WHAT’S MY JOB?
Write job titles on post-it notes and stick one on each person’s back. Each person then needs to ask others in the group questions to discover their job. Say: when we talk about doing ‘God’s work’ we often think about jobs like ministers, youth workers or even TV evangelists. However, whatever our job is, Jesus has given all his followers work to do.
SHREK AND THE BIBLE
Show the clip from Shrek 3 (Chapter 3. Start: 9:09-13:03). In this clip the King of Far Far Away is dying and says his last words to Shrek. Explain that last words are really important. Ask the group if they know what Jesus’ last words before he ascended into heaven were? Read Matthew 28:20, ‘The Great Commission.’ Ask the group to discuss what strikes them about these verses, and the promise Jesus makes.
EASIER SAID THAN DONE
Jesus wants us to go to anyone, anywhere, and do whatever it takes to make disciples. Ask the young people to stand in a line across the room to show how easy they find sharing their faith on a scale of one (easy) to ten (difficult), and discuss their answers as a group.
MISSON MASH-UP
Show the ‘Linebacker evangelism’ clip from the links section of the Youthwork website. Use this clip to introduce the challenge of sharing our faith. Encourage the group to brainstorm around the words ‘mission’ and ‘evangelism’, including methods of evangelism they have seen or been involved in. Record the group’s thoughts on a flip-chart.
BIBLE STUDY
Divide the group into two and give them the following passages to reflect on. Ask them to consider what these scriptures mean in practice: Group one: Romans 10:14-15, 2 Corinthians 17-20, 1 Peter 3:15 Group two: James 2:14-16, Galatians 6:9 Once this is done, go back to the flipchart and highlight, in different colours, which ideas and thoughts relate to ‘word’ and which relate to ‘action’ (some may focus on both). Remind the group that Jesus didn’t say ‘go and tell people about me’ or ‘go and show them my love’. He said ‘make disciples’. Jesus modelled both word and action - both are central to Jesus’ final command
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
Give the group a sphere of influence diagram from the links section of the Youthwork website. Ask each one to write their name in the centre of the circle. In the next ring write the names of close friends and family who aren’t Christians. In the next ring write people they are associated with who are not close friends. In the final ring those they have contact with in their community and beyond. Introduce the thought that perhaps God has placed the group strategically with opportunities to ‘Go and make disciples’. Ask the young people to share ways in which they have done this with people on their spheres.
TEXTIFY
Show the clip of Mike Pilavachi on ‘Textify’, from the links section of the Youthwork website. Textify is a challenge to spend some time praying for three of your mates, and then to use social media to text them a conversation-starter about your faith. Split the group into pairs to discuss three possible conversation starters that could be used and then share their ideas with the rest of the group. Ask the young people to pray into their sphere of influence, choosing three people to pray for and ‘Textify’ using social media. Explore ways to follow up these texts face-to-face. Agree to review how the conversations go next week and encourage them to pray for each other.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Ask the young people to write on a sheet of paper ‘My name is XXX and my life is a blank canvas. I’m ready...’ and then to prayerfully add a short sentence about engaging in mission and their spiritual walk - for example ‘…to be a witness and willing to be a tool for change’. Ask them to take turns to read their sentence to the group. Give a lead with applause after each answer. Close the session by praying for each other.
