(Newswire.net — September 7, 2022) — Any church leader already knows how young church members love technology. After all, aren’t we all enthralled to some degree with our smartphones, laptops, tablets, and access to the internet? Digital tools have truly transformed our world, and if you’re looking to build momentum for your youth conference this year, then you should certainly take advantage of modern technology for your ministry.
Here, we’re taking a closer look at how technology and a youth conference can actually go hand-in-hand and work to benefit one another. We also offer some practical tips to help you effectively incorporate different types of tech into your youth conference experience. Used thoughtfully and with purpose, technology can motivate, inspire, and truly empower those who attend and take part in your youth conference this year.
How to Use Technology for Your Youth Conference
Have you considered using technology to bolster your youth conference—but you just don’t know where you’d even start? If this sounds like your experience, then keep reading for some tips and inspiration. You’ll be amazed at just how easy and fun it can be to use technology to benefit the youth in your church.
- Bible study apps: for many youth conferences, Bible study is a core focus that enables young church members to develop a personal and meaningful relationship with the scripture. To make Bible study even more accessible and engaging, you can use Bible study apps as part of your practice. These apps, which can be used on most any Wi-Fi-enabled device, make scripture study easy and fun and can help you memorize key passages. Using these apps can also allow you to take Bible study on the go so you can keep learning wherever the day ends up taking you.
- Make a podcast: while we often think of youth conferences filled with outdoor activities like races, swimming, and other group events, the turn to technology allows you to also make meaningful connections when spending time indoors. As small groups, encourage your members to make a podcast about certain topics that pertain to church teachings or lessons. Let them get creative and interview each other. Some even use podcasts to spread ideas for non-profits and meaningful events, such as diaper donations in Denver or helping to feed the homeless. Your creativity is the only limit when it comes to developing fun and engaging podcast.
- Note-taking apps: whether you’re engaged in a Bible study activity, working on a group project, or developing a personal testimony, it’s easy to get a little disorganized with all the activities in youth conferences. With so many different texts and online resources available to young church members, it’s crucial to offer a clear organization and note-taking strategy for these members. Encourage your students to download one of the many easy-to-use note-taking apps, like Evernote or Scannable, that allow your students to save and organize important notes, reminders, and even multimedia files, like videos and links, and photos.
- Social media apps: it’s certainly no secret just how popular social media apps have become in recent years. But at the same time, it’s also important to see the potential problems associated with using some of these apps. This is especially true for younger church members. But regardless, you can still use social media to make your youth ministry relevant, accessible, and even more fun. Plan out activities where students get the chance to use social media apps, like Facebook or Instagram, in a positive way that enables them to spread their faith and share valuable lessons and experiences. You can even create a joint Facebook or Instagram account with your entire youth conference where you all can work together and collaborate on a conference project that uses these platforms for a good purpose.
- Video testimonies: we all love video, right? Therefore, try incorporating video production into some of your activities and events at youth conferences this year. Having students create video testimonies is a fun way to bring testimonies and faith into the modern day. It also makes it much easier to share with others. Having students film and record their testimonies can help those who may be shy presenting their testimony in a large room surrounded by dozens of people.
Conclusion – How to Use Technology for Your Youth Conference
For some older church leaders, using technology as part of their ministry could seem like it’d be more of a distraction. Even more concerning, you may worry that using technology could be a source of temptation where easy access to information can become problematic. But regardless of these fair concerns, we also have to face the reality that modern technology and digital tools play an active, and relevant, role in shaping the world around us.
Technology, whether we use it or not, will not go away. Modern technology has become intertwined with almost every aspect of our lives, including how we worship, gather, share ideas, and interact with other church members. This is why technology should be viewed as an opportunity to benefit the church and your youth conference activities.
In fact, digital tools can truly benefit your youth conference and ministry. Technology can connect you with church members from around the world and make it easy to share stories, ideas, and inspiration. And as we learned from 2020, technology can be an effective way to keep church services and activities running when it isn’t possible to meet in person.
Simply enough, there are tons of ways to use tech for your youth conference. Have your members create their own podcasts to share messages and ideas. Teach them how to use various digital platforms and apps in a way that is both safe and productive. You can also utilize many different apps, many of which are free, to make Bible study more accessible, engaging, and even fun for your members.