We often confuse these two words:

• Entertainment is passive. It’s quick, loud, and over fast.
  
• Engagement is active. It asks for effort, attention, and investment.
  

You can entertain someone with a TikTok. You engage them with a calling, a challenge, or a purpose.

In youth activities, the difference matters.

Because entertained youth leave empty. Engaged youth leave changed.

When you plan an activity, ask yourself:

• Are they watching something, or doing something?
  
• Are they consuming… or contributing?
  
• Will this be forgotten by tomorrow, or reflected on for years?

Entertainment might fill a room. Engagement fills souls.

What creates engagement?

• Authentic spiritual moments (even brief)
  
• Leadership opportunities
  
• Working toward a shared goal
  
• Learning a new skill
  
• Healthy struggle or challenge
  
• Open-ended discussions where their voice matters
  

You don’t have to be a master teacher or elite party planner. You just have to plan activities that matter.

Because when youth feel that something matters… they’ll show up, and they’ll show up differently.