eZine 05.07.2002

TheSource4YM.com
	Jonathan’s Resource Ezine

Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, May 7, 2002

In This Issue

• MIXERS: Quick Games That Get Students Interactin’ With Each Other
  
  
• ARCHIVE ARTICLES COMPLETE! Past Articles toHelp Your Ministry
  
  
• YOUTH SPECIALTIES TRAINING: A Worthwhile Experience
  
  

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MIXERS: Quick Games That Get Students Interactin’ With Each Other

Looking for another mixer besides BARNYARD or FIND SOMEONE WHO?? Well Judy from Young Life just sent me a bunch of SIMPLE and effective mixers that you can use for the next couple of months!

CAUTION: Many of these mixers could lead you into temptation to break JONATHAN’S SEVEN DEADLY SINS of GAME LEADING!? Read or review “THE SEVEN” with this link:? https://thesource4ym.com/games/deadly.asp

Let’s not waste time . . . here’s a bunch, courtesy of Young Life:

Toe Fencing Mixer:
Here’s a wild mixer, and if it’s set to music, it looks like a new kind of dance. (great up front game- entertaining the rest)? All the players pair off, lock hands, and try to tap the top of one of their partner’s feet with their own feet.? In other words, one player tries to step on the other player’s foot while their hands are clasped.? Of course, since players are also trying to avoid having their feet stepped on, they are all hopping around the floor in a frantic dance.? When a player has had his foot tapped three times, he is out of the game, and the winning partner challenges another winner.? The game continues until only one person is left (or until the music runs out).

People Scavenger Hunt Mixer
Good game for a crowd or audience.? Divide the crowd into three or four teams, each section with a captain.? The game leader calls out certain characteristics…..blue eyes, likes to snowboard, has a 4.0, has red hair, etc.? The captain of each team must quickly try to bring someone with that characteristic up to leader.? First one to do so wins that round.? Keep score and play to 5 or 10.

Socks_Off Mixer
Try to get everyone else’s socks off while keeping yours on. (Sometimes the most simple games are the best!)

Organized Mingling Mixer
Get an even amount of students and staff in the room.? (Add your staff as needed to make the number even.)? Students and staff mingle to music and shake hands.? When the music stops, everyone must find another person and shake hands.? The leader calls out a question they must ask of whomever they are shaking hands.? Use fun and serious questions.

Sample questions:
1. What is your favorite pizza?
2.? What is your favorite kind of weather and why?
3.? If you could go anywhere on a vacation for a week, where would you go?
4.? What would you do with $1,000 dollars cash right now?
5.? Share a moment in your life where you remember being the most happy.
6.? Share a moment in your life where you were really sad.
Hint: you can use questions that will kick off that night’s discussion.

Human Knots Mixer
Separate the group into small circles.? Everyone grabs the hand of a person not standing next to them. The first team to untangle back into a circle wins.? (I’ve never tried this- but it sounds cool.? Try it with a few friends or staff before springing it on the students!)

Lengths_Of_String Mixer
Everyone gets a length of string.? Each string is the same length as one other person in the room. Students have to match up with their partner. Hint: Use this as a discussion starter.? Once matched, you can ask a question for the partners to discuss.

Paper Plate Musical Chairs Mixer
Have paper plates scattered throughout the room.? When the music stops, everyone must be touching the plate.? If they are not, then they are out.? Take out more plates every time.

Shuffle The Deck Mixer
Hand everyone a playing card as they come in.? During the mixer call out different combinations that they have to form a group with.? Example: four of a kind, a flush, two pairs, etc.

ARCHIVE ARTICLES COMPLETE! Past Articles to Help Your Ministry

Many of you have asked me about past newsletters and resources we have sent out to youth workers.? Some of you have been subscribers of this newsletter for years now and have caught many of the past newsletters.? But we’ve had 1,000 new subscribers alone since THE SOURCE launched it’s new site in February, just a few months ago.

Regardless, we’re finally caught up.? There are over 100 past EZINE newsletters, all the way back from when we were all recovering from Y2K fears. (Anyone want to buy a generator?)? So check out the EZINE archive page at the link below or at the ARTICLE ARCHIVES button on THE SOURCE’s main page.

Here’s just a few of the articles you’ll find on the archive page:

2/19/2002	Your Staff Are More Than Chaperones
10/09/2001	Extreme Days Movie Review
6/27/2001	Youth Groups Reaching the “Unchurched” Students
2/28/2001	Wishing Eminem Was Still Candy Coated
11/21/2000	Upside-down in a BMW- Thinking About What’s Truly Important
9/12/2000	A Game We CAN’T Play from New Zealand- Top 10 Games We CAN’T Play
8/30/2000	Top 10 Signs Your Youth Leader Has Been Watching Too Much Starsky and Hutch!
6/27/2000	All the Hype About Chubby Bunnies, To Choke, or Not to Choke, That is the Question
5/30/2000	Spouse or Ministry- Top 10 Dates With Your Spouse
3/28/2000	Hanging Out With Scum- A Biblical Discussion Starter

YOUTH SPECIALTIES TRAINING: A Worthwhile Experience

Many of you have heard me talk about Youth Specialties conferences or training opportunities.? Well, this last weekend I had the privilege of leading the veteran track of Youth Specialties’ THE CORE training in California.? We had about 700 youth workers at this location . . . and to quote our students . . . it was “off the hook!”? (That means “good,” for all you in Oklahoma!)

It was not only a great training, it was an excellent place to pick up some cutting edge youth ministry resources.? If you haven’t attended THE CORE, there are a few sessions left, including one this weekend in Canton, MI with Laurie Polich (a great speaker and author) and one in Glendale CA, with Mark Oestreicher (another great speaker . . . but lousy golfer!)

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God Bless!

Jonathan R. McKee

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Do you have a speaker for your next camp or retreat?

Check out Jonathan’s speaker page and who’s recommending him!

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