I had an idea about a post this week and it seems to be fleeting. With that I thought that I would roll out with a series of posts that get at the question about what goes into crafting a message for student ministry and what to think about or just keep in mind when creating a worship or teaching experience. We will see how it goes.
First off, everything is the talk. Our students and community of faith begin to interact with the message and meaning of the evening as soon as they get onto the property. For example,if your message is all about hospitality and leaving an open place for people to come, but there are not spots for mom or dad to park and drop students off it sends a very contradictory message.
Today I would like to take some time and talk about the space or atmosphere of the program. What is the first thing that students feel as the come into the space. Is the space too large and they feel like they are the only ones there? Is it too small and they are uncomfortable? I would rather have a space that is a bit too small rather than one that is too big. Smaller makes it feel like there are more people and that translates into “everyone being there.”
Also, what is the energy level like? Was there someone who welcomed me into the room? Name tags? Was there music playing? Was the room set up? Does it smell like my great aunt Maud’s house or like Starbucks?
The next time you go into a Coldstone (write it off as a professional expense) pay attention to the way you are welcomed, then go to a Kmart and notice the difference. How would you like to be welcomed into a place. This makes up for a small percentage of the impact of your words, but if it is misses you are fighting an uphill battle from the get go rather than having positive momentum for the rest of the programming.
