Tag Archive for 'values'

Values Session 1: Our Vision

Published
by
Jon
on 24 January 2008
in Youth Group Resources, Youth Ministry and Youth Work
. 0 Comments

This is part of an 11-session series for 11-14 year olds, teaching our mission statement and the importance of it’s values:

We exist to learn to follow Jesus, to show honour to God, to use our gifts to serve, to support each other, and to share our faith.

Session Aim: To introduce and explain the Ignite vision statement.

Activity: Jigsaw
In advance, write or print the vision statement onto card and cut it up into various pieces. Get the group to fit the pieces together and then read the vision statement together for the first time. This may lead to some questions.

Activity: Hide & Seek
In advance, write out the five key Values from the vision statement and hide them around the room. Get the group to go looking for them (you could draw them a treasure map if you have time) and to bring them back to the middle. Spend some time discussing what they think each one means.

Read: Matthew 22:37-40 and Matthew 28:19-20.

Jesus answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind (Honour)… Love your neighbour as you love yourself (Serve).’ All the law and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands.” Matt 22:37-40

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (Share), baptizing them (Support) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you… (Follow)” Matt 28:19-20

Illustration: Perfect Pictures
In advance, draw a detailed picture of your dream house. Make it fun and light-hearted but don’t show anyone your picture and keep it hidden. Explain that you’ve got a dream house and ask someone in the group to draw it for you. They must try and draw a picture as close to yours as possible although you are not allowed to give them any help or advice as to what it is like. When they have finished, point out the differences and explain that it would have been a lot easier if you had explained what your dream house was like. Having a vision or mission is similar. When everyone knows it, we can all work together towards the same thing.

Discuss:

  • Can you spot where the values come from in the passages?
  • Those verses are sometimes called ‘The Greatest Commandment’ and ‘The Great Commission’. Have you ever heard them before?
  • Do you have a vision or purpose for your life?

Pray:

  • Ask God to help you understand His purposes for your life.
  • Pray for any issues affecting the group this week.

Challenge:
Memorize the vision statement (hand out cards for them to take home). At Ignite (Thursdays and Sundays) they will get a chance to challenge an Ignite leader to recite the it word for word. There will be forfeits for those who get challenged and can’t do it, plus stars for those who can!

Further Reading: Philippians 2:2

Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have mercy and kindness? If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose.

Mission Statement & Values

Published
by
Jon
on 21 January 2008
in Youth Ministry and Youth Work
. 10 Comments


Sorry for the lack of posts over the past week, I’ve been caught up in a lot of writing and planning for the year ahead. Part of my task has been to roll out the new mission statement for all of our children’s and youth work, and to develop the teaching materials for our 11-14’s youth group ‘Ignite’. I’ve now written an 11-session series on the mission statement and the biblical values it upholds which we’ll be teaching in small groups up until Easter. The mission statement is this:

We exist to learn to follow Jesus, to show honour to God, to use our gifts to serve, to support each other, and to share our faith.

The five values are; Follow, Honour, Serve, Support and Share, and we will spend a couple of weeks on each one. Below is an introduction to the teaching sessions which I’ll post individually as we go along over the next few months.

Leader’s Introduction:
The following are basic session outlines on the 5 values in the Ignite Vision statement for you to adapt and tailor to your small group. There are 11 sessions in total: an introduction to the Vision Statement, and 2 sessions on each value. Because each small group functions very differently, it is up to you to decide what will work best for your group so be as creative as you want using movies, music and craft! Each session follows the same outline and has these headings:

  • Aim:
    This is the focus of the session and what you are trying to achieve.
  • Activity:
    Something for the group to do that gets them thinking about the topic.
  • Read:
    A chance to read key Bible verses related to the theme.
  • Illustration:
    A visual or practical tool to help explain the theme.
  • Discuss:
    An opportunity to ask questions and talk about what you’ve been reading.
  • Pray:
    Key points to use in conversation with God. Use the model of The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) when teaching the young people to pray.
  • Challenge:
    Set a task for the group to complete as homework to encourage them in their Christian growth. Remember that whatever you ask them to do, you will be expected to do the same!

N.B. All Bible verses are quoted from the New Century Version as most of the young people have Youth Bibles in that translation.

Cigarettes

Published
by
Jon
on 18 December 2007
in Personal and Youth Work
. 3 Comments

Cigarettes
Last night I bought some cigarettes for the very first time. It’s not the first time I’ve smoked them (that was when I was 16 and wanted to fit in with some friends), but it was the first time I had walked into a shop and asked for them over the counter. I used to work in a newsagents and would sell them all the time but never actually bought any.

I ended up in the local off-licence at 7pm because a friend and I were plastering my kitchen wall and I went to pick up a pizza for dinner. My friend, a regular smoker, asked me to get him some more fags (that’s cigarettes to you Americans) as he’d run out. Seeing as how he’s done a LOT of work at my house recently, it was the least I could do.

The reason i even mention it here is because I actually felt very uncomfortable doing it. Walking into the shop and up to the counter, I kept thinking “What will I say if someone I know sees me?”, “What message does this send the children and young people that I work with?”.
I found myself getting quite paranoid about this simple act and I’m sure the shop keeper looked at me strangely as I grabbed the gold packet and shoved it into my pocket quickly.

The scenario may seem quite trivial, but it got me thinking about my values and what I stand for. I have never encouraged anyone to smoke and generally dislike smoking due to the health problems that it causes (although I believe people should make their own choices). But by buying cigarettes for someone else, was I actually endorsing smoking? Is selling them the same thing?

I once went to Racial Awareness Training where I was told that by doing nothing when racism happens, I was contributing to that act. Is the same principle true in this situation? I would certainly never buy cigarettes for a young person, so why should I do it for an adult friend?

I love it when something really challenges my thinking and makes me evaluate what I believe. Maybe next time we can discuss it for an hour or so first…