve begun to give our adult leaders in our youth ministry. The principles should be transferrable to other youth ministries with small group programs.

Who Doesn’t Love Ninjas?

When I was a kid I was obsessed with ninjas. If I’m honest with myself, I’d have to confess I’m probably still a little too interested in them. But who can blame me? Ninjas are awesome. Stealthy, skilled assassins with amazing tools of war, and if they’re good at their job, you never know they’ve been there. You could be surrounded by ninjas and never know it. And that would be terrifying and excellent.

What is not excellent is to have ninjas in your small group. Not the sword-wielding ones, but those teenagers who enter, remain, and leave in the shadows with not a soul noticing. As a small group leader you must be aware of your “Ninja Nina” and work to draw her out into discussion, lest she remain a ghost in your midst.

So how do you draw out Ninja Nina?
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Old Book Smell

You know what smells great? Books. That musty, yellowed scent that fills your nostrils when you poke your nose into an old book. For some, I imagine this isn’t much better than the smell of your average hormone-raging, hygiene-handicapped teenager, but for me, it’s the smell of happiness.

I have always associated that smell with happiness. From a very early age, my parents encouraged me to read. My dad would buy me books or, more often, give me his own hand-me-downs. We’d also frequent the library, where I wandered around searching and anticipating my next borrow.
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Small Group Leadership Quick Tip: Handling Talkative Timmy

The following is part of the on the go training that I’ve begun to give our adult leaders in our youth ministry. The principles should be transferrable to other youth ministries with small group programs.

Thank You For Your Input…

“Well, I think that it’s basically a simple thing that, you know, Jesus was, you know, God and so of course he wanted to help other people, because God is good and he helps people. I mean, when I’m at school sometimes I try to help people when they need it by being nice to them and stuff. So it’s pretty easy to see that…”

You have been here. And you have heard this monologue. Talkative Timmy is giving his answer to your question, “Is Jesus the son of God?” When you’re leading a small group, there are a lot of personalities that you’ll meet. Some are quiet and more reflective. Others are more quick to speak up. And some will challenge your patience and holiness.

So how do you gracefully lead a talkative Timmy or Tanya? Here are three things to do.

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Three Thoughts About Writing

A little over three years ago, I began writing here at clearingtheattic.com. At the time, I had several reasons for writing a blog. I wanted it to be a repository of helpful things that I had taught or put together for our youth ministry. I also just wanted to create a place where I could drop my thoughts, a place with more interaction than a journal, but perhaps less than something like Facebook.

So here we are three years later and I’ve learned a few things about writing in this format. Here are three of those.
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Small Group Leadership Quick Tip: The Art of the Ask

The following is part of the on the go training that I’ve begun to give our adult leaders in our youth ministry. The principles should be transferrable to other youth ministries with small group programs.

Rock Nerd

Growing up, I was obsessed with rocks. Everyone in my third grade class had a rock tumbler that would take rough, ragged rocks they’d find on the ground and turn them into shining beauties to be set in a Jack-in-the-Box decoder ring. Although I didn’t have the fortune to afford a tumbler myself, I still fed my obsession.

I’d walk around, constantly looking down, hoping to find a rose quartz or an amethyst crystal. Usually I’d walk home with a regular white quarts and few pieces of gravel in my pocket. Although the payoff wasn’t high, the joy of discovery was. It was a simpler time.

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