Kurt had a great post yesterday about some basic speaking tips and helps for youth workers running games. Thought there was some good stuff here, head there for the full piece:
LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE: A short lesson is almost always better than a long one! Nobody ever complained that the lesson was too short. Plus, a short lesson leaves your junior highers actually wanting to hear more. Short games are almost always better than long ones, too. Playing their favorite game too often ends up making it a game they are tired of and no longer get excited to play.
THE PAYOFF NEEDS TO EQUAL THE SET UP: The longer it takes to tell a story in your lesson, the better the punchline or application needs to be. When you start by saying, I’ve got the most hilarious story in the world to share it better be a pretty stinkin hilarious story. If you say, Today’s lesson could be the most important one I’ve ever taught it better be really important! A game that takes 10 minutes to explain and 35 seconds to play is a fail the payoff didn’t equal the set-up. When you send out a text claiming, tonight in JH ministry we will play a game of epic proportions only to have the game be a rousing game of musical chairs, you lose.