$2 Challenge

Helping students become givers is both important and difficult in this instant gratification and materialistic  culture. While our students are too young to remember the "Pepsi Challenge," we took 12 pack boxes or 2 liter bottles and made "offering plates" out of them. We then challenge students to give at least $2 each week, which can be done easily by giving up just two sodas a week.

Do the math with a 30 student group. $60 a week x 50 weeks = $3000! Where I come from, that increases my budget by 50% and decreases the need for fundraising! You can use the funds for your general youth ministry budget, give it to the church, use it for a project like sponsoring a World Vision or Compassion International child as a youth group, use it as a special trip scholarship fund and so on.

I've heard of one group who gave their budget back to the church saying they would fund themselves. Through giving alone, they raised enough funds to build their youth center themselves!

This post is also a great place to explore teenagers and attitudes toward money.
(1) Be careful not to assume students have no money and therefore don't need to learn how to give. Statistics show that they spend billions a year and millions more through their parents; a lot more than they let on or we would like to believe. The process of becoming a giver, just like God gave us His Son, is more important than the amount collected. Students are energized when they see that their sacrifice and giving can really change things.

(2) Don't be afraid to challenge students (and their families) when they are asking for help paying for a mission trip while they are listening to their new iPod while texting on their new cell phone and talking about the new X-Box they just got! Don't shy away from using both giving and paying for trips and events to help teach about choice, responsibility and stewardship.