Legacy Youth Ministry Resources

Long-Range Teaching Plan

Steve Miller

INTRODUCTION

• Students need to be grounded in the whole of Scripture, not a few select parts or topics . Without a long-range plan, it?s easy to exclusively teach on what God?s doing in my own life or what interests me, ignoring the fact that my youth have never been introduced to many crucial biblical themes. Most of us have a tendency to keep coming back to the teachings that helped us most spiritually, while ignoring many teachings that may well impact others. Reflecting on his three years in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul could say,

"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God." (Acts 20:27)

Remember, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (I Tim. 1:16,17)

Do we declare "the whole purpose of God," or only part? By our limited teaching, do we imply that only "some Scripture is inspired by God," rather than all?

• By planning ahead, we can take advantage of opportunities to increase the impact of a series. You may decide to wait till summer to do the "Wisdom" series, knowing that students might have more opportunities to seek wisdom on their own initiative than during the school year. You might save the "Relationships" series for summer camp.

1) Try to teach on topics during times that students feel needs in that area. Although you can?t always match a topic with a current felt need, do it when you can. Teach on "Suffering" when students have been faced with a tragedy. Teach on "Compassion" when you want to motivate students to take on a community service project. Teach on "Evangelism" as you plan toward an outreach project or mission trip. Avoid "How to Memorize Scripture" during exam time. More memorization is the last thing they?re motivated to do during that week!

2) Don?t be a slave to your plan. You can?t cover every topic and every Scripture in the Bible during the years that you have your youth. Think of this plan as a general guide, not a straight-jacket.

3) Get input from others. Charles Spurgeon, called by some "the prince of preachers," once marveled that those who speak so highly of what God has told them, think so little of what He has told others. Remember, in a multitude of counselors there is safety. Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church, asks other leaders in his church for their input as he plans his teaching for the year. One year someone urged Hybels to do a series on "Fear." Hybels resisted. But the person told Hybels that he didn?t want to preach on fear because he had no problems with fear. It was not a felt need for him. So Hybels decided to preach on it and found it to be one of his most popular series. Get input from other adult leaders and your sharpest youth. God can speak through them as well as you.

4) Don?t feel obligated to speak every week. Sometimes I?ve let three godly youth take three ten-minute slots to share something from the Word. I volunteered to give them whatever input they needed. It was a great time to train student leadership and I found that other students listened attentively and respectfully. Sometimes bring in college students or adults who have something to contribute on a topic.

5) Not every week has to be a formal teaching week. Often I planned an evangelistic meeting so that students could bring their lost friends. Fairly regularly I would plan question and answer sessions so that students could anonymously turn in questions that they were either wondering about or struggling with. If I didn?t know some answers, I would commit to study the issue and talk about it next week.

6) Plan variety in the type of application you are aiming for. If you?ve been teaching "Evidence for the Faith" for six weeks, don?t follow it with another heady series. Instead, do something on "The Love of God" or "Relationships." If you?ve just taught on "How to Have a Quite Time," you may want to avoid other topics that add more "things I have to do" like, "Memorizing Scripture." Spread the Christian disciplines out a little to give them time to assimilate each one.

7) Teach on topics that are appropriate to their spiritual, intellectual and emotional development. Sixth graders don?t need a detailed, heavy series on relating to the opposite sex. Neither are they ready to tackle a major intellectual defense of the faith.

8) Consider dividing up a long series. I?ve noticed a tendency in students to tire of a series that goes too long, even if each week covers new material. Rather than going three months on one topic, consider doing four weeks now, four weeks in a couple of months, and the final four weeks at another time.

9) Take into account that your students are probably getting biblical input at times other than the weekly youth meeting. Your pastor may cover some topics so well during church services that you see no need to repeat them in youth group. Some topics may be better covered in small discipleship or accountability groups. Evangelism training may be done outside the youth group meeting during a special training time for an upcoming mission trip. Thus, not every topic has to be addressed at the youth group meeting.

• This plan covers only topics, not the entire Scripture. It assumes that the church?s children?s program familiarized your students with many Bible Stories and basic Bible content such as Noah and the Life of Christ. If this was not the case in your church, you may want to add some Bible book studies and put more time into a Bible survey.

• This is merely a teaching plan, not a total plan for producing a discipled student. In addition to teaching, a total youth ministry plan should include training, mentoring, establishing accountability, ministry experiences (including in the church, in the local community and in missions).

• I repeat many topics every year. Why? First of all, not every student attends every week. Second, students need to be reminded over and over of important teachings (II Pet. 1:12). Third, students can apprehend truth on different levels as they mature. I don?t repeat the exact message. The second time around I may teach the same truth from a different passage, give the points different names and do an abbreviated version. They may never recognize it!

• Many topics will be reinforced in other series. For example, "Forgiveness" can be dealt with on its own, but will also come into the "Relationships" series and the "Prejudice" series.

• This plan was not given to me by God on a mountain, written by His hand in stone. In other words, look over the topics yourself to add things that I missed and revise according to what you think God wants you to teach your students.

THE PLAN