Sometimes students have questions about life, youth ministry, the Bible, themselves, etc. That they are uncomfortable asking anyone. It can be hard growing up and feeling like you are the only one who doesn’t know anything. It seems like everyone else knows everything and you don’t want to look stupid. Already they likely feel like they standout for things that we might think are dumb (I have a hair that is sticking up; there is a zit on my nose; I just got in a fight with my mom; etc.). Imagine having all of those things going on and then asking a question they don’t know about and worry they may get laughed at and made fun of for. It just isn’t going to happen with every student.
So, I propose the “Ask Me Anything Box.” This is a box that you place somewhere in your meeting room, or even at a desk in the church where they can be even more anonymous. A place where students can write down questions about anything they want. Put together some sort of box. It could be made out of cardboard/shoe box with a slit in the top; it could be a wooden box with a lock on it and a slit in the side carved out; it could be a basket that you pass around (probably not the best one). Just be creative.
* Label it well
Make sure you put it in a place where students know it is and will see it easily. You could use a posterboard and write “Ask Me Anything Box” on it and put arrows pointing at it. Tape the posterboard up against a wall and put the box at the bottom of it (you may need to tape/screw it to the wall).
* Reference it (regularly)
Explain it really well up front during your announcements. Better yet, do a message on questions we have and then use the box as your application piece. Take a picture and display it during your announcements. Make a goofy little video with a student using the box and showing you where it is.
* Respond to the questions (regularly)
Don’t make this something that you think is a good idea and then just let it sit there. It will not get used if you don’t respond to the questions. Truth be told, you will likely get goofy questions that have nothing to do with anything, but there will be some legitimate questions as well. Hopefully you get that there are some questions you probably shouldn’t answer from the stage, but do your best to answer as many questions as you can. You could have a segment of your meeting time be “Question Box Answers” or you could use the questions as direction for future messages.