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It’s a long-standing tradition in my life that if I visit a church, there’s an 83 percent chance it will be youth weekend.  You know, that time of year (usually around graduation) when the adults step aside and let the youth take over the service.  There’s always a certain level of awkwardness as teens uncomfortably read the announcements or lead worship while their parents are sneaking up to the front pew to snap a few pictures, which makes their child feel even more awkward.  I’m not saying that I don’t like these weekends, because most of the time they can be fairly entertaining.   But often, they become a "free-for-all" service where the normal Sunday rules are thrown out.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited a medium-sized church in a rural part of southwest Michigan on graduation weekend.  The service started with some young adults stepping out on stage with their instruments.  The one leading worship said, “This week the music may be louder than normal and the ushers may look a lot younger, but we’re here to bring honor to God.”  It was a great start. After one song, some students gave testimonials followed by all the graduates coming up front to say where their lives are going next.  Then, with the students still standing up front, the youth pastor gave a mini-sermon. By the time each student was given the traditional gift of their very own NIV Bible, nearly 45 minutes had passed.  I was expected a wrap-up of some sort, since my previous visits to this church had prepared me for a service that lasts about an hour. But this time, church had just began.  The teens came back to lead another round of worship music, followed by a full sermon from the pastor.  More than an hour and a half passed before the end was in sight.  It became clear that the youth part of the weekend had been an add-on, rather than an integrated part of the service.

Here’s my point in telling this story: weekends with special events shouldn't be a throw-away.  Don't abandon your normal planning to make way for something different.  Here are some things to think about as you plan for something like a youth weekend.

• Remember your congregation’s expectations.  You have a deal with your regular attenders.  If they’re coming to church frequently, they expect certain things, like relevant teaching and a worship experience that gets them ready for the upcoming week.  Honor and respect the relationship you have with your congregation. 
• Analyze gifts and skills of special weekend participants.  Just because it’s youth weekend doesn’t mean every student has to take over every aspect of the worship service.  Sure, it may be a yearly tradition to highlight the skills of your teens by giving them responsibility within the service, but the service doesn’t have to look the same year after year.  Look at the talents and strengths of your youth and see how much they can handle and do with quality.
• Let your visitors know what’s going on.  A newcomer to your church may not understand what’s happening when they walk in and see something different going on, like kids running the show.  Announce why you’re having youth weekend and how it fits into your vision of raising and training strong Christians.  Don’t forget about the guests you may have in town for graduations.  How can you speak to them, too?
• It’s okay to take risks, but don’t set yourself up for guaranteed strife.  It’s good to try something new, and it’s okay to fail.  That should be part of the culture in an innovative and creative church.  But that doesn’t mean you should do things you know won’t go well.  A Sunday service that goes twice as long as normal isn’t going to be a success.  Turing over the service to students who aren’t ready or skilled enough won’t work either.  Make sure you’re taking risk where there is a chance for success.

Is there anything you’d add to this list?  How do you plan special services like youth weekend?

(Juice on the Loose is a feature where we visit a church and share what we learn from the communication stuff they’re doing.  To read other posts in the series, click here.)