Tag Archives: relationships

Game Ideas, Object Lessons

String Connections

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Almost everyone has some string lying around the house. Most often, string is used to connect things. As such, the string games below can be used to introduce a great object lesson on being connected to Christ and others.

String Connections

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What You Need

  • Lots of string

Games Using String

  • All Inside – Lay a circle of string on the ground and ask a team of youth (6-15 people) to stand inside the circle. Everyone must be touching the ground inside the string circle in some way. They must stay inside the circle for the amount of time it takes them to sing the chorus of a song familiar to the youth. No one can touch the ground outside the shoestring circle. Then tie an 8 inch loop in the string and try again. Team to fit inside the smallest circle of string wins.
  • Loop Groups – Create a loop of string about the size of a hula hoop. Ask the youth to stand in a circle and hold hands. Then have one pair of youth release their hands reach through the string circle and then re-connect hands. The shoestring circle must travel in a clockwise direction and return to the initial starting position without anyone letting go of hands. The youth must stay in one location while the shoestring circle moves around the circle. Fastest time wins.
  • Polygon – Tie a long piece of string together at the ends to form a circle. All the youth hold onto the circle with both hands and then asked to form a specific shape without letting go. (e.g.: Perfect circle, square, equilateral triangle, Letter C, etc). Stage 1: No talking. Stage two – Can talk but eyes closed.
  • String Introductions – Take a pair of scissors and cut pieces of string or yarn into various lengths. (12-30 inches in length) Then bunch them all up in one pile. Each youth pulls on one piece of string to separate it from the others then introduces him or herself as he or she slowly winds the piece of string around an index finger. Some of the strings are extremely long, so sometimes a person must keep talking for a very long time!
  • String spelling – Played like charades, youth must guess a series of words or items from a list, but instead of miming them, they try to spell them out with the piece of string.
  • Tennis Ball Transport – You’ll need some large washers (or a curtain ring), some string, and some tennis balls. Tie five to eight long cord pieces (4-6 feet long) to a washer (or curtain ring). Place the washer on the ground with the cords coming out from it like rays of sunshine. Place a tennis ball on top of the washer. The challenge is for the youth to pick up the washer and tennis ball by hanging onto the strings only without the tennis ball falling off. Need more of a challenge? Switch strings with another group without dropping a tennis ball.

A String Game and a Lesson

  1. Sit the group on the floor in a circle with everyone facing inward toward the center of the circle.
  2. Tell everyone your name and one characteristic about yourself.
  3. Holding firmly to the end of the string, toss the ball of string to someone in the circle who has not yet received the string.
  4. The youth receiving the string gives his/her name and one characteristic.
  5. Then, holding firmly onto the string, he or she tosses the ball on to another person.
  6. The string should be held tightly and above the ground at all times.
  7. Continue until everyone has received the string at least once and has told the group their name and shared one characteristic.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

GENERAL DISCUSSION

  • Have someone in the group pull the string – What happens?
  • Have everyone pull the string tight then cut the string in the middle. What happens?
  • In what ways does the string represent various relationships in the youth group?

(Sample answers: Our relationships are intertwined and connected. If a single person pulls the string it affects everyone in the group to varying degrees, depending on how closely they are connected. If one persons string is cut the relationship is broken, it affects all. We need to support each other and not let others down)

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL
John 15 speaks of the Vine and the branches and the connectedness we must maintain with Christ! The Bible says we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother – Jesus. Scripture tells us that like this string, Jesus connects us all together. He is the head of the body and we are all connected though him. (Colossians 1:15-20, 1 Corinthians 12)

Next, tie the string to an object with some weight and start to spin it. When spinning the object, ask the audience what will happen when you let go. Will the object continue in the path that it is currently traveling? Let go. The object will travel in a straight line away from where the center used to be. The same thing happens in our walk with God when we discontinue our devotional and our personal time with Him. We grow farther apart from Him. We need to be connected to God to grow spiritually or we will fall away.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are some ways that a person can stay closer connected to Christ?
  • What are the benefits a person gets in staying close to Christ?
  • What are some ways that Christians can draw closer to others in the church?
  • Why are relationships, connections in the church so important?
  • What things ties us together as Christians?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What do you need to do to be closer connected to Christ?
  • What are some ways you can be closer connected to other Christians?
  • How can you draw those who have fallen away or strayed from God to be closer to him?

SCRIPTURE

Colossians 1:15-20 – “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

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200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

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Icebreakers

Christ Calls Us Friends

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Summer is a time of friendships. The time away from school is a welcome break and provides the freedom to spend time with friends doing the things you enjoy. Friends will come and go but all will teach you something about who you are and who you want to be. But Jesus also calls us friends. So what does that teach us?

What to do
Place a tag/ sticker with each name on the back of people as they enter the meeting. Do not tell them that these are pairs of friends. Their task is to mingle around asking “yes” or “no” questions to discover the character on the tag. After a brief time of mingling have each person find his or her “friend” and share a quality they look for in a friend! (The three stooges are included in case you have an odd number of people.) If the group is small you might give out only one of each pair and then once everyone has discovered his/her identity have them name the friend associated with the person on the tag they have been given.

Here’s a sample list of famous friendships.

Be sure to add any famous friendships from recent television shows or youth culture.

Take It to the Next Level

Put the following questions up on posters around the room – taped to the walls or to the floor. Have youth wander around the room and to add their thoughts and answers for each question. Then discuss them as a group!

  • A friend is…?
  • Real Friends always…?
  • Real Friends never…?
  • One of my friends is ________ because…?
  • What do you do to be a friend and to have friends?
  • What is one of the qualities you look for in a friend?
  • What is one of your best qualities as a friend?
  • What is one of the qualities you look for in a friend?

Take It Spiritual

John 15:13 calls us to look to the interests of others for the sake of the common good. Jesus’ whole life is an incarnation of the ideal of friendship. What Jesus teaches he is already living. Jesus gave everything to his friends—his knowledge of God and his own life. Jesus is our model for friendship—because he loved without limits—and he makes it possible for us to live a life of friendship—because we have been transformed by everything he shared with us. Through friendship we come to know God and through friendship we express the love of God. We can risk being friends because Jesus has been a friend to us.

Make it Practical

  • How can we be better friends to those around us?
  • How can we express the love of God in our friendships?

Make it Personal

  • What is something you will do this week to be more Christlike in your friendships?

Scripture

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” – John 15:12-15

This idea is adapted from a similar idea in our ebook “Icebreakers Ahead: Take it to the Next Level”

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Valentine’s Day: Held Together

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It’s going to be Valentine’s Day in a couple days, when everyone gets all romantic. While chocolates, flowers and candlelight dinners have their place, it is also a great opportunity to discuss the topic of love. Love isn’t just for romantic relationships, but for our relationships in the family, among fellow Christians, and in our relationship with God. So this week we have a memory game which serves as an object lesson on the topic of love. God so loved the world that he sent his Son (John 3:16) God is love. They shall know that we are Christians by our love. Have a great weekend! Love God with all your heart. Love your neighbour as yourself. So here’s to Love!

Resources

  • A cookie sheet or tray
  • 20 to 25 small objects from the list below.
  • A cloth that will cover the tray
  • Paper and pencil for each player

Objects List

  1. Tape
  2. Glue
  3. Stapler
  4. A bolt
  5. Paper clip
  6. Clothes Pin
  7. Button
  8. Piece of rope or strong
  9. Shoelace
  10. Spiral from a notebook
  11. Skewer
  12. Rubber band
  13. Key ring
  14. Blue tack
  15. Bandage
  16. Padlock
  17. Watch band
  18. Zipper
  19. Velcro
  20. Screw
  21. Thumb Tack
  22. Hinge
  23. Nail
  24. Safety Pin
  25. Straight Pin
  26. Sewing Thread
  27. Snap
  28. Zip Tie or cable tie
  29. Wooden Dowel
  30. Refrigerator magnet

Preparation

Place all the objects on the tray and cover with a cloth to begin.

What to Do

  1. Have the youth sit in a circle where they can all see the tray.
  2. Remove the cloth for 60 seconds, then replace it.
  3. The youth then write down everything they remember seeing on the tray.
  4. The player who remembered the most items wins.

Take It to the Next Level

Make it Spiritual

What do all the objects have in common?

All of the objects are used to hold various things together. We often use tape and glue with paper. Staplers and paper clips also hold pieces of paper together. Bolts come in various sizes and are often used to hold two pieces of metal together. A bandage holds the sides of a cut together to stop bleeding. Even a refrigerator magnet holds paper to the refrigerator.

There is something else that needs to be held together as well and that is people. We need to be close to people. If we are not, life becomes very sad and lonely. We need to be close to our family, to our friends, and to our fellow church people-plus many others. Love holds people together better than anything else: ! Love is the best tape, the best glue, the best staple, the best bolt that you can find to keep you close to people.

There are other things that we sometimes think keep us close to others but they don’t work as well as love. You may think that it’s because you live on the same street that you are friends with a certain person, but if that is all that makes you friends it will be over with the first time you have a serious fight. Sometimes we think we are close friends with someone because we like the same sport or the same games but this usually doesn’t last either. Even living in the same house with your family will not automatically make you close to them. In every case what we really need is love for that person. No matter what you like doing with someone close to you, just remember that to love that person is the most important thing of all. Love will be the tape, the glue, the staple, the bolt that holds us together in unity.

Make it Practical

How can you show love to others this week? For your parents, your valentine, your siblings, your friends. All love finds its source in God. God is love. How can you love more like God loves others this week?

Scripture References

Matthew 22
Luke 10

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
– John 13:34

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
– Colossians 1:17

 


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Devotional

God’s WORD for Youth: Relationships

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“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.” Hebrews 1024-25a

Relationships are critical for youth.  We can’t survive without relationships some casual, some close, and some intimate. It’s important to have shared moments and experiences and simply to be present for another person. This communion with other people is a celebration of life and God which lifts my spirits and lets me know that I am not alone. Companionship is essential if I am to continue to make progress in my journey of discipleship. Being there for someone and knowing someone understands my fears gives me strength to go on.

Each day I look for opportunities to give of myself as well as to receive what others have to share. I set aside time to be with my family, friends, and faith community. I have a primary responsibility to myself and the people I care about to spend time in their presence and to share myself with them.

I find growth and affirmation in the company I keep.

Game Ideas, Icebreakers

Knock Down, or Build Up

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Description

There are times when we have fun, draw closer to one another, talk about all kinds of things, and experience the joy of being together. Other times though it seems that the things we say, or things that are said to us seem to hurt even more when it involves our families.

We often hear it said that the people we hurt the most are often the ones that are closest to us. There are times I wish I could have taken back the words the moment I’ve said them, but it’s often too late; damage done.

In all our relationships the things we do can say can either build up or tear down. This wacky youth group game presents the same choice to teams of youth.

 

STACKERS

 

Resources

  1. Plates and cups – You want an even number of plates and cups so they can be stacked. Don’t use breakables ones as they will be knocked over and dropped. Plastic works great, but you can also use disposable ones. Be warned that if they are too light, they can be easily blown over.
  2. Balls – Tennis balls work well but you can use a smaller ball to make the game more difficult or a bigger one to make it easier.
  3. Instead of cups and saucers you can use other objects but must take into account the weight of objects and the ball used. A light ball won’t be able to knock down heavy objects. Other options include using just cups, jenga blocks, shoe boxes, empty food cans (beware of sharp edges), Pringles cans, cereal boxes, wooden blocks, etc. The only requirement is that the objects must be easily stackable by the youth.

Preparation

  • Create an open space in the middle of a room or of an outdoor area.
  • Place the cups and saucers in a pile for each team.
  • Set up teams an equal distance from the piles in the center. The further away, the more difficult the game becomes.
  • Give each team a ball.

What to Do

  1. The first person on each team must run to the pile in the center for his or her team in the play area and stack all the plates and cups. The cups and saucers must be stacked so that each cup rests on a saucer, then the next cup and saucer is placed on top, continuing until a tower of cups and saucers is built.
  2. After the tower is built, the youth runs back to his or her team and tags the next person.
  3. The next person has a choice. EITHER run straight to their own team’s tower in the center and unstack and re-stack the cups and saucers OR
  4. Toss the ball to knock down another team’s tower. If the ball is tossed, the next person in line must retrieve the ball and bring it back to the group before the person who tossed it can run to their tower in the center and unstack and re-stack the plates and saucers.
  5. If a team’s tower is knocked down by another team, the person who originally stacked that particular tower must run to the center and stack them again before the next person can go to the center and unstack and re-stack the plates and saucers.
  6. The first team to have everyone on the team finish unstacking and re-stacking their tower wins.
  7. Strategically, a team has a choice to focus on building their own towers or taking time to knock down other towers so that they slow others down. Bear in mind that they could knock down more than one tower with one throw – including their own!

 

Take It to the Next Level

 

In all our relationships the things we do and say can either build up or tear down. It always seems easier to tear someone down rather than build them up. It takes a long time to build someone up with positive words, words of life, words of blessing, but only a moment to tear them down. And often, all the positive that was done before is wiped out in an instant.

We can all remember occassions when we have personally been torn down by someone’s hurtful words. Most of us have been intentionally, or unintentionally torn someone down with our words or actions.

  • Paul tells the Christians to let no “unwholesome talk” come out of their mouths. What are some things that might be called “unwholesome talk”? Words that tear down?
  • Why do people speak to others with hurtful words?
  • What are some examples of words that build up?
  • Before we do or say things to others, we need to ask ourselves, will this build up or tear down? Will it benefit, or harm?
  • How should we respond when we have been hurt by words?
  • How should we respond if we have hurt others? What can we do to make it right?
  • How can we build up others who have been hurt?

Closing

Give each youth some adhesive address labels and a something to write with. They must write down encouraging remarks on the stickers and place them on the backs of other youth with a personal comment to encourage them. Be sure to let the youth know this is a time to be serious and if they can not do it in a meaningful, caring way you’d rather them not participate. You might want to have some soft music playing while they do this. Tell them to go build each other up.

Then ask for volunteers to come to the front and read the words on their back. Let the youth keep them and ask them to place them some place at home where they will be reminded of the encouraging words.

Action Point

Issue the youth a challenge to speak positive words to at least 2 persons everyday for the next week and then in the next meeting ask them to share their experiences.

Scripture References

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there be any virtue, and if there is anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8)

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29)

 

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Icebreakers

Tee Freeze Icebreaker

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Description

Beat the hot days of summer with a frozen T-shirt contest for your youth. The objective is simple – Unfold a frozen t-shirt and wear it. But it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. It can be played as a team effort or you can have one frozen tee for each youth.

Resources

  • Gallon Freezer Bags
  • You’ll need one t-shirt for each team or participant. Larger shirts are best and if possible you want them all to be the same size. Sometimes t-Shirts can be torn or stretched in the process.
  • Water
  • Freezer

Preparation

  1. Soak each t-shirt in about 2 cups of water then wring it out. If there is too much water it will take too long to thaw.
  2. Once the shirt has been wrung out, nicely fold each one into a square that will fit inside the freezer bag. Once you have folded it flat, press it down again to try to remove even more water.
  3. Seal each bag, and place each t-shirt in the freezer so that each lies flat.
  4. Let them freeze for a couple of days for best results.
  5. If you need to transport the shirts to another venue, place them in a cooler filled with ice so they stay frozen.
  6. Want to play on the theme a little? Have “Iced Tea” for refreshments.

What to do

  1. Tell the youth you are going to have a real icebreaker game.
  2. If you play by teams, don’t tell the youth what you are going to do and instead ask for a volunteer from each team. (You don’t want more than 4 or 5 on a team or it gets too crowded and some youth end up sitting on the sideline and watching.)
  3. Give each youth (or team) a frozen tee.
  4. The objective is to use whatever means possible to thaw the t-shirt enough so that it they can put it on. (They’ll sit on them like hatching an egg, throw them on the ground, rub them with hands, roll them, stick them on bare arms and legs to use their body heat to warm them up enough to unfold them and put them on.) They’ll be worn out trying to get them unfolded enough to wear.
  5. The first person to get the t-shirt on wins! Heads and arms must be completely in the t-shirt for normal wear to be declared the winner.

Rules of the Game

You might want to set some rules such as:

  • You cannot place the t-shirt in water or any other liquids
  • You cannot microwave it or use any appliance or machinery to heat it up.
  • You cannot leave the game area
  • You are not allowed to use any sharp object on the t-shirt

Take It to the Next Level

Like many things in life, this game takes a lot of effort. It’s the same with building relationships. If you want to have relationships that aren’t so cold and are more warm and friendly, it takes work. “Cold hearted” and “Hard – hearted” are terms we commonly use to describe how youth relate to others. We also often talk about the warmth of friendship.

Take It Spiritual

In the Bible, Cold and Hot are used to describe the relationship of a person with God. But God’s greatest criticism is not to a person is either hot or cold, but to someone that is lukewarm. In Revelation, God refers to the church of Laodicia in the same terms.

“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot”. “Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Laodicia had no water supply of its own, so an aqueduct was built to bring water to the city from hot springs. By the time the water reached Laodicia is was neither therapeutically hot nor refreshingly cold. And because of it, one of the strongest words in Revelation is used, emesai, meaning to vomit.

Take it Personal

  • What actions of a Christian might be described as Hot? Cold? Lukewarm?
  • How does a lukewarm Christian behave?
  • Why is lukewarm worse than being either hot or cold?
  • What is an area of your devotion to God that could be described as Lukewarm?
  • If we are cold or lukewarm, how can we become “On Fire” in our devotion for God?

Take Action

  • What can you do this week to become more fired up about your relationship with God?
  • What can you do this week to share the warmth of Christ with someone?

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This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

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Icebreakers

Connected

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This icebreaker game is often called “spider web” because at the end of the icebreaker, a large web of interconnected strong or yarn will be created. You can use this icebreaker to discuss interdependence on one another, picking up the slack for another person, uplifting others, and teamwork.

Description
Sitting in a circle, youth toss a ball of string to someone else in the circle. The person receiving the string must name a quality, item, or something else related to the topic or keyword.

Resources
Ball of string or yarn

Preparation
None

What to Do
In the classic variation of this icebreaker, students introduce their name and one characteristic about themselves before tossing it to another person in the circle. Here’s how it works:

  1. Sit the group on the floor in a circle with everyone facing inward toward the center of the circle.
  2. Tell everyone your name and one characteristics about yourself. You could also have everyone answer the same a common question like “What is your favorite ice-cream?”
  3. Holding firmly to the end of the string, toss the ball of string to someone in the circle who has not yet received the string.
  4. The person receiving the string gives his/her name and one characteristic.
  5. Then, holding firmly onto the string, he or she tosses the ball on to another person.
  6. The string should be held tightly and above the ground at all times.
  7. Continue until everyone has received the string at least once and told the group their name and one characteristic.

Variations:

  • Use this icebreaker to discuss how the members all depend on each other.
    The first person who receives the string introduces him/herself and role in the organization or group. Then before tossing the ball to another person, tells how he or she is dependent upon that person.

Taking it to the Next Level

  1. Have someone in the group pull the string – What happens?
  2. Have everyone pull the string tight then cut the string in the middle – What happens?
  3. In what ways does this string represent various relationships in the group?
  • Our relationships are intertwined and connected.
  • If a single person pulls the string it affects everyone in the group to varying degrees, depending on how closely they are connected.
  • If one person’s string is cut – the relationship is broken, it affects all.
  • We need to support each other and not let others down

Action Point
What is one thing you will commit to do in order to support others in the group?

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Icebreakers

Famous Friendships

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Description
Use famous friendships to match couples in this icebreaker/crowdbreaker

Below is a list of famous / semi-famous friendships. While this certainly is not a complete list, it is a start. These can be used in several ways:

  • Who am i?: Place a tag/ sticker with each name on the back of people as they enter the meeting. Do not tell them that these are pairs of friends. Their task is to mingle around asking “yes” or “no” questions to discover the character on the tag. After a brief time of mingling have each person find his or her “friend” and share a quality they look for in a friend! (The three stooges are included in case you have an odd number of people.) If the group is small you might give out only one of each pair and then once everyone has discovered his/her identity have them name the friend associated with the person on the tag they have been given.
  • Name the Most Famous Friends: Have youth make a list of famous friends. Award the team or individual youth with the most. Award extra points if Jesus and John are mentioned. Do not count famous couples (i.e. husband and wife).
  • Double charades: Divide the group into 2 or more teams. Divide each team into pairs and have each pair attempt to get their team to guess the famous friends.

Famous Friends
Tom & Jerry
Jesus & John
Snoopy & Charlie
Abbott & Costello
Laurel & Hardy
Batman & Robin
Lone Ranger & Tonto
David & Jonathan
Fred & Barney
Snoopy & Woodstock
Bill & Ted
Thelma & Louise
Lucy & Ethyl
Chip & Dale
Pinky & Brain
Curly & Larry & Moe
Shaq & Hardoway
Betty & Veronica
Archie & Jughead
Luke Skywalker & Han Solo
Lois & Clark
Barnum & Bailey
Calvin & Hobbes
Laverne & Shirley
Beavis & Butt-head
Asterix & Obelix
Bert & Ernie
Chip & Dale
Frodo Baggins & Sam Gamgee
Gumby & Pokey
Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson
Kirk & Spock
Mutt & Jeff
Rocky & Bullwinkle
Tintin & Snowy
Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn

Be sure to add any famous friendships from recent television shows or youth culture.

Can be used with Active Listening With a Game for after the icebreaker to continue the theme of friendship. Then do a lesson on famous friendships in the Bible.

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Icebreakers

Family Tree

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Materials
None

Icebreaker Description
In this icebreaker / crowdbreaker, youth will refer to each other by famous personalities in their fictional family trees

Preparation
None

Icebreaker Activity

  1. Form pairs of group members not related to each other.
  2. Then have each pair create a fictional family tree that shows how the partners really are long-lost relatives descended from a famous ancestor (real or fictional).
  3. Youth must explain to the entire group about their famous ancestors.
  4. During the rest of the meeting, have kids refer to each other by their famous ancestors’ names. For example, if a pair claims to have descended from Solomon, call them “the children of Solomon” or if from David, the “Mighty Men of David”.

Optional Debrief

  • Who are some of the people in your family tree?
  • Who are some of the people you wish you had in your family tree?
  • Have you ever done a genealogical study on your family tree? What interesting things did you discover?
  • Why is our family ancestry important?

Conclusion
Sometimes we think our lives are governed by our parents, by our ancestry, or by those in our family tree. But we each make our own choices. Our past does not have to determine our future. In Christ we are a new creation. We have a heavenly Father and we are his children. We can choose to live as children of God or we can choose to allow other things to take his place in our lives. We can choose to live as a child of God or live according to the flesh. Our ancestry is determines not by our blood, but by our relationship with the heavenly Father as children of God.

Application
What are some ways you can live as a child of God this week?
What are some areas of your past you need to overcome and choose to live as a child of God?

Scripture
Galatians 3:29, Ephesians 3:6, Romans 8:12-17
Genealogy of Jesus: Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

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Icebreakers

Orchestra

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sax.jpgMaterials
None

Icebreaker Description
In the icebreaker, youth will mime particular instruments and learn a little about the musical tastes of others.

Preparation
No preparation is needed for this icebreaker. You may need to suggest some instruments for those that need help:

Common Instruments: Accordion, Bagpipes, Banjo, Bass drum, Bass guitar, Bassoon, Bell, Bongo drum, Bugle, Castanets, Cello, Chimes, Clarinets, Cornet, Cowbell, Cymbals, Didgeridoo, Fiddle, Flute, Gong, Guitars, Handbells, Harmonica, Harp, Harpsichord, Lyre, Mandolin, Maracas, Marimba, Oboe, Organ, Pan pipes, Piano, Piccolo, Recorder, Saxophone, Snare, Synthesizer, Tambourine, Timpani, Triangle, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Ukulele, Viola, Violin, Xylophone, Zither

Icebreaker Activity

  1. Everyone is part of the orchestra.
  2. Each youth must choose an instrument with the exception of a violin. They should announce their instrument and the demonstrate the action of playing the instrument to the group.
  3. Choose one person to be “It”. Whoever is “it” plays the violin.
  4. They must mime playing their instruments while roaming about the room.
  5. At any time, the person playing the violin may change from playing the violin to that of another instrument in the orchestra. When he/she does, the one playing that instrument must immediately change to playing the violin.
  6. If the person does not change to the violin before the leader counts to 5, then that person becomes “it” and now plays the violin. The one who was previously “it” takes over the instrument and joins the orchestra. Whenever a person becomes it they should give their name and a favorite song and who sings it.

Optional Debrief

      • What are some of your favorite instruments?
      • What are some of your favorite bands?
      • How often do you listen to music?
      • How is the body of Christ, like instruments in an orchestra?

Conclusion
Just as there are many instruments in an orchestra, there are many gifts in the body of Christ. When we are united and work together we can make a beautiful sound. When this is discord and lack of harmony we can be an unpleasant noise to the world. Different instruments make different contributions to the melody. No one is more important than another. In fact, at times, one instruments may carry the melody while others support. At other times another instrument will carry the melody. Its the variety that makes it pleasant to the ears. In the same way the Body of Christ is made up of many members, united in harmony, to bring God’s love and grace to the world.

Application

      • What are some of your uniques contributions to the harmony of the church?
      • What can you do this week to be more in harmony and unity this week?
      • How can you use your gifts to create harmony rather than discord?

Scripture
I Corinthians 12:4-28

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!