After getting some thought provoking feedback on the idea of student momentum, here are some of my thoughts.
As I said, I think we do a great job of creating an electric atmosphere or momentum when we do special events or camps. What I believe we struggle with on a regular basis is the energy of our environments on Sunday morning. Being that our Sunday morning environment is the most frequent and often attended programming element, the fact that we struggle to make this an exciting time is an indicator of how successful or unsuccessful we are from a production standpoint.
One of the biggest differences that I have seen from the environments we set up at camp or other events and our Sunday morning worship time is the “doors open” element. On Sundays (and at every other Youth meeting I’ve been to or produced) students usually just come into the room and wait for friends or leaders to arrive. Usually there is some kind of video game or pool/foosball table activity to occupy them.
At camp, most main rooms are closed off to students until about five or so minutes before program starts. What this does is allows a natural build of energy and anticipation. When the doors finally open, that energy or momentum not only floods into the room but multiplies on itself. The tone doesn’t have to be set from a stage personality. If anything, the people on stage feed of the students. One of the most important pieces of production happens without effort or even intentionality at camp. While for our regular worship experience we expend so much time, effort and money to capture or create that momentum.
We commit the unpardonable sin as it relates to production in Student ministry; we underestimate and undervalue the impact our customer has on what we do. What I think we have to understand is what we do doesn’t really create the most attractive or engaging environment. The “feel” or momentum is fully dependant on the student’s willingness to participate and the depth at which they choose to buy in to the experience.
Questions, concerns, dreams, aspirations, fits of rage? (ode to my old boss Tom Shefchunas)
phillipmccart.wordpress.com 
That is a problem that we had at our old building because it was one big room … however as we build our new ministry center the auditorium is seperate and the plan is to have a 5 min countdown on the flat panel over the door and when they walk in BOOM! Electricity…good luck with it…let us know how it works out.
I noticed that at the DRIVE 07 conference…NP does do a closed-door thing before events…and that’s cool, keep us updated on it…try it out and post what happens.
Phil… change. God stays the same, but we as people are constantly changing. Even if these kids were going to a huge non Christian party (complete with all the things kids without God would love), and the party rocked… if it was basically the same party with the same people done in the same way each week… eventually, the party would blow. No one would want to go. A REALLY good friend of mine once told me that the best way to create excitement in a Christian environment is to do the same thing in a completely different way!