Our discussion last week wrapped up with talking about responsibilities and priorities. This seems like a fitting place to start this week's discussion. My plan is to have an opening game, a lesson game, and then a discussion based on what causes stress, what each of us can do to relieve or prevent some stress, and what the Bible says about priorities.
For the opening game, I got a beach ball from the Dollar Tree and wrote the numbers 1-100 on it. I have a list of 100 questions to go with each number. I'll toss the ball to one youth. They must then tell me the number under their right or left thumb. I will ask them the corresponding question, and then they answer. Some questions are of the "getting to know you" type, others are questions about being Lutheran, being Christian, or based on what is found in the Bible. I figure each student will go once, maybe twice depending on time.
Once that's wrapped up, I'm using an idea I got from the website Ministry to Youth. I'll have 4 different sized items that can be stacked. The idea is to lay the items out in various order four times, but only largest to smallest on the last time. The site says to have teams but, given the size of my group, I will be asking for four volunteers. Each person has to carry their stack from one end of the room to the other without dropping anything, exactly how it was lined up at the beginning of their turn. If they drop anything, they have to pick it up and start again. The person with the best time wins. I think I'll share my Chupa Chups lollipops for this (side note: I adore these lollipops and just found a bag, after many years of searching, at Dollar Tree), but every participant will get one, since this is an unfair competition.
This is a simple, fun visual showing how misplaced priorities can cause stress. Of course, the last person to go will inevitably win, because the biggest object was at the bottom of the stack, making things more stable. The largest object represents your biggest priority. By getting it under control, and putting it first, it makes everything else in life more stable.
This leads us to Matthew 6:31-34. It's main focus is worry - or rather, that we shouldn't worry. It tells us that God has a handle on this. I've gotten this lesson in life a few times already, and fully expect this lesson a few more times, if I'm being honest. Matthew 6:33 is especially helpful in this week's lesson. It says to put the kingdom - God - first and everything else will be fine. In other words, the kingdom of God should be our top priority. It should be like that biggest object from the contest/relay I mentioned earlier. Not only does it demand a higher amount of our attention, but it also is the foundation that stabilizes everything else that we need to focus on in life. Big test worth 30% of your grade coming up? Spend some time with God first. Trouble with a friend? Talk to Jesus. Chores, extracurricular activities, homework, and self-care (relaxation) all pulling you in what feels like a bunch of different directions? Take a breath, feel the Spirit move, and let God handle it.
Of course, "let God handle it" could feel like another daunting task in and of itself. How does one "let God handle it"? My best answer is to take it to God in prayer. Then, let God into your life by putting words to how you're feeling (or letting the Spirit intercede if there just aren't any words), and then opening yourself to allow God to work in your life. God knows what we need, when we need it - even better than we know ourselves. I find that comforting.
This topic could take days to cover. I like letting the youth direct the conversation. I imagine we'll talk about spiritual priorities - putting the kingdom first - as well as life priorities - doing homework or chores first, for example. Depending on how the conversation goes, I may have the youth take some sticky notes and write down some stresses or worries they have. There is a large cross in the room, and once each youth is finished writing, they can place the notes on the cross - symbolically giving the stress/worry in their lives to God.
For the end of our time together, I purchased a small wooden cross from Michael's this weekend. I am in the process of sanding and painting it. This will become our "prayer object" which I wrote about in an earlier post. Basically, each youth would hold the cross while they pray and then pass it to the next one. This, hopefully, will make the popcorn prayers go much more smoothly than they have.
I also re-purposed a glass block I had here at home. It is now an anonymous submission jar. It can be for questions, thoughts, suggestions, ideas, a-ha moments, or really anything. I had quite a bit of scrap paper here, so that will be used for writing their thoughts down. I still plan to answer and respond to the submissions at least bi-weekly.
Finally, last night I received a request from church council to have the youth decorate a bulletin board at church. We can do anything we would like with it! My current plan is to bring my laptop in and show them some ideas, that is if they don't already have their own! I'm excited about this new project.
For the opening game, I got a beach ball from the Dollar Tree and wrote the numbers 1-100 on it. I have a list of 100 questions to go with each number. I'll toss the ball to one youth. They must then tell me the number under their right or left thumb. I will ask them the corresponding question, and then they answer. Some questions are of the "getting to know you" type, others are questions about being Lutheran, being Christian, or based on what is found in the Bible. I figure each student will go once, maybe twice depending on time.Once that's wrapped up, I'm using an idea I got from the website Ministry to Youth. I'll have 4 different sized items that can be stacked. The idea is to lay the items out in various order four times, but only largest to smallest on the last time. The site says to have teams but, given the size of my group, I will be asking for four volunteers. Each person has to carry their stack from one end of the room to the other without dropping anything, exactly how it was lined up at the beginning of their turn. If they drop anything, they have to pick it up and start again. The person with the best time wins. I think I'll share my Chupa Chups lollipops for this (side note: I adore these lollipops and just found a bag, after many years of searching, at Dollar Tree), but every participant will get one, since this is an unfair competition.
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| Photo source: http://bit.ly/1No1ydy |
Of course, "let God handle it" could feel like another daunting task in and of itself. How does one "let God handle it"? My best answer is to take it to God in prayer. Then, let God into your life by putting words to how you're feeling (or letting the Spirit intercede if there just aren't any words), and then opening yourself to allow God to work in your life. God knows what we need, when we need it - even better than we know ourselves. I find that comforting.
This topic could take days to cover. I like letting the youth direct the conversation. I imagine we'll talk about spiritual priorities - putting the kingdom first - as well as life priorities - doing homework or chores first, for example. Depending on how the conversation goes, I may have the youth take some sticky notes and write down some stresses or worries they have. There is a large cross in the room, and once each youth is finished writing, they can place the notes on the cross - symbolically giving the stress/worry in their lives to God.
For the end of our time together, I purchased a small wooden cross from Michael's this weekend. I am in the process of sanding and painting it. This will become our "prayer object" which I wrote about in an earlier post. Basically, each youth would hold the cross while they pray and then pass it to the next one. This, hopefully, will make the popcorn prayers go much more smoothly than they have.
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| I used chalkboard paint and a chalk pen. The words & symbols were stenciled. My amazing "other half" did the drawings. |
Finally, last night I received a request from church council to have the youth decorate a bulletin board at church. We can do anything we would like with it! My current plan is to bring my laptop in and show them some ideas, that is if they don't already have their own! I'm excited about this new project.
I can't wait for tonight!
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