Wildly, Richly Popular It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way  Spooky Party at the Kreibel's house- 6:30-9 on October 26. Twin Lakes Haunted House- October 29, meet at the church at 6pm. Trunk or Treat- Halloween.   Which Way Are We Moving Work Zone & High Way Begin with a large group Dollar Surprise Sponsors-Give a few people a dollar during the end of dinner without telling the whole group. Tell them that they are to walk around and shake hands with people, and pass the dollar off to the third person they shake hands with. Have them tell the person they pass it to do the same thing they just did. After everyone is together, explain about the dollars. Say: Sometimes we don't give to everyone we encounter. Some people need our gifts more than others, and sometimes we are in a better to position to give. But this lesson isn't all about money. There are other ways to give. Popular teenagers seem to have it all-great dates, cool friends, the right clothes. Some are popular for the right reasons: They're kind, smart, attractive, and friendly. Others are richly popular for reasons reminiscent of the movie Grease, the story of a goody-two-shoes girl who just doesn't cut it at school. She's not popular because she doesn't dress right, she spends too much time on her homework, and she's just, well, too good. So behind it all is this moral to the story: Give up your values and dress in the tightest clothes possible, dirty up your mind and smoke, then you'll reach the highest echelon of coolness. You'll be richly popular. The quest for popularity is the seed for many ills in youth culture-really, it's a fruit of teenagers' driving need to belong, to be seen as wildly, richly popular by peers. These richly popular teens simply ignore the guiding hand of parents, church and the examples of others teens who have managed to be kind, friendly and wise. They take the attitude of "I do what I want!" and simply hold on to the dollars of wisdom given to them in order to be richly popular.    Break into Journey Groups   Moving In Work Zone  Pass "it" on (large WZ Group) Needed: A note card with "it" boldly printed on it and a hole in the middle for each team, plastic drinking straws, one for each player How to play: Divide into two teams by having everyone line up by birthday then cut the line in half and spread the two teams out. Each player must put the straw in his or her mouth. On "Go", the first person puts the "it" on their straw. From now on, no one is allowed to use his or her hands. The first person must pass the "it" to the second person's straw that is in their mouth. Once the "it" is successfully passed, the second person must pass the "it" to the third person's straw. Continue until the last person has the "it" on their straw. The first team to pass the "it" to all their players wins! If the "it" falls off, the "it" goes to the person who is passing the "it" to the next person. They must try again to pass it without it falling off.   Moving In High Way Picture Perfect Needed: sports, news, and fashion magazines; scissors. Have the youth form groups of three. Give each group a few magazines (don't let them pick - it will take all day) and a pair of scissors. Say: Everyone knows popularity is a big thing in our world-not just at school. But why are some people considered popular while others aren't? Your group's job is to define what makes people popular. You have a pile of magazines- cut out pictures that you think represent popularity and carefully set them aside. We'll be using them to decoupage the bathrooms in the Youth Center. After groups finish, have them each display and explain their visual definitions of popularity. ASK: * Why do people want to be popular? * Has anyone ever measured up to the images you cut out? Why or why not? * What percentage of the population has enough of these qualifications to make them popular? * Is popularity a prerequisite for a good life? Why or why not? * Do you buy into all of the qualifications you've listed? Why or why not?   Moving On Work Zone The Basketball Tryouts (2 small groups) Needed: Making the team handout Say: This is not necessarily a "bible story" but may seem familiar like a modern day version of one. This story teaches a basic Bible truth; living the way God wants you to, even when no one is looking. The message is to live the way God wants you to, because you want to, and because you know it is good for you, instead of doing it just because you were told to! It's your Life Take control. This story is about doing what you are asked, even while the person who asked you to do it is not around! (Read the story) Making the Team Read: Once there were two guys trying out for the basketball team. The coach said, "In order to make this team, you have to be able to play basket ball. In order to play basketball, you have to do 3 things: 1. Eat healthy foods, so you have energy to play. 2. Exercise, so you make your muscles strong to run and jump. 3. Get lots of sleep, so you are not too tired to play. So the 2 guys went home that night, thinking about what the coach said. The next practice wasn't until next week. The first guy did what the coach said. He ate carrots, and apples, and drank orange juice. Every morning when he got up, he went jogging, did sit ups, & push-ups. He made sure that he went to bed by 10:00, so he wouldn't be too tired. The second guy thought, "the coach doesn't live with me, he can't see what I do everyday! I'll just do those things next week, at the practice." So instead of being good, and doing what the coach said, he ate chips, and cookies and drank pop. All day long, he sat on the couch watching TV. He stayed up until 5:00 in the morning, watching movies. One week later, it was time for the basketball tryouts. The coach said: Everyone run around the gym 5 times to warm up. The two guys started running. The first guy was running fast. The second guy started to run, but pretty soon, he got slower, and slower, and slower. Then the coach said: Everyone do a lay up, and see who can reach the rim. The first guy ran, and jumped for the hoop. He could jump really high. The second guy started to run, but when he tried to jump, he could only jump a little bit, because he was just a bit out of shape. The practice went on for a while, doing drills, and shooting at the hoop. After 1 hour, the first guy was starting to have a lot of fun. The second guy, was sweating so much, and was so tired, that he had to go sit on the bench. Soon the coach called the guys together to pick the team. He saw that the second guy seemed to be having some trouble. The coach asked, "What kinds of foods did you eat this week?" The second guy responded, "I ate well and I only had a few chips, cookies, and pop." "Did you get lots of exercise like I asked?" "Well, I did push ups" trailing of softly, "with my thumb on the remote control." "Did you get lots of sleep?" "I got at least 5 hours a night, that's about an hour more than usual." Say: It is important to do good things when people are watching and when they are not. God wants you to commit to live a certain way because it is good for you! It will help you stay out of trouble! ASK: * What makes a person willing to follow - to commit - to someone else? * Why does making and keeping a commitment in life require us to give up some of our freedom? * How does keeping the dollar from the opening activity or passing it on relate to this story? * What is the cost of discipleship?   Moving On Work Zone & High Way I See That Differently Needed: 2 handkerchiefs, about 16 other closet oddities High Way, stay in groups of three. Work Zone divide into groups of three. Hold up the closet oddities. Say: I have a few odd props I brought from home. In your small group, your job is to study the prop I give you, then tell the other groups what it could be, not what you think it is. For example, look at this handkerchief. It could be a veil, or Superman's cape after it was thrown in the dryer, or a flag for a country that hates to commit itself to anything. Give each group a prop. After two or three minutes, have a spokesperson from each group present its prop and describe what it is. ASK: * How can an object that appears to be one thing actually be described as something else? * Is it possible for people with different perspectives to change the way we see the same thing? * What makes people popular from God's perspective? * How is God's perspective at odds with our poster definitions of popularity?   Moving Up Work Zone (2 small groups) Still working on -Moving On "I See That Differently"   Moving Up High Way Getting to the Heart of It All Needed: Red construction paper, scissors, pens Give each person a piece of red construction paper, a pair of scissors, and a pen and have the youth form one big circle. Say: It's true that we don't always see people the way God does, but we can try. Cut out a heart from the construction paper. Write your name on it-make sure you leave room to write more on it. Wait for them to accomplish the task, then ask each to pass their heart to the person on their left. Say: Please be serious for this next part. Write what you think God sees in this person's heart. Then pass the heart to the next person in the circle. Duplicate comments are ok. Continue until your heart comes back to you. When completed, have them read their own hearts in silence. ASK: * How does this make a difference in how you look at yourself? * How does this impact the way you feel about popularity? * If you measure up in God's eyes, how long till others see it in you?   Moving Out Work Zone  Do You Love Your Neighbor? (Larger WZ group) Needed: Chairs All players sit in a circle except one person who stands in front of someone and asks, "Do you love your neighbor?" If he/she says YES, the players on either side of the person being asked trade seats and the person that's IT try's to get a seat as well. If he/she does, then the person left standing is IT. However if he/she says NO, they then answers with a physical trait of other people in the circle (ex. glasses, shoes, hair color, and style of cloths) and those people move to any seat they can get except for there own. I.E. "No, but I do love people wearing green,"   Moving Out High Way  Choose One:     - Honey if you love me     - Do you love your neighbor?     - Wink Um The Twist - Play so that everyone feels better than richly popular.   Come back together in The Family Life Center    Closing Work Zone & High Way The Leader Closes: Gather in a circle. Sum up the lesson Say: Christianity is way beyond being richly popular by just doing what you want. It's more than a place or a series of activities. True Christianity should be a committed lifestyle. As you get older you may not always reflected this truth. You may not always be interested in spiritual things. As a result, your life will not be one that an impartial observer will be deeply impressed with. You may never be involved in any of the behaviors that we think of as bad, but neither may you be involved in spiritual activities that will be beneficial to you and your friends. In summary - Don't blow it. As Christians you must take advantage of every opportunity that arises to show our faith. Live a life of commitment, forgiveness and faith. It's your life - don't just say "I do what I want" Say, "I do what God wants" and find what it means to be "truly, wisely and faithfully popular!   Close In Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we want to be popular and thank You for your unconditional love as we struggle with how others see us. Grant us the strength to rely on You for our needs and let others see that we are committed Christians by our actions. Bond us together as friends in the months to come as we all struggle to be "truly, wisely and faithfully popular. Bless us in your service. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.    Sing Sanctuary   UMYF Benediction   Gather these for the Lesson: A few dollars, straws and loops with "it" on it, magazines; scissors , 25 copies of the handouts, handkerchiefs, about 16 other closet oddities,  red construction paper, pens