eZine 02.04.2003

TheSource4YM.com
	Jonathan’s Resource Ezine

Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, February 4, 2003

In This Issue

• A MOVIE CLIP DISCUSSION STARTER YOU CAN USE THIS WEEK. Signs
  
  
• THE HIDEOUS HEAP CONTEST. Rewarding you for being a “poor” youth worker!
  
  

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A MOVIE CLIP DISCUSSION STARTER YOU CAN USE THIS WEEK. Signs

Tragedy yanks us out of our comfort zone and leaves us with nothing to grasp but our faith and hopes. If we have no faith and don’t truly hope . . . then tragedy brings emptiness. The movie SIGNS, recently released on video and DVD, raises excellent questions about what we cling to when tragedy strikes. This thought-provoking film, starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, may look like just another movie about visitors from outer space . . . but it’s much deeper than that.

The film follows a small farming family in Bucks County Pennsylvania that wakes up to find 500 foot crop circles in their backyard. Soon crop circles are appearing all over the world along with sightings of extra-terrestrial beings. Finally the news shows 14 lights in the sky- most likely UFO’s. The question arises, “Is this the end of the world?”

The Hess family, having recently lost their mother in an auto accident, is once again faced with fear and who to turn to during these times of tragedy. Ever since the loss of his wife, Graham (Mel Gibson) doubts whether there is a God at all. Regardless, his family continues to look to him for comfort or a glimpse of hope in this dire situation.

I recommend introducing the film like I did above and then showing a small three minute clip to provoke thought/discussion.

MOVIE CLIP:

Start the clip 40 minutes and 43 seconds into the film (For those of you using DVD players, the clip is in chapter 10, at exactly 40:43. For those of you using a video tape, zero the tape at the beginning of the film at the black screen just before the Touchstone pictures logo and cue it up to the appropriate time. The clip starts right after the little boy puts the tape in the VCR to record the news.) The clip starts with the Hess family on the couch watching the news.

NEWSCASTER: (voice on T.V) You are seeing a live feed from our affiliat down in Mexico City . . . What you’re seeing is real. It’s unbelievable. Everything they wrote in science books is about to change!

After an evening of silence in front of the TV, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) finally turns to his brother Graham (Mel Gibson) and asks a question.

Merrill: Some people are probably thinking this is the end of the world.

Graham: That’s true.

Merrill: Do you think it could be?

Graham: Yes.

Merrill: (Pausing, and thinking about what he just said) How can you say that?

Graham: That’s not the answer you wanted?

Merrill: Can you pretend to be like you used to be? Give me some comfort.

Graham: People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign . . . evidence that there is someone up there watching out for them.

Group number two sees it just as pure lucky- happy turn of chance. I’m sure that the people in group number two are looking at those 14 lights in a very suspicious way. For them- this situation is a 50/50. It could be bad. It could be good. But deep down they feel that whatever happens . . .they’re on their own. That fills them with fear. Yeah. There are those people.

But there’s a whole lot of people in group number one and they see those 14 lights and they’re looking at a miracle. And deep down they feel that whatever’s going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. And what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that see’s signs or sees miracles. Or do you believe people just get lucky? Or look at the question this way. Is it possible that there are no coincidences?

This a good place to stop the scene on a serious note. If you kept the film rolling, the next line by Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) is a comic relief. He tells a funny story and concludes, ” . . . I’m a miracle man!”

Note: This film is an excellent film (although the entire film may be intense for younger audiences). It has the jumps and thrills of some of Hitchcock’s best films along with a well written script, incredible performances, and comic relief throughout. This was one of the better films of 2002.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

The following are sample questions you can use to discuss the film clip. I recommend asking questions in a small group format for more intimacy. If you don’t usually run small groups, check out my quick article on the basics of small groups: https://thesource4ym.com/howdoi/staffhtrasg.asp

1. This family had just come out of one tragedy (loss of their mother) and now was facing a huge tragedy- fear of the end of the world. Share a time that you or your family faced a tragedy or feared something big like this? (Maybe on 9/11, or maybe as the world is creeping towards war.)

2. Share how you reacted to this tragedy or fear of tragedy? (Did it make you wonder about whether there was someone up there watching out for you?)

3. Mel Gibson’s character said that there was two types of people. Group #1 believe someone is up there watching out for them. Group #2 believes they’re alone. Do you know people in each of these groups? Which group do you think handles tragedy better?

4. When tragedy strikes, we often ask deep questions about life or about God. Why is that?

5. If our world were to go to war and there was chaos all around us, which group would you rather be in and why?

SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 119:49-50 (NIV)

Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
[50] My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.

2 Cor. 1:3-7 (NIV)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. [5] For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. [6] If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. [7] And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

WRAP UP:

God is the God of comfort. He not only seeks a relationship with us, he gives us hope and comfort during trying times. When crisis strikes, God will be there for us. We don’t have to wonder if there is “someone there to help us.”

2 Corinthians 2:6 refers to Jesus Christ as our “comfort” and our “salvation.” Not only is Jesus our comfort, but he’s the one who wants to save us. Now that’s comforting!

(You may give a Gospel presentation and an invitation at this point if the time is right.)

FOR MORE MOVIE CLIP IDEAS, CHECK OUTOUR MOVIE ILLUSTRATION PAGE:
https://thesource4ym.com/videoclips/

THE HIDEOUS HEAP CONTEST. Rewarding you for being a “poor” youth worker!

Do you drive a dumpy car? Do you like free stuff? Well . . . you’ll like this!

THE SOURCE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY is putting on its second annual HIDEOUS HEAP CONTEST this February for all youth workers, volunteer or paid, to reward them for driving a hideous heap! And YOUTH SPECIALTIES once again donated some great prizes that you won’t want to miss! Here’s your chance to be rewarded for driving that nasty thing!

We will be giving away the following prizes:

WE ARE GIVING ONE FIRST PLACE PRIZE:
Youth Specialties Ideas Library CD-ROM v.2.0 Use this link to check it out: http://shop.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/YouthSpecialties.storefront/en/HotDeals?link=product&id=239516

WE ARE GIVING THREE SECOND PLACE PRIZES:
Free Admission for you and one staff member to THE CORE– Youth Specialties one day training event in over 100 different cities around the U.S. Use this link to check it out: http://www.youthspecialties.com/thecore/2003/

WE ARE GIVING FIVE THIRD PLACE PRIZES:
Jonathan’s new hit book, THE TOP 12 RESOURCES YOUTH WORKERS WANT. Use this link to check it out: https://thesource4ym.comhttp://www.jonathansresources.com/Books/default.aspx

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Take a picture of your hideous heap. You can use a digital camera or your grandpa’s Polaroid and scan it. We don’t care. Just save the picture as a jpg. (if you don’t know how, call your computer geek friend!)
2. Write a paragraph of 60 words or less informing us of the following: A. What you do in youth ministry (ie: I’m a volunteer Sunday School teacher) B. Where you do ministry (ie: at First Baptist Church in Collinsville, IL) C. A description of your vehicle, explaining why it is a heap.
3. E-mail us your name, phone number, your paragraph, and picture at heap@thesource4ym.com
For more on the HIDEOUS HEAP contest including contest guidelines and a link to pictures of last year’s entries and winning heap, use this link: https://thesource4ym.com/heap2003/heapentries2003.asp

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KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

God Bless,

Jonathan

If you have any other youth ministry ideas you want to share, please email me at jon@thesource4ym.com

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Do you have a speaker for your next camp or retreat?

Check out Jonathan’s speaker page and who’s recommending him!

/speakers/jonathan.aspx

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Jonathan R. McKee
THE SOURCE
for Youth Ministry
https://thesource4ym.com/