Teens like to be kept busy. Because of this most youth programs revolve around building a sense of community among the youth in the group through events and activities. There are many things you can do with your teens but even the best Youthworkers run out of ideas. I've started a list of things that I've found on the Internet that may help you plug your kids in to something fun, encouraging and educational.

Christian Camping International- A list of Christian camps and camping organizations.

Great Outdoor Recreation Page- All kinds of great information on outdoor recreation activities like biking, fishing, hiking, scuba, horseback riding, skiing, etc..

Lasertag Lock-in- A fun and exciting way to socialize with your youth.  This idea can be a great evangelizing event for your youth's non-christian friends.  Just find a Lasertag arena near your area that will host a lock-in.  Most of them do.  You can also try bowling alleys and Ice/roller skating arenas.

USA-Raft- Raft trips in southeastern USA. Youth group trips available.

See You At The Pole- A school prayer awareness program.

Wrolin Campin 'round the world- Looking for a campground to take your group to? This page has an extensive list of them from all over the world.

  Everyone needs extra money to support their youth programs but a good fundraiser idea can be a flop if a few simple points are not followed. So before we start in on our list of ideas we'd like to make some suggestions to you so that your next fundraiser works well for you.

• Get The Teens Involved As Much As Possible- Remember that the money being raised is to support an event they will benefit from. Don't do all the work yourself or rely on your adult leaders to do it. The teens must realize that something worth having is worth working for. If you try to do it all yourself you will burn out fast.


• A Little Goes A Long Way- Try to make the fundraiser easy on everyone's wallet. If you get a little bit from a lot of people then you will be successful.


• Don't Try To Drain The Congregation Dry- A lot of youth groups plan fundraisers that require a lot of support ($) from the local church. It's fine to ask them to help but their wallets are not bottomless. You need to have events that go beyond your church doors.


• Plan Well In Advance- Don't wait until a week or two before the event to plan for fundraising. Start your plans several months ahead so you don't have a ton of last minute planning to deal with.


• Know Your Group- Make sure the fundraiser that you plan fits your group well. If you plan something that they will enjoy being a part of then your job will be so much easier.


• You Don't Need A Big Event To Justify A Fundraiser- Sometimes it's good to just have a fundraiser to fill up the youth group's bank account. You will probably have an expensive event sometime during the year so there is nothing wrong with getting a jump on it.