The Lockin

For the past year I have been volunteering at the local church. As a youth pastor, I was not fond of Lock Ins and would attempt to not doing them at all cost, but the youth liked them therefore twice a year lock ins were presented and we would have more students than expected. They were exhausting, frustrating, and would test me on my knowledge of students.

On a personal level I am not a planner, on a professional level I plan with excessiveness. So when doing lock ins I would try to have every minute planned from registration, eating, games and yes even free time. Every time I planned I would be disappointed because the youth were not interested in doing a "planned" activity. At one point, I was discouraged and talked to my youth that I was closest to. I asked them, "Why doesn't anyone want to play games?" and one particular youth said, "Sometimes we just want to chill?"

"Sometimes we just want to chill?" That answer was, at the time, a little confusing. I asked myself, "Why even do a lock in?", "Why take the time of the adults and myself to chill?", but as I kept pondering his answer I realized a couple things:

• Youth are not free to be out all night for no reason
• Youth like to be with friends
• Youth like to break things...ok I just threw that in
• Youth like to have fun in the way THEY know how to have fun not the way I thought they SHOULD be having fun

His answer and my thoughts helped me ReThink lock ins. I do believe they need to be organized, but not to the very end. Put some games in to help keep youth moving and being a part of each other and not in their own clicks. But leave a good amount of time so they have just "chill" with their friends, allowing them freedom.

I went to my first lock in as a volunteer and for the first time was did not plan any activities. I was at the mercy of the youth leaders and being a former youth leader myself it is hard to keep my mouth shut. (honestly, youth leaders don't care about your personal opinion about lock ins) I decided when I started to attend and help out with youth I would be a youth helper and support whoever was leading youth and I stand by that. It has helped me gain insight about future volunteers that I may have.

Our student:Volunteer ratio was 1:1 (4 youth total), which made organizing a cornhole tournament quite easy. I brought my xbox 360 and we jammed all night with Rock Band. We played 3 rounds of flash light tag, unfortunately the church doesn't have to many hiding spots but still the youth made it a long fight to find them. I say all this because this particular lock in was not "planned" and we did these things as the night progressed. It was still fun, it was still a great bonding experience (I think more for the counselors because we stayed up longer than anyone), we still filled up the time allotted to us...

Planned or unplanned, wanted or not lock ins are successful for what they are intended for..."Chilling out"!!!