Respond to the Word

Respond

A puzzle (YP 10 mins)

A riddle conversation

Give the young people the following puzzle to work out. A farmer has to take a cabbage, a goat and a wolf across a river, but his boat will carry only himself plus, either the goat, wolf or cabbage. If left alone, the wolf will eat the goat and the goat will eat the cabbage. How can he do it? Give them time to work it out.

• How do you feel when you are faced with a difficult task?
• If we choose to be disciples, we are sent in the same way as the disciples in the passage.
• What does Jesus send us out to do? It’s not an easy task. How do we feel in the face of it?

Answer to the respond puzzle: He takes the goat first, then returns alone. He then takes the wolf over and brings the goat back. He takes the cabbage over and returns alone for the goat.

Watch

Impossible tasks (C 10 mins)

How do we respond when faced with difficult tasks?

You will need: the clip from Over The Hedge DVD (47:50-50:40).

• Watch the clip. RJ tells the animals the plan for getting into the house to get the food. The garden they have to cross is lled with traps. It seems like an impossible job.
• Ask the group: How do the animals react to the task they face? and How do we react when we face difcult tasks? Jesus knew that the job he was sending the disciples out to do would be difficult sometimes, but he sent them in pairs so that they wouldn’t face it alone.

Play

A pairs game (C+YP 10 mins)

A game of two by two

You will need: a print-out of Bible pairs cards.

• Use the template to create a set of small cards. If you have a large group, multiply the cards.
• Spread out the cards, face down on a table.
• Invite people to take turns to select one card and then nd its partner, e.g. Mary and Joseph. Each card has a symbol to ease matching. If they find a pair, they keep them. If their selections don’t match, the cards are placed back on the table, face down and the next person has a turn.
• You could add new pairs, asking the group for ideas.

Try

Facing failure (C+YP 10 mins)

How do we react when we fail?

You will need: string or rope; paper; instructions for knot tying, and origami; jigsaws; needles and thread.

• Set up a range of tasks that are possible for your group, but which might challenge them. For example, tie a knot, do a jigsaw, thread a needle, make an origami model. You could set up more than one knot to tie or more than one origami model, if you need more tasks.
• Send each person to one activity to start with. Tell them that they need to finish one task before moving on to the next, and they need to do them all. After a few minutes, tell them that, if they really can’t do the task, they can leave it and move on.
• Jesus told his disciples that, if they weren't welcome, as he wasn't in his home town, they should move on. It's ok if sometimes we fail – even Jesus failed sometimes.

Play

Working together (C+YP 10 mins)

Work in pairs to win a three-legged race

You will need: scarves or ties.

• Have a three-legged race, using scarves to tie people’s legs together at the ankles. Make sure that the area you are using is safe, and monitor the activity carefully to make sure no one gets hurt!
• Explain that a three-legged race is impossible on your own because you don't have enough legs! But to complete it successfully you have to work together and support each other.
• You might draw out some of the following points. You both have to be travelling in the same direction and aiming for the same thing. Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, so that they could work together and support each other. On their own, the task he sent them to do would have seemed quite daunting. By working together, they were able to work miracles.

Make

Welcome (C+YP 20 mins)

Make welcome mats

You will need: thick cotton fabric, or carpet off-cuts in light, plain colours; fabric paints.

• Cut squares from thick cotton fabric, or use carpet off-cuts, to make door mats, one per person.
• Using fabric paints, the youngsters can decorate their mats to welcome people into their home.
• Explain that in Gospel times people would be welcomed into someone’s home with a bowl of water to wash the dust off their feet. Ask the group to consider what might be a modern-day ritual of welcome. Can they introduce this to the content of your future sessions?

Pray

Partnership prayers (C+YP 10 mins)

Pray for each other in pairs

• Divide the group into pairs, and give them a couple of minutes to talk to one another about what they will be doing in the coming week. Is there anything they are worried about? Then give them a few minutes to pray for each other.
• Encourage everyone to remember to pray for their partner over the coming week, so supporting their fellow disciples.