To exhort each one to become a better friend to others
DYNAMICS:
- Divide the group into 2 groups of around 25 members each. You can put households together to form the bigger group. If you need to, you can form more than 2 groups.
- Ask them to form a straight line with their hands on the shoulder of the person in front of them. Then ask them to form a circle by having the first person in the line reach out for the shoulder of the last person in that same line.
- Then instruct them to bend their knees and sit or lean on the lap of the person behind them. This will be the basic stance for the whole activity. Explain that the objective of the game is to keep the circle intact in that stance.
- While in this stance, each group will follow your instructions for movement. You can make them move 3 steps back and 5 steps forward. You can also ask them to move sideways, from left to right. You can even ask them to go around.
NOTE: Make sure each person is really leaning on the lap of the person behind him/her. It is so easy to get away with just bending their knees. The success of the activity lies in that they rely on each other to maintain the circle. It is important that you make sure they follow the stance. - It would be more exciting if you keep score. Award a point to a group for each time that group accomplishes your command without breaking the circle. In the same way, deduct points from the group that breaks the circle.
- Then, for the final contest. Stand up on a chair and hold out a handkerchief. Designate a starting line and at your signal have both groups race to get the handkerchief from your hand. They should still be in the basic stance.
- After the game, gather them to process the activity. Give them the mini talk on friendship. The outline is with this module.
- You may have sharers about how they have been hurt by bad friendships and how they have found real friendships in YFC. (e.g. someone who was involved in fraternity violence, someone pressured to take drugs by their peer group, etc.)
- During the pray-over, have someone play slow songs to help set a prayerful atmosphere.
- After the pray-over session, play fast songs to end the activity and hype up the people. You may play songs on friendship and ask them to approach each other and affirm them of their commitment to being a real brother or sister to them. Join them in this.
- Ask them to divide into their households and share among each other with the reflection questions as guide.
- To end, gather them again with fast songs then end with a prayer.
- The activity should be held in an area with enough space for racing, and where the members can make noise.
- Handkerchief
SUGGESTED SCHEDULE
Opening Worship 15 to 20 minutes
Activity 30 minutes
Processing of activity 20 minutes
Pray Over 10 minutes
Sharing by households 40 minutes
Closing Prayer 5 minutes
PROCESSING THE ACTIVITY
After the activity, give this exhortation.
Ask everyone to form a circle and sit with them in the circle. Tell this story in your own words. Reading the story will keep you from making eye contact and may make it boring for your audience.
A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with the relish to run the race to the finish and win.
All, that is, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and paused. Then they all turned around and went back – every one of them. One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.” Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line.
Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for 10 minutes.
*In your own words, give this exhortation.
In YFC, when we talk about friendship, we mean brotherhood/sisterhood in Christ. We may be different in many ways…in the way we think and do things, in the things we like and don’t like. Many times these differences can and will get in the way of our friendship. But, one thing we definitely have in common is how much Jesus Christ loves us --- to death.
Jesus is the foundation of our friendship. The reason why you people are together now is because He made it that way. That is why, we should make a commitment to care enough to go back for someone who has fallen behind, to care enough to stop whatever it is we’re doing and to see and attend to one who has been hurt. Because that’s how Jesus defined friendship --- “laying one’s life for a friend”. In YFC, others will come first. We will think of our friends before we think of ourselves.
Being alone is a painful experience. It is everyone’s fear to be rejected and unwanted. That’s why we try so hard to fit in.
Let us make it our prayer that in YFC, we will be known for being real friends to each other and to other people --- where everyone will have a place, where everyone will belong, no one will be judged or laughed at or made fun of --- that you will be known to have true friendships. You will be comrades.
“That is how they will know you are mine…if you love one another…
PRAY OVER SESSION
Then, ask them to pray over the person on their right. Tell them that you will lead them into this prayer. Pray for them that they will become the real friends to others. Then tell them to say their own prayers for and with that person. Ask them to make a commitment to that person to be a real brother or sister to him or her, the way God intended them to be.
REFLECTION
Have you failed to be the friend that God created you to be? How?
What do you plan to do about it?
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