Blogging for Christian Teens
I started a new blog last week called Bible Bites 4 Teens. My heart has been burdened for the teens in my small town for some time. Our churches are small and their teen youth programs, with only a couple of great exceptions, are generally small and limited to non-existent. I would love to start up a multi-denominational youth group to benefit all of the churches, but the odds seem against me considering my age. I’m still praying about that.
But meanwhile, I’ve discovered that there is something I can do. I can blog for teens about the Bible. I am aware that teens aren’t out there looking for lots of reading material, so I’m keeping my posts short, focusing on only one or two verses from the Bible in each post, and tying it into the situations they face every day.
I may run Bible stories as well – if I do, they will probably run a little longer or be broken into smaller bites and made into a series for each story. Again, I will tie them into their life situations. I believe in telling the stories in a matter-of-fact kind of way trusting that teens really would like to know what the Bible says, though they might appreciate a few explanations here and there for understanding. I’m not into sugar-coating it as if it were intolerable without jazzing it up. Appropriately selected and placed questions should help youth to apply the stories to their lives – which is the reason for teaching them in the first place.
Some of the posts were written before this blog started. They are teen-oriented and came from my other blogs. For this reason they may not fit exactly into this plan, but they give the blog a little more content to start up with.
I covet your comments and suggestions on how to improve my blog. Please check it out at www.biblebites4teens. And if you like the blog, I would appreciate it if you would let the teens in your world know about it.
Janice D. Green
What a great idea Janice! We need to reach our teens for Jesus. If we don’t, the world will suck them in. Thanks for making the effort, and I will check out your blog.
Thanks, Crystal!
Thank you Crystal. I’m working with a small floundering youth group now hoping to get something started, so I write like I’m talking to them and to the other teens who message me on FB from time to time. I need lots of prayer on this venture.
Good for you, Janice! Just knowing there are other teens out there who take Jesus and the Bible seriously will be a great encouragement for them.
Are you planning to ask for youth contributions to the blog, too? Pulling young people in as useful members of Jesus’ body makes a big difference- it was huge for me.
PS, I know of several young people active in the Creation movement, including one who’s put together an organization just for them. Let me know if you’re interested. 🙂
Yes, I am definitely interested in using youth contributions. Please contact them on my behalf so we can talk about the nuts and bolts of plugging them in. My email is queenbjan at msn dot com if you want to share that with them as well.
Will do! What I wouldn’t have given to have had a network of serious young people in my own youth.
This is a wonderful idea, Janice. I’m considering a pre-teen girl youth group at our church, but face the same issues as you do. Right now the only youth at our church happens to be my girls, but they usually bring friends along, so it’s a place to start. I’ve felt called to do this for a while, so I shouldn’t ignore it. Good luck with your blog.
Go for it Cheryl. There is so much in the world that is pulling youth away from the church. We must do everything we know to do to help them develop a sound faith in God and in his Word.