Insight

What is God like? - a youth group discussion starter

People have different views about God. What do your young people think? What is God really like? What does the Bible tell us about his character? What does that mean for us?


SYMBOLS QUIZ

Draw, photocopy, or present a number of brand symbols which represent retailers, consumer products, computer or telecoms companies, transport or car manufacturers, banks, record labels, national flags etc. Around 20 brand symbols should be enough.

Invite the group to participate in a quiz to identify each of the symbols. This can be completed individually with pen and paper or as two teams competing against each other.

Ask the group why they think symbols are so widely used? (Symbols are used to represent, identify or associate with larger pieces of information.)

GOD IS

Give everyone a blank sheet of paper and a pen. Invite the young people to draw their own symbol to represent their own understanding, belief or unbelief in God. They cannot use words, lettering or numbers. The picture should represent what they think about God. Emphasise that you are not looking for a work of art!

Allow three minutes to complete the symbol and ask the young people to reveal their picture to the rest of the group. Invite the youth group to guess what they think each symbol represents about God, after which the 'artist' can confirm if anyone got it right.

Salt and light - a youth group discussion starter

Jesus’ words about being ‘salt and light’ to the world is a challenge to think about discipleship. How do we help young people to be ‘salt and light’? What does God want us to be like and to do as his representatives in the world?

BLIND TASTE TEST

This is a fun icebreaker based around a blind taste test. It will require some preparation (see your taste test items below) and you will need some small disposable bowls and a teaspoon for each volunteer. The food must be kept hidden until the volunteers are blindfolded.

Invite three volunteers to participate in the taste test where they will compete with each other to demonstrate their knowledge of food and tastes from around the world. Blindfold each volunteer and bring the numbered (1-15) food samples out for the taste test.

The first contestant selects a number from 1-15. They are fed a small sample of the chosen number with a teaspoon and asked to guess what it is. Aim to have a five rounds and give the contestants a drink of water between each round, especially if they have just swallowed the curry paste! A point is given for each correct answer. Select 15 ‘tastes’ from the sample list below,

Orange juice, Ice cream, Cold coffee, Tomato ketchup, Vinegar, Cold rice pudding, Toothpaste, Yogurt, Salad dressing, Mustard, Bolognese sauce, Brown sauce, Milk, Mayonnaise, Curry paste, Marmite, Golden syrup, Cottage cheese, Beaten raw egg, Water, Cold baked beans, Branston (sweet) pickle, Cold chicken soup, Soy sauce, Cold tinned custard, or anything else you can think of!

To keep the rest of the group engaged with the icebreaker, use a flipchart to write up the food item chosen by each contestant, and let them hear the groans and laughter.

Using the Bible to help us pray

Sometimes when we pray we quickly run out of words to say. We find it difficult to express how we really feel. Or our thoughts drift to other things. Prayer can be hard work.

Fortunately, the Bible provides a wealth of material to guide our prayers, help us express our feelings and enrich our personal prayer life. Using the Bible can also provide a focus and a framework to help young people and small groups pray more effectively, when their own words are difficult to find.

PRAYING THE PSALMS

The Book of Psalms is really a book of prayers. From praise and giving thanks, to asking forgiveness, overcoming temptation, dealing with discouragement, facing fear, finding guidance, seeking wisdom or gaining courage. No matter how we feel, in the Psalms we find words to express every human condition and they teach about how God wants us to communicate with him. It’s reassuring to know that the psalmists had the same feelings we do, and weren’t afraid of expressing them to God!

SHARE A PSALM

When words are difficult to find or the pressures of events distract my thoughts I find it helpful to share a Psalm, making the words of the psalmist my own prayer or request and applying them to my own situation. Here are a few examples of where I look for help in the Psalms when I feel,

• Afraid 3, 91
• Alone 27
• Envious 73
• Like giving up 34, 43
• Sad 13
• Weak 40, 121, 142
• Worried 37
• Tempted 141
• Unimportant 139
• Like praising God 96, 100, 145

First impressions - a youth group discussion starter

Image is king in today’s culture. Perfect people populate the teen magazines. Appearance is everything. But what can we know about someone from only their outward appearance? How do we accept or reject people? How does God view us? A youth group discussion starter on image.

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 people’s 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?

Surprised by an award!

I don’t usually include personal news on ‘Insight.’ However, I wanted to let you know that I recently won an award at the UK Christian Blog and Web Awards!

The ceremony was hosted by the UK’s Premier Christian Radio and sponsored by several prominent Christian agencies and organisations. Lured to the City of London venue by the promise of a free meal :-) and the surprise of being shortlisted in one of the categories, I was looking forward to the evening.

I was genuinely shocked to win the ‘Most Inspiring Leadership Blog’ category, sponsored by Willow Creek. You can check out all the winners and runners-up in each category at the Christian Blog and Web Awards.

So thanks to everyone who reads ‘Insight’, now an award-winning blog! The glass engraved award sits on my desk inspiring me to serve you better in the future.