10 Easy Ways To Connect With Teenagers
Last week we gave you 4 creative principles to help you connect with teenagers.
This week, we are going to hear from a few teenagers on how youth pastors can connect with their youth leaders. And then I’m going to leave you with 10 creative ways to connect with teenagers.
Let’s get right to it…
1. Create Repeatable Activities
Give a hug to a teenager when you give them the keys to the car. Or schedule a movie night every Sunday evening. Or do a donut run every Saturday morning. Do things that teenagers will be excited about and it will be easier to connect with them.
2. Listen To Them
Teenagers will often let you know what they really want if you will listen to them. No hidden agendas. When a teenager feels heard they will speak more freely.
3. Ask For Their Advice
You will quickly get teenagers to connect with you if you were simply ask them for their advice and value their feedback. Teenagers have more wisdom than you think.
4. Work On Your Empathy
Compassion and empathy will go a long way to build a relationship with a teenager. It is much easier to talk with somebody who is showing you sympathy and empathy.
5. Tutor A Student
We all know how competitive scholarships are for college. Offer to help edit a teen’s essay or help them prepare for a test/quiz. Every youth ministry should offer students discipleship and tutoring. Use young adults and college leaders to connect with teenagers.
6. Hug Students Every Time You See Them
This may be one of the most important ways to create a connection. Obviously, we are talking about healthy parameters when we are showing affection. But, as I’ve always said, more people fail for not showing affection, than for showing too much affection.
7. Watch TV With Them
We must learn to like the things that teenagers like. That may be difficult for some people, but it is necessary for all of us to show commonality. Watching television with students can build a strong relationship and create memories.
This will also let you into their world and take a crash course on clothes, haircuts, language, and pop culture.
8. Listen To Their Music
This is similar to their TV and movies. Listening to the music will help you understand them a lot better! Their TV, movies, and music are a great education for her leaders and parents to help connect with teenagers.
9. Get to Know Their Friends
This is one of my favorite things to do to connect with teenagers. If they do not want to do something alone, it’s pretty much guaranteed that they will do something with their friends!
Our home has always been a retreat of sorts. Meals, movies, music, and a lot of sleepovers.
By winning a teenager and their friends, it is also a great way for the youth ministry to explode in growth.
10. Connect on Social Media
You may not have all of the platforms, but you should do the minimal. This is a great way to understand teens and their world. And the whole DM communication is really easy.
Finally
Whether we realize it or not, our kids really do like us! In fact, a recent study found that 70% of kids want to spend more time with their parents. It’s just that they want to spend time with us doing things that interest them.
One of the most important parts of youth ministry is being contextual. Understanding the context of a teenager’s world.
This will help our relationship as well as our messaging and our events that we create!
I hope these simple ways will help you connect with teenagers much more easily. Remember, teenagers do not care how cool you are. They think it’s cool that you care.