Creative Junior High Programs from A to Z Volume 2 (N-Z) - Softcover

Dickie, Steve; Pearson, Darrell

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0310211581 ISBN 13: 9780310211587

Publisher: Youth Specialties, 1998

Synopsis

This jam-packed, junior high sensitive assortment of thematic programs communicates life themes in imaginative, exciting ways.

About this title

About the Author

A 20-year youth ministry veteran, Steve Dickie is minister to families at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Wichita, KS. He speaks at camps, conferences, and churches.;Longtime junior high youth worker Darrell Pearson is president of Wild Truth Productions. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, Wild Truth Productions is a youth events organization specializing in activities and programs for junior high students.

From the Back Cover

What Junior Highers want to know. . .about prayer, about temptation, about violence--and 10 more subjects--is all here in Creative Junior High Programs from A to Z, Volume 2 (N-Z). If you liked how the programs in Volume 1(A-M) jolted your junior highers into active, get-up-get-moving sessions, then you're ready for what's inside: more Bible studies, games, stories, role plays, skits, videos (some of which you can create), discussion triggers, and off-site activities--all wrapped around these A-to-Z themes: nerves, rejection, violence, outsiders, school, worry, prayer, temptation, xed out, quarreling, unity, yearbook, and zeros. Have fun prepping and teaching these sessions yourself, or hand them off to a volunteer. Each program begins with a Big Idea (a clear, succinctly stated theme), relevant passage of Scripture, a materials-needed list, preparation tips--and then on to creative, active, and just plain fun learning. More of it, in fact, than junior highers are used to associating with God. Which is the point of this topical curriculum: God's not boring, and neither are Creative Junior High Programs from A to Z.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

We will never forget the great insight we received from Calley, an eighth grader in one of our youth programs a number of years ago. It s a shame, she said. So many people think God s a drag. He s not, you know. God s not boring. Calley was right. Very right. God s not boring. One of the greatest tragedies in the history of the church is that God is often made to seem like a drag. Don t get us wrong the Christian faith is serious, and times of reverent respect are important. But a relationship with the Creator of the universe is far from boring. As youth workers we have a wonderful opportunity to help junior high kids discover the passionate, thrilling, wondrous adventure called the Christian life. Sure it s tough, challenging, and sometimes scary, but in no way is it ever boring. At least it s not supposed to be. And that s where we d like to help. Our prayer is that you ll take advantage of your position in youth ministry to introduce junior highers to a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ. To help you in your task, we ve designed twenty-six programs (13 in this book, and 13 in Creative Junior High Programs from A-Z, Vol. 1) that communicate life themes in creative, exciting ways. With its alphabetic sequence, the programs are each junior high-sensitive and crammed full of activities, Bible studies, illustrations, and creative alternatives designed to help kids discover our non-boring God. Try these approaches to the meetings in this book: - Create a yearlong series. Use these programs during a year (September through May) as weekly meeting topics. We ve tried it, and it s been a big success. Start with A in September or October and finish up with Z in May or June. This plan gives you opportunities to build in some in-between meetings to do something apart from the series, and even a month to insert a three- or four-week sub-theme (like a love, sex, and dating series in February). Darrell: A yearlong plan gives you something to promote to the parents and kids. Steve: And it will even make you look organized to your pastor. Naturally, needs change midyear. If you need to change your original schedule, never hesitate to adjust your focus you can always manipulate a topic title to fit your message. Darrell: For example, once I Steve: I wasn t finished, Darrel. Darrell: I take it you have more to say? Steve: The week my group was going to do the letter M and talk about Controlling Our Mouths, the big earthquake of 1995 hit Los Angeles and creamed my church and many of our homes (including mine). That week I gathered all the students and switched the topic to a discussion on Manic Mountain Moving Motion. That s one lesson they all still remember. - Let each letter stand on it s own. Don t like the alphabetical approach? Fine. Teach the sessions in any order you like. Or teach just the sessions you like. In any case, you ll find that each session is very different from the others. We really tried to vary our approach. Steve: I wrote the good sessions. Darrell: Yeah, right. Don t be a dork. Okay, they re all good. Just keep the kids guessing on what s coming next. They ll love you for your creativity. - Build things around the letters. You can do all sorts of creative things for each letter. Try making a huge floor-to-ceiling letter to hang on your wall. (Try this for all twenty-six letters.) Create a couple of trivia questions that correspond to the week s letter, or give away an off-the-wall prize that begins with the letter of the week (for example, Personal Pan Pizza for P, rock for R, Vicks Vapo-Rub for V you get the idea). Here s a weird contest you can do each week. It s called Can You Throw It? Pick out an unusual object that begins with the same letter as your topic and invite several kids from your group to try to throw the object for distance. For example, cheeseburger for C, hula hoop for H, milk carton for M (empty one, please), or a seventh grader for S. Just kidding. Steve: The more off-the-wall the better. You ll find the kids looking forward to your meeting to see what they ll be throwing. Darrell: Weird, but fun. Use each of these programs to its best effect by - Establishing the Big Idea. The Big Idea rises from a couple questions you need to ask yourself: What is the need of your group, and how can you meet that need? Then establish a goal which is the Big Idea, the one thing you want your group to grasp through your program. Build your entire program around the purpose of helping your students catch the Big Idea. Steve: Take extraordinary pains in order to create, institute, and establish this goal, which considering the complexity of Scripture and its function as a paradigmatic template for human behavi Darrell: What he means is this: if you can t articulate your Big Idea simply and clearly, you ll probably have trouble with your meeting. Now just because we ve laid out the Big Ideas for each program in this book, it doesn t mean that you can t tweak, adjust, or tailor the Big Ideas or any components in the sessions themselves to fit your group better. - Maintaining the flow. If you re new at running meetings, it s wise to begin with upbeat activities and transition to calmer ones. You want each component of the meeting to set up the next. We ve designed this flow into each session. Evaluate the needs of your group and create a flow of program activities that help you achieve your Big Idea

Edition details

• Publisher: Youth Specialties
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0310211581
• ISBN 13: 9780310211587
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128