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TIED HANDS
Choose two pairs of people. Tie the hands of one person from each pair behind their backs. Then blindfold the other person in each of the pairs. Get the blindfolded person to stand behind the person whose arms are tied - putting their hands and arms under the armpits of their tied up partner. The blindfolded person will become the arms and hands of the person whose hands are tied so one of the pair can see, but can’t use their hands, the other can’t see but can use their hands. On a table in front of each pair, put a glass of water and a piece of messy cake. The aim is to eat the cake and drink the water - the winners are the first pair to finish!
This game shows how we need the various parts of our bodies to function properly. The same applies to the Church: we can’t ignore or think we can do without various parts of the Church body – it’s all important in fulfilling God’s mission.
MANY PARTS
Ask someone to read out this week’s passage. Explain the context – Paul wasn’t giving a lesson on anatomy, but using a relatively well known image to describe God’s vision for the Church. Paul was writing this as part of a wider letter to a church that was struggling in all sorts of ways. There were divisions, arguments, theological differences and issues between rich and poor. He was trying to get the point across that everyone in a church has a vital role that only they can play. No one person is more important than anyone else, and for a church to function properly everyone has to bring their gifts and talents to the table – no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. The passage is about unity, family and connection. Paul ends with an important message – though we’re made up of many parts, we’re one body, and when one part suffers, we all suffer. God intends the same to apply to our view of the Church, locally and globally.
Key Point #1
Because of our relationship with Jesus, we’re connected to the Church around the world. We are family. That means we have brothers and sisters in all sorts of places and all sorts of countries. We should hurt when they hurt, sharing their burdens and sorrow as well as joy and happiness!
DISCUSS
Split the young people into small groups and ask them to discuss these questions before feeding back to the group:
• What is Church?
• What would your perfect church look like?
• Why does the Church exist?
• Churches around the world are different. Some are traditional, some aren’t, but what is it that connects your church to churches around the world?
STRING IT UP
Grab a ball of string and get the group to stand in a circle. Hold the end of the string and throw the rest of the ball to a random person in the group. Then get them to do the same until everybody is holding the string. Pull the string tight - the string should go across the group connecting everyone to each other.
Explain that this is like the Church globally. Because of our relationship with Jesus we’re all connected – there’s an important link between various elements of the Church around the world. It might be messy sometimes, but we’re all in it together, part of the same connected body.
WATCH
Watch the first session of My Heart Bleeds from the links section of the Youthwork website.
HIS LIKENESS
Choose a person to stand or sit in the middle of the group. Then ask the rest of the group what they see of God in that person – are they kind, loving, good at something or passionate about an issue? If you have time, do this for everyone in the group and encourage everyone to share a positive comment.
THE REALITY
Everyone in the Church around the world shares God’s image – we were all made in his likeness and as Christians we’re looking to increase the resemblance of our heavenly father in our lives as much as possible. However, our brothers and sisters in churches all over the world are facing threats, violence and worse because of their faith – it’s a pain we should share. Tell the following story to highlight the extreme persecution children are facing.
Gabar
Gabar liked to play football and sing and dance. But one night, the dancing stopped. On August 6th 2010, police came to arrest Christians in Gabar’s town. When other Christians came to ask why they were being arrested, the police opened fire. Gabar died of his injuries a day later. He was only 13.
PRAY
In the face of such hopelessness it’s easy to wonder what we can do – but it’s important we don’t give up. We can stand with our brothers and sisters in prayer, asking God, by his spirit, to strengthen his Church in places where it is being beaten. Pray to close the session:
• Thank God for his Church, both where you live and globally. Thank God for the amazing diversity within his body and ask that he would help each member of the group find their gifts and know how valuable they are.
• Pray for parts of the Church around the world that are suffering because of their commitment to Jesus. Pray for families like Leah’s who are facing the loss of a home because of their faith. Pray for safety, change and courage.
• Ask God to strengthen his Church around the world and that there would be renewed connections between God’s family globally. Pray that the stronger would protect, support and serve the weaker, and that no part of the body would ignore or dismiss another.
