Church activities aren’t meant to just fill time—they’re meant to prepare youth for life.

Yes, we want to help them feel the Spirit. Yes, we want them to connect with each other.

But if we stop there, we’re missing something huge.

Because the Savior didn’t just teach doctrine. He taught how to live.

He taught how to work, how to love, how to lead, how to serve. He didn’t separate the “spiritual” from the “practical.” And neither should we.

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🧠 Why Life Skills Are Gospel-Centered

Teaching life skills isn’t “just” practical—it’s deeply spiritual.

• Cooking becomes providing for others
  
• Budgeting becomes stewardship
  
• Time management becomes honoring commitments
  
• Job prep becomes preparing to serve
  
• Public speaking becomes sharing testimony
  
• Repairing things becomes self-reliance
  

When we frame these things in gospel light, youth stop seeing them as chores and start seeing them as part of their discipleship.

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🔧 Ideas for Gospel Activities That Build Life Skills

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1. Meal Night with a Mission

Teach youth to plan, prep, and cook a full meal together, then package leftovers for a family in need.

Gospel Principle: Feeding the Lord’s sheep; planning with purpose

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2. Job & Interview Night

Teach résumé writing, mock interviews, and basic professionalism. Invite adults in different trades or industries to share how they serve God through their work.

Gospel Principle: Preparing for missions, providing for future families, magnifying talents

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3. Fix-It Challenge

Set up simple stations with broken lamps, squeaky hinges, or bike chains. Teach youth to troubleshoot and repair.

Gospel Principle: Becoming self-reliant stewards of what they’ve been given

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4. Time Management Workshop

Let youth plan a “perfect week” that includes school, work, gospel study, service, sleep, and fun. Discuss balance and priorities.

Gospel Principle: “To every thing there is a season…”

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5. Financial Basics Night

Teach how to build a simple budget, pay tithing, and avoid debt. Use real scenarios like “You’re 19 and living on a mission budget” or “You just got your first job.”

Gospel Principle: Managing earthly treasure with an eternal mindset

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6. How to Teach a Lesson

Let youth choose a gospel topic, build a 5-minute teaching plan, and present it. Offer guidance on structure, storytelling, and testimony.

Gospel Principle: Preparing to teach, lead, and influence

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💬 What to Say When Youth Ask: “Why are we doing this?”

“Because living the gospel means building a life. Not just a testimony.”

And when they realize they’re gaining real-world strength and gospel purpose at the same time?

That’s when they stop seeing youth night as just another class and start seeing it as training ground for discipleship.