In student ministry we often fall into a rut.
Many of us have been at this for several years and we just have a certain way of doing things.
We may even have a rotation of different bible studies that we use over and over again.
This can especially be true when it comes to planning a D Now weekend and the D Now material that we choose to use.
I want to encourage you to change that trend.
Whether you are brand new to student ministry or have been doing this for years I want you to do something very important for me.
I want you to begin to think outside the box.
This is not easy as we are creatures of habit and we like to stick with what is safe and what we know works.
This is understandable but after reading this article I hope you will see exactly what thinking outside of the box could look like and how to go about accomplishing this goal.
The first area we need to think outside the box in is in the D Now material that we choose.
Most of us have a few studies or authors that we like to use.
We probably also automatically order from the same publisher every year.
I also know from experience that most student ministries recycle the same lessons topics again and again.
We need to break this trend.
This year think outside the box and try something new.
This will not only give your students the opportunity to learn something new but also you will be forced to really think about your event this year and your students needs instead of just rolling the same package again.
Next we need to think outside the box when it comes to our traditions.
Maybe every year the same groups meet at the same house.
Why not change it up, move the homes around, and let your students meet new people.
Maybe you have a crazy game day every year.
Why not let your students do a service project or evangelism? I do give you one word of caution.
While I think you should think outside the box and change your traditions you might want to only change one or two at a time as change is not always the most popular move Finally we need to think outside the box when it comes to our roles.
For example, who always teaches your D Now material? Is it college students? This is great.
This is a wonderful opportunity for them to serve and I remember living financially from D Now to D Now in college.
But why not let the small group teachers you already have lead this year? Or why not let parents lead some groups? Or why not think way outside the box and let students lead your groups this year.
What you do is up to you but look for ways to change things up this go around.
So there you have it.
Whether it is in how you run your event or the D Now material that you will use, think outside the box, make some changes, and see the benefits they bring.