It is hard enough to hook and maintain students' attention already, but now it can be near impossible with phone, web, and text always in hand. Here is some ways we fight and incorporate this distraction in ministry.
- Small group leaders collect all phones (including their own) and put them in a Cell Block until the we have finished. This demonstrates that I, as a leader, care about you; and you, as a student, should respect others' time.
- In large group settings, we actually help them use it and get it out of their system. We will use something like polleverywhere.com and you ask a question and get real-time responses as they text in their answer. After the poll, it is an easy transition to have everyone put the phone away.
- We use Zone Coverage in large group settings. This means I have a leader or volunteer spread out in the seating area (no leader sits within ten feet of one another). This helps students connect to leaders as they interact during the service and helps police distractions in a subtle way.
- We tell core students to help by being the example and enforce our rules to their friends, but not strangers. We prefer new comers to feel welcomed, not oppressed by their fellow students,
What are some ways you prevent distractions in your ministry?
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