Adult & All Age
Activities and prayers to gather the group and introduce the theme
Use the Jump menu on the right to find Prayers and other resources.
What makes us tick?
- Invite people to share examples of any occasion when they have been grateful for help from someone from whom they might not have expected it. Without getting too personal, what reasons might we have for thinking someone will or won’t offer help?
- Display a few images of well-known cartoon characters (include examples that will be familiar to each generation present). Invite people, in twos or threes, to identify the characters and to discuss the kind of support the character might be expected to give (or not give) to someone in trouble, with reasons. For example, Bugs Bunny would not be expected to help Wile E. Coyote, whereas Toy Story 3 ends with Andy giving away his beloved toys to help Bonnie.
- What makes a cartoon character ‘tick’ is usually, and deliberately, rather obvious – they are rarely complex characters! But finding out what makes real people tick – what their core values are – is much harder. We might get clues (e.g. from unguarded or repeated behaviour); but we might also jump to wrong conclusions! Today we explore our own core values and how they affect our behaviour.
First impressions
You could also use the image and following questions to help introduce the theme.
 |
Click on the image to view a larger version
or use the Jump menu to go to This week's images.
For artist's details, see this issue's illustrators.
|
Questions
- How would you describe the words on this wall?
- What words would be written on your wall?
- Pick one of your words – how might that value affect your behaviour?
Children & Youth
Activities marked with an asterisk 
next to the activity title are in addition to the resources in the Ready-to-go sessions. Suggested timings for these activities are also shown. NB The inclusion of additional activities varies from week to week.
FOR CHILDREN
Gathering song
Sing to the tune: London’s burning
Brother Jesus, in the desert,
being tempted, he resisted!
What can we do?
Talk to Jesus when we’re tempted.
Value behaviour… W E A
You will need: cards with the different values written on them: kind, mean, generous, selfish.
- Ask the children to pick a card and then describe how someone whose value is (insert value) behaves.
Whose values? 5 mins W E A
You will need: pictures of people in different professions (see template).
- Pin or stick up the images of people in their professions so that everyone can see them.
- Ask the group to discuss and decide on one or two values that each profession might need most. Values could include teamwork, fairness, kindness, honesty, listening, patience, compassion, pride and integrity.
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Value word association 5 mins W E
Play the track ‘The Way (Live)’, Worship Central (feat. Tim Hughes) on Set Apart (Live), as the young people arrive.- Ask the group to sit in a circle. Start by sharing a value, e.g. honesty, equality, respect, and ask the next person to respond with the first word that comes to mind. Continue until someone hesitates, repeats a word or uses a word that is not relevant to the first value word.
- Ask: Which values would you say are the most important to you?
First impressions
You could also use the image and following questions to help introduce the theme.
|
Click on the image to view a larger version
or use the Jump menu to go to This week's images.
For artist's details, see this issue's illustrators.
|
Questions
- How would you describe the words on this wall?
- What words would be written on your wall?
- Pick one of your words – how might that value affect your behaviour?
See less