Small Group Sessions
7th & 8th Grades
Small Group Session Introduction
Hello Small Group Leaders!!!
First and foremost, I’d like to THANK YOU for your willingness to help Youth Strike for Christ in leading their small group
sessions! Youth Strike understands how much extra time and effort these small groups can take, and we offer you all
our support, prayers, and thanks. If there are any questions or needs you have, please feel free to contact any CORE
team member.
This short introduction to our small group sessions will highlight
1. Important Information for the weekend!!!
2. What small groups are and why YSFC includes them in the weekend.
3. How to prepare for the small group sessions. (Before the weekend.)
4. Devotionals for the weekend.
5. How to use these small group lessons. Important lesson instructions!!!
The small group lessons will follow this introduction.
1. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE WEEKEND!
Youth Strike will provide any necessary materials needed for each lesson (pencils, paper, etc.). We ask that each small
group leader print out the lessons and have them throughout the weekend. Youth Strike will not have copies available
or the ability to create extra copies over the weekend.
On Friday, January 31, there will be a short small group leader meeting at 7pm before Youth Strike kicks off. We will
meet in a lower level conference room at the Vet’s Auditorium to go over any questions and get your supplies. Youth
Strike will have signs to help provide further direction assistance.
Youth Strike will provide a large container with all the materials at that meeting, and you will be responsible for these
materials throughout the weekend. Please treat these items with care as we re-use a lot of materials year after year.
On Sunday, February 2, any remaining items will be returned to Youth Strike after the last small group time. We will
have reminders and specific directions for this process on the outside of your container during the Youth Strike
weekend.
2. WHAT AND WHY SMALL GROUPS?
Small group sessions play an integral part of Youth Strike for Christ. Modeled after Jesus and His 12 disciples, these 1015 person groups allow youth to learn with and from each other. These sessions are led by one youth leader and focus
on the key scripture passages for that year's theme. This year, Youth Strike’s theme is “My Name Is….” Your four small
group times will focus on What’s My Name, Conversions, Renamed, and Making Disciples successively.
Because Youth Strike attendees range greatly in age, we break down the small groups into three age brackets--7th &
8th, 9th & 10th, 11th & 12th. By keeping these age-specific brackets, the small group lessons can be tailored for
maximum faith-based exploration, questioning, and studying.
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This year we'll be offering "break-out" sessions for 11th & 12th grade attendees. These sessions provide our 11th and
12th grade youth a chance to dive deeper into their faith and apply it to what’s happening right now in their life! We're
bringing in speakers and leaders with powerful testimonies specific to each session topic!
More information about Youth Strike and these sessions can be found on the website at www.youthstrike.com.
3. HOW TO PREPARE FOR SMALL GROUP SESSIONS (Before the weekend.)
Youth Strike for Christ completely understands how busy our schedules can get, and we know how difficult adding one
more thing to your plate can be. We try to create lesson plans that foster discussion, connection, and faith development
while keeping the pre-requisite activities and training to a minimum. Below are a few, quick resources and ideas to look
over before arriving at Youth Strike. These tips and guides can be used in any lesson plan to help deepen the impact,
stretch the ideas, and connect with youth.
1. UNDERSTAND YOUR YOUTH, BUT UNDERSTAND YOUR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING. We were all teenagers
once. Many of the changes taking place are ones that we can relate to. Not only are these youth physically developing,
but they are also growing cognitively and emotionally. They are learning to think abstractly; they’re learning to see the
gray in between the black and white answers and struggle with complex problems. We’re helping them with this new
growth and the process to define their independent identity. Though we can relate to many of the changes occurring in
their lives, it is important to understand that the world is different today, and their environment plays a huge role in the
way they interact, learn, develop, play, question, and see their faith.
2. BE TRANSPARENT! Youth today are less concerned about the age of their youth leaders. What they care
about is how “real” you are, how “nice” you are, and how much you’re willing to share with them. Just think about it.
With the media and culture of today, youth are being bought and sold like a commodity. They want and need you to be
the one real thing in their life. Otherwise, they’ll write you off. If you focus on being yourself—accepting your flaws,
admitting your mistakes, allow them to see where you stand in your faith journey—youth will allow themselves to get
close to you.
3. BE POSITIVE BUT FOCUSED. This may seem obvious, but sometimes, we don’t realize the impact we make on
our lessons. If we are positive, then the way we present information, the way the youth hear this information, and the
way we all react to this information will also be positive. At the same time, we cannot focus so much on being upbeat
and positive and lose our lesson. As leaders, we set the tone and the path for our lesson.
4. CONTROLING THE UN-RULY. We know teenagers are angels! Just in case, here are a few tips for defusing
some small group situations. Distance and touch are two easy and effective tools. We know that the shy youth tend to
want to sit beside you in a circle, but asking an outspoken or difficult youth to sit beside you during your sessions will
help cut down on outbursts. If they need a gentle reminder, softly place your hand on their shoulder or back to re-focus
them. If continued problems arise, use silence. When they are interrupting, stop talking, look at the youth, and explain
that you’ll wait for them to finish. There are a couple worst-case scenarios. First, you can remove the youth from your
circle to sit somewhere else. When they’ve recovered, they can return. As a last resort, find a CORE team member
around you and ask that for their assistance.
5. PRAY MUCH, LISTEN A LOT, TALK LITTLE, AND ACCEPT SILENCE. The truth is, we can only provide a venue for
the Holy Spirit to give a lesson. Pray that God picks up where we are lacking, and listen for the words and ways to
connect these lessons with the youth. Listen, too, as the youth talk and share. Understand that these small groups are
all about the youth; leaders are provided to facilitate conversation, keep focus, draw out faith connections, and
strengthen bonds. That means, leaders tend to talk little, and allow youth to think, develop, and sometimes stew in
silence before the breakthrough conversation begins.
6. PASSION. Youth are looking for passion—real passion. Work hard to find points in their life that connect to
the lessons and faith. If they can relate, they’ll begin to understand what they’re searching for, and passionately pursue
the One who has been pursuing them.
7. GOOD QUESTIONS. While the lesson plans lay the groundwork for discussions, be open to asking more or
different ones. Begin formulating a question by thinking about what the youth should “get” out of it. Once you have a
goal, begin small and build upon their answers with each following question. Make sure your questions are
understandable; you might have to rephrase it several different ways at first. Good questions are open-ended (not just
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yes or no). Ask questions that apply to their lives, don’t settle for one answer from one person, and don’t answer your
own question. Last but not least, jot down any questions or thoughts that strike you during speakers/concerts/events.
Youth Strike tries to create an integrated, meaningful experience through various events; bringing all these components
together in your small group creates a stronger conversation, a deeper connection, and a greater result.
8. LOVE. We know…we don’t always love all teenagers all the time! Instead of focusing on loving teenagers,
focus on loving God. It is through your loving relationship with Him that our love shines through to and for others.
9. ANY KID, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. Leaders, we know we only ask you to lead four small group lessons, but the
reality is…the connections you form in small group aren’t severed when they leave that small group. May God grant you
the words, patience, wisdom, and heart to be available anytime and anywhere for any child. Youth Strike is praying for
you constantly.
The other half of our preparation is self-focused. Our lives are full; we run ragged every day. Finding time for renewal is
hard, but we cannot expect our youth to find passion, renewal, and connection if we, as their leaders, are running on
empty. Below are a few resources to help you, as a leader/parent/college student and a Christian, to fill your cup as you
join us for Youth Strike.
1. RECHARGE. It just makes sense. You can’t fill others if your cup isn’t full and overflowing. We invite you to
take advantage of the devotional series provided in this packet or to bring and study a devotional book of your own.
More than this, we know that youth 24-7 for a whole weekend can be draining! Make time for your own spiritual
health. Visit our chapel, pray or study with one of our CORE team members or a friend, spend quiet time in your room,
or take time off during free time. Whatever works best for you, we invite you to take care and be recharged.
2. PASSION. Not everyone finds a passion in leading teenagers…so, bring a passion along with you! If you’re
passionate about mission, join us for our mission. If you’re passionate about reading, bring your books. If you’re
passionate about music, join us for concerts and bring along your music for the hotel room. If you have something you
love with you throughout the weekend, you will have a constant source of renewal.
3. PRAYER. Youth Strike is praying for each of you, and we hope that you can find time throughout the weekend
to pray for you too.
4. TALK. Our CORE team is comprised of many different people, from many different places, with many
different backgrounds. We are here to support and uplift you. If there is any way we can help, just let us know! We
pray that the Holy Spirit is at work within each of us, leading us, and connecting us this weekend when we are in need
the most.
4. DEVOTIONALS FOR THE WEEKEND
Friday, January 31: Morning Devotions
As you begin your trek, long or short, to Des Moines, we invite you to take some time to prepare your hearts and minds
for this weekend, for these youth, and for these experiences. May this preparation be what you need as you come from
your life, offer yourself at this youth spiritual retreat, and seek also to find replenishing nourishment before returning
back home.
“I remember a conversation I had with my dad when I was eight or nine years old. We were sitting on our front porch in
old wood rocking chairs. It’s an interesting memory for me because I have very few of the front porch; it wasn’t a
common place for us to spend our time. But on this day it was just Dad and me on the front porch. I had been trying to
find the courage to tell my dad something that I thought he would tell me was foolish or childish. On the front porch
that day, I mustered up the courage to tell him something that I thought made me weird, something I would never have
told my friends. I figured he could tell me how to stop, how to grow up.
“Dad, I feel like my life is a movie or a great story. I pretend. A lot. I pretend that I am the hero of my story and there are
bad guys and good guys, and I fight for the good side, of course. Even at school or Cub Scouts or wherever, I’m
pretending it is part of my adventure, my story, of which I am the star.”
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I didn’t tell him anything about my thoughts of damsels in distress, or my deep fear of the enemy. I didn’t tell him
everything. I told him a little and waited for him to reason with me. I waited for him to share logic with me to help me
get out of my fairy tale.
Staring out into the field across from our house, never looking at me, my dad replied, “Yeah, me too.”
My dad’s affirmation that day would grow into my belief today that I am indeed a part of a greater story, a story with
good guys and bad guys, adventure and romance, intrigue and suspense.
I am a part of the God Story and you are too.
It can be easy to look at the Bible as a haphazard collection of sixty-six books from different eras, different regimes, and
different authors, written with different intents.
It can equally be easy to see our fragmented lives as a haphazard collection of events with little to nothing holding it all
together.
Neither one of these vantage points is accurate.
I believe your life changes when you see the threads that run through the great story of God’s people found in the Bible,
and when you see your life as a continuation of that story.
If there is something in you that says where you are right now is not how the story is supposed to end...if your heart tells
you there is something more to your life than the tasks on your to-do list, then I want to say to you today...
God is the author of the greatest story. God is the main character, but you have a role to play.”
An excerpt from A Greater Story, The God Story By Jacob Armstrong
You are part of an incredible, amazing story—one that binds you to these people, at this particular time, for this specific
purpose. God will use you this weekend, and we cannot wait to see how the story unfolds!
Dear mighty and powerful Lord,
We pray for this leader. We pray that you are able to move in their own heart so that they can hear your words, pass on
your story, and help transform lives this weekend. May you grant them safe travel and Your guidance along the roads.
In your holy name we pray. Amen.
Friday, January 31: Evening Devotions
“Perhaps this is an odd metaphor, but when God gives me a heavy message to share or significant task to do I feel like
I’m like a delivery man who is cautiously transporting nuclear energy. What’s in my hands will either fuel lives with
power or poison them with radiation-all based on how I handle it…or if I somehow trip in the process.
I’ve experienced that sensation while leading three different Big Day of Serving events in Ohio. There’s a sort of
dangerous thrill that comes with working with people behind-the-scenes who may or may not know Jesus Christ…all
while you set up some powerful service projects for students to serve Jesus Christ.
My team was blessed to work with the mayor’s office in Akron, Ohio. They did a phenomenal job of identifying projects
we could sink our teeth into and make a huge difference in.
One of those projects came through the passionate suggestions of a local resident who has been a bit of a thorn in the
side of the city for years. He often writes letters to the newspaper, criticizing how the city isn’t doing its job like it
should.
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I don’t know how you’d respond to such a critic, but my temptation would be to fire back some emails on all the things
we’re doing right. A city as large as Akron could do the same thing, telling a critic how “We’re doing what we
can,” or “We’ll get around to that sometime in the next budget year.” Instead, the city invited this gentleman to take
part in the Big Day of Serving with us as a project leader.
I met the man and his three-legged dog (who, incidentally, isn’t named “Lucky”) as we walked around the week before
to preview a particular park he wanted cleaned up. It was obvious that this was a guy full of passion who had much to
share about how things just weren’t getting done according to his perspective. The City representative not only listened
to him, but (while wearing his usual dress clothes) followed the critic into the muddy woods to see things first-hand.
The whole time this was happening, I again felt that tension of whether or not this was going to end up amazing or blow
up in our faces. It was a risk putting this critic in charge of a site that we’d be sending youth workers and students to. It
didn’t help my fears when he used some loose language that I imagined I’d later read about in the evaluation forms that
our work teams fill out after the event.
On the other hand, this man was as much a part of the reason why we were doing the Big Day of Serving work projects
themselves. Maybe his soul was the real thing that our students would be “working on.” Could you just imagine the type
of passionate, “Peter-like” Christ-follower this man could be if God somehow got hold of his life?
Maybe I should tell you the rest of the story.
There is one, by the way.
Instead, I’m going to end right here for now and dare you to live in this dangerous, nuclear tension I’m outlining.
Thom and Joanie Shultz describe it in their book Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore:
Divine Expectation: Realize that God is actively involved in everything, all the time. He has something dangerously
thrilling for you to share and carry into the lives of other people. If you aren’t experiencing some “fear and trembling” in
your ministry, quit being such an expert and remember how powerful the One you serve actually is.
Fearless Conversation: Make the cold call. Say several bold things in a message. Let others use loose, random language
around you without you amplifying or mirroring it. Ask great questions, and let those around you do the same.
Genuine Humility: Carry a notebook and write down what you hear, seeking evaluation instead of praise. Be radically
relational, honoring how God may be speaking to you through a voice you don’t want to hear.
Radical Hospitality: Make everyone feel as important as the world-changer Jesus says they actually are. Seek to
understand them through the lens of caring curiosity, and create an on-ramp for them not to just join you…but so that
you can also join them.
Carry and deliver whatever wild burden God gives you… hobble forward if that’s the best you can do.
Which reminds me of one last thing…the three-legged dog?
Its actual name is “Hope.”
Article from morethandodgeball.com by Tony Myles
Almighty God,
We know that you entrust us with this wild and powerful message. May you guide our hands and hearts as we carry
Your message forward to everyone who will listen. And, we therefore pray for all of those hearts and hands who may
receive You. Help to sustain and keep us as You move in them. Keep us patient, loving, and gentle. In your name we
pray. Amen.
Saturday, February 1: Morning Devotions
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“A while back a former gang member came to our church. He was heavily tattooed and rough around the edges, but he
was curious to see what church was like. He had a relationship with Jesus and seemed to get fairly involved with the
church.
After a few months, I found out the guy was no longer coming to the church. When asked why he didn’t come anymore,
he gave the following explanation: “I had the wrong idea of what church was going to be like. When I joined the church,
I thought it was going to be like joining a gang. You see, in the gangs we weren’t just nice to each other once a week—
we were family.” That killed me because I knew that what he expected is what the church is intended to be. It
saddened me to think that a gang could paint a better picture of commitment, loyalty, and family than the local church
body.
The church is intended to be a beautiful place of community. A place where wealth is shared and when one suffers,
everyone suffers. A place where when one rejoices, everyone rejoices. A place where everyone experiences real love
and acceptance in the midst of great honesty about our brokenness. Yet most of the time this is not even close to how
we would describe our churches.
Without the Spirit of God in our midst, working in us, guiding us, and living and loving through us, we will never be the
kind of people who make up this kind of community. There is no such thing as a real believer who doesn’t have the Holy
Spirit, or a real church without the Spirit. It’s just not possible. But what is possible is that we would individually and
corporately quench and hinder the Spirit’s activity in and through our lives.
As for me, I am tired of talking about what we are going to do. I am sick of talking about helping people, of
brainstorming and conferencing about ways we can be radical and make sacrifices. I don’t want to merely talk anymore.
Life is too short. I don’t want to speak about Jesus; I want to know Jesus. I want to be Jesus to people. I don’t want to
just write about the Holy Spirit; I want to experience His presence in my life in a profound way.”
Excerpt from Forgotten God: Reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan
Saturday, February 1: Evening Devotions
“At the center of the beloved community is good news—a framing story that calls humanity to creativity, harmony,
reconciliation, justice, virtue, integrity, and peace, because these values reflect the characters of the Creator whose
world is our home and in whose presence we live and move and have our being. In short: we are all part of one
kingdom, one beautiful whole, with one caring Creator, who is faithful to us even in our stupidity and sin. God calls us to
reconcile with God, one another, and creation, to defect from the false stories that divide and destroy us, and to join
God in the healing of the world through love and the pursuit of justice and the common good.\
This process of healing is described by Jesus through a variety of metaphors. It works like a seed that germinates under
the soil, eventually—against all odds—bringing forth an unimaginable harvest (Matthew 13:18-32). It works like yeast
that transforms a huge sixty-pound lump of dough (13:33). It works like a pearl or treasure hidden in a vacant lot, a
treasure that gives the land previously unimagined value (13:44-46). It works like a net, hidden under the surface of the
water, that quietly gathers a huge catch of fish (13:47-50). In each metaphor, the forces of injustice are defeated and
justice reshapes and transforms the world for the common good. The end is a hopeful one for all who love justice.”
Excerpt from Everything Must Change by Brian D. McLaren
Dear Lord,
May this weekend be the turning point for each of us attending. May we each become more aware of what the beloved
community of Christ should look like and how we may all be a part of creating the necessary transformation happen. Let
us begin right here, right now, transforming ourselves and our youth. In your holy name. Amen.
Sunday, February 2: Morning Devotions: Join us for worship!
In speaking of Saint Francis of Assisi…
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“In an age of religious extremists, Francis offers us an alternative…. But Francis invites us to become extremists for
grace, extremists for love…. We remember his witness that there is a better way to bring peace than with a sword. And
we remember the whisper he heard from God, Repair my church which is in ruins.
These are the words of the famous prayer attributed to Francis. May they inspire us to become better people and to
build a better world.
Lord:
Make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, union.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is error, truth.
Where there despair, hope.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Where there is darkness, light.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Excerpt from Red Letter Revolution by Shane Claiborne & Tony Campolo
5. HOW TO USE OUR SMALL GROUP LESSONS. IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS!
As with all lesson plans, Youth Strike for Christ’s small group plans have a specific format and look. Below is a brief
explanation of how the lessons are formatted and how a small group leader should approach them.
Outline
Each lesson follows a basic outline as follows: “ice-breaker” activity, discussion, Bible reading, discussion,
activity/prayer. Each element of the lesson plays an integral role, and we ask that each small group try to get through
the lesson during their small group time.
Discussion-based
As Youth Strike tries to model the 12 disciple small group, we also try to model the discussion-based lesson. The best
learning takes place within a conversation. This creates some difficulties when creating lesson plans, because it is
impossible to predict or plan for the discussion to take place in each small group. We encourage each teacher and group
to talk and learn from each other, but we hope to provide enough structure within our small group lesson plans to keep
groups on-track and all arriving at important spiritual discoveries.
To help this process, the format of the lesson is as follows:
 NORMAL PRINT: Actions the leader should do; directions for the leader; names for activities; any other helpful
additions for the small group leader to keep in mind but not necessarily say out loud.
 BOLD PRINT: teacher says aloud
 ITALIC PRINT: these are thoughts and/or explanations the group should arrive at during their discussion; this
information can be read out loud if the group does not seem to be staying on track, participating, or fully
understanding
 READER 1: this is information a youth should read aloud to the group; there should also be a provided typed paper
with the passage for the youth to read from in your materials envelope
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Session 1: What’s My Name?
Items you’ll need for this session:
 Pens/pencils
 Bible passages (Galatians 1:13-14; Acts 9:1-2)
 Candy Share color code sheet
 Colored candy
 Crayons
 A “Hello, My Name Is…” sign
 Saul’s Transformation Timeline
 Prayer Cards
Gather in a circle on the floor. And welcome everyone to Youth Strike and your small group.
Leader: First, I’d like to welcome us all to our small group! I’m excited to be your small group
leader and get to know each of you better as we strengthen and deepen our faith this weekend. To
help us begin to get to know each other we’re going to have a short candy activity.
Candy Share
Pass around the colored candy and tell each participant to choose anywhere from 1 to 5 pieces and do
NOT eat them. After everyone has chosen their candy, let them know what each candy type/color
represents (put the candy color guide in the center of the circle as you read):
Red – Favorite hobbies
Green – Favorite place on earth
Purple – Favorite memory
Yellow -Dream job
Orange – Wildcard (tell us anything about yourself!)
Each person takes turns introducing himself or herself, beginning with their name, where they are from,
and then saying one fact for each candy type that they have.
Leader: It’s wonderful to meet all of you! I’m so excited to have you all in my small group; I think
we’ll have lots of fun learning and growing.
This weekend, we’ll be focusing on the story of one person, named Saul, in our small groups. We
will follow Saul as he goes through an incredible transformation, and then we’ll be talking about
how his transformation might influence us and how we might be changed here at Youth Strike.
We have three Bible passages to read about who Saul is, can I have a few volunteers to help me
read?
Pick three volunteers (or ask some), hand them each a passage on a sheet of paper to read from.
Our first reading comes from Galatians 1:13-14. Will you read the whole passage for us?
Galatians 1:13-14
13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God
and was trying to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for
I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.
Place the scripture reading in the center of the circle so everyone can see it.
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Leader: Before we dive into what this passage is saying, let’s first take a look at it to see if there
are any words or phrases we don’t understand. Let the youth respond. If they all have a grasp of the
vocabulary, move on.
Alright, let’s talk about what we learn about Saul in this passage. What did you hear about him or
what did you learn about who Saul is from this reading?
The youth should say things like he was a Jew, he violently persecuted people in the church and was
trying to destroy the church. He moved up quickly in the church and was very passionate about the old
traditions.
Excellent! So, when we talk about Saul, many times we think that he was persecuting and killing
the followers of Christ because he wasn’t a believer, but this passage explains things a bit
differently. Saul is a Jew and is very religious. He reads the portions of the Bible that were around
in his day, he prays, he probably spends time in the temple…. There were many people like Saul,
and they taught him all about the Old Testament teachings. They followed the rules and
commandments that they read, and they refused to accept anyone who believed differently. For
instance, Saul lived after Jesus was born, died, and resurrected. But, because the Old Testament
didn’t have Jesus in it, Saul and his friends refused to accept, and were awful to, those people who
were following Jesus and believed in his teachings.
Do you know of any people or situations happening today who are like Saul? Are there any people
who refuse to compromise or accept people who are different or do different things?
Let the youth answer. They might talk about groups in school (jocks, popular people, “hicks,” etc.). This
could lead into conversations about family issues, personal issues…. They could also talk about the
different wars and massacres that go on throughout the world—the Holocaust, the troubles in Northern
Ireland (Catholic vs Protestant), Nigerian conflict (clashes between Muslims and Christians), war
between Iraq and US…).
Ok, let’s move onto our two other scripture passages.
Acts 8:1-3: The Stoning of Stephen
1 And Saul approved of their killing him. That day a severe persecution began against the church in
Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and
Samaria. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the
church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.
Lay the scripture verses down in the center of the circle so that everyone can see it.
Leader: Does anyone know what this passage about Stephen is referring to and who Stephen is?
Wait for any youth who might respond..
Stephen was a deacon in Jerusalem. He was appointed by the followers of Jesus who lived in Jerusalem to
serve food and help the poor members in the community. He was very faithful, performed miracles, and was
full of the Holy Spirit. The people like Saul, who did not believe in what they were preaching and teaching
about, held a trial, and eventually all agreed to stone him to death.
Now, that’s where this passage begins. So, how does Saul feel about Stephen and the stoning?
Allow youth to answer. Saul agreed with his stoning and killing because he believed Stephen was preaching
and teaching false beliefs.
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What does this passage tell us about the rest of the church (followers of Christ) in Jerusalem?
Allow the youth to answer—refer them back to the text in the center of the circle if they need help. The
same day that Stephen was killed, awful persecution against the followers began. Many believers were
forced to leave Jerusalem—everyone except the main teachers of Jesus’ word left.
What else does this passage say about what Saul did in Jerusalem? Allow youth to answer. Saul
continued the destruction of the believers in Jerusalem by going into houses and dragging them out to put
them into prisons.
We have one more passage about Saul to read.
Acts 9:1-2
1Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high
priest2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to
the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Leader: So, our final description of Saul is more of the same right? Saul has just been a bystander
(clothing-watcher) in the stoning of Stephen. He believes in what they’ve done to Stephen, so he
collects followers in Jerusalem, but that’s not enough for him. He’s ready for more, so he chooses
to move onto Damascus. He goes to the high priest to look up all Christ-followers and bring them
in for persecution and to be killed for their beliefs.
Allow youth to ask questions or have any more discussion.
Place the worksheet “Saul’s Transformation Timeline” down in the center of the circle. Delegate a
secretary who will fill it in for the group. Take some time to fill in what the first portion “Saul in
Jerusalem” as a group to re-cap what you’ve talked about so far in small group. You are given an example
of how this can be filled out so you may help the group if they get stuck.
Leader: Awesome job! Now, let’s imagine that Saul was here in front of us. What are some names
or adjectives that we would call him now that we’ve done some research on him? You can have the
secretary write these names on the Timeline sheet as well.
Ok, we’re going to change gears a bit to ourselves. We called Saul a lot of different things, and I
imagine there are other things that people would say about him depending on their relationship
with them.
What’s My Name?
For the next few minutes, I want us as a group to list out-loud all the names or adjectives that you
hear people call you every day—we can name both the good ones and the bad ones. So, think
about what your friends call you but also what people call you who aren’t really your friends.
What do your parents call you, your teachers, the bully in school, your siblings, etc. I want you to
even think about the messages that you hear from the tv and culture today—what are they saying
to you with the tv shows, commercials, magazines, etc? Just like we did with Saul, try to think of a
variety of people who have a variety of thoughts/names/adjectives they have for you. Any name
or way that people think of you, shout it out. (If they need some help coming up with various ideas,
suggest things like: kind, caring, fat, ugly, helpful, weird…) Remind them to try to think of all the names
they hear (or names they believe about themselves) even if they might be mean or difficult to say.
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Give them 3-5 minutes to come up with ideas. We also suggest that you, as a small group leader, also take
part in the conversation and later activity.
Leader: Are there names that we said that you all like to hear about yourself? What are some
examples? Give the youth time to answer and share if they like. If no one shares, you mention
something about yourself. Are there names that you don’t like to hear about yourself? Names that
aren’t nice? What are some examples? Give them time to answer and share some of your own if no
one volunteers at first.
Each day, we are called and we think of ourselves in a variety of ways. Some of our friends are
telling us that we are great people while some other not-so-friendly people might be calling us
something mean. From the tv shows that we watch, we might feel like we’re being called fat or
ugly. From our peers we could be told that we aren’t cool enough or popular enough. There are
tons of messages screaming at us all day, telling us that we are a variety of names and people. All
of these messages get crowded in around our real name, the name that our parents and God gives
us.
This weekend is about how we figure out who we are in God’s eyes and what that means for our
lives. In the next several small groups, we’ll be talking about how we sort through all these names
that people and society give us, how we decide what to believe, how these names change us, and
how we can transform ourselves into what God is calling us to be. It’s not easy, and we won’t be
able to figure everything out this weekend. But, we hope that this small group can be a starting
place to understanding our own value and worth in God’s eyes.
Baggage:
For the last activity before praying and returning to large group, have each youth take a large “Hello, My
Name Is…” nametag. With the provided crayons, have them each choose one bad or difficult adjective or
name that you talked about during this session that they think people use to describe them. Have the
youth choose the one adjective they hate/greatly dislike that people call them or think about them and
write it in big bold letters on their nametag. Please do NOT put personal names on these or sign them.
After they finish, collect their nametags. At the end of the small group session, hand these nametags to
the Information table outside of the ballroom.
Finish the small group session with prayer. Ask first if there is anyone who might like to pray. If no one
volunteers, distribute the prayer card around the circle so that everyone can read the prayer aloud
together.
Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, we thank you for the small group of people with us this weekend. We pray that we are
each able to open up, learn new things, gain new understanding, and create some incredible
friendships. We pray for each other, as we struggle daily with all different kinds of names to call
ourselves. May we each find a calm and peaceful heart to listen to what you are calling us to be
this weekend. In your holy name we pray. Amen.
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Session 2: Conversions
Items you’ll need for this session:
 Props for the game of “Props”
 Pens/pencils
 Bible passages (Acts 9:3-30—split up into 4 team passages)
 Crayons
 “Saul’s Transformation Timeline” worksheet
 Blank sheet of paper
Hello My Name Is…
For this quick getting-to-know you game, have the youth sit in a circle, and decide who will be the first
person to go. The first person will stand up and say, “Hello, my name is __________________________, and I like
to eat __________________________. They must stay their first name and the food they name must start with the
same letter as their name. Then, they sit down. The person to their right now stands up. They say,
“Hello, my name is _________________, and I like to eat _______________________. This is ___________________________
and he/she likes to eat __________________________________. They name themselves and what they like to eat
(make sure they start with the same letter), and then they introduce the person beside them who just
went. See if you can make it all around the circle—remembering names and foods.
Props:
Break into two teams. The game is called “Props,” taken from the tv show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
You will be given a series of props/items. When the teams are given the first prop, it is their job to come
up with and act out as many uses for the props as possible. Team 1 will start, then team 2 will go, then
back to team 1. The round will continue back and forth until one team can no longer think of something
for the prop. For instance, if you were given a purple foam triangle, you can pretend it is Pinocchio’s
nose—it turned purple because he kept running into things with it. You could also pretend it’s the hat of
an elf, the fin of a shark, the beard of a gnome. There will be three rounds.
Leader: So, our small group session for this time is called “Conversions,” because we’ll be reading
the story about Saul’s conversion into Paul. Just to make sure that we’re all on the same page, let’s
define what a conversion is. Does anyone have any ideas about what “conversion” means?
Let the youth respond; after the group has a chance, use their responses and the provided definition to
create a group definition. Write this group definition down on a sheet of paper to put in the center of the
circle—make it large enough so everyone in the circle can read it from where they sit.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “conversion” as “the act or process of changing from one form,
state, etc., to another” also, “the act or process of changing from one religion, belief, political part, etc., to
another.”
To learn about Saul’s transformation, we’ll be reading the story from the book of Acts; you might
also know this story as “Saul on The Road to Damascus.” Remembering from our last small group
session, do you remember why Saul was on his way to Damascus? Give them time to answer. Place
the “Saul’s Transformation Timeline” in the center of the circle. Saul was on a tirade after Stephen was
stoned. He rounded up as many people as he could in Jerusalem to put them in jail, and he was ready to
move onto Damascus to continue to find believers and persecute them.
This story works best when it’s acted out, so we’ll need four teams.
When all teams are ready. We will start with team 1. I will be the narrator and read part of the
story aloud while the first team acts out what I’m reading. I’ll let them know when that portion is
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finished, then team 2 will stand up to act out the next part I read aloud. We’ll continue this until
all 4 teams have acted out a portion of the story, and then, we will have a chance to talk about
Saul’s conversion story.
Acts 9:3-30
Team 1:
3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him.4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He
asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and
enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood
speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his
eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For
three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Team 2
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He
answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at
the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen
in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his
sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has
done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who
invoke your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring
my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much
he must suffer for the sake of my name.”17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on
Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that
you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell
from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food,
he regained his strength.
Team 3
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in
the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the
man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for
the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 Saul became increasingly more powerful
and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.
23 After
some time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They
were watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him; 25 but his disciples took him by night
and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Team 4
26 When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for
they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and
described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus
he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking
boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to
kill him.30 When the believers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to
Tarsus.
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Leader: Ok, now that we’ve had a little fun with the story, let’s go back and really start to
understand what happened here. Place the typed readings in the center of the circle. Elect a new
secretary to write in the answers the group decides for the “Saul’s Transformation Timeline.” Fill in the
“Road to Damascus” portion of the worksheet as you go.
Does anyone remember what happened during the first portion of the story? Wait for the youth to
answer
Saul was on his way to Damascus to find disciples of Christ to persecute when he saw a bright light and
heard a voice saying, “Saul, why do you persecute me so?” He was then blinded for three days, and he didn’t
eat or drink.
How does Saul react to the voice he hears? Saul falls to the ground and asks “Who are you Lord?” Who
does he believe is the voice? From his statement, it seems to say that Saul believes the voice is coming
from the Lord/God. What How does Saul’s companions walking with him react to the voice? The
men he was traveling with are confused. They stand speechless, not understanding how a voice could come
out of thin air (without a person nearby). How would you react? Let the youth respond.
Why do you think the response, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…” is so important to Saul?
/ What do you think Jesus means when he says that Saul is persecuting Him? Allow the youth to
answer. The hope is that they understand this: As was discussed in the earlier small group session, Saul
comes from a believe system that is rooted in the Old Testament teachings. He does not believe in Jesus, in
following Jesus, or in any of the new ideology from Jesus’ teachings. To hear from this voice, who Saul
believes is “the Lord” that he is persecuting Jesus makes a huge impact and kicks off the major
transformation of Saul.
What is important about Saul being struck blind? Allow the youth to answer. If we think physically,
we can imagine that Saul is transformed into a helpless, needy person who must rely on the kindness of
others to help him get where he needs to go and do what he wants to do. This is the kind of person Jesus
reached out to. Saul is being pushed into reconsidering his beliefs, and being immediately struck blind forces
him out of his comfort zone and gives him time and space to start to think. If we think metaphorically, this is
where Saul is lost (I once was lost) and being re-made and found again (but now am found…was blind, but
now I see).
Why do you think Saul’s companions did not react in the same way that Saul did? Saul’s companions
did not bow down to the voice, did not become struck blind, did not fast, etc. Their reaction (or lack thereof)
shows us that transformation is a very personal and private act. For outsiders, it can be difficult to
understand and very confusing.
Now, the second part of the story…what happened in this portion?
Ananias sees a vision that tells him to find Saul. He is scared of Saul, but he listens to the vision and lays
hands on Saul. Scales fell from Saul’s eyes, he sees again, and is baptized. He eats once again and regains
the strength he’s lost from days without food or drink.
How does Ananias feel about Saul/Why doesn’t he want to go to Saul? Ananias is a disciple of Christ
living in Damascus. What he knows of Saul is that he is a man who does not believe in Jesus or His teachings
and is ready to persecute and kill those who do believe. Why does he go to lay hands on Saul? Because
his dream shows him that this is what he is to do. Because God has explained to Ananias that Saul is going to
be used to build His kingdom. How would you feel if you were told to go lay hands on Saul because he
(the person who was your enemy) was to be an instrument chosen by God?
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What happens to Saul when Ananias lays hands on him? Ananias explains that the Lord Jesus sent him
to place his hands on Saul so that his sight would be restored and he would be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Then, scales fall from Saul’s eyes, and he can see again. How would you feel if you were Saul? If you
were Ananias?
Why does Saul get baptized? What does his baptism do? The act of being baptized is an outward sign
of our new life in Christ. Through baptism, we are given new birth—we are adopted into grace and
promising our response of faith and love. Saul is made new through his baptism and completes his
transformation into a follower of Jesus Christ.
Ok, let’s move onto the third part of the story. What happened after Saul was baptized?
Saul begins to live out his baptismal vows by preaching about Jesus in Damascus. The people notice who
Saul is and start asking questions about why he’s preaching—because he is the one who came to persecute
the disciples several days ago. As some time passes, Saul becomes more powerful and angers the Jews living
there. The Jews plot to kill Saul, and the disciples in Damascus sneak him out of the city by lowering him in a
basket over the city walls.
Who are the disciples in Damascus? When we talk about “disciples,” we are referring to followers of
Christ. So, these are the believers living in Damascus. How do people know who Saul is; how do they
know about his conversion? People knew of Saul because he persecuted a lot of people. They learned
about his conversion when they saw him preaching and proclaiming Jesus all over Damascus.
Why are the Jews angered in Damascus? Since we talked about conversion/transformation being a very
personal act, the Jews didn’t understand the change in Saul and couldn’t believe in what he was preaching
because they hadn’t gone through their own conversion. So, for the same reasons Saul was angered by the
Christ followers, these Jews are angered by Saul—even more so because Saul used to be one of them. The
persecutor is now the persecuted.
How do you think Saul is feeling?
Now, for the last part of our story, what happens here?
Saul escapes to Jerusalem, where he goes to the Disciples to explain his conversion, be validated (yes, it’s true
that you’ve been changed by God), and join their church and movement. They are afraid of him, but
Barnabas explains about Saul’s conversion and what he has seen him doing and saying. Saul goes out into
Jerusalem to proclaim the news of Jesus, but they, too, got angry and plotted to kill him. He moved to
different cities to get away (Caesarea and eventually Tarsus).
Who are the disciples in Jerusalem? These were the disciples that weren’t pushed out when the
persecution began. Yes, they are followers of Christ, but they are also some of the main teachers and
preachers. These were people who had a spiritual or physical encounter with Jesus in their lives. If you
were these disciples, how would you feel about Saul right now? How did they feel at first? They
were scared of him. They didn’t believe that he was changed. They had to have one of their disciples retell
Saul’s story before they accepted him. Do you think you would have changed your mind about Saul
when you heard one of your friends (Barnabas) talk about him and his story? Why/why not?
How would you be feeling if you were Saul and had to move onto four different places because of
your preaching? Would you doubt God? Would you continue to preach and be so outspoken?
How would you feel about moving so much?
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Ask if there are any questions and work to address them. The next lesson will pick up with Saul, so some
questions may be pushed back to the next small group session.
We’ll pick things up with Saul in our next small group session. For now, I’d like us to finish up
with a word of prayer.
Finish with prayer. Ask if there is anyone in the group who would like to pray.
If there is no volunteer, pray together using this outline:
I will begin a sentence and I want the group to say a word to finish that sentence. Its ok if we all
respond with different words for the same sentence. After we’ve moved through all of the
sentences, we’ll finish by all saying “Amen.”
For example, I might read, “Black converted into __________.” And, we might all respond by saying….
(let the youth think of responses that they’d say aloud after you read the statement).
Lord we pray that…
Hate is converted into _________________________________.
War is converted into ____________________________________.
Despair is converted into _______________________________.
Anger is converted into _________________________________.
And all God’s children said, “Amen.”
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Session 3: Renamed
Items you’ll need for this session:
 Bible passages (Acts 13:9; Jeremiah 29:11)
 Crayons
 Pens/pencils
 Stacks of sticky notes
 One piece of cardstock per person
 “Re-naming” sheets
Leader: Welcome back to our small group! Traditionally, we start off our small group time with
an activity for the group to do together, but this small group session is going to be a little different.
First, let’s finish up the Saul story. We know that Saul turns into Paul, but the last time we heard
from him, he was still going by “Saul.” We haven’t yet had that name change. Lay the Acts 13:9
passage down in the center of the circle.
So, here’s the name change. That’s all that it takes. One small passage from Acts 13:9 that says,…
Acts 13:9
“9 But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him…”
We hear about Saul’s new name, Paul, well after his conversion in Damascus, and it’s not even
built up to be that important. It’s written down as an after-thought…oh, by the way, his name from
now on is Paul. And, he just so happens to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Let’s just take this a bit
slower and figure out what this short little verse means.
Why does Saul/Paul receive a new name? What does a new name symbolize?
Take time for the youth to think about and answer. Receiving a new name shows the huge transformation
that Saul/Paul has gone through. It is as if Saul has become a whole new person, and therefore, needs a new
name to show his re-birth into a life of discipleship. When you are born, you are given a name. His new
name symbolizes a new life.
Why isn’t it a bigger deal in the Bible? Why not make it more dramatic and important if it’s such a
huge deal?
Just as we talked about previously when Saul was blinded and converted; the conversion/transformation
process is a very personal and internal one. There is no way for people to know that you’ve changed until
your internal changes are transferred to external changes—the way that you act, the way you speak, how
you respond, etc. The real dramatic and important focus of the story was, and should be, the way that Saul
changed outwardly after encountering Jesus/God. The name-change is just the” icing on the cake.” It is
important, because it shows that Jesus causes us to change, but it is the last step in this process of change.
Pause to see if the youth have any questions about Saul/Paul’s name.
Now, let’s move onto the second important piece in this short verse. It says that Paul is “filled with
the Holy Spirit.” Can anyone define what the Holy Spirit is? Give the youth some time to answer. It
may be that the whole group can come up with a definition. If they have a grasp of what the Holy Spirit is,
it’s not completely necessary to move into the Pentecost story. The youth should understand that the Holy
Spirit is the presence of God within us. He is present and active in daily life because the Spirit, the power, is
within us and supporting us as we act out of His love and Word today. Even though God and Jesus are no
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longer fully in the world, we have an intercessor sent by God. Because Jesus is no longer in human form to be
with us, He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us, to empower us, to be God’s light and love—made human
once again through us.
Leader: So, the second really important thing that this short passage tells us is that the Holy
Spirit, God, Jesus, changes us. If we encounter Jesus, then we will never be the same—we will be a
whole new person who is constantly growing and being shaped by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Just like Paul is a whole new person, so are we.
ReNamed
Leader: We’ve spent a lot of time this weekend already talking about the different names we
receive from society, friends, family, teachers, enemies, etc. Each of us came into this weekend
with a variety of different and ugly names. In our first session, we were honest about those names
and how they make us feel. Saul began his journey with a whole lot of awful names just like us,
but God had a whole new story, a whole new name to give Him. He had plans for Saul that he
couldn’t even imagine.
Does anyone know what our Bible passage for this whole weekend is? Give the youth time to
answer.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD…."plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
God knows who you are. He knew you before you were born. He helped mold you and make you.
He knows every hair on your head and every cell in your body. All of the names that you call
yourself, all of the names that others call you, mean nothing to Him, because He knows who you
are now and who He made you to be.
I know we’ll never truly be able to see like God does, but I think we’ve gotten to know each other
pretty well here in our small groups. I think we’re able to see each other much more clearly than
when our journey at Youth Strike began. So, we’re going to spend some time together thinking
and looking at each other through God’s eyes. Each of you will get a stack of sticky notes and a
pen/pencil/crayon. Use these notes and writing utensils to take a look at each of the people in our
small group. Try to look at them through God’s eyes, and as you do, write down what you think
God sees when He looks at them. Write down how God would define them. Try to write down one
new name or adjective for each person, but you can do more than one if you want. As you write
down one name per sticky note, go up to that person and stick it to their arms or legs.
Give each of the youth a small stack of sticky notes and a pen/pencil/crayon. Spend 5-7 minutes doing
this activity. By the end of the time, each youth should have a small stack of sticky notes to collect from
themselves. Have them each collect their notes and take a look at them.
Leader: I want us each to think about all the names we had when we came to Youth Strike. Now
compare them to all the names or descriptions that you’ve just received. The truth is that you
probably haven’t changed as drastically as Saul has changed over the course of the weekend—
although it is possible. The real truth is that those ugly names that we had when we came into this
weekend are ones that we hold onto and think are true. But, these are the names that the Holy
Spirit, that God, wants to drive away from your memory, because He knows who you are. He
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knows what His plans are for you, and he’s ready to live in you, change you, and empower you to
change the world.
So, we’re going to take all of this one step further. We’re actually going to take the time to rename each other like Saul was renamed Paul. We want you to leave a completely different
person—renamed and reclaimed by God.
Distribute a piece of cardstock to each youth and place a variety of crayons in the center of the circle.
Have the youth fold the cardstock in half (hotdog style) and then in half again so that there are four
columns created. Eventually, these will be used to create a nametag by folding the two last columns
under and creating a triangle tent.
Name
meaning
New name
Also place the “Re-Naming” sheets in the center of the circle so that the whole group can see a sheet.
We’re going to go around the circle one-by-one to talk and decide on a new name for each person.
In the center of the circle, I put crayons and several “Re-Naming” sheets—this sheet many
different names with their meanings. We’ll start with one person, decide as a group which new
name best fits them, and then create a nametag for them with their new name on one side and the
meaning of that name on the opposite side.
Go around the circle. Start with one person, have the group talk about which new name to give the
person, and have them finalize their decision with a vote. Have a member of the group write their new
name and the meaning of it on their nametag tent. Hand the person who has just been renamed the
nametag tent and say….
Leader: ______(renamed person)_____________, we re-name you ________(new name)______________. You are
changed and remade by God. May he hold you, keep you, and uplift you as you continue on your
journey to become who he calls you to be.
When you finish the circle and renaming, have everyone stand together holding hands in a circle. Keep
your eyes open as you say this to them:
You are all made in the image of Christ. You are all worthy, loved, claimed, and changed by God.
He is at work in each of you. He is at work in the world through each of you. I pray that your name
gives you strength, fortifies you, and gives you hope as you continue to fight off those ugly names
and hold onto who and how God sees and knows you to be. Amen.
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Session 4: Making Disciples
Items you’ll need for this session:
 “Web of Discipleship” Supplies (1 yellow strip of paper, many white strips of paper, tape)
 Bible passages (Acts 11:25-26; Acts 13:1-5; Acts 13:49-52)
 Crayons
 Pens/pencils
 “Saul’s Transformation Timeline” worksheet
 “Saul’s/Paul’s Life” papers
 Youth Strike for Christ surveys
The Web of Discipleship
Leader: We’re starting off with an activity for the whole group to do. It’s called “The Web of
Discipleship.” We’ll first begin with Christ, which is symbolized by this yellow strip of paper. He is
infinite—no beginning, no end—a perfect and unending circle, so we’ll make a loop and tape it
together to create a ring out of the paper. Make the loop as large as you can.
Now, let’s say that one person had a life-changing experience with God on a road. He was so lost
and so blind, but on this road, the Spirit found him, gave him sight, and sent him off a new man.
Thread one white strip of paper through the center yellow ring and tape the ends of the white strip
together to make two joined loops of paper.
Well, that man went and preached in town, and just two people out of the whole town saw the
light of Jesus in him. So, they came up to him, asked him some questions, were mentored by him,
and eventually became believers too. Have the youth take two strips of paper and loop them both
through the white loop already connected to the yellow loop.
Before we continue on with these followers, there were two brothers were fishing in their boat.
When they looked up, Jesus told them to come and follow him. They followed and were forever
changed. Let’s add two more white loops off of the yellow center one.
Continue to create loops off of each other. Try to get twelve loops coming off the center yellow one. For
each person/loop, assume that they create two disciples. See how far and wide the web of discipleship
travels.
Leader: Our last session is named “Making Disciples.” This web was a very simplified version of
how discipleship works, right? In a perfect world, all the loops would connect to the source—the
yellow loop—but, this does a great job of showing how vast the kingdom of God can be. Even if in
your life you touch just two people, and lead two people to the light of Christ, that can translate to
hundreds and thousands as they continue to pass on the Word.
This whole weekend has been about the Saul to Paul transformation. We started talking about
who Saul was, what happened to cause a change, Saul being renamed to Paul. We’ve all gone
through some of our own transformations. So, now we’re left with one more piece—who is Paul
now and what does that mean for our own conversions and our own life?
Take out the “Saul’s Transformation Timeline” worksheet and find one final secretary to fill it in. As you
talk throughout the rest of the lesson, have them fill in the group’s answers.
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The whole rest of the book of Acts is filled with the travels, missions, events, and activities Paul
does after he is transformed. In fact, historians believe that Paul wrote 13 of the 27 New
Testament books after his Road to Damascus experience! We will read a couple passages, and we
have a quick timeline of Saul/Paul’s life I’ll put here in the center of the circle, but I encourage you
to look up on your own all that Paul did and wrote.
Place the “Saul/Paul’s Life” sheet in the center of the circle.
Our first reading is from Acts 11:25-26. Is there a volunteer to help me read this?
Acts 11:25-26
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to
Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it
was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”
There is a lot of information with the church in Antioch, so you are more than welcome to go home
and ask your leaders about it and study it. For now, we’ll focus on what Barnabas and Saul/Paul
did with that church. So, what happens in this passage?
Allow youth to answer. Barnabas reaches out to Saul/Paul and brings him to Antioch. They spend a year
meeting and teaching. It is here that the name “Christian” is created.
In this passage it’s important to note that Barnabas reaches out to Saul. Why do you think this is?
Allow youth to answer. Barnabas was the one who helped the disciples see and accept the transformed
Saul/Paul. It seems that now, Barnabas is reaching out to help disciple and mentor him so that he can go,
mentor, and make disciples on his own.
Did you or do you have a mentor (or several mentors) in your life who have helped bring you to
church, teach you, and walk with you on your journey? Why is it important to have mentors? Is
there a way that we can be mentors for others? Talk a bit more with the youth about this. If the youth
don’t have a mentor, encourage them to think on who they might seek out to help them. How have their
mentors transformed them? Allow them to come up with ideas on how they can mentor others and why
mentoring is important. You can tie this back to the opening game—how fast something can spread
through just one person.
Let’s have another person read Acts 13:1-5 for us.
Acts 13: 1-5
1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called
Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. 2 While they were
worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to
which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them
off.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to
Cyprus.5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.
And they had John also to assist them.
What happened in this passage? Have the youth respond. The Holy Spirit asks for Barnabas and Saul to
be sent to different places to proclaim the word of God.
Just three lessons ago, Saul was persecuting and being awful to these same followers. It’s crazy
how fast and completely God can change us! Now, the Holy Spirit is saying that there are even
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more places and people for Saul. His plan is not yet over, and he is using Saul in ways that no one
could ever have imagined. If God can use Saul, imagine what he has in store for you.
And, let’s read what happens when they preach throughout different lands…
Acts 13:49-52
49 Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of
high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and
drove them out of their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to
Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
So, what happens when they preach? Let the youth respond. The word is spread all over, but there are
Jews and high officials who are not happy with what Barnabas and Saul are preaching. They begin to
persecute them and drive them away. Instead of being upset or scared, Barnabas and Saul pick themselves
up, dust themselves off, and move onto the next place with the Holy Spirit alive and well inside them.
There are many other stories about Saul/Paul, as I said before, but stop our readings now and talk
about his travels, mission, and changed life. No matter where he goes or what he does, there is
one thing that Paul always has with him—the Holy Spirit. He teaches the church to reach out to all
people, because all persons need to hear the Good News. He teaches the church about being
missionaries, nurturing people and being mentors for new members. He teaches churches how to
grow. He teaches us all that God has a plan and the Holy Spirit is with us always. No matter if we
are faced with persecution, looked down upon, called names, etc., we have a purpose, we are
chosen by God, and we are to be transformed to go into the world and transform.
Now What?
So, I guess, I am left with one big question for you. How will Youth Strike transform you? What
does all of this mean for you and what will you do? Is God nudging or encouraging you to do
something? How is He transforming you? Let the youth respond. You might have to help encourage
some ideas, but hopefully they begin to see some things they can do at home, in their community, and
throughout the world.
Some other questions you might ponder as a group:
-How might you become a missionary today as Paul was back then? Do you have to travel great
distances and be persecuted against?
-How are you reaching out? To whom are you reaching out?
-Where are the places in your life, your community, your world, to which you are blind? How
might you learn more about these and transform yourself, your views, and others in the process?
Youth Strike for Christ Surveys
At this time, give each youth a Youth Strike Survey and have them fill it out. When they are finished, they
can return these to you. To turn these in, you can leave them in your folder or take them to the
information table after this small group session.
Leader: I have had such an awesome time with you all this weekend! I would love to be able to
pray for us and bless us each as we go into the world as transformed, filled with the Holy Spirit,
and constantly being re-made in order to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Will you pray with
me? Feel free to pray your own prayer.
Holy and precious Lord,
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We thank you so very much for your powerful presence here this weekend. It is my sincerest
hope and prayer that the youth and adults who have gathered for Youth Strike have all been
touched, transformed, and renamed for you. May your Holy Spirit be kindled inside of their
hearts; may it burn so bright that everyone may see and know you are God. Be with us all as we go
forth from this place. Keep us strong in faith, persistent in love, and ever mindful of your plans for
us. Remind us that we are your chosen children tasked to go forth and tell the world about You.
In your heavenly name. Amen.
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