Relevant Christianity
Set Up: Before the meal set up the LCD projector and show the DV8 clips & slides to start the lesson. (15 min)
Announcements: (Included in the DV8 slides) Haunted Lock-in at the end of the month, followed by Chicken Noodle Lock-in.
After the DV8 portion
Relevant Christianity (2 min)
SAY: Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God. People are no less spiritual today than they were in the past, but they are a lot less religious. A disconnect has occurred between religion and spirituality: people no longer see religion or church as the natural setting in which to explore or express their spiritual goals. So they are drifting away from churches in droves. However they are not doing so because they no longer believe in God, or because they have no spiritual hunger, but because in their experience church is neither offering a faith they can believe in, nor a spirituality that can excite or satisfy the deeper yearnings of the soul.
West Heights sees no future for expressions of Christianity that are not Spirited. The world longs for a sense of awe and mystery, for sacredness, spirituality and enchantment, for something 'more' than the purely rational. We believe spirituality involves the interaction between scripture, tradition, reason and experience, in deciding what might be truly Christian. Tonight we are going to explore relevant Christianity.
Break into Journey Groups
Moving In
Work Zone
Remembering the Highs (5-10 min)
Needed: masking tape
Set up: Use masking tape to make a quick giant map of the U.S. on the floor-it needs to be big, so the youth can all stand inside it.
Say: Many of us have experienced something like a spiritual high-a mountaintop experience when we felt so close to God, so sure of our relationship with him. Maybe it happened at a camp or on a mission trip or during a worship experience.
Think about a time when you experienced a spiritual high-what triggered it? Where were you? (Point out the masking tape on the floor) Let's pretend this room is one giant map of our country. Look at the map, and then move to the place where you experienced a spiritual high. (If anyone has not had an experience like that they should go stand in the Gulf.)
Ask some or all of the youth to briefly tell their spiritual high story-where they were and what happened.
Moving In
High Way
Remembering the Highs (5-10 min)
Say: Many of us have experienced something like a spiritual high-a mountaintop experience when we felt so close to God, so sure of our relationship with him. Maybe it happened at a camp or on a mission trip or during a worship experience.
ASK:
"Think about a time when you experienced a spiritual high-what triggered it? Where were you?
Moving On
Work Zone & High Way
Mountaintop Experiences (5-10 min)
Work Zone split into smaller groups
ASK:
"What have you learned by listening to others' stories of spiritual mountaintop experiences?
Say: What is it about retreats that make them the #1 influence for spiritual growth in youth groups? It's simple, really. Teenagers are entangled in a chaotic culture, driven by chaotic schedules played out in the context of chaotic values by people who lead chaotic lives. And chaos, as we well know, has the power to fragment and exhaust our ability to "be still and know that I am God."
And as a learning technique, extended-length experiences are growing in popularity with educators. It involves "sustained, in-depth studies of a single theme or topic," usually outside school walls. Teenagers literally go on learning expeditions. And that means they may spend four to six weeks at a country pond learning about ecosystems, animal biology, and plant life. Because teenagers are focusing on a single theme in an unfamiliar context, they learn lifelong lessons.
Now apply this to our Worship Caravan, Sr. Trek or Mission Week. Can you think of themes that have had the power to impact your life? What if we had our Worship Caravan theme last all summer? I think that if we are serious about relevant Christianity it's a radically practical strategy.
ASK:
"After your mountaintop experience, did you experience a crash? If so, how long did you stay on your spiritual high?
"How is it that we can go from spiritual highs to spiritual lows so quickly?
Say: We're in good company when we go from highs to lows. There are endless examples of God's people passionately following him, only to turn and reject him later. For example, remember Peter's worst failure? He proclaimed Christ the Messiah, but denied him at a crucial moment.
ASK:
"How would you feel if you were Peter?
"How do you feel when you've committed to follow Jesus' teachings no matter what, but fail again?
Moving Up
Work Zone
Slap Smack
Stay in smaller groups (15 min.)
Needed: Several sets of homemade Fruit of the Sprit and 7 Deadly Sins +2 cards -make 3 times as many DS cards as FoS cards for each deck.
Say: We're going to play Slapjack except we'll slap Fruit of the Spirit instead of a Jack. So, form groups of four or five.
How to Play: Give each team a set of cards. The goal is to win all of the cards in the deck. Shuffle the deck. Deal the cards one at a time, face down, to each player as evenly as possible. The player to the left of the dealer goes first.
Play continues clockwise as each player, in turn takes the top card on his or her pile and places it quickly; face up, in the middle of the table. When moving a card from his pile to the middle each player should do so without looking at the card until everyone can see it at the same time. When the card placed in the middle of the table is a Fruit of the Spirit, players race to be the first to slap a hand on top of the FoS card. The first player to do so wins the entire pile of cards and then shuffles the entire pile and sets it down in front of him or herself. When a player slaps any card other than a FoS card, he or she gives two cards from his or her own supply, face down, to the opponent who played the card that fooled him or her. When a player runs out of cards, they remain in the game until the next FoS card is revealed. If the player with no cards is the first to slap the FoS card, he or she wins the pile of cards and remains in the game.
After several rounds...
ASK:
"Can you name 4 Fruit of the Spirit cards and 4 evil cards?
"Why do you want the fruit of the Spirit in your life?
"How does this fruit make you more spiritually mature?
"What things make you drawn to the acts of the evil nature?
"How does a spiritually mature person weed those things out of his or her life?
Moving Up
High Way
Jesus' Response to Our Failures (5-10 min.)
Needed: 3x5 cards and envelopes
Say: Despite Peter's big failure, God "recovered him" and Peter became a courageous, passionate follower of Christ. He went on to be the leader of the early church in Jerusalem and influenced thousands of others into following Jesus. Failure is a big deal. But in a relevant church we see failure as part of the big picture. We see doubt as a necessary ingredient to a wonderful meal and we see the church as a place to launch meaningful experiences.
ASK:
"What can you do to show you are committed to spirituality?
"What can you do to stay committed?
"Why is it so hard to stay committed?
"Hand out 3x5 cards
Say: Write one commitment that you want to carry out. Then write two names on the back of the card. The first name should be any of the youth sponsors or another adult connected to the youth group, and the second name should be the name of one of your friends that is part of the group. No one else will actually see you've written. Those whose names you've written down should be people you'd be comfortable communicating with about the commitments.
Then have each teenager put the card inside an envelope, seal it, and write his or her name on the outside. Collect all the envelopes and give to Kris. Tell the youth they will get their commitment card back at graduation.
Moving Out
Work Zone
LARGE GROUP GAME (10 min.)
Bring all Work Zone groups together for this one.
Blind Sword Fight (10 min.)
Youth encourage each other as you join this funny sword fight.
Needed: 3- 4' pool noodles, 2 blindfolds- masks with tape over the eyes
How to Play: Have youth form two teams, and have teams stand at opposite ends of your play space. Blindfold the first player from each team and give him or her a pool noodle. Explain that the object of the game is to see who can score the most hits to his or her opponent in one minute. Have the blindfolded players start walking toward each other. The catch to this game is that you are also equipped with a noodle which you should use to alternately hit the players. This will confuse the players as to the location of the actual opponent, and only noodle hits to an actual opponent count.
Encourage teams to call out encouragement and directions to their players, and see which team has the highest total of hits after everyone has played.
Moving Out
High Way
Weathering the Storms (10 min.)
Say: In your own words, define Christian.
ASK: How true are the following statements for you? Rate yourself privately on each item with a scale of 0-10. (0 being "None," 10 being "Yup, that's me all the time!")
"I try to glorify God in all that I do. (Matthew 6:33)
"I strive to follow Christ rather than my own desires. (Matthew 16:24)
"I love the Lord with all my being. (Matthew 22:37)
"I care about and love others as much as myself. (Matthew 22:39)
"I love God and am confident that He has called me to be a Christian. (Romans 8:28)
"I put God and obedience to Him first in my life. (Romans 12:1-2)
Read each of the following scriptures and match them to the previous areas. Brainstorm ways that youth can improve themselves in each, being as specific as possible.
Mat 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
Mat 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mat 22:37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Mat 22:39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Rom 8:28 We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.
Rom 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Return to the gym for the closing
Closing
Work Zone & High Way
Gather in a closing circle.
Pass out key Scriptures cards
Print these amazing "mountaintop experiences" on take home cards.
Exodus 3
Matthew 17:1-13
Luke 22:19-20
Revelation 4
Our Relevant Youth Group
Say: We realize it's dangerous to create a youth ministry culture that jumps from one spiritual high to the next. Because, in the in-between times, when you aren't on a trip or working on a special project your "normal" faith can begin to seem dull and unimportant. Our "relevant" youth group lessons will aim to teach you that emotional experiences shouldn't drive your faith. "Everyday faith" is very important. If you haven't noticed, we've change Chat Room a little to include "Clues and Views". We see this as an opportunity to grow in our faith by sharing what's important in our lives and looking at Scripture in such a way that we can defend our religion.
Ask if someone will close in prayer.
Say the UMYF Benediction and turn out in to the world.
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!
Gather for this lesson: DV8 stuff, masking tape, several sets of homemade Fruit of the Sprit and 7 Deadly Sins +2 cards, 3x5 cards and envelopes, 3- 4' pool noodles, 2 blindfolds- masks with tape over the eyes
