(Permission to copy and send highlighted tip. Leave a comment!)
Invite your group to gather in close. Dim the lights and light a candle.
Maybe you have experienced the magic of the campfire; the smells, the glow of the embers, and especially the freedom to talk about anything and everything? As people stare into the flames inhibitions melt away and the warmth of trust prevails.
The goal of a candle group is to bring the atmosphere of the campfire to the small group. It sounds overly simple, but the intimacy created in a darkened space, sitting close, face to face, heart to heart, person to person, with the glow of a candle is amazingly effective.
If you come to one the churches I am working with you would see the Peer Ministry Leadership youth, leading candle groups. We begin with wonderfully quirky, sometimes overly silly rambunctious kids, equip and empower them to lead. If you want to develop a youth ministry that grows in numbers and in depth… start letting your kids lead.