As part of heightened measures to stem the surge of Covid-19 cases in Singapore, religious classes for adults and children were suspended on May 16.

Sunday School and youth classes, which were permitted to resume in person from Phase Two of Singapore’s reopening, have gone back to the early Covid default of meeting online.

So how do youth leaders and Sunday School teachers continue to connect with the young, and find out what is on their hearts? Especially when they are unable to meet in person.

The two-day “What Works” Forum for Sunday School Teachers, Youth Leaders and Mentors held last week over Zoom could not have been more timely.

The virtual floor was open to participants who felt prompted to share ideas from their ministries.

The May 17 session for youth leaders and mentors attracted about 160 participants. The session on May 19 for Sunday School teachers had about 450 attendees. Participants came from various churches and organisations in different countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Germany. 

Organiser Kenneth Kwan, global virtual leadership and motivational speaker of Deep Impact, described the forum as a peer sharing platform. 

“This means that youth leaders like yourself will share with peers from other churches. There will be no experts here; just peers sharing to peers,” he told participants.

Kwan told Salt&Light: “As a body, we need to adapt to new challenges and technology while still being anchored to the Rock.” He was quoting a statement from Singapore Youth for Christ, where he used to volunteer. 

“When the body of believers share great practices and ideas, it gives a sense of optimism and encouragement that they are not alone and don’t have to figure everything out on their own.”

During the forum, 11 youth leaders and eight Sunday School teachers shared ideas from their ministries. Below are key takeaways:

Cool virtual hangouts

Youth leaders found playing games over Zoom and other platforms helpful in bonding with young people.

One participant gave a live demonstration of the game Guess the Emoji. He showed different sets of emojis on a PowerPoint slide which he had created manually. He asked the viewers to guess the Bible story or character the emojis represent, and to type their answers in the chat.

Skribbl.io (a multiplayer Pictionary-type guessing game) was mentioned for promoting inclusiveness.

Also highlighted was Games platform Grow Games, created by church leaders and “ministry tested”. It comprises more than 500 games ranging from virtual scavenger hunts to charades. It also has hundreds of Icebreakers – conversation starters and questions – to build relationships.

One church youth leader from Malaysia shared that his youth members hang out together in their own virtual room on Discord. These rooms can be made private to prevent outsiders from entering them. 

This platform allows them to video chat, watch movies and play games together.

“Even youths who left the church come back to hang out (with us) on Discord,” he said.

Making God’s word interactive

Apps such as interactive teaching platform nearpod are useful for conducting lessons and Bible quizzes online.

It functions like PowerPoint, but provides statistics on the number of correct answers given, allowing teachers to track the progress of the class. Teachers are also able to see who has submitted their answers.

Interactive puzzle creator puzzel.org helps leaders create crosswords, word searches, jigsaws and memory games.

Some leaders offer prizes for quizzes and competitions to encourage greater participation. “It provides a goal for youths to work towards and could deepen their interest in the Word,” said one participant, who added the caveat that gaining rewards should not be the main focus.

To boost sharing of thoughts and fears, one Sunday School teacher of primary level students employs Padlet, an online version of adding sticky notes to a board. Teachers respond by leaving words of encouragement under posts made by their students.

Roping in parents

While in-person meetings are currently on hold because of Covid restrictions, working with parents in their youths’ spiritual development continues to be important. 

Regular meetings that allow for two-way communication between the parents and youth leaders are crucial. Youth leaders share with parents how their children are doing in their walk with God. And parents also have the opportunity to voice their concerns.

One church holds an online town hall meeting for parents every month to update parents on what their children are learning.

Engaging parents starts with building a relationship with them.

One participant suggested a few ways youth leaders and the church can go about this:

a. Be genuine and caring when establishing relationships with the parents.

b. Show concern for parents one-on-one to build a connection with them.

c. Pray for and with the parents.

d. When restrictions on meeting in person lift, engage parents in small ways such as by asking them to opening their home to cell group sessions or preparing meals for meetings. This helps parents feel involved in their children’s spiritual development and provides an avenue for them to get to know their child’s church friends. 

The provision of food is a powerful bonding tool. One participant shared how one mother delivered her homemade durian puffs to youth leaders at a church camp. The group soon came to call this mum and her husband “mama and papa”. This leader is still in contact with them today.

Reported with permission.

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