HERstory  Elizabeth  It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way Set Up: Before the meal set up the LCD projector. After eating show the DV8 clips & slides to start the lesson - 12 min. Announcements: Pre-ski meeting tonight 7pm, Board of Youth this Wednesday, Ski trip meets to leave at 9pm-ish Friday 14th, No UMYF next week, but Choir at 12:30   After the DV8 portion&ldots; I AIN'T GOT NOBODY - 5 min. Say: Elizabeth was related to Jesus' mother Mary of Nazareth. Events in her life echo several similar stories in the Old Testament, where God's power is shown through a woman. Elizabeth had lived her life nobly and came from a good background. She had given up hoping for a child. She was past her child bearing years, and her husband was elderly. Yet she conceived, and became the mother of the man called John the Baptist.  Like Jesus' mother, the angel Gabriel came to Elizabeth and told her of her son's special place in history in advance. Zechariah, her husband, had a vision and was struck dumb after which Elizabeth became pregnant. Expecting her first child, Elizabeth was visited by her young relative Mary of Nazareth, who also was pregnant. At their meeting, each recognized that they and their children would be an extraordinary part of God's plan for humanity. After Elizabeth's son John was born and named. Her husband, Zechariah, regained his speech and hearing. Now can you imagine the sight of John the Baptist, a wild man, living off the land and telling everyone what to do in order to repent? He might have seemed mouthy and obnoxious but, Jesus went to him accepted him for who he was and was baptized. In other words he joined all those who publicly wished to make a statement about their faith. John, Jesus and everyone else that day became a "Clique". They were baptized Christians believing in the same thing - but very different people. Tonight we are going to look at friendships and our Christian "clique" since they seem to be the heart and soul of the teenage years. There's hardly anything as important to youth as having friends. Everyone wants to be accepted, fit in, and have fun with friends. Since most of us are baptized Christians we must look at friendship from a different perspective.   Moving In Work Zone & High Way  Stay in one large group. Double Bellied More Friends Tag 7-10 min. Needed: Pool Noodle nubs Choose one or two player(s) to be the runner(s) and one or two player(s) to be the chaser(s). All other players are to find an unhidden place in the gym in groups of two. The players lay on their bellies side-by-side with lots of space between them and other Double Bellies. On go, the chaser(s) will try to tag the runner(s) with a pool noodle nub. The runner(s) will run and try to find a double belly to lie down next to. The player on the opposite side of the pair will have to get up and start running from the chaser. If the runner is tagged then they are to turn around pick up the pool noodle nub and chase the former chaser (now a runner). The new runner will find a spot to lie down and the player on the opposite side will start running because they are the new runner. - Do not lay in an area where someone cannot come and lay readily next to either person in a Double Belly. - You may not lie next to the same person more than once. - You can't tag back more than twice before breaking off to chase someone else. - A sponsor may come along an create more runners and chasers from time to time simply by selecting a Double Belly couple and assigning Runner or Chaser to either. Break into Journey Groups   Moving On Work Zone & High Way  Work Zone can break into smaller groups at this point. Close Friends 5-7 minutes Needed: Note cards, pens Say: Think of one of your closest friends. On your card, list three reasons why this person is a good friend and keep your card blank on one side. ASK: - From your cards, what qualities do close friends have. Say: Youth often believe you can only be friends with someone if there is something lovable about him or her. Christian-or agape-love says that we don't look for a lovable quality, but we love in spite of unlovable characteristics. ASK: Do you think the following statement is true or false? Why? - It's impossible to be friends with certain people.   Moving Up Work Zone & High Way What Friends 10 min. Read the statements below and discuss why it would be Yes, No, or Maybe: ____  I would like to have more friends. ____  I think I can be a good friend to others. ____  I choose the right kind of friends. ____  A best friend should be a baptized Christian. ____  My Christian friends don't act like Christians. ____  Sometimes my friends are a bad influence on me. ____  I have a hard time making friends. ____  I wish I had a best friend. ____  I want to trade in the friends I have for some new  ones. ____  My parents don't like my friends. ____  My friends talk about me behind my back.   ASK:   - What did you learn from these statements? - Why is it so hard to be friends outside your usual clique style or current group of friends.   Moving Out Work Zone & High Way Approval 10 min. Needed: note cards from earlier & pens Say: Tyler is sitting alone in the cafeteria again. He's been at this school for several years and still hasn't made many friends. He had this one friend-or at least he thought that Micah was a friend. But Micah told all the guys the real reason that Tyler's family seems so different - Tyler's dad can't keep a job. Tyler had trusted Micah not to tell anyone. Now Tyler has decided everyone hates him. ASK: - Do you think Tyler idea "Everyone hates him" is true? - Why does Tyler tell people everyone hates him? - Why did Micah tell the guys about Tyler's dad? - How can Tyler make more friends? - Have your friends ever betrayed you? - Do your friends tease you? - Is it okay for Tyler's friends to tease him about some of the odd things he does? Say: Use the back of your cards from earlier and give three examples of things you could do to show Christian love to other youth, friends and classmates. Go through their lists to see which ones they chose as an example of Christian love. Discuss those that everyone didn't agree on. Is teasing on the list?  Brainstorm additional examples of love and talk about the practical ways to demonstrate Christian love.   Keep Moving Time Filler Work Zone Friend Cliques Line a group of kids up on one side of a field. Pick one person to be the Clique. That person heads to the middle of the field. When everyone is ready, the Clique yells "Friend Cliques!" Everyone runs to the opposite end of the field, trying not to get tagged by the Clique. If a person gets tagged, they join forces with the Clique. Kids run back and forth on command until there is one person left. They are then the next Clique.   Keep Moving Time Filler High Way  Make a Friend This is an elimination game involving eye contact and screaming. Players sit in a group, all with their heads looking down. The facilitator yells "Make a Friend". All players look up at someone (they cannot change who they are looking at after they look up). If two people happen to be looking at each other (i.e. make eye contact), they both have to scream. Whoever screams last is eliminated and keeps their hands in front of their face for the rest of the round. If someone screams when they are not making eye contact they are also eliminated. The facilitator then says "Reset" and everyone looks down. The facilitator then says "Take a Risk" and the process continues. The game continues until there are only two players left. Return to the Gym for Closing&ldots;   Closing Work Zone & High Way Gather in the closing circle.  Key Scriptures: Proverbs 18:24, Luke 1: 39-45, Luke 1:57-66, Luke 1:5-7, Luke 3:15-16, 21-22, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Say: The Bible is filled with stories of friendship. Jesus himself had many good friends, a close group of men and women with whom he spent a lot of time. He was the perfect example of true friendship-loving, patient, giving. He showed all of us how to relate to others in positive ways. Baptism gives us all a friend in common and makes us a part of a family-a circle of Christian friends. That's what the church (and this youth group) should be all about! We are the friends of Jesus and need each other for support and encouragement. The love that comes with Christian friendship is not a feeling or an emotion, but is a decision you make. After your baptism, basically the Bible doesn't ask you to like your neighbors-it commands you to love them, even if they're people you don't like. This week you are challenged to look at people the way Christ did. Start by thinking of three things that you'd like to work on in the way you treat others and think of one person that you have a hard time loving. Do something for that person during the week- pray for them, go out of your way to say hello, send that person a text or a positive Facebook post. Friendships take work! They need to be nurtured in order to grow. Since most of us are baptized Christians we must look at friendship from a different perspective.   Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Your glory reigns forever. Thank you for the way You accept us all.  We all have struggled over Your Great Commandment, too love others as we love You. Give us strength to nourish our Christian relationships avoiding the temptation to take the easy way out and just ignore or put down others. Help us all to be Your transformed people. Amen.   ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gather for this lesson: DV8 stuff, Pool Noodle nubs, note cards, pens   Discussion Guidelines 1. What is said in the room stays in this room. Confidentiality is vital to a healthy discussion. 2. No put-downs. Sarcasm and unkind remarks have no place in a discussion. If someone disagrees with another's comment, they should raise a hand and express an opinion of the comment but not of the person who made it. It is permissible to attack ideas, but not each other. 3. There is no such thing as a dumb question. Asking questions is the best way to learn. 4. No one is forced to talk. Anyone can remain silent about any question. 5. Only one person talks at a time. Each person's opinion is worthwhile and deserves to be heard. Listening is an expression of respect.   The Rules: - Be respectful of others - Don't be mean - Keep your hands to yourself - Stay in your seat - Understand there is a time and a place for everything   The UMYF Benediction May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you And be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you And give you peace. Shalom!