backwards activity: - lss-elca.org web viewso here’s what i want you to do, god helping you:...

ALiVE 2017 “ordinary” curriculum: overview & background

overview & scriptural references:To understand the actual title of this year’s curriculum, you need to appreciate the differences between a Bible that is translated, and one that is interpreted. Translations of the Bible include the “King James” version, “New Revised Standard” Version or NRSV, the version commonly used by the ELCA, and the “Contemporary English” Version, the version we commonly use at our youth events.

Translations strive to take the original texts, in their original languages, and translate them into words that closely reflect the meaning of the original authors. Since the Bible is the inspired Word of God, many theologians believe that it is important to preserve these words, especially since we all know that words have weight and power and can be helpful or hurtful, depending upon how they are used and in what context.

An interpretation of the Bible is just that, an author’s interpretation of what they believe the original author intended. You won’t often hear an “interpretation” of scriptural text used in worship, again because of the value placed on the original words. However, in American culture, as we work with less and less people who are familiar with the stories of the Bible, hearing them interpreted in a way that they can relate to, is often a helpful first step in getting them comfortable with scripture.

I share this with you because our theme “word” comes from an interpretation of scripture. The Biblical interpretation known as The Message, has become one of the more respected interpretations of the Bible in the last century. Authored by Eugene Peterson, a theologian himself, who once wrote:

“I tell stories to create readiness, to nudge people toward receptive insight”

Peterson’s “Message” is a narrative telling of scripture in some places referred to as a paraphrase of the Bible. But it does seem to invite or nudge people into a more receptive reading of the text.

From the Book of Romans, Paul’s letter to the emerging church in Rome, in the years following Jesus’ death & Resurrection, in Romans 12, verses 1 & 2, Peterson writes…

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So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before

God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the

culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12: 1-2, The Message

Peterson interprets Paul’s words from this translation of the text…

Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will

know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.Romans 12: 1-2, CEV

In Peterson’s understanding, taking your “everyday, ordinary life,…and plac(ing) it before God,” seems the best way to describe “offering ourselves as a living sacrifice,” to use Paul’s words. Both Peterson and Paul go on to talk about the ways we will be changed when we live this way, instead of giving in to the culture that tempts us, and that is all around us. In one other translation of this passage, it is described as being “transformed” by God.

This idea of living our “everyday, ordinary lives” in a way that reflects Christ’s love to the world, is what formed the foundation for this curriculum. And whether you read Paul’s words in translation, or Peterson’s interpretation, it is obvious the authors agree that by giving ourselves over to a life of discipleship, we are transformed by God and the way we think and act will change.

There are a number of other scriptures that appear within this curriculum to help reinforce our theme, and they are collected into a handout we call the “Scripture Bank.” There are copies for each of you that are attached to this curriculum, and that will be available in your small group boxes that you will receive when you arrive at ALiVE.

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This idea of living our “everyday, ordinary lives” in a way that reflects Christ’s love to the world, is what formed the foundation for this curriculum.

However, the Gospel text(s) that always seems to lend itself to this theme for me, can be found in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospels. For the purposes of this event, I have chosen Matthew’s text:

“Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?”Jesus answered:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this

one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.

Matthew 22:36-40, CEV

To give over our “everyday, ordinary lives” to God, in my humble estimation starts with loving God “with all your heart, soul, and mind,” as Matthew suggests. But it continues with a desire to “love others as much as you love yourself,” because that is the obvious action that grows out of loving God. It is the way we “live” that reflects who we are as disciples of Jesus that really matters. To take a step beyond Sunday worship into Monday living, includes a willingness to live in a way that reflects Christ’s loving sacrifice towards others. background and insight into the theme and curriculum: Our curriculum team approached this idea of “ordinary” from two angles:

1. Despite believing we are “ordinary,” or sometimes even inadequate, God views us as extra-ordinary, and uses us and our gifts to help spread the Gospel message of love and forgiveness to the world.

2. That our relationship with God should extend beyond Sunday morning, and be lived out through our everyday, ordinary lives.

The curriculum sessions reflect these two ideas. The first half of the weekend, we will explore participants own view of themselves and their gifts, held up alongside God’s extraordinary view of us as God’s Creation. The second half of the weekend, we will talk about how we can carry our faith out into the world, and reflect Christ’s love to all.

Here’s a quick overview of the small group sessions:Session #1: A look at ourselves, using a simple gifts inventory, and thinking about our gifts as if they were the powers of a superhero. How would we use them in service to God and others?

Session #2:3

Overcoming any inadequacies, by seeing ourselves the way God sees us. We will use examples of the way God uses us even with all our cracks and brokenness. Session #3:What are the temptations of our world or of our culture that tempt you to leave God behind on Monday-Saturday, only to go back and visit God and your faith on Sundays? How do you use your gifts to make your “ordinary” life reflect God’s love?Session #4:A sending, with a reminder that Christ goes with you into the everyday and the ordinary, helping you to live a life that is extraordinary to God.

One of the tactile ways we will express this theme is through the use of a candle in a broken container, that will be lit and used in all of your sessions. The broken container signifies the brokenness of our lives. The fact that we are ordinary, and not perfect, but that God uses us anyway. Participants will see that the light of Christ that is within us, shines through even the brokenness, the cracks, and the imperfections of the container, and likewise the cracks and imperfections of our lives.

Like many of our curriculums, we try to personalize this theme in an effort to help participants to own it for themselves, and then to think about the ways that it translates into their own lives. If we can help them begin to believe that God is actually using them and their gifts in God’s ongoing work in the world, some participants will be moved to actually make the kinds of changes in their lives that are transformative personally, and in the communities of which they are a part.

As has been our tradition with our curriculums, there will be a few instances where we will reference large group presentations within small group. In this case we will use a combination of videos, and live stories to share the ways that God is using the ordinary gifts of people to do extraordinary things.

One of the videos we are using is Rob Bell’s “Rhythm.” In Rhythm, Bell reminds us that God is not a God at a distance, but one who encounters us daily, in tune and in step with our lives. Through Jesus, God is woven

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One of the tactile ways we will express this theme is through the use of a candle in a broken container, that will be lit and used in all of your sessions.

into our lives like music that has been there eternally, a song playing in tune with ours.

At some large group sessions you will hear from people like Chuck Bissell, a youth worker who recently left his full-time career to work full-time for a church as a youth director. You’ll also hear from a young adult named Adrienne, who is taking a semester off from school to live in Africa, to serve with God’s people in a unique way. We will reference these stories and videos at times in the curriculum, but you might opt to take these conversations deeper, depending upon the kind of group you have. Some will like talking about these things, while some may need more active teaching/interaction. All of these things are simply tools to help you as you meet with the participants to think through the theme.

In addition, we will have an opportunity to do some group building on Friday evening. In recent years, we have gone away from traditional small group meetings on Friday evening, and we will not have any curriculum that you need to plan for Friday. However, we have planned an activity for Friday that will require you to accompany your small group, along with one other small group, for a group building activity that the staff will manage.

While we have not named the activity as of this writing, it is an activity that requires two small groups to travel together from one “station” to another, and to work together at each station to complete a task. Some stations are thoughtful, while some are active. It challenges the groups to work together and to get to know the gifts of the people in their groups. At each station, the two small groups will be introduced to an ALiVE staff member, who will explain to them what they must do. The activity is timed, so that whether or not they complete it will not matter, as they will be asked to move along to the next station at the end of the time frame. All stations are in Lower Camp, to allow the activity to keep moving. We are asking you to travel with your group, so that you and one other small group leader will be working together with your combined groups, and your primary responsibility will be to help keep order, and keep the group on track from one station to the next. We hope that this Friday evening group-builder will help your group be more familiar with each other, and help break the ice before you meet the next morning for your first session.

A majority of the curriculum teaching happens on Saturday, during the three small group sessions planned for that day. Sunday morning’s session will primarily be given over to evaluation and a sending of sorts.

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A couple final thoughts about the importance of this theme in today’s culture.

1. What we are suggesting is countercultural. We live in a culture that challenges us to put ourselves and our own needs and beliefs first, and not to live for God. Most people either see Christians as selfish and judgmental, or feeble and phony. Living confidently but gracefully, is a different kind of expression of Christianity than most in our culture are accustomed to seeing.

2. Living Monday-Saturday the same way we talk about on Sunday at church or at youth group is hard. It’s not easy, but Jesus is with us in that process. We believe that God gifts us with the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and when we surround ourselves with brothers and sisters in Christ who live similarly, we also can grow in confidence from our relationship with them. The world will try to beat us. Our friends in Christ, and our connection to God, will help keep us strong.

3. Living a life worthy of Christ means acting, speaking, and living the same when people aren’t watching as when they are.

4. Showing love to others, in the manner of Jesus, means loving others even when we disagree. In today’s culture we take disagreements to extremes. Hatred grows out of an unwillingness to love and care for one another even when we don’t agree. We can be respectful and caring of a friend or even a stranger, whether we agree with them or not. Loving one another through our disagreements is one way we can exhibit God’s love, starting right away.

As always, a number of our Youth Ministry Team, that help envision these themes and events will be available throughout the weekend to assist you. We will provide you with a brief overview on Friday evening, and will be happy to talk with you between now and the event, plus throughout the event, about questions or concerns you may have about any of the curriculum.

Each of you represent this theme! By serving, you are indeed using your everyday, ordinary lives in service to God and others. Plus, you are using the gifts God has given you, that you may consider ordinary, to do God’s extraordinary work in the world. In this case, with the young people who have gathered this weekend. Thanks be to God for that…and for you!

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ALiVE 2017 “ordinary” curriculum: session 1 & 2

Carry-Out:That no matter how ordinary we feel our lives might be, God is using us and the gifts God’s given us, to do extraordinary things

Scripture:So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—

your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the


Roman 12: 1-2, The Message

Background:We want to take youth on a journey of discovering their gifts and how they can use them to serve God and others, in spite of any insecurities. What they may view as ordinary, God may view as extraordinary. Session 1 & 2 were written together, and really are designed for you as the Small Group Leader, to choose how much to do before the morning break, based on the pulse of your group. Do you need an extra group-builder, a round of Comfy Chair, or is the discussion on the Six-Word Story going longer than expected? Do you need more time to unpack scripture? Are their questions about the gifts survey that you might want to take a little longer to answer, etc.

Some resources we have given you may work better than others, so go with the flow of your group. Again, the idea is to help them begin to see themselves as extraordinary, as a result of their gifts and the gift of the Holy Spirit that dwells within them. But it is also to help them realize that their life of faith is not something reserved for Sundays. Instead, when they start celebrating their gifts, they reflect Jesus to the world in some of their most “ordinary” interactions.

Supplies:+ Candle & bag + grill lighter+ Story in Six Words Handouts+ Gifts Analysis+ Superhero Handout

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+ Pens, markers, newsprint

Session:+ Gather youth and let them know you will be starting all small groups this weekend by lighting a candle and having a brief prayer.(IMPORTANT: Each group has a small candle in a glass container, a brown bag that has been cut and shredded, and a grill lighter. You will want to be VERY cautious when lighting the candle which should be placed inside the bag while lit. The candle and bag should sit somewhere where it cannot be kicked or bumped during the session. Do NOT mention the brokenness, cracks, or light that shines through the holes in your bag. We want to see if over the course of this session or at the beginning of the next, if any participants take notice of this dynamic)You may explain that the candle represents the light of Christ in our midst and serves as a reminder that Christ is present in our conversations, but also that Christ’s light is present among and within us as a group. You could use this to remind youth that they won’t want to say anything in small group that they wouldn’t be willing to say in front of Jesus. Light the candle and invite someone to pray or lead a brief prayer. Leave the candle lit throughout the session.

+Start the session by saying a brief prayer as you place the lit candle in the bag in the midst of the group, or invite the LYO Staff or a youth to pray.

+ Ask these or similar questions…1. Is your life ordinary or extraordinary? Why?2. What have you heard in large group so far that stands out for you?3. What did you take away from the video about God being present,

and staying in tune with God? 4. Did anything about the story the youth director Chuck shared about

his personal journey, strike you as extraordinary?

+ Remind youth that our theme is ordinary, and that it comes from a scripture in the book of Romans, or Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. In this scripture, which we will hear again later in this session, Paul reminds the people to live their everyday, ordinary lives in a way that reflects God’s love and presence in their lives.

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. Do you feel like you are living your life in a manner that reflects

God’s love towards others?

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2. Do you do anything outside of church or youth group in your everyday, ordinary life that you think reflects Jesus to others?

3. What do you think Paul is suggesting that you do?4. What can you do at your age that matters?(This question may be allowed to linger, or you may come back to it again. I think it may be a really relevant question for many of them?)

Story in Six Words Activity:+ Explain that in order to get to know each other a little better, and to help youth think about themselves and their own gifts and strengths, you’d like to try an activity, called “Story in Six Words”. The famous author, Earnest Hemingway, called his story in six words, “his best work.” We have shared that example with you on the handout. Distribute the example handout, that also contains a spot for the participant to write their own story. Have a little conversation about the activity, and share some examples from the handout, aloud. This may be a tough exercise for some middle-schoolers, or it may surprise us how thoughtful they can be.(Do not pressure every student to complete this activity during this session. Encourage them, yes! But if some need more time to think, this is one of those activities you can revisit at the beginning of another session, or even Sunday morning)

+ Once you have allowed some time for them to think about their Six Word Story, ask one of your more creative thinkers to share aloud what they came up with. This may spur others to respond or to adapt their story as well.

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. Now that you have thought about your own six word “story,” let me

ask again, do you think of yourself as “ordinary,” or extraordinary?2. If you are mostly ordinary, can you still live in a way that reflects

who you are as a child of God, or as a disciple of Jesus?3. If you are mostly ordinary, can you still make a difference in the

world? Even as a middle-schooler?4. In the film clip we saw from “Pay It Forward,” the teacher

challenged his middle-school students to think about the ways they could change the world. Is that too big a question for you at this point in your life?

5. How can you begin by changing just the lives of the people you interact with daily?

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Scripture Conversation+ Explain that in our theme scripture for the weekend, the Apostle Paul, not one of the original twelve disciples, but a follower of Jesus who went on to affect a lot of change in the world in his day because of his belief in Jesus, writes this:





+ Ask these or similar questions:1. What do you think is the overall message of this scripture?2. The author writes, “don’t be so well-adjusted to you culture that you

fit into it without thinking…” What do you think he means by that?3. What does that have to do with our theme?4. What does staying attached to God, even after Sunday, mean to

your life, according to the author?5. By living your everyday life with this idea that God can be a part of

it, how does that change how you live?6. We heard a little of your story, so how does that story include God?7. What are your gifts, the things about you, that you have to share

with the world?

Figuring out your gifts+ Now that we have heard from you about who you believe you are in your simple six-word story, let’s look a little deeper. Explain that as Lutheran Christians, we believe that God blesses us with gifts at our Baptism, that we can choose to use in service to God and to others, or simply use to better our own lives. We want to explore what those gifts might be, using a simple resource designed to help you think about your personal gifts.

+Distribute the “Figuring Out Your Gifts” Handout and explain that this is a very simple way of starting to identify your gifts, or the things that make you special. Some of these surveys can be very complicated, but we tried to choose a simple one, to help you think about gifts you may have that you never thought about before.

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+ Allow youth a few minutes to begin answering the questions. They will have three choices for each question:

A. Absolutely yesB. Not Really Sure C. Definitely No

(You may need to be available and attentive during this process, as there may be words they don’t know understand of ideas that need clarity)Explain that they need not worry too much about the words to the left until after they have answered all the questions. You will discuss those things together as a group.

+ Once you have given them ample time to answer, bring the focus back to a group discussion, and ask these or similar questions:

1. What were some of your “absolutely yes” questions?2. What word or “potential use of gift” does that reveal?3. Is that a gift you knew you had?4. How have you been using that gift?5. Have you gotten better at it?6. Were there any surprises for you on this survey?7. Even if you chose to answer, “not really sure,” does that mean you

do not have that gift?(The answer to this question is no. Gifts can be developed and grow stronger over time, especially as you use them. This is a point worth making to the group sometime during this process)

(This whole discussion could take some time as you may be repeating some of the questions various times with different youth in the group. You or your LYO teammate, may also have a story to share about a gift of yours that you use, or have tried to develop over time)

+ Begin to connect the activity to the scripture and our theme by discussing how their gifts can and should be used to help serve God and others, with these or similar questions:

1. How do you use your gifts on a daily basis?2. How do you think using your gifts can benefit others?3. Do you think of your gifts as ordinary, or extraordinary?4. Can using your ordinary gifts, lead to extraordinary outcomes when

you use them to serve God and others?5. When you use your gifts to help others, are you reflecting Jesus?6. As a Child of God, do we have a responsibility to share our gifts to

help others?

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NOTE: Time check!As this conversation is winding down, is their time to move on to the Superhero Activity? Do you need a group-builder thrown in here?Do you need to transition to the closing candle activity, and pick up here in the next session?(If you opt to move to the candle prayer closing, that is listed first…However, if you have time to continue on to the Superhero discussion, that appears below as well. PLEASE, allow time to do the candle prayer closing, either way!)

Candle Prayer Session Closing+ Encourage youth to bring their attention back to our candle that we lit to start the session. Remind them that we light the candle to remind us that Christ is with us throughout our time together, and in our discussion and the ways we treat one another.

+Move the bag with the lit candle CAREFULLY back to the center of your group. If you can dim the light, do so. Suggest that the group will close in a time of prayer. Not everyone has to speak, but may if they feel moved to do so. Tell them you will start the prayer, allow others to offer prayers, and that when it feels like everyone who has wanted to speak has done so, that you will close the prayer. (Once again, the candle will not be fully visible from inside the bag, but you will not want to draw much attention to this YET. We will be addressing this unique candle configuration in the next phase of this session)REMEMBER: to blow out the candle between sessions!

Your Superpowers!+ Begin by asking these or similar questions:

1. The gifts you have identified in yourself during this session, do you ever think of those as superpowers?

2. Who is your favorite superhero and why?3. What do you admire about them?

(Remind youth at some point during this discussion that some superheroes powers come from a mutation, or a bite, or because they have alien powers. The kind of superpower we are going to talk about are the ones that come from the unique gifts God has placed within you!)

4. Based on your gifts, what do you believe might be your superpower?

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(Continued on Page 17, under the ALiVE Session 1 & 2 header…)ALiVE 2017: Session 1 = Story in Six Words

Handout

“My six-word story…(For sale: baby shoes, never worn), is my best work” author Earnest Hemingway

who also authored “The Old Man & The Sea”

So if you could tell your story in six words, what would you write?For inspiration, here are a few six-word stories from adults, plus a few from teenagers just like you. What’s your impression of their mood or emotion when they were writing these?

Authors: Teens:We kissed. She melted. Mop please! Unique in high school equals freak.James Patrick Kelly Maryanne H.

Dorthy: “Screw it. I’ll stay here” One house. Never had a home.Steven Meretzky, referencing the Wizard of Oz Jessica H

Torched the haystack. Found the needle.Newtosnwig: Twitter handle

Painfully he changed “is” to “was” I’m just a simple human. Being.icantusemyimgurname: Twitter handle Nic H.

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Big bang. No God. Fadeout. End. In the nest, twigs are sharp.Stephen Baxter Justin M.

Pick one, and describe the mood or emotion you sense from the author. What are they saying about themselves?Now it’s your turn. Write your own Six-Word Story. Be specific or more general. Comment on a situation or your life in general. Remember we are trying to capture a bit of you to share with the group. And, punctuation matters, as you’ll notice in some of our examples.

1.2.3.4.5.6.

What’s your mood or emotion?

What are your trying to express? Explain:

If you feel moved to do so, share your six words with the group and see if they can figure out something about you from your “story”

Nerdy kid. Rocket launcher. Bully’s gone!Captain Doom

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ALiVE 2017: Session 1 = Figuring Out Your GiftsThere are many tools designed to help you identify your “spiritual” gifts, and some have as many as 65+ questions, are hard to understand and as result, leave us wondering if they really are all that helpful in the first place. Today we offer this simple survey to help you begin to think more deeply about your gifts. Take a moment to thoughtfully consider these questions.

My Personal Gifts Analysis Absolutely Not Really Definitely Potential

Yes Sure No Use of Gift+ Good at organizing things DIRECTION+ When I pray for others, good things

INTERCESSORY seem to happen PRAYER+ I like cheering people on ENCOURAGEMENT+ I’m good at explaining my faith EVANGELISM and sharing it with others+ I strongly believe things will work FAITH out well+ I like helping people on a ENCOURAGEMENT one-to-one basis+ I like helping others, but doing HUMILITY it quietly + I like-and am good at-singing MUSIC or playing an instrument+ I like and am good at drawing ART+ I like making people feel welcome HOSPITALITY+ I’m good with technology, computers CRAFTSMANSHIP or mechanical things+ I’m a captain or team leader LEADERSHIP

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+ I am good at helping others forgive HEALING or stop fighting+ I’d like to help others in another country MISSIONARY+ I like helping others learn new things TEACHING+ I’m good at giving advice that helps others WISDOM

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ALiVE 2017: Session 1 & 2 = Your Superpowers!Most superheroes have a power, sometimes a few, that are extraordinary, and that define them. Your gifts, when you practice them, and use them to serve God and others, can be as powerful as superpowers. Far from mutations, or a curse, these gifts come from God, and can be a

blessing to you and others!Based your gifts, what would be your superhero name & power:______________________________________________________________

Do you have a logo? What would it be?What do you gifts say about you?

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How are you living your life in ways that reflect who you are as a child of God?ALiVE 2017

“ordinary” curriculum: session 1 & 2Carry-Out:That no matter how ordinary we feel our lives might be, God is using us and the gifts God’s given us, to do extraordinary things





Background:We want to take youth on a journey of discovering their gifts and how they can use them to serve God and others, in spite of any insecurities. What they may view as ordinary, God may view as extraordinary. Session 1 & 2 were written together, and really are designed for you as the Small Group Leader, to choose how much to do before the morning break, based on the pulse of your group. Do you need an extra group-builder, a round of Comfy Chair, or is the discussion on the Six-Word Story going longer than expected? Do you need more time to unpack scripture? Are their questions about the gifts survey that you might want to take a little longer to answer, etc.

Some resources we have given you may work better than others, so go with the flow of your group. Again, the idea is to help them begin to see themselves as extraordinary, as a result of their gifts and the gift of the Holy Spirit that dwells within them. But it is also to help them realize that their life of faith is not something reserved for Sundays. Instead, when they start celebrating their gifts, they reflect Jesus to the world in some of their most “ordinary” interactions.

Supplies:+ Candle & bag + grill lighter+ Story in Six Words Handouts+ Gifts Analysis

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+ Superhero Handout+ Pens, markers, newsprint+ Balloons

Session:+ Gather youth and let them know you will be starting all small groups this weekend by lighting a candle and having a brief prayer. You may explain that the candle represents the light of Christ in our midst and serves as a reminder that Christ is present in our conversations, but also that Christ’s light is present among and within us as a group. You could use this to remind youth that they won’t want to say anything in small group that they wouldn’t be willing to say in front of Jesus. Light the candle and invite someone to pray or lead a brief prayer. Leave the candle lit throughout the session.


Revisiting Six-Word Story+ Ask if any youth gave any more thought to their Six-Word Stories? See if anyone who did not share that morning, wanted to share now, or had someone who did share tweaked their story? Encourage them to continue thinking about their story throughout the weekend.

(Your start of this session will depend upon where you left off in the past session, but here is a review of the start to the Superpowers discussion)Your Superpowers!+ Begin by asking these or similar questions:

1. The gifts you have identified in yourself during this session, do you ever think of those as superpowers?

2. Who is your favorite superhero and why?3. What do you admire about them?

(Remind youth at some point during this discussion that some superheroes powers come from a mutation, or a bite, or because they have alien powers. The kind of superpower we are going to talk about are the ones that come from the unique gifts God has placed within you!)

4. Based on your gifts, what do you believe might be your superpower?

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+ Distribute the Superpowers Handout.

+ Explain that based on the gifts that youth feel they possess, whether those are gifts that were revealed this morning in the survey, or gifts they have always known they possessed, that you’d like to invite them to think about their superhero powers. With your gifts in mind, try to come up with your superhero name, power(s), and maybe even a logo.(Allow some time for them to fill out their handout. You may even allow them some conversation in smaller pairs or trios)

+Refocus the group and discuss, using these or similar questions:1. Based on your gifts, what is your superhero power?2. What is your superhero name?3. Did you design a logo? Want to share that?4. Do you believe God can do extraordinary things through you when

you share your ordinary gifts with others?Explain that when we are referring to superpowers, we are talking about using our ordinary gifts, and allowing God to work through us by the gift of the Holy Spirit to do extraordinary things. (Reference the video by Rob Bell that we viewed earlier this weekend. Called Rhythm, Pastor Rob talks about how we align our lives with God’s will for us to live in rhythm with God)

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. What do you remember from the video?2. What does this video have to do with our theme?3. Are you beginning to see how using our ordinary gifts, and living our

lives in ordinary ways, can really create opportunities for God to do extraordinary things through us?

4. Do you have any examples of how you have experienced this or witnessed this in your daily life?

5. What prevents us from using our ordinary gifts like superpowers?(For many of us, particularly in middle-school, the answer to this question may be self-confidence, or insecurities. We may not believe we are capable or that our gifts matter. You’ll hear things like “I can’t imagine that God would choose me,” or “I don’t have any gifts”)Explain that while all of us experience insecurities and sometimes feel like God can’t possibly be using us, that God sees us as an extraordinary part of Creation. God loves us, and hopes we will confidently share our gifts in ways that help show God’s love through Jesus to others. When we forgive, when we love, when we show grace, others may get a glimpse of Jesus through our words and actions.

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Stop Bursting My Bubble+ Explain that in some instances, the thing that keeps us from sharing our gifts is not just our insecurities, but sometimes the people and the world around us. We live in a time when “Christianity,” is not as widely respected as it once was. In fact, many people think of Christians as judgmental and narrow-minded, not as servants in the manner of Christ. Sometimes as a result, our culture tries to get us to simply keep our gifts to ourselves, or worse to minimize our gifts, and make us feel even less adequate. This next activity is designed to help you get a sense of how the culture can be out to crush your spirit, and your desire to share your gifts in the process.

+ Pass out one balloon per person. Encourage them to blow up the balloon, and to write their superpower or at least one of their gifts on the balloon.

+ Now explain the game. Each person is going to try to protect their balloons and as such their superpower, while trying to crush, or break everybody else’s. The winner is the one who still has their balloon and superpower intact, after everyone else’s is broken (crushed). When you say “go” everybody must put their balloon on the floor for the duration of the game. They can try to protect it, while trying to break others. (Warning; This game is loud, chaotic and lots of fun, but is a little out of control. That’s partly why we are adding it. To get them up and moving)

+ Once only one person’s balloon remains, you have a winner. Stop the action and have a little processing time, asking these or similar questions:

1. What was our strategy, to protect your gifts, or crush others?2. Did it work?3. How frustrating is it, that some people are just out trying to crush or

break our spirit in the game and in life?4. How do you overcome culture’s distractions? Those things that pull

you away from living in a way that reflects your relationship with God?

Scripture Conversation+ Explain that the author Paul, whose letter to the Romans has our weekend theme scripture in it, also wrote to the church at Corinth, the Corinthians. Paul knew these feelings. The feelings of not being good enough, and of the constant distractions of the culture. But Paul kept working through it all, spreading the word about Jesus.

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He actually mentions these distractions and insecurities in one of his letters to Corinth. Paul writes:

I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to

some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.1 Corinthians 2: 3-5 (The Message)

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. Despite feeling inadequate what does the author say about the

message he is trying to deliver?2. Who did it? Did he, alone?3. Who does the author say he is responding to?

Remind them that the author suggests that this is not some emotional magic or being mentally stronger than those who would keep him down, but instead God acting through him!

+ State: God can act equally as powerful through us all!

Candle Activity & Scripture Conversation+ Place the lit candle inside the bag CAREFULLY back at the center of your space, and ask youth to take a closer look. What they should have noticed is that there are tears in the bags, or places where the bag is ripped (broken), where you can see the light from inside. This is a chance to begin processing that, by asking…

1. Did you notice the bag that holds our candle. What’s different about it?

2. The tears in the bag show the bag is ripped or broken, but it is still able to hold the candle, right?

3. Despite the tears, the imperfections in the bag, does the light still come through?

Explain that our author Paul, speaks to this as well in this letter to the Corinthians. Only in this case, Paul refers to a clay jar, and imperfect clay jar that holds the light. Let’s listen top what our author writes…

+ Read the scripture or have a youth read it aloud:Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when

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God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.

7-12 If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent

anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been

surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they

did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake,

which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!

2 Corinthians 4: 5-12, The Message

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. What do you think the author means when he talks about having a

“treasure in clay jars”? 2. Who or what are the clay jars?3. What’s the treasure?4. This scripture talks about how we are discouraged, broken and

persecuted in our lives, but never destroyed because we are “in Christ.” Can God use us even though we are messed up, sinful and broken by human emotions and pain? How hard is it for you to believe God uses you despite your brokenness?

5. The author also talks about “the light that shines in the darkness.” Who or what represents the light?

6. Who or what is the light in your life?

(Use the brown bag as an example of how the candle light shines through the cracks and openings. Draw the parallel between this and the nature of our sinful lives. Even though we are cracked and broken, when we are channeling Jesus in our lives, we are shining through the cracks in bringing the light of Christ to others, even though we are broken ourselves)

+ Remind youth that no matter how broken we are, or how insecure we feel, that even though we are not perfect, God uses us anyway. Our ordinary lives become a reflection of the light of Christ that resides inside of us.+ Ask…

1. How will you begin to let that light shine through you this weekend?2. How will you begin to let it shine through you at home?

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+ Encourage youth to bring their attention back to our candle that we lit to start the session. Remind them that we light the candle to remind us that Christ is with us throughout our time together, and in our discussion and the ways we treat one another.

+Move the bag with the lit candle CAREFULLY back to the center of your group. If you can dim the light, do so. Suggest that the group will close in a time of prayer. Not everyone has to speak, but may if they feel moved to do so. Tell them you will start the prayer, allow others to offer prayers, and that when it feels like everyone who has wanted to speak has done so, that you will close the prayer. (Once again, the candle will not be fully visible from inside the bag, but you will not want to draw much attention to this YET. We will be addressing this unique candle configuration in the next phase of this session)REMEMBER: to blow out the candle between sessions!

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ALiVE 2017 “ordinary” curriculum: session 3

Scripture: So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—

your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even

thinking. Instead, fix your attention on GodRomans 12; 1-2, The Message

Background:This weekend is about looking for and making connections to God and our faith life in the outside world. This weekend we will be searching for where we can experience God in our everyday being—not just on Sundays, at youth group, on retreat, or at Con Camp. The thing about looking for God in our everyday lives is that our lives aren’t always bright and shiny. Our lives aren’t clean and fresh. Sometimes our lives are dirty and tainted. This is when it’s hard to find the connection we find so easily when we watch the sunset at Nawakwa or when everything is great. This weekend will ask you to confront those times and understand that God is with us ALL THE TIME.

This session is about life after ALiVE. This evening, let’s explore the idea that we are each called to be a reflection of Jesus in the world. We are constantly reminded by those around us (friends, family, TV, music, etc) that we are NOT perfect and therefor, not a reflection of Jesus. This reminder makes us feel as if we are not worthy of being a reflection. Today, let’s take some time to come to terms with what we are: a royal priesthood made by God in the image of God put here to reflect Jesus to everyone by caring and loving each other. Let us also come to terms with the fact that we are NOT: perfect. Let us also come to understand that our ability to be a reflection is not contingent or dependent on our perfection.Supplies: Scripture bank, note cards, scotch tape, lined paper, pens, 1 mirror, 1 (working) flashlight, cabin time questions

Session:+ Gather youth and let them know you will be starting all small groups this weekend by lighting a candle and having a brief prayer. You may explain that the candle represents the light of Christ in our midst and

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serves as a reminder that Christ is present in our conversations, but also that Christ’s light is present among and within us as a group. You could use this to remind youth that they won’t want to say anything in small group that they wouldn’t be willing to say in front of Jesus. Light the candle and invite someone to pray or lead a brief prayer. Leave the candle lit throughout the session.(NOTE: In this session, you will want your candle OUTSIDE the bag. So once lit, it illuminates your space with full light))


Revisiting Six-Word Story+ Ask if any youth gave any more thought to their Six-Word Stories? See if anyone who did not share that morning, wanted to share now, or had someone who did share tweaked their story? Encourage them to continue thinking about their story throughout the weekend.

Opening question: + What do you do in your everyday life that reflects Jesus in the world?+Ask these or similar questions

1. What do you think it means to reflect Jesus in the world?(The definition of reflect is to send back light, heat, or energy from a surface. It’s an interesting part of the definition that says to send back LIGHT—as Christ is often referred to as the light of the world. Part of being a reflection is like being a mirror image of something-to resemble something. In our case, we are not trying to physically LOOK like Jesus but we are trying to resemble Jesus in our actions)

2. What are some ways you see others reflecting Jesus in the world?-wearing youth group tshirts-talking about youth group-praying in public-seeing that they treat others with love

3. Do you do these things as often as you could? 4. Tonight’s videos, while not faith-based, do speak of making changes

that impact the world around us. What was something that stood out

for you?

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4. One video speaks of ending the way the world currently engages with one another, and acting instead from a standpoint of love! How is that video similar to our theme scripture?

+ Share the idea that “you may be the only Bible someone ever reads”+ Ask these or similar questions:

1. What does this mean?(Not everyone reads the Bible so not everyone knows what Christ calls us to do. People may hear you talk about retreat, ALiVE, Youth Group, etc, but they will watch what you do and see that as you acting out what the Bible says. If that is the case, what kind of Bible are you putting out there for others?)

2. What does this have to do with being a reflection of Christ? 3. Why don’t we reflect our relationship with Jesus as often as we

could?(Because it’s hard. People don’t always understand and may make fun of you. People may not agree with you.)

Backwards Activity: + On a piece of paper, have each person in the group write the following statement BACKWARDS IN PEN:

“I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves…”Each group has been given 10 copies of this to hand out to each person in the small group so that they may have it as reference.

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. Who got it perfect?2. Was this difficult? Why?

Scripture Conversation+ Ask a youth to read this scripture for the group“I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and

innocent as doves.Matthew 10:16 *(read it twice)*

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. What word stands out to you and why?

*Read the scripture once more before they answer*2. Why would the scripture use the imagery of sheep and wolves?(Because wolves eat sheep. It’s saying this is not gonna be easy)3. Who are the sheep and who are the wolves?(We could be the sheep and those who don’t understand Jesus, make fun of us, or who don’t live as reflections of Christ could all be wolves)

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Activity:Take a minute and have them each write “the wolves” in their life. They can be as general or as specific as they would like. When they are done, have them hang them around your space.

1. Did you notice the scripture says that they/we are SENT OUT?2. What does this mean?(It means we are to go out into the world and share our life with Christ with others)3. How does this relate to our scripture for this weekend (Romans 12:

1-2

+ Reread this scripture before they answer.(The Romans scripture talks about how we live our everyday life and that we should strive to be with Christ in EVERYTHING we do…all the time. This Matthew scripture says that this will not be easy to do)4. What do you think it would take for us-the sheep-to be able to go

out in to the world and be a reflection of our relationship with Christ?(Willingness to do it. Confidence in who we are)

+Explain that if you thought writing it backwards was hard, imagine how hard it must be to do it in our everyday lives!Here is the good news!

Scripture Conversation:But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special

possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2: 9+Ask these or similar questions:

1. What word stands out to you and why? + Read the scripture once more before they answer*

2. Why would the scripture use the imagery of priests—royal priests?(Priests are respected. They are considered “special”)

3. What do you think about yourself? 4. Do you consider yourself a royal priest? Why/why not?

(They may think that they are not good enough)5. What makes you outstanding?

(Pull some answers from session #1)6. What makes you feel unworthy?

(Pull some answers from session #2)

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(But if you trust in scripture and in Jesus, it says over and over in scripture that you ARE good enough)

+ Share this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:“Being Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about

courageously and actively doing God's will.”-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

+Ask, 1. Does this have a different meaning for you? 2. What are your thoughts on this?

Reflecting Light Activity+ Take your candle and set it on a table or flat, stable surface facing up (so the light is shining up) and turned on. Use your mirror from the earlier activity to reflect the beam of light on to the papers you hung up in the beginning of the session. Use the reflected light to shine on those listed as the “wolves” in their life.

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. What’s the learning here?

(We should be reflecting the light of Christ to EVERYONE—especially the wolves-those who may not know Christ)

Cabin Time ActivityGive them the Cabin Time Handout and allow 5 minutes to reflect, discuss, and write their answers. Tell them to have these finished for their Cabin Time tonight (they may add to their answers during Cabin Time and to be sure to bring them back to Small Group tomorrow morning)

+ Encourage youth to bring their attention back to our candle that we lit to start the session. Remind them that we light the candle to remind us that Christ is with us throughout our time together, and in our discussion and the ways we treat one another.

+ Suggest that the group will close in a time of prayer. Not everyone has to speak, but may if they feel moved to do so. Tell them you will start the prayer, allow others to offer prayers, and that when it feels like everyone who has wanted to speak has done so, that you will close the prayer.

REMEMBER: to blow out the candle between sessions!29

ALiVE 2017: Session 3 = Sheep & Wolves Handout

“I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves…”

Can you write this backwards?

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ALiVE 2017: Session 3 = Cabin Time HandoutQUESTIONS TO ANSWER:

1. What are you doing to reflect the light of Christ in the outside world? How are you courageously and actively doing God's will, on a daily basis?

2. What are your congregations doing to reflect the light of Christ in the outside world? How are they courageously and actively doing God's will, on a daily basis?

CABIN TIME DISCUSSION:This time can be a very powerful opportunity to discuss how they are living out their faith on a daily basis. Please take some time to empower and support them.How did you answer the1st question about you?How did you answer the 2nd question about your home congregation? This would a great time to discuss some of the ongoing ministries your congregation is currently carrying out.

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ALiVE 2017 “ordinary” curriculum: session 4

Carry-Out:That no matter how ordinary we feel our lives might be, God is using us and the gifts God’s given us, to do extraordinary things





Background:Encourage youth to be ready to face the week with new confidence and to share their gifts and make the changes necessary to live in a way that reflects Jesus, even if it’s just one or two small changes.

Supplies:+ Candle & bag + grill lighter+ Pens, markers, newsprint

Session:+ Gather youth and let them know you will be starting all small groups this weekend by lighting a candle and having a brief prayer. You may explain that the candle represents the light of Christ in our midst and serves as a reminder that Christ is present in our conversations, but also that Christ’s light is present among and within us as a group. You could use this to remind youth that they won’t want to say anything in small group that they wouldn’t be willing to say in front of Jesus. Light the candle and invite someone to pray or lead a brief prayer. Leave the candle lit throughout the session.(NOTE: In this session, you will want your candle OUTSIDE the bag. So once lit, it illuminates your space with full light))

+Start the session by saying a brief prayer as you place the lit candle in the bag in the midst of the group, or invite the LYO Staff or a youth to pray. Revisiting Six-Word Story

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+ Ask if any youth gave any more thought to their Six-Word Stories? See if anyone who did not share yesterday morning, wanted to share now, or had someone who did share tweaked their story? Encourage them to continue thinking about their story throughout the weekend.

+ Ask these or similar questions:1. What surprised you the most about yourself yesterday?2. What did you learn about yourself?3. Do you feel more confident about sharing your gifts? Your faith?4. What do you think will get in your way?5. How will you shine your light?

Scripture Conversation+ Revisit the theme scripture to see if the youth have any final thoughts about what they have heard from Paul, this weekend.





+ Ask these or similar questions:1. What do you hear this time around? Anything different?2. How is God already changing you from the “inside out”?3. What gifts is God calling out in you?4. Any final thoughts about our scripture or any of our Biblical texts?

Event Feedback+ Explain that each year we like to get feedback from our participants to assist us in getting better. In a moment you will be asking them to rate and/or give feedback on specific questions.(There is one evaluation form in each small group box

+ Ask for them to rate each of the first cluster of activities and come up with a group average. Continue by asking them to respond to the other questions, and try to capture some of their thoughts on the eval survey.

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Group Response+ Ask these or similar questions:

1. Did your group have any conversation about the ways your congregation is living in a way that reflects Jesus?

2. Are there things your congregation is already doing?3. How can you as a youth encourage your congregation to reach out

to the world around you?

Fishbowl Affirmations+ Finish your time together before you pray as a group with individual affirmations of one another. Here’s a way to do this and make it a little less weird for middle-schoolers.

Place a chair in the middle of your gathering space. Invite youth one at a time to sit in the chair and close their eyes. Invite the group to huddle around them and to place a hand on their shoulder(s), back, or somewhere that is not offensive. Invite the group to call out words of phrases that affirm the person in the chair. They do not need to take turns. It is more of a chorus of affirmations. It’s OK if people talk over each other. As the person in the chair, you hear the words, but don’t see who is saying it, so it is very powerful, yet private/discreet. Allow about 30 seconds per person. Then invite them to stand and rejoin the group. Work your way through all the participants in your group.

Closing Prayer+ Suggest that the group will close in a time of prayer. Not everyone has to speak, but may if they feel moved to do so. Tell them you will start the prayer, allow others to offer prayers, and that when it feels like everyone who has wanted to speak has done so, that you will close the prayer.

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backwards activity: - lss-elca.org web viewso here’s what i want you to do, god helping you:...

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