Here are some discussion questions and topics to help create interaction in your youth group. Feel free to add or subtract to fit your youth group needs.
Take the title of each section and replicate the titles by the number of questions/topics in each section and space them out in a word processing document, then cut each one out individually. If you use this list as I have it here, then print this PDF (Click here to download it) out with the titles already counted and spaced out, ready to cut out individually. Place all the titles in a hat or basket and have the youth pick one out without looking at them first. Then the youth will tell you what title they selected and you will read to them one of the questions under the title.
If they choose the RIDDLES section and do not have the correct answer, you could penalize them by having them sing their favorite song in front of everyone.
SOCIETY & LIFE
- What three major problems do you think young people face today?
- What do you feel about the poor in the world?
- If you could ask Christ to change one problem in the world today, what would you like him to change?
- If you could personally witness any event in history, which one would you choose?
- If you could cure one type of disease, which one would you cure?
- What thing doesn’t exist that someone needs to invent?
- If you had to give every human being one quality, what would it be and why?
- What do you think is the biggest problem in the United States and Why?
- Why are we likely to be critical of how other people look?
- What kind of wrong conclusions do we reach when we judge others by their looks?
- How does the media influence what we see when we look in the mirror?
JUST FOR YOU
- How would others who know you very well describe you?
- When was the last time you admitted you were wrong? Why is it so hard to do?
- What is the hardest thing you have ever done?
- If you had this week over again what would you do differently?
- If you could change anything about yourself, what would you change? Why?
- Which two people are closest to you and why?
- What type of person would you most likely want for a best friend?
- What was the best thing that happened to you this past week?
- If you could have any question answered, what would it be?
- If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point in the future or in history would you visit? Why?
- What have you learned recently from another person?
- Who would you take to a desert island? Why?
- If you could change your name, what would it be?
- What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
- If I gave you $10,000, what would you spend it on? Why?
- If your house was burning down, what three objects would you try and save?
- Something I’ve always wanted to do is…
- What is your favorite time of day? Why?
- Name a gift you will never forget?
- If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
- If you were a car, what would you be and why?
- If you could relive your childhood, how would you like to be different?
- You have the exact same meal for the next 12 months. What do you pick?
- If you could repeat any day in your life, which day would that be and why?
- If you were invisible where would you go and what would you do?
- If you were able to know one thing about the future, what would it be?
HOME & FAMILY
- What do you most like about your parents?
- What do you find most difficult about the Christian life?
- What is one thing you’d like your parents to say to you now?
- What is one thing you wish your parents had said to you growing up?
- What is your least favorite chore to do at home?
- What’s one thing you like about your Mom?
- What’s one trait you admire about your Dad?
- Did you get to know all four of your grandparents? If so, how old were you when they passed away?
- What are 3 qualities you admire in one of your parents?
- How many siblings do you have, and what are your relationships with them like?
- One thing I love/hate about my parents is ____________.
- What would your family say you’re like first thing in the morning?
- What does someone in your family do for you that helps you most?
SPIRITUAL
- What important beliefs have you changed your mind on since following Jesus?
- When was the last time you prayed?
- Which person from the Bible do you most identify with?
- How would your life be different if you knew Jesus was returning in six months time?
- Which Biblical character do you most relate to or identify with? Why?
- How would you define the word “Christian?”
- What’s your favorite characteristic of God?
- What is one question God might ask you?
- What is your favorite part about being in the family of God?
- Where in your daily routine could you become more aware of God’s presence?
- A year from now, how would you like to be more Christ-like?
- What small thing could you do for God this week?
- What is one way you can worship God this week without using music?
- Who is a model of Christ-likeness in your life?
- What is one step God is calling you to take in faith to become more like Jesus?
- If God could only say one thing to you, what do you think He would choose to say?
- Specifically, why do you worship God?
- What draws you closer to God more than anything else?
- What is your most urgent prayer request right now?
- What are some of the changes you have seen in your life since you became a believer?
- What is one verse of Scripture that you have memorized?
- What one question would you like to ask God?
- What “non-spiritual” activity in your life makes God smile?
- In what area of your life do you need to trust God more?
- When do you feel farthest from God?
- What is one of your most favorite worship songs?
- What is something about God or Christianity that you have a hard time believing?
- If you knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow, who would you want to make sure knew about Him as the Savior today?
- Why does God care more about our hearts than our outer appearance?
RIDDLES
- Some months have 31 days; some have 30 days, how many have 28 days?
- John Smith was born on December 27th, yet his birthday is always in the summer. How is this possible?
- What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?
- The more there is, the less you see.
- If a blue house is made of blue bricks and a yellow house is made of yellow bricks and a red house is made of redbrick, what is a green house made of?
- Divide 40 by half and add five. What is the answer?
- What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
- The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?
- What goes up and never comes down?
- A woman gives an astronaut $1.The woman is the astronauts sister, but the astronaut is not the woman’s brother, why?
- You can’t keep this until you have given it.
- What question can you never answer “yes” to?
Riddles Answer Key:
| 1. 12 | 7. The letter M |
| 2. He lives in the Southern Hemisphere. | 8. Footsteps |
| 3. Your name | 9. Your age |
| 4. Darkness | 10. Sister |
| 5. Glass | 11. A promise |
| 6. 85 | 12. Are you asleep? |
Many of the above discussion starters were taken from a variety of sources, including these:
www.teenadvisors.org
www.insight.typepad.co.uk
www.thesource4ym.com
Comments
Wow! I’m so blessed that I found this website. I was really searching for something that can be an activity for the youth, and now I found this! 🙂 Thank you mister Kevin Watson. I know that God sees your heart and He will Bless you indeed! God Bless! From Fuertes family 🙂
Thanks Faye! Glad you found this post useful. I am going to be placing more content in the youth programing menu item in the next couple of months. I have plenty more to share! God bless.
Amen! Will definitely use this tomorrow for the youth gathering after our church service. God is really helping me because I’ve been searching for discussion questions and to my surprise, I found your site 🙂 Can’t wait for more. God Bless you!
Have an awesome day!
These are great – I will be using them tonight with my Youth 🙂
Awesome! That’s what these are here for! 🙂
Thank you very much. I found this very useful. Grace to you!
Thank you very much. I will be using some of the questions for discussions with my youth members. Be blessed!
God bless you for this man of God , may he continue to bless your ministry and all those around you . i’ve been cracking my head trying to find ideas to make our youth meetings more interesting and to keep he youths coming for more . keep up the good work .
This is really great, made some changes to fit my programme but its a great help. Wish there was mre sites like this. Thank u
I love this!!! But I’m not sure if it’s my phone but it is cutting out the answers to the riddles for numbers 7-12
Try turning your phone in landscape. It shows on mine. Glad you love this!
really interesting brother Kev.we appreciate your time to write about youth.I believe you did it with all your heart,may God keep you and bless the works of your hands.We love you
I really appreciate all of these questions and how they give youth time to open up about themselves without feeling pressured. While one half is spiritual, the other is simply for icebreakers. I think my favorite are the ones that ask about an individual’s parents. I will make sure to keep these questions in mind for out next service. Thanks!
Hey Luke! I’m glad these help you! I have many more under the Youth Programming menu. God bless your ministry!
Found this on my first google search! Hahaha. Great list! Do you have any good hands on, interactive things you’ve done with your students to help them develop in spiritual formation. Some how I found myself working with Junior High students again and I’ve gotten a little rusty on my junior high pedagogy 🙂
Hey awbranson! Glad you found me!! 🙂 There are a lot of definitions of “spiritual formation” out there. What particularly are you looking for?
Hi , thanks much for this page , I really was struggling, not knowing what to do with my teenage girls from church, this is a blessing, keep up the good work, Betty
Thanks Betty!
This was helpful
Im so blessed by the site. More grace
HELLO KEVIN WATSON SAW SOME OF YOUR INTERACTIVE YOUTH PROGRAMME AND I HAVE JUST STARTED A YOUTH PROGRAMME TEACHING THEM HOW THE CAN ENGAGE PEOPLE AND WINNING SOULS FOR CHRIST (EMPOWERMENT OF YOUTH IN PURSUING EVANGELISM WITH THEIR GIFT THINGS)
I PLEASE NEED MORE OF YOUR PROGRAMMES RELATED TO THIS COURSE TO HELP ME ACCOMPLISH THIS VISION.
Wow, this is so good.
Thank you Kev for coming up with all this questions.
This is the type of blogs that are worth reading! Blessings
This is the first time I am on here, but going through this list of questions these are awesome for the youth to interact with and to get more closer to God also, I will be using these with them, thanks God will continue to bless you and your work
I have never imagined this will be online thanks and God bless you Kelv
Thank you I really find this helpful
I’m just a young Christian but theses questions were really helpful and challenging to me they helped me to truly think about my faith and my actions and words
Truly! Your such a blessing gonna use this for youth activity tomorrow! God bless you abundantly sir!
Hi
Just started a youth and teen group on watsapp and I was wondering on how to counsel and be there for them, thanks Kevin. Stella from Nigeria
Love this please do more.
Thanks for sharing this. I found it when I needed it most.
i so much like this page more thanks for that be blessed
Thank you we are having youths discussion in church on 16th September 2018 and we shall have these questions and riddles to handle. I will be the moderator.
Oh,thanks very much,may God bless you
Thank you for your inspirational topics. Will be using them this year for our Youth club. God bless.
may God bless you for these posts they have really blessed me
Looking for something to discuss with the youth this really help.
This is beautiful sir, Well done
Wow! Thank you so much for this. I started a youth group some months ago. And was really struggling with keeping them involved and not bored. Thanks really. This will really go a long way. God bless you and multiply his grace upon your life
Thank you so much!!!
Pls can you explain riddle Question 1 why the answer is 12
It’s a trick question. All 12 months have 28 days in them. It’s just that, outside of Leap Year, February ONLY has 28 days. The others have more than 28 days. 🙂
Thanks a lot. This is very helpful.
Thanks for pointing out that it’s also important to consider spirituality when it comes to attending youth conferences. I’d like to look for one that my daughter can attend soon because she recently got in trouble at school. On top of personal reflections, I think it would be best to also make her get a new perspective in life sooner or later.