19 interesting contact work ideas

 

This post is inspired by my rockstar husband, who figured out in his first year of leading Young Life what I've dreamt of mastering for a long time...contact work.

 

This year is my 5th year of loving on high school kids through Young Life and I know that each year the Lord grows me more and more through giving my life away. I wrote another post on what the Lord has taught me about leading Young Life here. This past year of leading with Hubs has been the most mind blowing and fruitful year of ministry in so many ways. Our day-to-day life looks so crazy from an outsider's perspective and I feel weird and braggy in saying that but it's just the truth. We moved across town to live close to the school where we lead, in order to have an open door, welcoming kids to come over whenever. We go to high school parties. We have two teenagers living with us right now and hang out with other teenagers at least every other day. Loving on our high school friends is just a part of our life. I'm so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with a husband who not only agrees with me on what our life together should be about, but excercises that mission perfectly and inspires me to do the same.

 

So because of that, I've created a list of 19 contact work ideas. Pick one and do it this weekend. Or today. Or right now. Life with Jesus is exciting and interesting and we, as Young Life leaders called to the mission of loving on teenagers, have the privilege of walking with them through high school. We get the privilege of showing them that high school doesn't have to be about partying. And life without partying doesn't have to mean sitting at home on the couch being bored.

1. Go wrap another Yl leader's house...or Saran wrap their car...or put pink flamingos in the yard

2. Visit a haunted house and pee your pants

3. Have them teach you how to do make up...because most of my high school friends are way more put together than I am. Example: my sweet friend Ashleigh Vaughn in the pictures above.

4. Volunteer at an animal shelter as an excuse to kiss on cute puppies

5. Take them go to buy goldfish. Put a wager on whoever gets their fish to live the longest

6. Relive middle school and go try on fancy homecoming dresses just for giggles

7. Have a themed movie marathon

8. Make big cookie. Or 3 of them. Make sure and eat them straight out of the tin like you do at camp

9. Have a poker night. Which will most likely mean teaching them how to play poker

10. Decorate shirts and go all out with school spirit at their football game this week

11. Have a board game night

12. Have a craft night. You can usually find canvases and paint on sale at Michaels

13. Go on a hike

14. Go thrifting

15. Pick out a recipe and cook a fancy meal

16. Teach them to knit or some other activity you're proficient in

17. Go play putt putt

18. Have a one roll night with a list of consequences

19. Go to a local restaurant that has a food challenge. Example: a steak that becomes free if you eat it all or a really spicy wing that might make you throw up