Back to school feels more stressful than ever before. Parents, educators and kids are all asking what the best step is to take. More than ever, churches and youth ministries will need to be available to navigate the new few months. So how can you best support your students, your church family and your neighbourhood in the coming months? Here are some considerations and questions. Make room for students to discuss what they’re experiencing. Some
3 Key Insights from Matt Bellefeuille Lean on "I don't know" because there are a lot of answers we don't know as the pandemic continues. Plan now so you can adapt later. Know the difference between a "fountain" and a "river".
High school grads in the 2020 cohort will experience a summer and fall unlike previous generations of grads. Grads who are continuing to post-secondary studies will experience orientation events and the first weeks of classes (if they exist in person at all) in completely new ways. Some grads are deciding to defer their acceptances for a year. (Note: If you are looking to defer but haven’t done so already, you’ll need to check with your respective institution to see if any conditions apply to that deferral.) Other grads made the decision to defer a while ago. If you
Congratulations to Jane Manuel for winning our 20th anniversary interview game! (If you didn't see the roundtable interview, click on the video to watch it yourself.) TRIVIA ANSWERS There’s one scene that has the most Sharkey logos appearing at the same time. How many are present in that 1 shot? 4 Bonus: At what time in the video does it happen? At the 1:27:14 mark When does Matt
For the class of 2020, this will be a transition unlike others in recent history. No prom. The graduation ceremony won’t be until the fall. These students won’t have the chance to say goodbye as a group. The move towards post-secondary life will be just as different for them, although for those taking a gap year or working, the shift may not be as drastic. (Students taking a gap year may find our Gap Year Template helpful.) Life will continue to be different than usual for those going
COVID-19 LEARNINGS SUMMARY Over the last few weeks, I had the privilege of engaging with 16 of our CBOQ youth leaders, uncovering what they’ve been doing and learning since March break when the pandemic lockdown started. Here’s what I took away from each leader: John: Creative outlets like puppets allow students to focus on a project with purpose and can bless the rest of the congregation. William: Managing larger groups online takes multiple
Marco Gil Children, Youth and Family Pastor King's Community Church (Edited on May 25, 2020) INSIGHTS FROM MARCO Providing materials beforehand gives them a chance to review before meeting on Zoom. His role has been adjusted with the circumstances and is learning new skills to adapt. Think "way" outside the box. Try new things you haven't done before. Adjust as you go along. Keep doing what
Curtis Sheen Volunteer Youth Coordinator Little Bethel Community Church (Recorded: May 23, 2020) INSIGHTS FROM CURTIS He's relating through "drive by" visits with his youth. He's learning from others (e.g. through the other interview videos). His videos are a way to ground them back to the church building, which is a central locale in their relation to faith. Be yourself and trust God in what he's
This summer will be different from the ones we’re used to. It will unlike anything we’ve experienced before! With the lingering effects of COVID-19 still around, what might the summer hold for you and your team? School is cancelled for this rest of this year. (Enhanced e-learning summer school is available, and although some of your students are itching to get into those programs, likely most will not). Graduations and other celebrations are on hold. There will be no overnight camps. There will be significant restrictions to
Dinal Perera Youth Pastor Malvern Baptist Church (Recorded on May 22, 2020) INSIGHTS FROM DINAL There's balance of how much social media is used. Virtual allows for "filling in the gaps" with who didn't always attend in person. Also allows students to share and encourage their peers with those resources. Listening is a key part of communication. Time management is important in terms of making good
