Leaders Notes

Many of the young people we work with, both churched and unchurched, will have an incorrect idea of what it means to be a Christian. However, in the midst of our packed programmes it is easy to forget to explain and discuss this fundamental part of our faith.

When a group of Secondary schools pupils were asked how they would define a Christian, their answers were very interesting (once they’d got past the socks and sandals stereotype!). Many said that a Christian was someone who attended Church – a common misconception. In fact, as Laurence J. Peter puts it, “Going to church doesn't make you any more a Christian than going to the garage makes you a car.”

Another answer was that having Christian parents (or at least, parents who had had you Christened) meant that you were also a Christian. Of course, we know that you cannot rely on the faith of your parents. E. Stanley Jones states categorically, “being born in a Christian home does not make you a Christian”. But there are many young people who have yet to realise that. It is particularly pertinent for 11-14 year olds from Christian homes. This age group are developing and asserting their own characters. As their youth leaders we need to help them realise that they need to be owning their own faith rather than relying on that of their parents.

Some of the young people felt that simply being born in the UK made a person a Christian. Others that it was a matter of living a good life and trying to help other people. A number of them defined Christians as people who follow the teachings of Jesus.

What was really noticeable was how almost all of the young people thought that being a Christian was about DOING something (being a good person or going to church) or BEING a certain type of person (i.e. Western or from a Christian family). The concept of being saved by grace was not mentioned at all. This secondary school was not remarkable in any way; the pupils were normal (or as normal as any other bunch of year 10’s!!). I’m sure that many of the young people you and I work with would have similar misconceptions.  This leaves us with the exciting responsibility of explaining the Gospel to the young people.

We need to make sure that our young people understand that being a Christian is not about what we do or who we are – it’s all about recognising and receiving what God has already done through Jesus. This ‘salvation’ is unconditional and available to all.

Of course being saved by Jesus does not come without a cost. As disciples of Jesus, we want to please him and live in a way that Honours him. This is not a condition of salvation, but rather a response to it. It is important that our young people understand this.

This session is a great opportunity to challenge those stereotypes and misconceptions that surround the definition of a Christian and salvation. However, you’ll probably find that you don’t have enough time to cover everything in one go. Make sure you plan plenty of time to follow up any questions and queries your young people may have as they explore this most fundamental of issues.

Game: Word Limit
Duration: 10 mins Equipment Required: Small pieces of paper or card with a variety of words written on them. Description: Split your young people into two teams. Ask for a volunteer from each team. Explain that they will be given several pieces of paper with words on them. They have to try and get their team to guess the written word without saying it out loud or spelling it. They can describe the word, act it out, do an impression of it etc… Mix up some easy ones (i.e. car, Big Mac) with some harder ones (i.e. The Great Wall of China, Mango Tree, The Pussy Cat Dolls). Use some words that link to the session i.e. ‘Christian’, ‘Vicar’, ‘Church’. The Point: For fun and acts as an introduction to the topic.

Game: Inflatable Fun
Duration: 0 mins Equipment Required: Lots of inflatables (e.g. arm bands, rubber rings etc), masking tape. Description: Use the masking tape to divide your room into two halves. Split your group into 2 teams and have them sit on the floor on either side of the tape facing each other. Give each team the same amount of inflatables. Explain that they need to try to get all the inflatables onto the other team’s side. They are not allowed to stand up (if the inflatables go out of play, have your leaders toss them back) or throw any inflatables after you have shouted stop. Count down and let the mayhem begin! Blow a whistle or shout ‘stop’ after a minute and count how many inflatables are on each side of the line. The team with the least wins. Play as many rounds as you can stand! NB: if you don’t have access to lots of inflatables then you could go for the more traditional version of this game with rolled up pieces of newspaper or soft balls. The Point: Just for fun.

Game: Drainpipe Drama
Duration: 10 mins Equipment Required: 2 long pieces of guttering cut into shorter lengths, 2 tennis balls Description: Split your group into two teams and stand them at one end of the meeting room. Hand each team their piece of guttering that has been cut into shorter lengths and a tennis ball. Explain that they need to get the ball from one end of the room to the other, using only the guttering. They may not touch the ball once it has been released into the guttering. If the ball falls onto the floor they need to start again. Give them a few moments to figure out how they will manage the task and then count down… The team that completes the task in the shortest time wins! The Point: Just for fun.

Craft Ideas: Draw A Christian!
Duration: 15 mins Equipment Required: Paper and pens. Description: Hand out paper and pens to the group. Explain that you want them to draw a picture of how they see a Christian and annotate their drawing. When they group have finished their pictures, look together at some of their drawings. Discuss the features that they included. Ask the young people if they can think about where they have gathered this image of a Christian (e.g. TV). How do the drawings fit in with the reality of Christians they know? Conclude by explaining that many people have a stereotypical image of what a Christian looks like and acts like, but often they don’t really know what it really means to be one. Tell them that you are going to spend the rest of the session thinking about how a person becomes a Christian and what that means for their life. The Point: To begin to consider what makes someone a Christian.

Visual And Audio Clips: Ned The Super Christian
Duration: 20 mins Equipment Required: Episodes of The Simpsons that feature Ned Flanders and something to play them on. Description: You may like to prepare for this session the previous week by asking if any Simpsons fans in your group (there usually are some!) would bring along their favourite Ned Flanders moments from the programme. Show the clips that the young people have brought in (have a couple of Ned Flanders moments on stand by in case they all forget!). Discuss the following points: Do you think the character of Ned Flanders is a good representative of a Christian? What are the positives/negatives of his character? What do you think makes Ned a Christian? Explain that in this session you will be looking at what makes a person a Christian. The Point: To begin to consider what makes someone a Christian.

Discussion: Like Father, Like Son
Duration: 15 mins Equipment Required: Copies of the 'Like Father, Like Son' sheets. Description: Hand out the ‘Like Father, Like Son’ worksheets and discuss the following questions: In what ways are you like your parents? In what ways are you different? Are there things you can learn from your parents? Are there things you have to learn for yourself? How can your parents influence your decisions? What important decisions do you have to make for yourself? Explain to your group that having a Christian faith is one of those things that you have to own for your self. Becoming a Christian is not something your parents choose for you, but something you need to decide upon for yourself. Invite your young people to reflect on what they feel about this. The Point: To realise that the Christian faith is not inherited from parents but must be the result of a personal decision.

Discussion: 'Like Father, Like Son'

Bible Study: Simply Turn
Duration: 10 mins Equipment Required: Bibles. Description: Play a quick game with your young people.  Have the line up at one end of the room and tell them that on the word ‘Go’ they are to run towards the other end.  However, when they hear you say ‘turn’ they are to immediately turn and run the other way.  Once you’ve told them to ‘Go’ don’t wait to long before you say ‘turn’ – in fact the more you say ‘turn’, the more exhausted they will become!  After playing this for one minute allowing them to collapse on the floor. Tell the young people that the Bible tells us that to become a Christian we need to ‘repent’.  Ask if anyone knows what repent means.  Read Acts 3:19 (preferably) where Peter is preaching to lots of people after God has used him and John to heal a crippled man. What does Peter tell the crowd they must turn ‘from’ and turn ‘to’? Summarise by telling the young people that to ‘repent’ means to turn around – to turn from our sins and turn to God.  This means to turn from living life our own way, just doing what we want to, to living life God’s way and making Him our guide. Why should we want to live life God’s way? Read John 10:10. Jesus reminds us that His mission is that we experience the very best life.  We will only experience the best life is we follow Jesus and His best way.  A Christian is someone who recognises that Jesus brings life to us and commits to follow Him. Close this activity by asking the group how easy they found it to turn around when they were in mid-flight (or run!) during the game at the start.  Hopefully, they’ll say that it was quite difficult.  Make the final point that turning from our old life to live God’s way isn’t easy – but God will help us. The Point: To provide a simple explanation of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Bible Study: Bumper Sticker Wisdom
Duration: 20 mins Equipment Required: ‘Bumper Sticker Wisdom’ worksheets, Bibles, pens. Description: Make sure you have a good look at the worksheet and look up the Bible verses before the session – this will help you answer any questions the young people may have. Also, think about the language that you will use – what will your young people understand? Begin by looking at the top bumper sticker and discussing what it is saying – could the same sentiment apply to being born in England, having Christian parents etc..? Look up Romans 3:10 and 23. Explain that a very important part of Christianity is the belief that people don’t live up to God’s standards. This means that we, in our imperfection, are separated from the perfect God. That’s a big problem!! Use the second image and Romans 6:23 to discuss the results of sin – death. This means we will be separated from God forever. Look up John 3:16 together – what was God’s answer to this problem? Why does this verse say that God sent Jesus? What do we have to do to gain this eternal life? Explain that this is the very heart of what makes a Christian – it isn’t someone who wears socks and sandals, who goes to church twice on Sunday or who has a Christian family. A Christian is someone who has chosen to believe that Jesus was sent by God, lived a perfect life, died for us and defeated death so that we might live forever in relationship with God. We cannot earn this – Jesus has already done it – we simply accept and receive this amazing gift! But being saved demands a response from us. Look at the next two bumper stickers and verses (Luke 9:24 and Matthew 16:24). Explain that becoming a Christian (i.e. choosing to accept Jesus) is just the beginning. Living as a Christian is the challenge that follows. Use the two statements on the stickers and the verses to discuss what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Throughout this activity, give your young people plenty of time to ask questions and discuss their thoughts and ideas. The Point: This activity is designed for you to explain the Gospel to your group and help them understand what it really means to be a Christian.

Bible Study: 'Bumper Sticker Wisdom' sheets

Craft Ideas: Christian For Sale!
Duration: 20 mins Equipment Required: A3 paper, paints, pens, pencils, Bibles. Description: Begin by looking up John 3:16 and Romans 10:8-9 with your group. Discuss what these verses tell us about a Christian. What do they believe? How are they ‘saved’ (you may need to explain that term)/how do they become Christians? Help correct the young peoples misconceptions as you discuss these points. Ask how these passages differ from many people’s perception of what it means to be a Christian i.e. does it matter what you wear? Where you live? If you’ve done ‘bad stuff’? Explain that you want your young people to design posters that will stop people stereotyping and challenge them to think about what it really means to be a Christian. Encourage them to use the verses on their posters. Help your group to access any art materials you have and encourage them to be creative. End by looking at the posters that have been designed and asking the artists to explain what they have included and why. The Point: To challenge young people’s stereotypes and help them consider how a person becomes a Christian.

Bible Study: What's In The Way?
Duration: 20 mins Equipment Required: Bibles. Description: Begin by reading Mark 10:17-31. Discuss the following points: What question did the Rich Young Ruler want Jesus to answer? Would you describe the Rich Young Ruler as a good person? Why? How did Jesus challenge him? How did the young man react? In verse 27, Jesus says that all things are possible with God – how did God make it possible for us to inherit eternal life (see John 3:16)? What are the challenges and rewards of following Jesus that are mentioned here? Explain to your group that for the Rich Young Ruler, the thing that prevented him giving himself whole-heartedly to God was his love of money. What might prevent others (i.e. a relationship, a career, fear etc)? Ask the young people to modernise this passage. Ask them to role-play a situation in which Jesus challenges a modern day person to give up something important to them. What might that be and how would their character react? What might persuade them to choose to follow Jesus? Conclude by watching the role-plays. The Point: To consider the things that may prevent people making the decision to become a Christian.

Activity: You've Got Mail
Duration: 10 mins Equipment Required: Paper, pens and envelopes. Description: Hand out a piece of blank paper and a pen to each young person. Ask them to spend a few minutes thinking about, and then writing down, where they would like to be with God in 6 months time - have some ideas ready to help them e.g. is there something they have heard today that they would like to find out more about, would they like to read the accounts of Jesus’ death in the Bible, perhaps they’d like to try and spend a few moments praying each day etc… Remind your group that becoming a Christian is the beginning of a lifetime of following Jesus. Whether we have made that decision or not, it is really great to try and always be challenging ourselves and moving forward spiritually. When your young people have something written down hand them each an envelope. Get them to put their paper in, name and seal the envelope. Collect them in and don’t forget to hand them out in 6 months time!! The Point: To challenge the young people to continue to move forward in their spiritual lives.

Prayer: Keep It Simple
Duration: 5 mins Equipment Required: None. Description: This is a really simple and low key activity to give your young people a chance to respond to God. Explain that you are going to pray for the group. Tell them that you are going say a prayer for three groups of people: those who are in a relationship with Jesus and want to get to know him more, those who want to start a relationship with Jesus and those who are interested in finding out more. Give your group a minute to think if they fit into any of those categories. Ask that if they feel that they don’t, they would still respect those who want to pray by being quiet and still. Pray for your group. Give an opportunity for those who want to begin a relationship with Jesus to repent and accept him into their lives. At the end, ask that any of your group that said they wanted a relationship with Jesus for the first time to come and speak to you or one of the other leaders. Be prepared to talk and pray with them and have some Bibles (or at least New Testaments) available for them to take home. The Point: To pray for your group, giving them an opportunity to respond to God.

Memory Verse: Heart And Mouth Disease
Duration: 10 mins Equipment Required: Post it notes in the shape of hearts, lips and stars (these can be brought on most High Streets – if you can’t find them, you could cut the shapes out of paper). Description: “Say with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord." Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 Begin by reading the verses out with your young people and making sure that they understand it. Hand each young person three post it notes – one of each shape. Explain that the verse splits into three parts – what we have to do with our mouths, what we should believe in our hearts and the consequences of those for us. Have your young people write out each part of the verse on the appropriate post-it. They can put it into their own words if they wish. End by praying, thanking God for his incredible Salvation. The Point: To encourage young people to learn the Bible.

Drama: Really A Christian?

Additional Information/Activities (e.g. Birthday announcements):

   

  help?