How to Pick a Cool Name for a Youth Group

A name should give an identity to a youth group, reflecting the purpose or values of the group. Pick a name that is clear enough to communicate the cause behind the group and interesting enough to make someone want to learn more about activities.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bulletin board
• Index cards
• Poster paper
• Markers
• Stickers

1. Schedule a meeting with the group members when attempting to pick a new group name. Have the members send you a list of words prior to the meeting that describe the group. The words can be adjectives that convey the group's tone, verbs that describe actions or nouns that provide information about the group.

2. Transfer the words to index cards and arrange them in groups on a bulletin board in preparation for the meeting.

3. Study the terms with the group members at the meeting, switching them around in various combinations. The descriptive words will provide a good foundation for brainstorming a cool group name.

4. Consider the purpose, personality and message of the group when renaming it. Make sure group members keep these points in mind when proposing a new name.

5. Incorporate a tie to modern culture to give the name a cool twist. For example, the name could be a twist on a popular television show or rock band. Graphics on T-shirts and group materials can help emphasize the theme.

6. Brainstorm favorite scriptures when trying to pick a name for a religious group. They can provide a creative and meaningful source for a name if the youth group is Christian based. For example, the group could be "Soul Time" or "Souled Out" taken from Romans 13:1 which discusses the soul.

7. Consider a name that offers a cool acronym, which occurs when the first letters of each word form their own message. An example of this is BASIC Communications (Brothers and Sisters in Christ Communication).

8. Write down ideas from the group on poster paper.

9. Distribute three stickers to each group member and have them place stickers by their favorite three names.

10. Create a new list of five or six names that received the most votes. Make sure that everyone is comfortable with the short list of names.

11. Repeat the voting process using only one sticker until you are left with one name. Allow the group to suggest minor changes to the name if needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid confusing names even if the combination of words does sound cool. The group is more likely to grow its membership and gain support if the name is easy to understand and remember.