I.

The Church

Objective: Exploring the New Testament images of the church and discovering the
importance of each person playing their part in the life of the church.

Activity:
TOWER BUILD
Things needed: newspaper, plastic straws, plastic cups, paper plates, paper clips and tape.
Dont say too much about the theme of the session at first. It is introduced through the
object lesson that follows the tower build exercise.
Divide your group into teams of four. Explain the task is to work together to build the tallest
free standing structure or tower they can with the materials provided. Give each team an
identical selection of materials which they can use to build the tower. Encourage each team
to use all of the resources they are given and to involve everyone in the planning and
building process.
Give each team 15 minutes to construct their tower. Then ask each group to step away from
their free-standing tower to determine the winner. Depending on the size of your group,
come back together as a whole (or divide) to discuss any lessons learned from the project.

How did you decide which way to construct your tower?

How did you make decisions?

Can you give examples of how you worked together as a team?

What role did each team member play in the process of building the tower?

What would you do differently to build a taller tower next time?

Did the team who worked best together achieve the best results i.e. build the tallest
tower?

Introduce the theme of the session. Explain that the group will be discovering what the New
Testament says about the church. The word church in the New Testament never refers to a
physical building, but always to a group of people who come together for a purpose. The
church (people) is so important to God that he planned it from the beginning (Ephesians
3: 10-11) Are we part of a church (and the church) and playing our part on Gods team?

REFLECTION

Divide into small groups and read 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27 together.

Why do you think the Apostle Paul chose to compare the church to a body?

Is every part needed? What would happen if a part was missing?

What do you think you can do to play your part in the body?

Paul uses several different images or illustrations to describe what the church is like. Can
you find them?

A body Ephesians 1: 23

A family Ephesians 2: 19-22

A temple Ephesians 2: 19-22

A bride Ephesians 5: 25-27

An army Ephesians 6: 12-17

What might these things have in common?

How does each help us understand the nature of the church?

Do you think unity is important?

What can we do as a youth group to play our part in the body, the family, the army,
the bride, the temple?

End by praying for your church and your part in it. Praise God for everything you receive
through it. Pray for needs of your church and Gods church worldwide

II.

Trinity

'Trinity' is not a word found in the Bible, but its used to describe the essential Christian
belief that there is one God who exists as three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit. Each person equally and fully God.
Objective: To help young people to begin to appreciate and understand this foundational
and yet mind boggling Christian belief (Trinity).

Activity:
NINE DOTS PUZZLE
Draw nine dots on a whiteboard. The challenge is to connect all the dots by using only 4
straight lines, connected end-to-end. See if your young people can complete the puzzle.
Most will only be able to connect 8 dots. The last one seems impossible.
After a few minutes draw the solution on a whiteboard for all to
see. Someone usually says something like, I didnt know you could
go outside the box! What box?
The reason we struggle to complete the puzzle is because our
brain constructs an invisible or virtual box which frames the nine
dots. We then try to stay inside that box when drawing the lines.
This mental restriction or illusion makes it impossible to connect all
9 dots. Only by extending the lines outside the box can the
solution be found. So, you really need to think outside the box!
REFLECTION
Its common for youth leaders and pastors to use illustrations to demonstrate the triune
nature of God. Ask the group to brainstorm together to see if they can think of illustrations
or examples which could help people to understand the concept of trinity or three-in-one.
Encourage as many suggestions as possible and write them on a whiteboard.
The group may come up with ideas like an egg (yolk, white, shell) or a three leaf clover.
Discuss how the illustrations demonstrate the three-in-one concept, but also where it might
break down when we think of a triune God. No analogy can be perfect, but it will help the
group to wrestle with the concept of trinity.
I have two favourite illustrations. The first is one I used as a young(er) youth worker and it
involves the three states of water, ice, liquid, steam. All H2O but existing in three different
forms.
I was always a bit uncomfortable with the analogy because of its impersonal nature.
However, as I became older and wiser :-) I found an illustration using myself. Clearly, Im
one person, but I can also be three a father to my daughter, a son to my parents, and a
husband to my wife. One person, all 'me', but with three different roles. To repeat, no

analogy is perfect, but its one which Ive found helpful in trying to illustrate the triune
nature of God.

III.

Living by the rules

Objective: To know the importance of directions, instructions and rules in our everyday
lives.
Activity:
CAN YOU FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS?
Ask for four or five volunteers and direct them to sit behind a table in front of the rest of the
group. Explain they have volunteered to do a short exam! They need to take it seriously and
normal examination conditions will apply i.e. no talking and leave the test papers face down
until the start. Stress that they have only five minutes to complete the test. Ask the rest of
the group for complete silence to help them concentrate, as time is short. Tell the
candidates that when they finish, they must not talk or seek to communicate to any other
person in the room, until the five minutes are over. Distribute the papers (see below) and in
a solemn voice instruct them to begin.
Most, if not all the young people, faced with the time pressure will plough right through the
test ignoring the first instruction and not become aware of question 20 until they have
completed 1-19.
CAN YOU FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS?

1. Read everything before doing anything?

2. Put your name in the upper right-hand corner of this paper.
3. Circle the word 'name' in number 2?
4. Draw five small squares in the upper left-hand corner of this paper?
5. Put an 'X' in each square?
6. Sign your name under the title of this paper?
7. Put a circle around number 5?
8. Put an 'X' in the lower left-hand corner of this paper?
9. Draw a triangle around the 'X' you have just put down?
10. Draw a rectangle round the word 'paper' in number 4?
11. Loudly call out your first name when you get to this point?

12. If you think you have followed directions carefully to this point call out 'I have?'
13. On the reverse side of this paper add 8950 and 9850?
14. Put a circle around your answer and a square around the circle?
15. Count out in a normal speaking voice, from 10 to 1 backwards?
16. Punch three small holes in the top of this paper with your pencil point?
17. If you are the first person to reach this point call out loudly; 'I am the first person to
reach this point, and I am the leader in following directions.'

18. Underline all the even numbers on this side of the paper?
19. Say out loudly; 'I am nearly finished and have followed directions.'
20. Now that you have finished reading everything, do only number 2.
This is fun to watch and introduces the theme of following instructions and directions.
Clearly following the instructions makes a big difference in this spoof exam!

LIVING BY THE RULES?

Ask your group about the kind of instructions, directions or rules they have encountered
today? Use a flipchart to make a list. Are rules important? How do they help us? What would
it be like if there were no rules? If necessary you can promote discussion and illustrate with:
Traffic rules - What would happen if we had no traffic laws? No traffic lights, one way
systems or speed restrictions? Would we be more or less safe? Rules can help to protect us.
Game rules Using your flipchart, play a game of noughts and crosses with one of the
young people. Play it first with rules, then abandon the rules completely and see what
happens. How did they feel when the rules were removed? Rules bring purpose and
meaning.
Rules of grammar ask a volunteer to read a short poem. Provide the text with all of the
spaces, punctuation, capitals etc removed. How did they do without the rules of grammar?
Rules bring understanding.

THE MAKERS INSTRUCTIONS?

Ask the group if they think God has given instructions to help us live our lives? You may get
a range of answers which will serve to facilitate a discussion, but probably someone will say
the Ten Commandments.

Look together at Exodus 20:1-17 in a modern version of the Bible. Pick out the Ten
Commandments and write them on your flipchart. Ask the group if they understand what
each one means. Ask them to rewrite the Ten Commandments in their own words, but
keeping the original meaning.
Select some of the commandments and discuss what that might mean for us today i.e.
Idols? Honour your father and mother?
Why did God give these instructions? What do you think would happen if everyone followed
these instructions?
Are some more important than others? Why? What does the Bible say? Read James 2:10.
Is it possible to keep God's rules without his help?

IV.

Who am I?

Objective: To remind us that everyone is different and each have a unique identity and
there is no one else like us with our blend of looks, personality, character and background.
Activity:
THIS IS YOUR LIFE
Ask for a volunteer. When they come up announce dramatically and solemnly, (Grahame)
this is YOUR life. Reveal a previously hidden folder and proceed with the description of early
human development. Stress the statistics. Pause between each and emphasise the final
paragraph.

From the 266 days from your conception to your birth, one single fertilised call
became a staggeringly complex organisation of some 200 million cells.

Your growth rate was such that if you had continued to grow from birth at the same
rate, then you would be 75 feet tall and weigh several tons by the age of 16.

Each cell as it divided exactly copied your unique genetic code, so that each cell
would now be uniquely you.

To view the code from just one cell would require watching 5 million frames of a TV.

Each one of us has between 10 and 15 billion brain cells. If each cell were a person,
then they would populate two planets the size of earth.

Your heart began beating after about 21 days when you were only 3mm long.

You could hear your mothers voice after 16 weeks and also had your own unique
fingerprints.

YOU ARE SPECIAL. There is no one else in the whole world like you.
Ask the volunteer to return to the group. Continue by saying that everyone in the youth
group is also special to God. Each of us is loved by God. The Bible reminds us that,

God is our designer and creator. We are made in his image. Genesis 1: 27

God knows each one of us intimately Psalm 139: 13-16. He even knows the hairs
on our head! Matt 10: 30.

He loves us enough to rescue us. John 3:16.

The Bible also tells us that When you are in Christ you are a new creation, the old has
passed away. 2 Corinthians 5: 13.

When we accept Jesus as the Lord of our lives, when we become a Christian, we gain a new
(spiritual) identity in Christ.

IDENTITY MURAL
Begin by creating a blank mural using flip chart paper or wallpaper. Using a marker, write a
number of Bible references (only the references) scattered across the mural. I have included
a list of verses below to get you started, but you can add others. Provide the young people
with lots of markers and pens and ask them to discover what Bible says about our identity
as Christians.

Accepted, Ephesians 1: 6
Loved, Ephesians 1: 4

Adopted, Ephesians 1: 5, 6

Forgiven, Ephesians 1: 7

A child of God, Romans 8: 16

A friend of Jesus, John 15: 14

Saved by grace, Ephesians 2: 8

Chosen, John 15: 16

Complete, Colossians 2: 10

Redeemed, Galatians 3: 13

Rescued, Colossians 1: 13

Cared for, 1 Peter 5: 7

Blessed, Ephesians 1: 3

Healed, 1 Peter 2: 24

Eternal, 1 John 5: 11, 12

A new person, 2 Corinthians 5: 17

A masterpiece, Ephesians 2: 10

An heir, Romans 8: 17

A temple, 1 Peter 2: 5

An example, Ephesians 5: 1

Declared not guilty, Romans 3: 24

Not condemned, Romans 8: 1

Made right with God, 2 Corinthians 5: 21

Led by the Spirit, Romans 8: 14

Living by faith, 2 Corinthians 5: 7

Being transformed, Romans 12: 1, 2

Not afraid, 2 Timothy 1: 7

Strong in the Lord, Ephesians 6: 10

Victorious, Romans 8: 37

An overcomer, 1 John 4: 4

A co-worker with God, 1 Corinthians 3: 9

A workman, Philippians 2: 13

One in Christ with other believers, Galatians 3: 28

Part of the church, Ephesians 5: 29, 30

Use a modern translation to look up the verses. I have taken my list from the New Living
Translation. Invite the young people to write or illustrate their findings on the mural beside
each bible verse. Encourage discussion while the mural is being created. Help young people
unfamiliar with the Bible to find passages. Explain unfamiliar words. Give the context if
necessary. Ask how certain things they discover make them feel about themselves and God.
Involve all your leaders. Once the mural is complete remind the group that if you are in
Christ then every one of these statements is true for you. Thats who you are. If you wish,
leave the mural hanging as a weekly reminder to your group.

REFLECTION
Give each young person a blank postcard. Ask them to write seven verses from the mural
(one for each day of the coming week) to look at each day and remember how special and
loved by God they are and their identity in Christ.

V.

Sin and forgiveness

Objective: To understand the way sin operates in our lives and Gods solution.

THE S WORD
Ask the young people to call out the first word that they think of when the word sin is
mentioned. Write the answers on a whiteboard. Usually they will come up with a list of
actions: stealing, adultery, murder etc. Make the point that these are just some of the
results of sin, but the Bible reminds us that the cause of these actions lies deep within the
nature of everyone (Mark 7: 21-23).

Activity:
THE GRAVITY GAME
Stand a volunteer on a chair, holding one end of a broom or pole. Another volunteer stands
on the ground, behind a line drawn a metre in front of the chair, holding the other end of
the pole.
Explain to the volunteers that they must not let go of the stick, but by pulling and twisting,
the first volunteer is to try and pull the second over the line. At the same time the second
volunteer has to try and pull the first off the chair. Try this couple of times with different
volunteers of similar height and weight.
The person on the chair will usually lose. This is because the volunteer on the floor has the
extra benefit of gravity, a powerful force pulling downwards. The Bible also describes sin as
a powerful force, pulling us down, and separating us from a relationship with God.

THE FORCE IS IN YOU!

What does the Bible say about this powerful force of sin in our lives? Divide the young
people into small groups of 4. Ask them to read Romans 7: 15-25 together and then discuss
the following questions. If necessary give a brief background to the book of Romans i.e.
Who was it for? Who wrote it? Why?

How does Paul describe the influence of sin on his life?

What do you think he would have said to someone who claimed, I do my best to try
and live a good life.

Can you imagine what it would feel like to be someones slave? How do you think
your life would be different? Why do you think Paul uses this idea to describe sin?

If a friend at school, who knew you came to the church youth group, asked you
about sin, what would you say? In your small group discuss what you might say to
them. Try to answer these questions, Where does sin come from? Who does it affect?
What does it do? What is the result? What can we do about it? What did God do
about it?

After a period of time, ask each small group to feed back their thoughts and write the key
points on a whiteboard.
You may need to give additional references to help each group consider and complete their
explanation for their friend. Suggested references from Romans could include, 3: 23, 5: 8-9,
5: 12, 5: 18-19, 6: 23, 10: 8-10.

I'M FORGIVEN
What has God done about our problem with sin? Ask four of your young people to read out
loud (and in order) the references from Romans. Use a modern translation of the Bible.

Romans 3: 22-26

Romans 5: 6-11

Romans 10: 9-10

Romans 8: 38-39

BUT?
But what about the things I still do wrong? How does God see them and what does he do
about them? Read 1 John 1: 8-9. If we have put our trust in Christ, we have been
completely forgiven. God has promised that he will not remember our sin.
But every day we need to let the Holy Spirit remind us where we have failed to live as God
wants. Then if we confess, repent (say sorry, turn away, be willing to change), God will keep
his promise and we are forgiven and made clean.

SIN BONFIRE
Give everyone a piece of paper and a pen. Ask them to think back over the past week and
mark a tick on the paper for each time they can remember doing something wrong or not
living as God wants. Make it clear that they won't have to show this to anyone else!
Then fold up the papers and collect them in a pile on a fire resistant dish. Remind the group
that when Jesus died he broke the powerful force of sin and made it possible for people to
be free and receive God's forgiveness. If we trust in Jesus then God will not condemn us for
our sins, and we are no longer slaves to sin because God's power working in us can give us

the strength to overcome temptation.

Then slowly and quietly, set light to the pile of papers. As they burn, pray together, thanking
Jesus for dying in the cross, our freedom from the powerful force of sin, and the forgiveness
and new life we have from God.

VI.

Guidance

Objective: To help young people understand that God cares for them and wants to guide
them in their decisions and choices.
Activity:
TREASURE HUNT
Begin the youth group night with a treasure hunt. The first option is ideal for small youth
groups. You will need some coloured wool, an envelope with instructions inside and some
treasure.
Cut the coloured wool into 10 cm lengths. About an hour before the youth night begins, lay
out a trail using the wool. Tie pieces of the wool to plants, bushes, trees, fences, gates,
signs etc within the vicinity of your meeting place. Each piece of wool should only be a few
meters apart. At the end of the trail place an envelope containing further instructions or
clues on how to find the hidden treasure, somewhere within your meeting place.
Before you begin, explain to the group that the object of the treasure hunt is to be guided
by the trail until they find the clues that will lead them to the treasure. As they find each
piece of wool they should collect it and return it to you at the end of the activity. The length
of time the treasure hunt takes will depend on the length and difficulty of the trail.

Alternatively, if you have the space available, build a simple obstacle course using chairs, tables,
nets, cones and mats. Divide the young people into pairs. One is blindfolded and they have to
complete the course by listening to their partner who guides them around, under and over the
obstacles. If you wish, a second round can be completed with the roles reversed. Time each effort
and award a prize to the fastest partnership.
HELP, I NEED SOMEBODY!
Introduce the Bible study and discussion on the theme of guidance. Give everyone a printed
sheet with Psalm 25. Copy this from a modern translation. If you need to, briefly explain
give some background i.e. whats a psalm?, why was it written?, who wrote it? etc.
Divide the young people into pairs and ask them to underline or highlight the answers to the
following two questions.

List everything the psalm tells us about Gods character?

What does it say about the attitudes of those who want to be guided by God?

Ask each pair to feedback one or two of their answers. Record on a whiteboard.
Discuss. What things in this psalm could help and encourage someone who was about to
make a difficult decision? Or, who is worried by a decision they needed to make?

WHAT ABOUT ME?

Write the four questions below on a whiteboard. Ask the young people to be quiet for a few
minutes and to think about something where they need to make a decision, perhaps it
might even be a BIG decision.
For younger teens this might include something to do with their family, or a friendship, or a
choice to make a school, or how they use their time. For older teens this might also include
a relationship, an educational choice or a job or career decision. Once they have the issue
clear in their mind they should ask themselves,

Am I willing to do whatever God wants in this area?

Do I already know deep down what I should do?

Could this be also what God wants me to do?

What else could I do to find out what god wants?

If appropriate, invite some of the group to share about their decision and thoughts.
Conclude with a time of prayer for the spoken and unspoken issues. Give an invitation and
opportunity for young people to talk or pray further with you to receive advice, guidance
and support.
POSTCARD GUIDANCE
Can I be confident God will help me? Can I be sure he will guide me the right way? Can I be
certain he hears MY prayers? What does the bible say about guidance?
Ask five young people to read one of the verses from a modern Bible translation.

Psalm 118: 8-9

Proverbs 3: 5-6

Romans 8: 28

Philippians 4: 6-7

1 Peter 5: 7

Give everyone in the group (including leaders) a blank postcard and ask them to choose one
the verses they have just heard, look it up, and copy it onto their postcard. Allow them to
colour, decorate or customise the cards if they wish. Invite them to take it home and
display in their bedroom as a reminder that God is with them whenever they need his help
or guidance.

VII. First impressions

Objective: To know someone from only their outward appearance and to know how to
accept and reject people.
Activity:
IDENTIKIT
Collect a selection of glossy fashion magazines and teen magazines for this activity. Provide
scissors, glue and some large pieces of white card. Invite the group to divide into pairs and
ask them to cut out and create an identikit picture of the perfect man or woman. This may
be only a face or the whole body.
Display the pictures for everyone to see and encourage the group to discuss the questions
below. The conversations may go in different directions, so be flexible. Add your own
supplementary questions where appropriate.

What are the common factors in the pictures?

Do you think glossy images of perfect looking people in magazines make you more
or less happy about the way you look? Why?

How important is image to you?

Can we do or say things which damage peoples image of themselves?

How important do you think your looks or outward appearance are to God?

Before moving to the next activity, ask the group to quietly consider if they think it is right
to accept or reject a person, only by the way they look?

PHOTO IMPRESSIONS
Show the group a series of five photos or slides. A fashion model, a wealthy business man,
a sportsman or woman, a Middle Eastern person, a homeless person or refugee.
Ask members of the group which people would they TRUST most? Then ask the group who
they think they could be FRIENDS with? Many will choose one of the first three pictures or
slides.

How does a person's image or outward appearance affect your initial opinion of him
or her?

What if the Middle Eastern person was a Christian being persecuted for their faith in
Jesus? Would that change your view? Why?

What if the sportsman had cheated by taking ability enhancing drugs? Would that
change your view? Why?

What if the businessman had built his wealth on the suffering and poverty of
labourers in a slum? Would that change your view? Why?

Are first impressions always reliable

REFLECTION (1 Samuel 16: 1-13)

Explain the background to the story. Samuel was choosing a new king at Gods command,
but he couldnt find the right person among those brought to him. Then God reminded
Samuel that his way of looking at people is different to our own? Emphasise verse 7.
But the Lord said to Samuel, Dont judge by his appearance or height, for I have
rejected him. The Lord doesnt see things the way you see them. People judge by
outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

When God looks at our hearts, what qualities do you think he values most?

In our youth group, what steps can we take to view people more like God does?

We might spend a few hours each week maintaining our outward appearance. Thats
OK, but how much time do we spend developing and maintaining our character. Only
God and you know what your heart is like? What steps can you take to improve your
heart attitude?