Could potlucks be the answer?

          So we found out that the best solution to our "consumer youth" dilemma was, in fact, potlucks! Having the kids commit to bring a certain part of the meal each week not only helped them to take ownership of the meals and the meetings, it also improved their fellowship time as they all pitched in to help prepare the meal, got them to show up on time (this is huge for our group!), and totally unexpectedly but most excitingly: it improved overall attendance! If the kids have a responsibility in the meeting they are actually way more likely to show up! In the past we have been lucky to have four kids show up on any given night and were really excited when those four started being more consistent. In the last two weeks we actually added two more kids who we hadn't seen in a loooong time, just by asking them to bring something for dinner! Amazing! The kids have even started helping plan the meal for the next week, this time with some humorous results. This week when we started handing out parts for next week's dinner all the kids seemed to want to bring dessert, so we came up with a really fun compromise: we will start this Sunday's meeting half an hour later so everyone can eat dinner before they come and then all the kids are bringing desserts for our "Ultimate Dessert Potluck"! How nifty is that?

         Another really awesome result of all this is increased participation in the Bible study. I know it sounds silly that food would change the dynamic of Bible study, but hear me out. I think it has to do with the increased fellowship time while the kids prepare the meal. They are becoming more and more comfortable and open with each other so they are not as nervous when it comes to discussing difficult topics in our studies. They were really curious and talkative and VERY involved during this week's Bible study where we began exploring who Christ is and what purpose he serves in Grace. The kids asked some really thought-provoking questions, even getting into the complexities of the trinity and Jesus humanity versus His divinity. They were really thinking this week and for the first time in months Hubby and I left the meeting feeling God's hand in it all and being assured that God's Spirit was really moving and working on the hearts of our kids. Often times we leave meetings feeling frustrated and confused, but this week was so different.