Tag Archive for 'Youth Ministry'

Hopping Sumos

Published
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Jon
on 4 May 2008
in Youth Group Games
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This is quite a physical game that requires some contact but is a lot of fun.

Numbers: groups of around 6 or over. Works best with around 20
Suitable for: older children and teens (8-18’s) although many adults enjoy this too!
Preparation time: none
Venue: suitable for a small hall or area
Safety First: this game involves people knocking into each other, so has a slight risk of injury (although we’ve never had a problem). If you have particularly aggressive individuals, you might want to think about wearing padding or sumo-style suits.
Equipment needed:

  • pen and paper to write down scores

The Game:
Get everyone to pair up with a partner and stand opposite each other a few feet apart while lining up with other pairs. You should end up with two lines of people facing off against each other with a big space between. This is your arena! Now number each pair from 1 upwards and ask them to remember it.

When the game starts, the referee calls out a number and that pair steps forward into the arena - except that they have to keep hopping on one foot while keeping their arms folded! The idea is that by hopping around and knocking into each other, the opponents have to try and make the other put their second foot back on the floor.

By keeping their arms folded during the game, it stops people from grabbing each other and pulling their opponent down. Instead they must try and catch the other off balance
The person that remains hopping wins the battle and gains a point for their team before returning to the line. Then another pair has a go.

The referee continues to call out numbers until each pair has had a turn. You can then repeat and allow everyone another chance or you start to call out 2 numbers at a time to create bigger battles and tag teams!

Values Session 11: Share (Part 2)

Published
by
Jon
on 18 April 2008
in Youth Group Resources, Youth Ministry and Youth Work
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This is part of an 11-session series for 11-14 year olds, teaching our mission statement and the importance of its 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 learn how to share our faith with our friends

Activity: Now You’re Talking
Split people up into pairs and tell them have to take it in turns to talk about their favourite movie! They will have 1 minute each to tell the other person all the best bits about the film, why they love it, what happens, etc. After a minute, the other person gets a chance to share their movie. They are likely to get quite excited and animated as they talk about it. Explain that telling others about Jesus should be just exciting as talking about movies because of what He has done for us. Today we’re looking at how we can share our faith.

Read: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Dear brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I did not come preaching God’s secret with fancy words or a show of human wisdom. I decided that while I was with you I would forget about everything except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. So when I came to you, I was weak and fearful and trembling. My teaching and preaching were not with words of human wisdom that persuade people but with proof of the power that the Spirit gives. This was so that your faith would be in God’s power and not in human wisdom.

Illustration: 8 Reasons I Don’t Share My Faith
This is a funny YouTube clip where a Christian explains all the reasons he doesn’t want to tell anyone about God. It may prompt some questions from the group, so be sure to focus on the purpose of evangelism and refer back to Jesus’ command in the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20).

Discuss:

  • Have you ever wondered what to say to others about God? What does Paul say about telling others?
  • Paul was ‘weak and fearful’ when sharing his faith. Have you ever been nervous when telling someone about God?
  • Do you know how to explain the Good News of Jesus?

Pray:

  • Ask God for confidence, and for opportunities to tell friends about Him
  • Pray for any issues affecting the group this week.

Challenge:
This week, practice telling a Christian friend about what Jesus has done for you! Don’t worry about words, but try to get it clear in your head.

Further Reading: 1 Peter 3:15-16

But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed.

Plugrug.com

Published
by
Jon
on 15 April 2008
in Technology, Youth Ministry and Youth Work
. 2 Comments

Tim Schmoyer over at Life In Student Ministry has developed a new website for promoting, sharing and rating youth ministry related articles called PlugRug.com.

If you’re familiar with Digg.com then you already know the deal. Stories get submitted by the community of members and are then ‘plugged’ or ‘buried’ depending on their popularity.

Once a submission has earned a critical mass of Plugs, it becomes “popular” and jumps to the homepage in its category. If it becomes one of the most popular, it qualifies as a “Top 10.” If a submission doesn’t receive enough Plugs within a certain time period, it eventually falls out of the “Upcoming” section.

Obviously the more people who sign in and rate items, the more that the good content gets filtered and pushed up. The beauty is that it only works when users participate on a large scale.

It’s a great system but I’m yet to be convinced it’s needed for such a ‘niche’ as youth ministry (although try searching for ‘youth ministry’ on Digg and nothing comes up, so maybe I’m wrong). Either way, it’ll only work when people go check it out!

Values Session 10: Share (Part 1)

Published
by
Jon
on 14 April 2008
in Youth Group Resources, Youth Ministry and Youth Work
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This is part of an 11-session series for 11-14 year olds, teaching our mission statement and the importance of its 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 discover why we must tell others about Jesus

Activity: Divide and Share
Get one standard A4 sheet of card and ask the group to cut it up so that everyone gets exactly the same amount as everyone else. This will be easier with an even number of people, so you could always do a second round where you exclude someone and ask them to work out how to divide the sheet. Explain that just as they shared out the paper, tonight we are talking about sharing our faith.

Read: Matthew 28:19-20

So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.

Illustration: Postsecret
PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard and a selection are put on the website at www.postsecret.com.
WARNING: the content of the website often contains graphic and adult themes so is not suitable for young people to visit.
Thousands of people send their secrets in and claim they feel better for sharing them with the world. As Christians, we have the best thing to share with the world! The following image is one that was posted onto the site and may cause some discussion:

Discuss:

  • Why do you think Jesus commands us all to go and make followers of all people in the world?
  • Do you ever go and tell people about Jesus? Why or why not?

Pray:

  • Ask God to help you understand the importance of spreading His good news and to give you courage to do it.
  • Pray for any issues affecting the group this week.

Challenge:
This week, write down the name of a friend who is not yet a Christian and ask God to give you an opportunity to talk with them about Jesus.

Further Reading: Acts 26:16-18

Stand up! I have chosen you to be my servant and my witness - you will tell people the things that you have seen and the things that I will show you. This is why I have come to you today. I will keep you safe from your own people and also from those who are not Jewish. I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those people who have been made holy by believing in me.

Acts Teaching Series

Published
by
Jon
on 11 April 2008
in Youth Ministry and Youth Work
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This post is a bit of ‘heads up’ as I’m currently writing small group teaching notes on the first twelve chapters of Acts (my favourite book in the Bible). Once finished, I’ll start posting them up here for you to use and adapt as necessary.
The reason for only working on the first twelve chapters is due to our school term being twelve weeks long. As our youth groups meet every week, they’ll be working their way through the book covering one chapter a week until the summer holidays. The plan is to get them reading each chapter in advance, ready to participate in discussion! We’ll see how well it works!

Values Session 9: Support (Part 2)

Published
by
Jon
on 10 April 2008
in Youth Group Resources, Youth Ministry and Youth Work
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This is part of an 11-session series for 11-14 year olds, teaching our mission statement and the importance of its 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 think about ways we can support and encourage each other to follow Jesus

Activity: Positive Paper
Give everyone a piece of paper and stick it to his or her back. Tell the group that they must move around and write an encouraging message on everyone else’s piece of paper. The message must be about either their character or their gifts and abilities (e.g. “You’re great at dancing”). It must not be about appearance or possessions (e.g. “Nice Haircut”). Finish the exercise and allow some time for everyone to read the messages. Encourage them to keep them inside their Bibles.

Read: Hebrews 10:25

Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds. You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the day coming.

Illustration: All In This Together
Use the clip from near the end of Disney’s High School Musical where they sing “We’re all in this together”. The group will probably join in singing all the words! When finished, ask them about the lyrics to the song and how it relates to supporting each other.

Discuss:

  • What can you personally do to help encourage a Christian friend?
  • Why do you come to church? What do you do when you are there?
  • What does the writer of Hebrews say about church?

Pray:

  • Ask God to support any Christians that are struggling at the moment. This could include friends and those persecuted in other countries.
  • Pray for any issues affecting the group this week.

Challenge:
When you are next at a Christian meeting (like church or Ignite), find a way to encourage someone else in his or her relationship with God.

Further Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3

We have around us many people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.
Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying.

Values Session 8: Support (Part 1)

Published
by
Jon
on 7 April 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 its 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 learn about the importance of being with other Christians

Activity: Balancing Bottoms
Get everyone into a very tight circle where they are all facing to the right. Shuffle them all as closely together as possible and then ask them to sit down onto the lap of the person behind. If everyone times it correctly, the weight will be distributed around the circle and everyone will be supported in mid air by the person behind. This can be very tricky to get right, but a lot of fun. Explain that as Christians, we should all be supporting each other. Church was designed by God for that purpose.

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

A person’s body is only one thing, but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also. Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit.

Illustration: House Of Cards
Try making a house of cards by leaning individual Playing Cards together to form triangles. Show how each card relies on the others to support the overall structure, just as Christians must support each other too.

Discuss:

  • Do you think you are part of something bigger and have a part to play?
  • Do you feel connected to other Christians both locally and globally? Why or why not?
  • Have you ever had someone look out for and encourage you? How did that feel?

Pray:

  • Ask God to help you connect with other Christians who can support you.
  • Pray for any issues affecting the group this week.

Challenge:
Try and meet up with one or two Christian friends and find out how they are getting on this week. Why not offer to pray for them?

Further Reading: Ephesians 2:19-21

Now you who are not Jewish are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family. You are like a building that was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building, and that whole building is joined together in Christ. He makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord.

Snow Day

Published
by
Jon
on 6 April 2008
in Personal, Youth Ministry and Youth Work
. 0 Comments

Holly
I can’t remember the last time I was able to go out and play in the snow! We don’t normally get any down here on the south coast and when we do it doesn’t normally settle. Today while still away with the young people at Lodge Hill, the cold spell brought an amazing blanket of white which covered the south downs. From the vantage point of the house, we had beautiful views across the countryside.

Obviously, when the young people saw the snow it quickly escalated into a crazy snowball fight. When I went outside to get some photos of what was happening, I shouted “Don’t shoot! Man with camera!” Immediately everyone turned around and pummelled me! It was a great way to round off the weekend and helped to make it even more memorable.

Fuel Weekend

Published
by
Jon
on 5 April 2008
in Youth Ministry and Youth Work
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IMG_0717.JPG
Fuel, our youth group for 15-18 year olds is away on a residential at Lodge Hill. We’ve been doing some teaching on the Gospel (more on that topic soon), and the power of the Holy Spirit. God has been with us and we’ve already had a first time commitment to the faith!

This afternoon, we spent some time doing team building and low ropes activities which was great fun (Some more photos are available on Flickr) then tonight some of the team have set up a Labyrinth which I’m getting really excited about!

Maybe I’ll comment more when I’m home and had some sleep! Keep your prayers with us.

Values Session 7: Serve (Part 2)

Published
by
Jon
on 31 March 2008
in Youth Group Resources, Youth Ministry and Youth Work
. 2 Comments

This is part of an 11-session series for 11-14 year olds, teaching our mission statement and the importance of its 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 look at how we can use our own gifts to serve others

Activity: Jigsaw
Get hold of a standard Jigsaw puzzle (the more interesting, the better) and let the group work on it together. This could be done while people are arriving and be an activity that they continue with during the session. When ready to move on, explain that each of us are like the pieces of the puzzle as God has designed us with special gifts and abilities that fit perfectly with other people. Together, we make up the church.

Read: Ephesians 4:11-12

And Christ gave gifts to people—he made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to have the work of caring for and teaching God’s people. Christ gave those gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.

Illustration: Spider-Man
Show a clip from the movie Spider-Man (Chapter 13, 00:51:40 - 00:53:35 on the DVD) where Peter decides to start using his special gifts to help others.

Discuss:

  • How can you do more for other people both locally and across the world?
  • What gifts or talents do you think that you have?
  • How do you think you could use your gifts to serve others?

Pray:

  • Ask God to speak to you about your gifts and abilities and how you can use them to put others first.
  • Pray for any issues affecting the group this week.

Challenge:
Make use of one of your gifts or talents this week. Do something for someone else that uses your special ability!

Further Reading: Matthew 6:24

No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches.