What do you do if your Young Life club is on Monday nights, conflicting with the desires of many high school girls to watch “The Bachelor” at 8pm on ABC?
We haven’t yet started club back after Christmas break, but last night I saw on Twitter that lots of high school gals had gathered together to watch the 2-hour premiere of “The Bachelor” (along with 8 million other Americans.)
After seeing the tweets, I thought, “I hope those girls don’t choose to watch TV over coming to club on Mondays this semester.” Then, I began considering how we could use this potential conflict as a ministry opportunity.
What if we moved club from 7:47 to 7:27, ending at 8:40, instead of 9…and got someone to DVR the show during club….and then we invited any of the ladies to that house and show it right after club with no commercials from 8:50-9:30? Sounds like a crazy idea? Changing the time of club, all so girls can watch “The Bachelor?”
“Seriously, you gotz 2 b kiddin’ me,” thought the YL leader reading this post.
“I’m brainstorming here, hang on.”
Typically clubs seem to drop in number during the spring semester. (We’ll address this in a series of posts coming soon.) But what if there was an additional incentive to come to club? What if this post-club routine of gals watching “The Bachelor” together developed camaraderie between different classes and across social cliques? What if it gave girls the courage to invite new friends to club?
“You should come with me to Young Life tonight, afterwards all the girls go to our YL leader’s house and watch “The Bachelor. It’s really fun, and she makes killer brownies.”
It could happen. Twitter could blow up on Monday nights with tweets all about YL club mixed in with colorful commentary on “Ben Flajnik” and “rose ceremonies.” (Yes, you thought correctly, I had to google how to spell “Flajnik,” heck, I even had to google who this season’s ‘bachelor’ was.)
While I’m not a huge fan of the show and the ideas it communicates regarding relationships and sexuality, I do see how it could be a ripe opportunity to engage high schoolers, to meet them where they’re at.
What if you used it as a spring board for Campaigners this semester? You could do a series on relationships and show the difference between the world’s approach and God’s desires for us.
I know there are lots of reasons NOT to do this. I know it puts girls getting home late. I know its not a show we want to be promoting. I know it takes away from the typical post club hangout.
BUT….
Let’s think outside the box.
Let’s get with our teams in these pre-semester planning meetings and leader weekends you’ve got coming up and let’s dream.
Let’s pray together, “Dear Lord, give us the teenagers”and then be open to where He leads.
Who knows, he spoke through a donkey, maybe He’ll even use a TV show like “The Bachelor?”
