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Lay SpeakingMinistries

Basic Course for Youth

Mark A. Young

LaySpeakingMinistries 3/14/06 7:59 AM

Cover design by Nanci Lamar.ISBN 0-88177-464-2Library of Congress Control Number 2004116745Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New

Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of ChristianEducation of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the UnitedStates of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

LAY SPEAKING MINISTRIES: Basic Course for Youth. Copyright ©2006 Discipleship Resources. All rights reserved. No part of this book maybe reproduced in any form whatsoever, print or electronic, without writtenpermission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical arti-cles or reviews. For information regarding rights and permissions, contactDiscipleship Resources, PO Box 340003, Nashville TN 3703-0003; fax 615-340-1789.


Contents

Chapter One You Have a Calling and a Purpose 5

Chapter Two You Have Good News to Share 11

Chapter Three You Have a Witness 15

Chapter Four You Can Teach 23

Chapter Five Growing in Faith 27

Chapter Six Leading and Serving 31

Chapter Seven Leading in Worship 35

Chapter Eight Congratulations! 39

Event Planning Guide 41

Session Guides for Leaders 47

Web Resources 63

A Final Word 64


You Have a Calling and a Purpose

Y ou are called by God! That is right! You have a calling and a purpose that God hasuniquely created you to fulfill. Each of us has different gifts and together we makeup a complete team that the Bible calls the church. The church is not a building.

The church is a group of people following God. You are in that group. You are the church!You are not the church of the future, as many are sure to call you. You are the church oftoday! The words of 1Timothy 4:12 set the tone, “Let no one despise your youth, but setthe believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

God has given you gifts and talents that can be used uniquely for God’s purpose.Some of us are gifted in speaking, others in listening, and others in caring. The fun thingabout Lay Speaking ministries is that you can serve where you fit best! You don’t have tobecome a preacher. You don’t have to become a hospital caregiver. You can be who Godcreated and gifted you to be, serve God and God’s people, the church, and be a LaySpeaker at the same time.

The Bible contains several stories of God calling people to do something. Moses wascalled to lead the Isrealites out of Egypt. Joshua was called to go to Ninevah. Deborah wascalled to be a judge and leader of Israel. David was called to be king of Isreal. Solomonwas called to build the first permanent temple. Ezekiel was called to preach to Isreal in

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exile. Mary was called to be the mother of Jesus (and Joseph was called to beMary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father). Peter was called to be a discipleand to lead the church. Paul was called to take the good news of Jesus theChrist on missionary journeys to both Jews and non-Jews. These are just afew examples; there are many, many more. Hebrews chapter 11 mentionsmany who lived by faith and lived out a calling by God.

When we consider these various callings, we see similarities. In each sit-uation, God calls a person to a particular task. The task uniquely suits theperson being called. God calls and uses the person despite the person’sweaknesses or flaws. The person called usually (but not always) has doubtsabout what God is calling them to do. In some instances, they resist God orargue with God. In every instance, God gives the person called the strength,resources, and words needed to accomplish what God has called them to do.God even rescues the person called from the messes they put themselves into(think Jonah and the big fish: If Jonah had just gone to Ninevah, thingswould have been a lot easier and he wouldn’t have smelled so bad when hegot there!).

Are you passionate about something in the church? Is your heart stirredwhen you think of some particular area? For instance, are you passionateabout singing? Do you love to work with children? Does you heart breakwhen you see people in need on the street? Do you like to do work withcomputers, video equipment, or sound? Do you have a passion for creatingthrough painting or sculpture? Do you love to dance? Does your heart breakfor those who are abused, depressed, or despondent? Do you love to travel?Do you love people and being in a crowd? Do you like to help people? Doyou have a burning desire to tell other people about Jesus and how Godloves people?

Where your passion is, there your calling is also!God’s calling is unique to each individual, but in my study and in my

personal experience I have found that God’s calling usually includes, first, aneed. God has a need to meet. Let’s take Moses’ calling (that is who I feel mycalling is similar to) as an example. God hears the cry of the Isrealites as theyare suffering under their Egyptian taskmasters. God sees the need.

The second aspect of the call is, God gets your attention. God got Moses’attention through the burning bush. As he was watching his herd of sheepin Midian one day, Moses noticed this shrub that was on fire but did not getburned up. He said, “That’s weird!” and he went over to look at it. When hegot there, God spoke to him. The same thing happens with you and me. Godwill use something to get our attention. Sometimes it is other people tellingyou that they see God’s calling in your life in a particular area, and your heart

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seems to agree. Or, it might be the words of a song, or an image. What is soawesome about it is that it is unique to each person. This attention gettingprocess may take time. It may not always be a bolt of lightening or anaudi-ble voice from heaven. In fact, it usually takes time. Moses had fled fromEgypt and had been away many years before God finally caught his fullattention.

A third aspect of the call is passion! We already covered passion to someextent. God will call you to something you are passionate about. Moses waspassionate about liberating his Isrealite brothers and sisters. Though hedoesn’t seem too passionate about it when God calls him at the burning bush(he argues with God about it), if we look back a few chapters in Exodus wewill see that Moses actually killed an Egyptian that was mistreating one of hisfellow Isrealites. Now that’s passion! Deep inside, Moses felt passion for hispeople. God knew this, and God used this. God knows your passion and willuse it too.

The fourth aspect of the call is resistance. Yes, it’s true: We usually resistGod’s call on our life. What God wants us to do may be challenging. It maynot be what we want to do with our lives. We may just be plain scared! Youare in good company. Most of the people that God calls in the Bible fit all ofthe above. Moses was scared. That’s why he ran away from Egypt in the firstplace. Moses was overwhelmed with the challenge. How was he going toconfront Pharoah and lead thousands of people out of Egypt! What wasMoses’ response to God. Did he say, “Yes God, I will go.”? No way! He arguedwith God to send someone else! Can you imagine? He can actually hearGod’s voice, he sees the shrub burning, God has performed crazy signs liketurning Moses’ staff into a snake, and Moses still argues with God! But Goddoes not fry him with a lighting bolt. Instead, God listens to Moses andsends Aaron to help him. (I used to think that Moses was this humble char-acter until I realized one day that he was actually arguing with God, who hecould actually hear and sense around him. That was pretty brazen if you askme!)

The fifth aspect of the call is clarification and a decision to follow God.Most of us do not have the privilage of audibly hearing God speak to us. Itis necessary for us to clarify what we sense God is leading us to do. Is whatwe are sensing and feeling really God, or is it just adrenaline from a goodmovie? Is it giving in to what everyone else thinks we ought to do for God?Clarification of your call comes through time spent praying, reading theBible, journaling, and talking with friends, your pastor, and others who youtrust and who have followed God. There are people who can help you makesense of where you feel God is leading you. Clarification also comes through

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experimenting in different areas of ministry. Lay Speaking ministries is agreat way to gain clarification because you can try out different aspects ofministry and see which one fits you (or create a ministry of your own).

Following God is the final part of the call. We are all called to followGod. God’s call in our lives is dynamic and relational. Clarification of yourcall comes as you follow God and serve in different ways that match yourpassion. God’s call may place you in a certain circumstance for a while, andthen place you somewhere else later. The main thing to remember is thatyour calling is an ongoing process throughout your life. As you serve God inthe main area you are passionate about, how you do it may change as Godleads you to do different things within that aspect of ministry. Moses beganby confronting Pharoah, moved into leading people out of Egypt, and thenchanged into being the one who received God’s law at Mount Siani. Mosesbecame Isreal’s advocate with God. He even became the chief justice in legaldisputes and a city manager. But in all these roles Moses followed God’s call-ing and his passion for the people. You will experience the same dynamicsin your call as you follow God. It truly is an adventure!

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Discussion Questions

1. Take a look at these call stories. Which one sounds most like you?Why?

Moses (Exodus 3 and 4)

Jonah (Jonah 1)

Deborah (Judges 4)

Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37)

David (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

Solomon (1 Kings 5 and 6)

Mary (Luke 1:26-38)

Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)

Peter (Matthew 4:18-22)

Paul (Acts 9)

Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5-7)

2. What are you passionate about? ____________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. What do you like to do? ___________________________________

_______________________________________________________


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4. What are your gifts? ______________________________________

_______________________________________________________

5. Here are some spiritual gifts listed in the Bible. Which ones do youthink you may have? ______________________________________

_______________________________________________________

6. What do you sense God may be calling you to do? _____________

_______________________________________________________

7. Dream up the perfect thing that you would want to do to serve God.Don’t worry about money, education, what other people wouldthink, etc. What would it be? What would it look like?

_______________________________________________________

8. Draw a picture that represents your calling and explain it to thegroup. _________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

9. Pray about how God wants to use you. _______________________

_______________________________________________________

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You Have Good Newsto Share

We are all called in a unique way. We are all called to use our unique talents as wefollow God. But we all share one thing in common: We are all called to share thegospel of Jesus Christ, though we do this in different ways. We may preach. We

may teach. We may demonstrate the gospel through our service to others. We may pres-ent the gospel through the arts (music, drama, painting, sculpture, dance, etc.) or tech-nology (audio, video, web-sites, radio, or television). Preaching is not the only way topresent the gospel (thank goodness!) or the most effective way. In fact, people are moreinclined to respond to the gospel when they see it lived out, or when they see it in action.(Think about how many sermons you remember!) Our words must always be consistentwith, and backed up by our actions. If we preach one thing, but do another, no one willbelieve us. Unfortunately, that is what most people who need to hear the gospel are usedto seeing—church people who say one thing but live out something entirely different. Youhave the opportunity to change that. You can be someone different!

What is the gospel? “Gospel” is a word we hear in church or in classes like this andeveryone talks like they know what it means. The truth is, however, many of us don’t.And most people outside the walls of the church building do not know either. There isno shame in this. One of the things you will learn in this course is that you need to speak

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clearly and simply about church things. Big church words confuse people.Jesus did not use big church words, so why should we?

The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. What is the good news ofJesus Christ? (Good! Keep asking questions and keep breaking it down intosimpler terms.)

The good news of Jesus Christ is this: God loves humanity. God lovesyou and everyone around you. God is passionate about all humanity. Godloves us so much and is so passionate about us that God sent Jesus to liveamong us, to touch us, to be touched by us, to cry with us, to celebrate withus, to die for us, and to be raised to life for us. Jesus is God’s only son. Jesuswas fully God and fully human. We touched Jesus when Mary held him,when the woman anointed him and kissed his feet, when the woman withbleeding touched his robe. In all these ways and more, humans touchedJesus, and since he was fully God, God experienced human touch.

Jesus touched humanity also. Most of Jesus’ healings involved himtouching the person being healed. Jesus cried when his friend Lazarus wasdead in the tomb and he saw all the people weeping. Jesus celebrated at thewedding in Cana. Jesus experienced life. He was even tempted, but he didnot sin.

Jesus died on the cross for us. Jesus died for our sins. What is sin?(Again, a good question.) Sin is the things we do that are against God. Sincan be bad things we have done or sin can be good things that we shouldhave done, but did not do. The Bible teaches that the punishment or resultof sin is death. The death is physical and spiritual. Spiritual death is separa-tion from God. Jesus, who never sinned, died for humanity, for you and me,to pay the price of death for us. Because Jesus died on the cross, we have for-giveness when we sin and we are not separated from God. We will still expe-rience the death of our physical bodies, but we will not be separated fromGod.

Jesus came back to life for us. Jesus came out of the tomb on the firstday of the week, Sunday. He was physically alive. After appearing to his fol-lowers over several weeks, he went back to heaven to be with God. Jesuscoming back to life gives us assurance that there is life after physical death.We will live eternally with God. It also gives proof that Jesus is alive now tohelp us and we will see him one day.

I told you that the gospel was simple. Did all that sound simple? Peoplecan become overwhelmed, and maybe you did, to hear all of that. Peoplealso gather hope from that. In sharing the gospel you share the love of Godwith others. You may get the chance to tell people the whole story, but it allstarts with telling and demonstrating the simple fact that God loves them.


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God will open up the door for them to hear the whole story through yourdemonstration of the God’s love, the gospel.

Here is some fun trivia to stump your friends. Did you know that Christis not Jesus’ last name? What does Christ mean anyway? (Remember, alwayskeep asking questions.) Christ is the Greek title for Messiah. So you couldsay Jesus the Christ or Jesus the Messiah. Jesus Christ has become a short-ened version of Jesus the Christ. Simply put, Christ means the Son of God,the savior of the world.

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1. How can we present the gospel in its simplest terms? In words? Inactions? ________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

2. What parts of the gospel story confuse you? ___________________

_______________________________________________________

3. Why do you think people do not respond to the gospel story?_____

_______________________________________________________

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You Have a Witness

Witness

You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)! How are you the salt of the earth? What doesthis mean?

You are the salt of the earth by being an example of God’s love to those around you.Your lifestyle brings “saltiness” to a world that is bland with selfishness, apathy, and hope-lessness. The world needs the flavor that your life of following God and sharing God’s lovebrings! Right now in America many places are trying to get rid of God. You might befamiliar with some of the things that are happening like no prayer in school, no religioust-shirts, trying to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” off themoney. At first glace these “public” issues may seem to threaten our witness for God, theycan really be opportunities for us to become stronger witnesses. We can become real wit-nesses to the love of God in the world. Can you image what the world would be like with-out anyone living out the love of God? I am convinced however, that as long as there aretests there will be prayer in school!

What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? It means living a lifestyle that drawsattention to God. It means that you are different than those who do not follow Jesus the

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Christ. This difference comes as you seek to live out what Jesus taught, andnot to live by the standards the world uses.

It is easy to talk about being salt to the earth. The real challenge comesin living a lifestyle that follows Jesus when our family and friends are mak-ing fun of us or pressuring us to do something we know is not what Jesuswants us to do.

Being salt starts with using good judgment. This is not being judgmen-tal! Being judgmental is condemning someone because of something they door don’t do. Using judgment is deciding what you should do and not do. TheBible gives us instruction on how we are to live our lives. In day-to-day life,that means that we will need to say “no” to doing things that God does notwant us to do. It also means that we will need to reorganize our time so wecan say “yes” to things God does want us to do. You may need to say “no” togoing to certain parties, seeing certain movies, or gossiping about friends.You may need to reorganize your time to make room for service projects,mission trips, taking a depressed friend out for lunch, or having time to prayand read your Bible.

Doing the things I just mentioned is hard! Saying no to your friends willattract attention to you. You might get made fun of. Rearranging your timeto go on a service project instead of the mall might get you made fun of too,but it will also do something else. It will attract people to you! People willsee you are different and they will want to know what makes you special.When they ask, you will have an opportunity to talk to them about God’slove and you will be able to share the gospel. What you do with that oppor-tunity is up to you.

What do I mean by “what you do with that opportunity is up to you”?Well, you have a couple of choices when someone asks you a question. Forinstance a friend could ask me, “Hey Mark, what are you doing this week-end?” I can respond in a way that might open the door for a conversationabout God, or I can respond in a way that avoids the issue. I could say, “Idon’t know. I think I am going to try and go fishing.” This would be truesince I love to fish, but I am also doing something else this weekend and Icould answer, “Saturday I am going to try to go fishing, but Sunday I amgoing to church, and then to youth group on Sunday night.” See the differ-ence? Now I have done it! I have let my friend know I go to church. Is shestill going to like me? Is she going to make fun of me? Now I have to live likea church person in front of her. What am I going to do now?

Maybe some of the same fears hold you back from giving an answerwhere you open the door for someone to ask you about God. Notice what Idid not do in my answer. I did not preach at her. I did not even ask her if


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she wanted to come with me on Sunday. I just opened the door. Imaginehow awesome (and a little scary) it would be if she said, “You go to church?I have been thinking a lot about God lately and have been feeling like Ishould maybe give church a try. What do you think about God?” Yikes! Godjust opened the door for me to talk with her more, and she didn’t make funof me either.

What do you do if this happens to you? Say a quick prayer in your headand step through the door. God wants to use you. God calls you to touchthis person’s life.

What I just described is part of being salt, of witnessing, to others. Itinvolves living a lifestyle that follows Jesus that, in turn, brings a fresh alter-native to those around you who are searching for something diff e rent thanwhat they usually experience. Not everyone is going to want to hear aboutJesus, God, and church. But some will. Somebody you know right now iswaiting to hear about God’s love. Can you picture that person in your mind?Say a prayer for him or her and ask God to help you be salt to that person.

Being a witness for God’s love involves interaction like I have mentionedabove. It also involves other ministry skills that you can use with peopleinside and outside the church. These skills include active listening, praying,sharing your journey with Jesus, and sharing the story of Jesus.

Active listening is listening to someone with your whole attention. Thisis hard to do. We really are not good listeners. Have you ever just wantedsomeone to really listen to you? To try and understand what you were tryingto say? When you actively listen you are trying to do that for someone else.

Active listening involves limiting distractions. Try to move to a place thatis quiet, away from other conversations, the radio, television, and video games.

Active listening involves posture. If possible, sit facing the person. Lookthem in the eyes (don’t glare at them or stare at them, though.) Lean forwardslightly. Nod your head in agreement with things you agree with. Laugh, tearup, and respond to what the person is saying. Basically, be interested in whatthey are saying. Be genuine, don’t fake it. Remember, you wouldn’t wantsomeone to be fake with you.

Active listening involves asking questions. If you do not understandsomething the person is saying, ask. Also ask questions that help to the personthink through what they are dealing with. One way to do this is to say some-thing like, “What I hear you saying is___. Am I understanding you corre c t l y ? ”Ask God to guide you in questions to ask as you listen to the person.

Active listening seeks understanding. Watch the person’s body language tohear what is between the lines and behind what he or she saying. You cangain deeper understanding into what someone is feeling in their words when


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you watch how the words are said. Does the person glare at you? (He couldbe angry, maybe with you.) Does the person stare at the floor or look awayat the walls? (She could be ashamed, depressed, or hurt.) Does the personpick her feet up off the floor? (She could be feeling vulnerable or abused.)These are just a few examples. Think about how you act when you talk aboutsomething, and what feelings are associated with it, and you will get aglimpse of how others are feeling by their actions.

People feel appreciated when someone listens to them. Active listeningopens the door into someone’s life. Through that open door you can bringhealing. Through that open door you can learn how to pray for the person.Through that open door you can share the hope of that Jesus offers.

What is prayer? Prayer is talking to God. Prayer is the most import a n tthing we can do as followers of Jesus. We can pray for ourselves and for oth-ers. Praying for others is one of the greatest things we can do in ministry.

How do we pray for others? Praying for others involves using common,every day language. You don’t need to use “thee’s” and “thou’s”. You can prayaloud, or in your heart. You pray for others by mentioning their needs toGod. If you don’t know their needs, just mention the person by name toGod. The neat thing is, God knows for whom you are praying, sees them,and knows what they need. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very spirit intercedeswith sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). But you have been given anawesome privilege to talk to God on their behalf!

What are some things others need prayer for? People might need prayerfor encouragement and strength. They might need prayer for healing. Theymight need prayer for someone they love. Through active listening, youlearn what the person needs and you lift it to God. And, be sure to ask, “Isthere anything you want me to pray for?”

Sharing the hope that Jesus offers not only involves prayer, but alsoinvolves sharing your story and Jesus’ story.

What does it mean to share your story?

Sharing your story is simply telling someone else about the differencethat Jesus has made in your life. It’s like talking to your friends about yourrelationship with your best friend. In this case, the friend is Jesus.

Sharing the story of your relationship with Jesus is the best way to tellother people about God’s love. You are telling others about the differenceJesus has made in your life, not preaching at them about how Jesus canchange their life. People are less defensive when they are hearing about you


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and how you have changed. rather than hearing about themselves and howthey need to change.

How do you share your story?

Start by outlining your story in three sections. The first section is yourlife before you invited Jesus into your life. For some people, this is a largesection. For others who accepted Jesus into their hearts at a young age, thissection will be small. Either one is fine. After all, it is your story.

The second section is details about how you accepted Jesus into yourlife. It may have been an emotional moment for you. It may have been a sim-ple choice with no strong emotions. It may have been a process over severaldays, weeks, months, or years. Remember, this is your story.

The third section is the story of your life after inviting Jesus into yourlife to be your forgiver and leader. This section is where you tell about thedifference Jesus has made in your life. Tell about how he has helped youemotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally. Be sure to be real in this sec-tion; it is okay to talk about the ups and downs you have in your relation-ship with Jesus.

A hint about your story: Try to keep it under four minutes. You don’tneed to give a lot of intricate details. As the person you are sharing it withgets interested, he will ask questions and you can share the deeper details asyou answer his questions.

Another pointer: You do not need to air out all your “dirty laundry” inthe first section. You are still entitled to privacy and dignity. People don’tneed to know all your stuff for your story to be effective. Also, if you don’thave a lot to tell in this section, that’s fine too!

Be careful to not fall into what I call the “cool testimony” trap. This isthe tendency many followers of Jesus have to spend a lot of time on howbad they were before they met Jesus, and how much fun they had at par-ties, doing drugs, drinking, etc., and then they conclude their story by say-ing something like, “and then I met Jesus and everything changed.” Thisgives the impression that Jesus takes all the fun and adventure out of life,when actually the exact opposite is true. Try to spend the bulk of your timegiving details of how living with Jesus is having an impact on your life.

Sharing the story of Jesus

Sharing the story of your life with Jesus opens the door to share the storyof Jesus. After hearing about your relationship with Jesus, others will want


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to know more about him. Try to keep the story simple and in your ownwords. The story goes like this:

“God loves us. God loves you. God is in a relationship with us, but thereis something that is blocking that relationship. God wants us to spend for-ever with God in heaven, but there is something blocking us. That thing thatis blocking us is sin. Most of us have a sense of this block, and we try to dostuff to get around it and deal with it ourselves. We do things like go tochurch, give money to charities, and try to be a good person, (even take LaySpeaking classes). These are all good things. But the truth is, they don’tremove the block. To make matters worse, the penalty for sin is death—being eternally separated from God.”

“The good news is that God sent Jesus, God’s only son, to come and paythe price for our sin. When Jesus died on the cross he removed the block.God loves us so much that God provided the way for us to be with God for-ever, something we could not do. And, God brought Jesus back to life threedays after his death. Jesus is alive now to help us through life. This gives ushope that there is life after death. Jesus can truly help us since he knowswhat it is like to live on earth.”

“It’s not enough just to know all this, but you have to choose Jesus. Youhave to accept what Jesus has done for you. You do this by asking Jesus tocome into your life, to forgive you of all that you have done wrong, and tobe your leader from this day forward.”

This simple story of Jesus has changed millions of lives. If you havealready accepted Jesus into your life, it has changed yours. If you haven’t, areyou ready to?

How do you invite Jesus into your life?

We have come back to prayer. You invite Jesus into your life by praying.There is no magic formula or recited prayer that you need to memorize. Justpray in your own words. When you are leading someone in praying toreceive Jesus, you can prompt them with the phrases, “In your own words,ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin”, “In you own words, ask Jesus to comeinto your life to be your leader and your friend”, and finally, “In your ownwords say ‘thank you’ to God”.

If I were to lead someone in this prayer it might go like this:“Dear God, thank you for your love. Thank you for Jesus, your son.

Thank you for Teri who has decided today that she wants to invite Jesus intoher life. Thank you that you love her. Teri, in your own words ask Jesus toforgive you of sin. (Teri prays.) Now Teri, ask Jesus to come into your life to


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be your leader and your friend. (Teri prays). One last thing Teri, just saythank you to God for what God has done for you. (Teri prays). Lord God,thank you for Teri. Thank you for all you have done for her and all you willdo. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”

This is an awesome prayer to pray. It is an awesome thing to lead some-one in praying it. Bringing people to Jesus is the very core of what all of min-istry is about, including Lay Speaking ministry.

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1. What does it mean to be “salt”? In your group, put together a skit,song, rap, or dance that illustrates a real life situation where you arebeing salt to those around you.______________________________

_______________________________________________________

2. Outline the story of Jesus in your life.

a. Your life before accepting Jesus____________________________

_______________________________________________________

b. How you invited Jesus into your life (when, where, how) ______

_______________________________________________________

c. Your life with Jesus _____________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. Practice telling your story with a partner.______________________

_______________________________________________________

4. Practice telling the story of Jesus with your partner and practiceactive listening as you hear the story. _________________________

_______________________________________________________

5. Practice leading someone in prayer by leading your partner throughthe prayer to invite Jesus into your life. _______________________

_______________________________________________________


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You Can Teach

Up to this point we have been learning about the core of ministry, our calling, ourrelationship with God and Jesus the Christ, and leading others into a relationshipwith God through Jesus. Now we move into more “technical” aspects of Lay

Speaking ministry. We begin with teaching.

What does it mean to teach?

Teaching is the process of imparting knowledge to others. You teach through yourwords as sharing your experience and knowledge with others, and through your actions.You can teach others regardless of your age. You can facilitate youth Bible studies andteach children in Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. You can teach in studentgroups in your school or community. You can help teach in sports camps. You can eventeach adults. They may not listen to you (don’t get me wrong, many will) but they willwatch your actions and will be taught through your lifestyle of following God.

Some tips on teaching

Be prepared. Know the material that you are going to teach. Do your research aheadof time. If you are teaching a lesson from a Sunday school or Vacation Bible School book,

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take the time to do the whole lesson first yourself. That way you will knowwhat is required and what your students are going through.

Use active learning. People learn in many diff e rent ways. Some like to lis-ten to lectures. Some like to see things. Others like to use their hands andtouch and make things. Some like to discuss things. Think about it how youlike to learn. Incorporate activities into your teaching and your students willhave a more enjoyable experience and retain more inform a t i o n .

Keep track of time. Try to plan how much time each activity should takeand stay on schedule. As you are planning your schedule, leave enough timefor questions and discussion.

Admit when you don’t know something. This is very important! It isacceptable to admit when you don’t know something. This conveys maturityand respect for your class. If you try to appear as the expert on all things,then your class may begin to doubt how much you really know at all.Admitting you do not know something communicates that you are a realperson and someone who is teachable and willing to learn. So, if someoneasks you a question you don’t know the answer to, simply say this, “That isa good question. I don’t know the answer to that, but I will try to find theanswer and get back to you.”

Actually follow through and search for the answer to the question. Someplaces to look for answers include your pastor, other teachers, and thelibrary. Try to be ready with an answer by the next class meeting. This willimprove your reputation with the class and save you the embarrassment ofbeing caught unprepared when the class asks what you found out about thequestion. If you have been researching the question, but don’t have the finalanswer yet, it is good to share with the class what you have found out so far,even as you continue your search. (You might suggest a class project to helpin discovering the answer).

Teaching is essential to the life of the church. It takes practice and prepa-ration. Teaching is also rewarding and a vital ministry in Lay Speaking.

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1. Think of at least one teacher, either from church or from school,who has really made a difference in your life. What sets this teacherapart from others? ________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

2. What opportunities do you have to be a teacher? _______________

_______________________________________________________

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Growing in Faith

Discipline is needed to grow in faith. Wait! Before you flip the page and write this offas a judgmental punishing chapter, hear this. Discipline is not a bad thing. Todaywe easily equate discipline with punishment, but that is not correct. Punishment

may be part of discipline, but it is not discipline. Do you play sports? Discipline is necessary if you are going to excel and play your

best game. Practice and conditioning are part of discipline for a sport. Do you like to getgood grades? Discipline is required. You have to study, do homework, and turn assign-ments in on time. Discipline is the positive aspect of training and being shaped for a task.

Some of the spiritual disciplines (remember these are not punishments, they aretraining) that help us grow in faith include prayer, reading the Bible, community worship,belonging to a small group, giving, retreat, and fasting.

Prayer is talking to God. Prayer can include praises to God, giving thanks for whatGod has done, asking for what we need or want, confessing where we have sinned, andasking forgiveness. Prayer can even be crying to God when we are hurt or shouting at Godwhen we are angry. It is important to be real in our prayers. God knows we are not happyall the time. God does not expect our prayers to be happy all the time. God wants us tobe real with him. Just read a couple of the Psalms and you will get a feel of how oneminute the writer is up and the next he is down in the dumps or angry or frustrated. Wecan express all our emotions to God in prayer, not just the “good” ones.

Prayer can be done anywhere. You can pray in the church building, at home, in

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school, in the car, anywhere! You can pray with your eyes open. This is espe-cially important if you are praying while you are driving!

You can pray silently or you can pray out loud. You can pray formallyor just talk to God like you are talking to a friend.

Prayer is also listening. Prayer is not talking to God, but talking withGod. You don’t have conversations with your friends by talking all the time.You have to stop and let them respond and let them tell you things too. Thesame is true with God. In your prayers practice taking time to listen as wellas talk. Have you ever gone on a walk with God? Try it sometime and seehow it feels.

Reading the Bible is important because it is the primary way Godspeaks to us. The Bible is God’s word to us. In the Bible is the story of God’slove for us. The Bible also teaches us the way to have a full life here on earth.God wants us to avoid pitfalls and hurts in relationships and day-to-dayactivities in life. The Bible gives us the guidelines to follow so that we can dothat.

Strive to read the Bible daily. Start in the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke,or John. Personally, I suggest Mark. It is a short and concise book that is easyto read. My next suggestion would be Luke. You may find it helpful to use adevotional book to guide your reading.

When you read the Bible ask questions. Have a notebook where you canwrite the questions down. Pray about your questions. Ask your pastor aboutthem. Look them up in the library. Questioning and thinking about whatyou are reading are both good things.

Community worship is coming together as the church body to worshipGod. This happens every Sunday morning in America. Many churches alsomeet for a mid-week program. No follower of Jesus is a lone ranger. We can-not develop to our fullest potential in Jesus if we are isolated from other fol-lowers. Strive to join a Christian community weekly for worship.

Belonging to a small gro u p is just as important as joining a large gro u pfor worship. Small groups allow you to ask questions in a safe enviro n m e n tand to grow in friendship with others. In a small group you can pray for eacho t h e r, care for one another’s needs, and encourage one another in your walkwith Jesus. A small group can be as small as two (three is better), but shouldbe no larger than twelve. I have found six to eight to be an ideal number.

Use creativity in your small group. You can meet at school, at a home,in the mall, in a restaurant, wherever is comfortable. Just remember that itneeds to be a place where you can safely share your feelings, study the Bible,and pray for one another.

A final note: to be in a small group, you might need to organize one


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yourself. You might be able to start with those who are taking this coursewith you.

Giving is a spiritual discipline. We grow and are God blesses us whenwe give. Often, we automatically think of money when we hear the word“give” in a church context. It is true that God teaches us to give financialresources to the ministry of the church. We are taught to give ten percent ofour resources to God. This is the minimum. The Bible also speaks of free-will offerings, and of being a cheerful giver. So we should give whateveramount God impresses upon our hearts to give. This might be ten percentof our financial resources (allowance, mall money, or money from work), itcould be one hundred percent, or anywhere in between! Giving is more thanmoney though. God also wants us to give of ourselves, including our timeand our talents. God loves a cheerful giver. Pray and ask God what you cangive and strive to follow God.

The next two disciplines are not spoken about or practiced often, butthey are still important. Retreat is the act of getting away from the television,computer, phone, school, and work to concentrate on seeking God. Jesusoften took time to retreat from his busy schedule, and so should we.Hopefully, your church or youth group takes retreats. If not, consider sug-gesting one and offer leadership in organizing it.

Fasting is the act denying yourself for the sake of spending time withGod. Fasting is usually associated with food, but fasting can be other thingsas well. You can fast from watching television, chatting online, playing videogames, or going to the mall. Pray and ask God where you may fast. Fastingdoes not need to last a long time. You can fast for a day or for several days.

Do not fast from food or drink for several days. This is unhealthy. God isnever going to ask you to hurt yourself. The important thing to remember isto spend the time with God that you would normally be using to do theactivity you are fasting from.

Spiritual disciplines do stretch us, and in doing so they help us to learnmore about God and more about ourselves. Spiritual disciplines cause us togrow in our faith. They equip us with the skills and stamina to follow Jesusin this game we call life.

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1. Do you know of anyone who practices the spiritual disciplines listedabove? How have these practices shaped his or her life? __________

_______________________________________________________

2. Do you already practice any of these disciplines? Which ones? Whatdifferences have they made in your life?_______________________

_______________________________________________________

3. Would you be willing to commit to practicing a new discipline? Ifso, which one? How do you think practicing the new disciplinemight affect your life? _____________________________________

_______________________________________________________

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Leading and Serving

Ihave already hinted at some areas where you can exercise leadership, such as teach-ing a class, forming a small group, and organizing a retreat. Now I want to introduceyou to a style of leadership called servant leadership.Often we do not think of the words “servant” and “leadership” in the same sentence.

Usually we think of a leader as being the one in charge and the servants as the ones whoserve the leader or do the leader’s bidding. In lay ministry the two are joined and formthe Lay Speaker’s style of leadership.

Servant leadership leads through serving others and takes the lead in serving others.It involves recognizing a need and taking action to meet that need. Servant leadership alsomeans being humble and doing tasks that are often mundane, behind the scenes, and thatdo not bring us any recognition.

Servant leadership involves leading by example, not just words. Servant leaders don’tsimply talk about what needs to be done or what should be done; they do it. Servant lead-ers clean bathrooms, fold programs, and pray with street people who come into thechurch. Servant leaders confront injustice in their communities, schools and churches.Servant leaders organize small groups, retreats, service projects, and mission trips.Servant leaders serve on the committees of the church and help lead in worship. Servantleaders lift up their pastors, leaders, and churches in prayer.

Servant leadership involves listening to other’s ideas, maximizing the potential of oth-ers, valuing others, and meeting the needs of others so they can be their best. This also

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includes holding to the principles of the Bible, and confronting others withlove when they are wrong. Servant leaders also listen to loving rebuke whenthey are confronted with what they have done wrong. They ask forgivenessand continue to serve and grow in their service to God and others.

Servant leadership is not easy; it does not come naturally to most of us.And, as you can see from what has just been listed, servant leaders areneeded. It takes many people to meet the needs of the church body and tofulfill the church’s ministry in the community. Where do you see yourself fit-ting in? In what areas do you feel God leading you to serve?

Servant leadership follows the example of Jesus. Even though Jesus wasthe Son of God and the leader of the disciples, Jesus served humanity andserved his disciples. The Bible records Jesus constantly giving of himself toothers. In a specific story, Jesus sets the example of servant leadership for hisdisciples. In the Gospel of John chapter 13, Jesus washes the disciples feet.Can you imagine what it would be like to have Jesus was your feet? Whatdo you think would be easier, to wash someone’s feet, or to have your feetwashed?

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1. What do you think is the greatest challenge of servant leadership?Why? __________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

2. What do you think is the greatest reward of servant leadership?Why? __________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. Share a story of when you served someone. How did it make youfeel? ___________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

4. Have you ever been served by someone? Share the story. How did itmake you feel?___________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

5. Why do you think Jesus washed the disciples’ feet? _____________

_______________________________________________________

6. What kind of example does that set for us? ___________________

_______________________________________________________

7. How can we live out that example in our lives?_________________

_______________________________________________________


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8. Create a skit that demonstrates how we can live out the example,and perform it for the whole group.__________________________

_______________________________________________________


Leading in Worship

If you like to be upfront, or if you feel called to preach, this is the chapter for you!Worship leadership takes on several aspects. Leading worship includes being a songleader, liturgist (those who lead the reading of the call to worship, creeds, prayers,

and Bible passages), singing in the choir, playing an instrument, assisting with commun-ion, doing children’s messages, etc. Worship leadership can also involve preaching, lead-ing devotions, and leading worship services at other times than Sunday morning.Anywhere there are people gathered with the purpose of worshipping God, there is theopportunity to be a worship leader.

In leading worship it important to speak clearly and at a comfortable pace. If possi-ble, take time to practice what you will be doing in the worship service. Make sure youknow the correct pronunciation of any words you will be reading. To help you rememberhow a certain word is pronounced, make notes above the word. Be careful about speak-ing too quickly. Write “slow down” on what you are reading.

When you assist in leading worship, be sure to meet with your pastor before the serv-ice so you know what is expected of you and the flow of the service. Don’t be afraid toask questions. It is better to be clear beforehand than to be confused in the middle of theworship service.

Ask questions if you are not sure what certain things are in the service. Each churchhas a different order of worship. Some churches recite creeds, invocations, and collects.Some sing the Gloria Patri and Doxology. Some churches have crucifers and acolytes. If

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you don’t know what something is in the order of worship, go ahead andask. Churches often use words that you do not see everyday.

Preaching is another aspect of worship leadership. The following aresome tips in presenting a message:

When you prepare a message, be sure you know how much time youhave. Tailor your message to fit the time allotted.

Be sure to know your audience. Don’t speak down to your audience,treating them like they do not know anything, but at the same time do notspeak over their heads using words that they do not understand. You shouldstrive for your message to be clear and in everyday language. Try to avoidusing church language or words that are unfamiliar to you.

Be yourself. Use your own sense of humor. Use personal stories if theyfit the message. Let your personality shine through the presentation of yourmessage. Use visual aids and stories. A picture on a projector screen or aprop helps to bring the message alive and make it memorable. Stories engagepeople’s attention. Your audience will associate the visual or the story withyour message and it will help them remember the main point. Be sure thestory or the visual reinforces the message in some though- just using a pic-ture or a story for the sake of having one in the message is not going to dothe trick.

Be sure to use the Bible in context. Do not string several different versestogether to make your point. This is taking the Bible out of context. You canmake the Bible say anything you want by doing this. It is important to useentire passages as you prepare your message. It is also good to read what ison either side of the passage you are using, so you have an idea of how itflows and its meaning.

Use commentaries in preparing your message. Look up the passage youare using in a good commentary. Ask your pastor for some suggestions, andborrow one if you need it. When you preach, don’t recite what the commen-tary says, but use it to help you gain understanding and as a springboard foryour own thoughts about the passage.

A common outline for preaching is to first, introduce your topic andwhat you will cover. Second, cover your topic in three points or less. Third,conclude your message by recapping your topic and the points you pre-sented. Using a story in the introduction helps to grab people’s attention. Ifyou can reference that same story and give the conclusion to it at the end ofyour message, it helps to catch people’s attention again and brings them toclosure.

I wish I could cover preaching and worship leadership in more detail. Ifyou are interested in developing your preaching skills and worship leadership


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skills, I encourage you to take an advanced Lay Speaking course that concen-trates in these areas. It will help you grow in your skills and eff e c t i v e n e s s .

Worship leadership and preaching bring you to the front of the crowd,but remember they are just part of many gifts God has given the church, andthey are just part of the many aspects of Lay Speaking ministry.

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1. Look at a copy of the church’s program, bulletin, or order of wor-ship. What things are familiar to you? What things are not? Taketime to ask questions and discuss the things that are new to you.

_______________________________________________________

2. Plan a short worship service with your group. What songs wouldyou pick? What Bible reading would you use? What else would youinclude? Why?___________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. How would you arrange them? Why? ________________________

_______________________________________________________

4. Outline a short devotional talk (about four minutes in length). Besure to include an introduction, a body that expands on the intro-duction, and a conclusion. _________________________________

_______________________________________________________

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Congratulations!

You made it! You have completed the course and hopefully you have grown in yourunderstanding of lay ministry within the church. I also hope you have grown in yourunderstanding of God and the love God extends to us in Jesus the Christ.

The challenge now is to take what you have learned and apply it. Remember: You arethe church of today! You are the church right now and God is calling you to fulfill a spe-cific purpose right now. Pray and ask God to show you what that purpose is and whereyou fit in. Ask God to give you the courage and the resources you need to fulfill your call-ing. When God shows you a need, move forward and take the steps needed to fulfill thatneed, exercising servant leadership and the spiritual disciplines.

F i n a l l y, remember Paul’s words to Ti m o t h y, “Let no one despise your youth, but set thebelievers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

May God bless you, guide you, and protect you as you follow Jesus!

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Event Planning Guide

Feel free to use your creativity in formatting the Youth in Lay Speaking Ministry expe-rience. You know the specific needs of your area, your goals, and the youth who willbe attending the event. The following are suggestions to help you plan the event.

Use them as you see fit. They are listed here to serve you. This information below assumesa one day, twelve hour training event.

Staff

It is suggested that you have a diff e rent person teach each session, as well as a spir-itual dire c t o r, a master of ceremonies, a worship leader, a registration support team, akitchen cre w, and a facility coord i n a t o r. It adds to the experience if you can locate a wor-ship band and a drama team to aid in worship times. All staff members are expected tostay for the entire event. Those who are not teaching work as small group facilitators.

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Time Line

Twelve Months in Advance

Select, with the district committee, a tentative date, site, and trainingteam. Select the site coordinator. Estimate the budget to cover food, supplies,books, t-shirts, custodial fees, etc. Forward a written agreement to the coor-dinator that details church and committee responsibilities.

Nine Months in Advance

Finalize the date of the event, place the date on the district’s calendar.Delegate the following areas and set dates for their completion:

Publicity, t-shirts, scholarship fund, music, communion elements, prayervigil, consecration service, “event reminder or gift” (prayer rock, carpenter’snail, etc.) Select theme for publicity items.

Four to Six Months in Advance

Check on the progress of delegated tasks. Proof read all printed materialfor final copy- press releases, flyers, registration form, t-shirt logo, and theletter to the youth workers.

Secure a mailing list of youth directors, sponsors, and coordinators ofeach church.

Give teaching assignments to training team members.

Three Months in Advance

Order t-shirts. Arrange to have flyers included in district mailings.Submit press releases to community and district newspapers and websites.Meet with the team to determine the schedule of the training day. Select amaster of ceremonies. Order the books, certificates, and other supplies.Invite a pastor to conduct the communion service during closing worship.

Six Weeks in Advance

Determine audio/visual needs and reserve equipment. Verify that thebooks and materials have arrived. Meet with the site coordinator to confirmthe menu for meals and discuss any other needs.


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One Month in Advance

Meet with the faculty to discuss the schedule, music, methods and stylesof instruction, flow of the day, theme and focus. Contact the site coordina-tor to see if money is needed up front to buy supplies.

One Week in Advance

Purchase remaining supplies. Take all books, supplies, and audio/visualequipment to the host church. Double-check the details with the site coor-dinator (food, directional signs, facility needs). Determine scholarshipneeds. Contact the leader of the prayer vigil and begin praying for all the stu-dents, faculty, and staff by name.

Day of the Event

Arrive at least an hour early to set up the registration table. The tableshould include nametags, markers, textbooks, alphabetical list of those pre-registered, and a cash box for on-site registrations. Arrange the chairs andtables so as to encourage conversation among students. Pray for all teammembers individually and as a group before the event begins. Have upbeatpraise music playing in the background as students arrive. (Ask a team ofyouth to help you select the music.) Have greeters at the doors. Be availableduring breaks for conversation and direction. Award certificates at the end ofthe training day.

Within One Week After the Event

Meet with the team to discuss the event and make notes for future pro-grams. Send thank you notes to all the team members that have beeninvolved, from planning to production. Send a letter to the pastor of eachstudent, listing and congratulating the participants. Send flowers to the sitecoordinator (even if the coordinator is a man!).

One-Day Event Schedule

7:30 Registration and Breakfast8:00-8:30 Praise, Devotional, and Introductions8:30- 10:15 Session one (covers chapters one and two)10:15-10:30 Break


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10:30-12:15 Session two (chapters three and four)12:15-1:00 Lunch1:00-1:30 Music, Praise, Drama, Prayer1:30-3:15 Session three (chapter five)3:15-3:30 Break3:30-5:15 Session four (chapters six) and Footwashing5:15-6:00 Dinner6:00-6:15 Music, Praise, Drama6:15-7:15 Session five (chapter seven)7:15-8:00 Communion and Consecration Service8:00 Distribute certificates

Suggestions for The Training Event

Format

A one-day format or a weekend retreat format is suggested for thisevent. This allows the students to get away from their busy schedule andcomplete the course. Each session builds upon the other. Basically the eventhas been formatted as a one-day spiritual retreat. Following this schedulealleviates concern that students will be too busy to complete the training ifwere held over a period of weeks.

Create a Safe Affirming Spiritual Environment

The students will open up in an environment where they know they aresafe. It is important for the adults to realize that they need to foster this envi-ronment. Avoid humor that belittles others. Address the students by name.Take time to get to know them. The closer you draw to them the more theywill open up.

In creating a safe environment, you must also be selective in who youhave around the students. Be sure the adults that you pick do not have a his-tory of questionable behavior with children or teens. Hold each otheraccountable and stay above reproach. Women should counsel female stu-dents and men should counsel male students. Avoid being alone with a stu-dent even if you are the same gender. Meet in the corner of a public mainroom where others can see you.

Remember that this is a spiritual re t reat. Yes, we are training lay speak-ers, but our goal is larger than that. We are fostering communication between


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the students and God. Be in constant prayer as you plan and work. Keepyour eyes open during the event and be amazed at how God works in thelives of the students.

Create a Challenging Environment

Challenge in a safe affirming environment results in growth. If we do notchallenge the students they will not grow. We want them to leave feelinggood about themselves, but we also want to stretch them. Many of the activ-ities, especially the footwashing, will challenge your comfort zone and thestudents’. But don’t shy away from them. Include these activities in a careful,prayerful, safe environment and watch how God moves. And be sure to par-ticipate in these challenging activities yourself. The students will not dothem if you do not do them. Feel free to practice the exercises in your pre-planning meetings so you can get a feel of how they will flow.

Have a Trained Counselor on Site

If possible, have a certified Christian counselor on site. At the very leasthave a pastor available for counseling and giving referrals. Many of the stu-dents who attend this event have deep hurts. In the context of a safe spiri-tual environment, these hurts may come to the surface so that the hurtingmay begin the healing process. Be prepared for this. If the person mentionsabuse or intent to harm themselves, you must call your pastor and get theperson immediate help.

Involve the Arts

If possible bring in drama teams, dancers, bands, and artists to assist inthe program. Excellent choices are students who are involved in the training,or students who have been involved in Chrysalis. Don’t just limit this to stu-dents though; open it up to adults as well.

Have Fun

Allow the youth to interact and relax during free time. Include mixers,games, and prizes in the opening of the different sessions. Have fun with themusic. Have fun with the snacks. Have fun with the worship time. Let thecreativity and the laughter flow!


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Teach in creative and multidimensional ways

People learn in many different ways. Some are auditory, others visual,still others are kinesthetic, “hands on” learners. As you plan the presentationof your sessions, try to incorporate teaching that combines these three ele-ments. People retain best what they see, hear, discuss, and apply.

Facilitate Discussion

Questions and discussion are great learning tools. There are someimportant guidelines for safe effective discussions.

Confidentiality is important. If someone shares something personal, itneeds to stay within the group unless the person is talking about beingabused or harming himself or herself. In such a case you need to contact thespiritual director and the pastor and move forward from there.

Put-downs and humor at another’s expense is not allowed. Also, thereare no dumb questions. Asking questions is how we learn. We need to askmore questions and ask the obvious questions.

When it comes to speaking, only one person talks at a time while theothers listen. (This is a good time to practice active listening). Also, no oneis forced to talk. Give a silent student the opportunity to share his or heropinion, but don’t force the student to join in.

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Session Guides forLeaders

Welcome Session

This session is the opener and sets the tone for the rest of the day. The participants willbe forming their opinions of what the day will be like the minute they walk up to theregistration table. Be sure that this opening session re p resents the planning, energ y, andpotential you have put into this event! Be sure you are set up and ready in advance ofthe student’s arrival. Setting up while students arrive distracts you from welcoming andbuilding relationships, and sets a tone of confusion and lack of pre p a redness for the re s tof the day.

Suggestion: Do opening praise, devotional, and introductions in the worship area.This will give you more time for any last minute preparation needed in the classroom, andprovides a mental and physical shift for the students as they move from the worship spaceto the classroom.

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Total session time: 30 minutes

1. Welcome, announcements, introductions, devotional, and prayer.Hints: a. Have music playing as students enter the worship area. Students may

not be ready to sing this early, but you can have songs playing that will bethe same songs that will be sung during the afternoon and evening worshiptimes.

b. If you have a drama team, a funny opening skit would be a good wayto start the morning. The skit does not necessarily need to be related to thesubjects of the day.

c. Involve youth as much as possible. If possible, have youth (prese-lected during the team building stage) give announcements, lead introduc-tions, do the devotional, and lead prayer.


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Session One

TOTAL SESSION TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES, CHAPTERS ONE AND TWO

Overview

This session introduces the students to the idea of being called by God andhaving a unique purpose, spiritual gifts, and the gospel story of Jesus Christ.

Please be aware that in this session and all the sessions that follow, thereis more material than you may be able to include in the time allotted. Keepthings flowing! If you need to cut down in an area, try to do it in the timeyou give to the speakers and not the interactive/discussion material. Plan andtime your presentations prior to presenting the class.

Session suggestions

1. Welcome. (Keep this brief!)2. Crowd BreakerThis is a game to get the students and facilitators interacting with one

another. It helps to break the ice and build a friendly fun atmosphere. Planmixers with your team using the team’s ideas or ideas from books. Also, hereare a few of my favorite mixers:


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Session Outline

1.Welcome, introduction of leader and discussion facilitators2.Crowd breaker3.Opening prayer4.Presentation on the Call of God and Spiritual Gifts5.Small group discussion and exercises6.Small group presentations to the class7.Silent prayer: students ask God to show them their calling8.Presentation on the gospel of Jesus Christ9.Small group discussion

10.Closing prayer11.Dismiss for fifteen-minute break


Playing card match up: Everyone receives one card from a standard deckof 52 cards. A leader calls out various combinations and everyone else triesto get into the combo and be the first to do it! Use your imagination in call-ing out different combos: four of a kind, full house, Royal flush, hearts,clubs, etc. This is also a useful way to create groups for exercises throughoutthe day.

The question game: Form groups of four or five. The object of the gameis to be the last one still standing in the group. Play the game played by ask-ing questions—only questions! Players are out when they answer a question,repeat the same question, or ask a question back to the player who askedthem. When a player is out, he or she sits down.

The finger counting game: Form pairs. The object of the game is to be thefirst to count the total number of fingers the other is holding up and to shoutthat number out loud. The players put their hands behind their backs andat the count of three bring both hands in front, facing the other player, with

their fingers in any variety of positions toform a number. (Any position except for the“middle finger” position!) You can play inrounds for fun, or play until only one personis left standing as the grand champion.

3. P resentation on the call of God:Begin with a brief prayer. Present a talk on thecall of God. The presenter might share thestory of his or her experience of God’s call. Ifthere’s time, include a brief introduction tospiritual gifts.

4. Small group discussions/exercises:Use the discussion questions in the text as aguide. As a group facilitator, write down ques-tions inspired from the presentation and

include them in your group’s discussion. Also, be sure the whole team comesto the front for the presentations. This provides support and connectionamong the group.

5. Presentation on the gospel of Jesus Christ: Have the presentershare the good news of Jesus Christ with the class. Sharing a personal storyof what it was like to share the good news of Jesus Christ with someone else,or sharing a personal story of what is was like to have had someone sharethe good news with you, are both excellent for this session. Be real with thestory! Tell of the fears, difficulties, excitement, and joy involved in the expe-rience.


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Helpful Hints1. Try the games ahead of time,

during planning, so your team knowshow they are played and can see howthey will work.

2. If gang members may beattending your event, I suggest you donot play the “finger counting game”.Gang members flashing their signswould undermine the purpose of thisgame.


Session Two

TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES, CHAPTERS THREE AND FOUR

Overview

This session covers being a witness for Jesus Christ to the community. Itcovers sharing the good news of Jesus with others. The session closes withan introduction to teaching.

This session is full of material. Be careful that time does not get awayfrom you! The presentations and exercises are intermingled to keep things insmall blocks and moving. The group presentations will help to get studentsinterested and facilitate them leaving for lunch on an up note.

This may be the first time some students have heard the good news ofJesus Christ. Some students may actually pray to receive Christ during thissession.


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Session Outline

1.Introduction of session leader2.Read story of being “salt” and “light” in the world (Matthew 5:13-16)3.Group skits4.Leader shares his or her story with Jesus5.Group exercises on outlining each student’s story with Jesus6.Leadership team demonstrates active listening7.Small group exercise on sharing personal stories with Jesus and active

listening8.Leadership team demonstrates leading someone in prayer9.Small group exercise on leading another in prayer

10.Large group discussion on questions and reflections following theexercises

11.Presentation on teaching12.Small group exercises13.Small group presentation of “teaching the story of Moses” to large

group14.Large group discussion—reflection and questions15.Prayer—blessing of food for lunch16.Break for lunch


Session Suggestions

Group skits: Give the groups five minutes to develop their presenta-tions (the “salt/light” and the “teaching the story of Moses”). Allow eachgroup to present to the whole class. The presentations should be no longerthan five minutes each (shorten if necessary).

Leader’s story with Jesus: This is sharing your testimony. Try to followthe outline the students will use in developing their stories. Keep your storywithin four minutes.

Demonstration of active listening: This is a leadership team role playfor the students. Cover the aspects of active listening and then have a pairdemonstrate it. You may use a hypothetical conversation that you feel wouldconnect with the youth, or you can demonstrate using a leader’s story withJesus.

Demonstration of leading someone in prayer: Again, another leaderrole play. Cover the material and then demonstrate it. In addition to the roleplay of leading someone in a prayer to receive Christ, you might also roleplay praying with someone who is sick or who needs help.

Large group discussion: Take time to answer questions and reflect asyou move through these exercises.

Presentation on teaching: Use creativity and model the different waysto teach and learn in your presentation.

Afternoon Music, Praise, and Drama

SESSION TIME: 30 MINUTES

Helpful Hints

1. Have music or the band play as the students enter from lunch.2. The worship leader begins the session by leading the students in

songs, or the session can be started with a presentation from the drama team.3. The songs should be high energy and fast tempo at first, and then

gradually move to worshipful and reflective.4. If you have a drama team, a fun skit connected with the theme of the

day is appropriate.5. Close worship with a time of prayer. Allow the students time to pray

silently with music in the background, followed by an audible closing prayerled by the worship leader.

6. Dismiss to the classroom


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Note:

If possible, allow students on the team to participate in planningthis worship experience.

Rely on the expertise of your worship leader.

Be flexible.

Cover this time in prayer.

Watch for God to work.

This worship session may turn out to be the most powerful part of theday.

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Session Three

SESSION TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES, CHAPTER FIVE

Overview

This session introduces students to various spiritual disciplines. Beintentional about keeping the energy level high in the beginning of this ses-sion, particularly if it is immediately following lunch! The mixer and thescavenger hunt are included to help keep students active.

This session includes journaling. Be sure there is paper and writingmaterials for each student.

Session Suggestions

Group game/mixer: Pick a highly interactive game that includes lots oflaughter.

Presentation on spiritual disciplines: Keep this talk interesting withpersonal stories, videos, pictures, etc. Take time to answer questions.

Scavenger hunt: Give students and leaders five minutes to find anobject that represents their relationship with God. (If it is permissible, allow


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Session Outline

1.Introduction of teacher 2.Group game/mixer3.Opening prayer4.Presentation on spiritual disciplines5.Scavenger hunt6.Large group Bible reading exercise, picturing yourself as a character7.Journal the experience8.Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer9.Practice praying the Lord’s Prayer as an outline

10.Journal the experience11.Share with your small group what this was like12.If time, allow small groups to share their experience with the entire

class13.Closing prayer14.Dismiss for 15-minute break


them to search the building and outdoors. Just remind them to rememberwhere the object came from, so that it can be returned!) Once everyone hasreturned, have each group come to the front and share, one student at atime, about his or her object. Have the students keep the object with themduring the remainder of the session. Return the items during the break.

Bible reading exercise: Read a story from the Bible to the entire group.Pick a story that has several characters and a colorful setting. Read the storythrough once, then ask the students to listen to the story as you read it a sec-ond time, and to picture themselves as a character in the story. After you’redone, ask the students to quietly write (journal) about what character theychose and what they saw, heard, felt, tasted, and smelled.

Practice praying the “Lord’s Prayer”: Introduce the idea of praying theLord’s Prayer as an outline. Guide the students by praying aloud a sentenceof the Lord’s Prayer and allowing the students about fifteen seconds to praysilently after each. Encourage the students to write in their journals aboutthe experience.

Closing this session: If you have time, reflect and share about theexperiences. Remember to return the scavenger hunt items.

Additional exercise: If you have time, or if the students are really get-ting into the journaling, you can have them journal about the object theyselected during the scavenger hunt.

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Session Four

SESSION TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES, CHAPTER SIX

Overview

This session introduces servant leadership. This session closes with afootwashing experience. This session pushes the comfort zone, but it is oneof the most memorable and life changing moments in the course. Timeemphasis should be placed on the footwashing experience. If you are run-ning short on time, shorten or cut all other parts of the session, but do thefootwashing.

Session Suggestions

Brainstorming: Keep this upbeat and fun.


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Session Outline

1. Welcome back from break, prayer, introduction of session leader2. Class brainstorming session:

a. “What is leadership?” “What makes a leader?”b. “What is servant hood?” “What makes a servant?”c. “What is a servant leader?” d. “What character traits combine to make a servant leader?”

3. Presentation on leadership and service4. Small group discussion questions5. Short 10-minute break

a. Participants dismiss to restroom and congregate in hall or eatingarea, remove shoes and socks, hose etc., and session leader informsstudents about what is about to happen.b. Staff sets up footwashing in classroom

6. Students enter room in silence7. Read story of Jesus washing disciples feet (John 13: 1-17)8. Footwashing9. Closing prayer10.Dismiss for dinner


Presentation on leadership: Teach the dimensions of effective leader-ship, effective service, and places in the church and community where lead-ership and service are needed. Be sure to include areas of leadership andservice that are behind the scenes. Be sure to consider various leaders men-tioned in the Bible, including women and (of course) Jesus.

Footwashing: This is the climax of the entire teaching event. The fol-lowing are suggestions for a memorable experience.

A. Create a safe atmosphere

1. No one is forced to participate.2. Let the students know what will happen beforehand, during the

break.3. Be sure to have people covering this event in prayer.

B. Room Set Up

1. Play praise music softly in the background.2. Provide soft lighting, if possible.3. Set chairs in a wide circle with two chairs and two basins of water and

towels in the middle.4. Prepare the basins with warm water mixed with several drops of anti-

bacterial soap.5. Have two extra basins of water prepared as back up, in case the water

being used gets really dirty. Have extra towels on hand as well.

C. Step by Step

1. Students quietly enter the room, barefoot.2. Leaders quietly direct students and staff to the chairs.3. Session Leader explains how the footwashing will work and that no

one is forced to participate.4. Session Leader reads the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.5. Session leader directs everyone to be in silent prayer for the rest of

the session.6. Two staff members go first (and thereby demonstrate what to do). The

two go to one of the chairs. One sits down, the other kneels in front. The onekneeling washes and dries each foot, one at a time. While washing, the onekneeled prays (aloud, but quietly) for the one being washed. The two changeplaces and repeat. The two re t u rn to their seats in the circ l e .


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7. Allow students and staff to come forward (the students will mostlikely come in pairs).

8. As leaders, be watchful for students who want to participate but can-not find a partner. Go to that student and offer to wash his or her feet.

9. After everyone who desires to do so has participated, stand up, joinhands and close the session in prayer. Allow time for participants to prayaloud and then have the leader close.

10. Quietly ask everyone to silently think about this question, “Whichwas harder, to wash someone’s feet or to have your feet washed?” “Why?”

11. Quietly say to the group, “Remember, is important to serve, but it isalso important to allow others to serve you.”

12. Leave the room in silence. 13. Get shoes and to go to dinner.

D. Important Guidelines

1. This event is very personal and challenging. Utmost care is needed!2. Take your time. Stillness is golden. It may take around five minutes

before any students come forward. Pray, wait, and watch. If no students havecome up after five minutes, have the staff start coming forward. Wait anotherfive minutes after all the staff have gone and then close if no one has comeforward.

3. Keep an eye on the water. If the water becomes very dirty, exchangebasins.

E. Ethical Considerations

1. Be intentional about having women wash the feet of other womenwho are in skirts. (In other words, boys should not wash the feet of girls whoare in skirts.)

2. Be aware that victims of abuse (men and women) often have diff i c u l t yallowing someone to touch their feet. (This does not mean that those who donot participate have been abused. It is just something to keep in mind). It isi m p o rtant that the atmosphere be safe, respectful, and supportive and that noone be forced to participate. Let God work and be an agent of healing.


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F. A Final Word

I strongly suggest that you go through the footwashing experience withyour team during the planning phase of the event. This way your team willknow what to expect and you can foresee any challenges you will need toaddress.

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Session Five

SESSION TIME: 1 HOUR, CHAPTER SEVEN

Overview

This session introduces students to the elements and symbols that makeup a worship experience. An introduction to worship planning and preach-ing is also included. Host this session in a sanctuary or chapel, if possible.

Have the elements for the closing communion service already in placein the worship area before beginning this session. This is one of the symbolsthat can be discussed during the session and has the elements already inplace for the segue into the closing consecration service.

Session Suggestions

Presentation on worship and symbols: It is helpful to have someonelead this session who is familiar with the symbols used in worship and theparticular symbols found in the worship area where you are meeting. Taketime to answer questions.

Resources: The United Methodist Book of Worship or the United MethodistHymnal or a church bulletin will be helpful to the students in planning aworship service.

Church words: Be prepared for questions related to the vocabularyused in the church. Be prepared to Define words that may not be familiar tothe students, including words like doxology, Gloria Patri, Eucharist, para-


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Session Outline

1.Welcome and introduction of session leader2.Prayer3.Presentation on worship and the symbols in the sanctuary4.Small group exercises5.If there is time, have the class present a brief worship service6.Greet people as they arrive for the consecration service7.Segue into the closing worship/consecration service


ment, liturgist, narthex, postlude, prelude, and benediction. (Can you thinkof others?)

P r a y e r : Encourage the students to spend a moment in prayer at the altara rea before moving to greet those coming for the consecration serv i c e .

Closing communion: If possible, have the drama team do a dramaticpresentation of communion, or include the arts in the communion ritual insome way. Have masonry nails on hand and give a masonry nail to each per-son as part of receiving the elements of communion. (This nail will serve asa point of contact to remember their experience at the consecration service.)

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Web Resources

www.youthspecialties.comThis is the “granddaddy” of all youth resource sites. You will find books on smallgroups, games, mixers, dramas, discussion starters, and other creative ideas. There aretons of free stuff on the site too!

www.grouppublishing.comGreat youth books and resources!

www.edgetv.comProvides short movie clips to introduce topics and stimulate discussion.

www.highwayvideo.comProvide movie clips for worship, message illustrations, and to inspire discussion.

www.cokesbury.comThis site contains official United Methodist books, materials, and merchandise.

www.upperroom.orgDevotional materials

www.egadideas.comA site full of free ideas posted by youth workers.

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A Final Word…

Ihope this text and guide are helpful. Please remember, this is only a guide. Use yourcreativity and unique resources to fill in the gaps and enrich the material containedin these pages!The Youth in Lay Speaking Ministry material you see here is the result of the vision of

Dr. Glenna Kyker Brayton and others who have been passionate about equipping youthto serve in the church. I have had the honor of learning from directors of Lay Speakingacross the United States who have implemented Youth in Lay Speaking Ministry pro-grams. I look forward to hearing your suggestions and your story!

Please feel free to contact me: Mark YoungP.O. Box 2717 Ft. Pierce, FL [email protected]

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