| TheSource4YM.com | |
 | Jonathan’s Resource Ezine |
Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
| In This Issue |
- Something You Can Use: Great Icebreakers-Saran Wrap Sandwich, Saran Inchworm, Battle of the Nuts, Fish Bat …
- New Video Clip Discussion Ideas You Can Use: New Discussion Starters from Bruce Almighty, Spiderman II, Spy Kids 3D …
- New Movie Reviews: Kicking and Screaming, Kingdom of Heaven, Sin City, In Good Company, National Treasure, Sideways, Spanglish …
- An Opportunity in Phoenix, AZ: Jonathan is in the Phoenix Area this July. Are You Looking for a Speaker? No Travel Costs!
- Jonathan Training in the Greater Phoenix Area: Pre-register for Jonathan’s “Reaching the Unchurched” all-day training workshop for only $10
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| Something You Can Use: Great Icebreakers-Saran Wrap Sandwich, Saran Inchworm, Battle of the Nuts, Fish Bat … |
Looking for some fun icebreakers that bring a good laugh? Most youth groups like activities that break the ice and make kids laugh. Here are a few new creative ideas that people added to our GAMES & ICEBREAKERS page. Whether or not you like games … these icebreakers are good entertainment for the entire group:
SARAN WRAP SANDWICH: Divide into teams of three. Each team selects the lightest person to be the “sandwich.” He/she stands with feet together, arms down by their side. Give each team a roll of Saran Wrap to wrap their “sandwich” from feet to shoulders until the roll is gone. The wrapped sandwich is carried to the end of the room, set on their feet, and cheered on as they try to escape. The first person to unwrap themselves and run back to the original starting place wins.
Play funny, game show music and award a new box of Saran Wrap for the winner to take home to their mother.
Added by Big Daddy
SARAN INCHWORM: Wrap up two or more people in Saran Wrap so they can’t move their limbs at all. (Do not wrap their face! Duh!) Lie them down on the floor in the back of the room. When you say “go,” they must “inch” to a designated point, usually the front of the room, where they will have a banana fed to them by a friend (no hands of course, because they are Saran’d to their side). Hilarious to watch.
BATTLE OF THE NUTS: Messy but simple game for groups under 50. Get a few bags of peanuts in the shell. Give every student one peanut. Have them go around and challenge each other to a BATTLE of the NUTS by simply pressing their peanuts up against each other until one of them breaks the shell. The student with their peanut still intact in their shell is the winner. When there are only two kids left standing, have them come up and battle to the finish! Play energetic music in the background.
Added by Jay Kim
FISH BAT: Choose 5 contestants to be batters. Make everyone else bunch up in a group about ten yards away from your batters. Pitch a fish. Yep … a fish. A nice dead trout from the corner market will do. (Get a few … they don’t last very long. And don’t use live fish, it’s sure to bring complaints!)
The batter who hits it the farthest wins a prize. The guts and a lot of other gross stuff go all over the group. The person who catches the fish in the group also wins a prize. Absolutely hilarious.
Added by Justin Chapman
GAMES AND ICEBREAKERS PAGE
| New Video Clip Discussion Ideas You Can Use: New Discussion Starters from Bruce Almighty, Spiderman II, Spy Kids 3D … |
Looking for a creative way to kick off discussion? Have you checked out our VIDEO CLIP IDEAS page?
Our VIDEO CLIP IDEAS page has new discussion starters from videos on the New Release Wall of your local video store. In the last month we added a new discussion starter from Bruce Almighty, Spiderman II, and Spy Kids 3D. Here’s the Bruce Almighty discussion starter:
- BRUCE ALMIGHTY: Pain With Purpose
- See the bigger picture…look down the road a year or two and think about how this will shape you and what you can do to grow through this.
- Keep a journal of what you’re going through, writing down what God is doing in you.
- Ask a mature believer to pray for you and ask you how you’re doing now and then.)
Main Point: This clip from Deleted Scenes on the Bonus Features of the DVD Bruce Almighty will be a funny jumpstart to a discussion on “pain with purpose” – helping students recognize God’s hand in their lives, even when bad things happen. (Possible sub point: Prayer – Be careful what you ask for…you just might get it.)
Attention Grabber: Bruce Almighty, 2002 (Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston) PG-13.
Plot Summary: A guy who complains about God too often is given almighty powers to teach him how difficult it is to run the world.
Large Group Intro: Whenever you’re trying to meet a huge goal or struggling through a tough time, there’s always someone who quotes some clich? like, “No pain, no gain!” Don’t you just feel like smacking those people! Seriously, tonight we’re going to explore “pain with purpose.”
Introduce and show clip now, before you break up into small groups.
On the DVD, cue up Deleted Scenes (Bonus Features), fast forward to about No. 10 “Answering Prayers.” These deleted scenes are similar but much more involved than in the actual movie. First, we see a montage of answered prayers, such as chubby Philbert in gym class, who is picked on, asks, “Oh, God, please help me.” Bruce replies, “Don’t worry Philbert. Help is on the way,” then gives him supernatural power to climb the gym rope faster than anyone. Next, we see a lady named Esther about to go bankrupt. Bruce causes her to slip on milk in the grocery store and a lawyer happens to be right there to assist her. Then follows a couple of other comical situations in which people have their self-centered prayers answered.
Next we see God showing Bruce the long-term impact of all these people having their prayers answered – not always for the best.
KEY LINES:
Bruce: There were so many…I just gave them all what they wanted.
God: Yeah. Since when does anyone have a clue about what they want. Remember Philbert?
Bruce: Yeah, Philbert…what’s gotten into him?
God: Brilliant young man. He was gonna be a great poet. The soul of his work would’ve been built around his childhood pain. Now he’s headed for a career as a professional wrestler. He will eventually test positive for steroids and end up managing a muffin shop.
Bruce: Wow, that’s a disappointment.
God: He got what he prayed for. Esther Maha…(scene cuts to Esther’s living room). I love Esther. Esther was bankrupt. She was gonna have to eat her pride and call her sister. That would’ve gotten the two of them together again. Instead she bought a condo in South Florida.
Bruce: Are there gonna be a lot of these?
God: Just one more.
Bruce: Hey, that’s Lance Armstrong. He won the Tour de France 4 or 5 times in a row.
God: Overcame a lot to do it, too.
Bruce: I didn’t …
God: No, that was Me…and him. (This exchange refers to Lance getting cancer between races.) You see Bruce, triumph is born out of struggle. Faith is the alchemist. If you want to paint pictures like this, you have to use some dark colors.
STOP here.
Break up into small groups.
Discussion Questions: (For quick basics of small group leading, CLICK HERE.)
1. In those scenes, what happened when Bruce, using “God’s power,” helped those people out?
2. What would have happened if he hadn’t helped Philbert? How about Esther (the elderly lady)?
3. Why would we sometimes rather receive help getting out of a tough situation than endure it? (Because it’s frustrating, hard work, and sometimes painful.)
Read this scripture:
James 1.2-4 (NIV) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.4. According to these verses, how should we view tough or painful circumstances and why?
5. How is this possible? How can we “consider it pure joy” or as another Bible version puts it, “let it be an opportunity for joy?”
6. How does God look at us and our trials as we go through them? (According to the verse we read, our faith, ability to persevere, and become mature is important to Him – that’s pain with purpose!)
7. What can you do during a tough time to keep your head and heart together, as well as stay close to God? (Leaders, let students brainstorm ideas before you share your pearls of wisdom. Here are a couple of suggestions besides pray and read your Bible (still valid after Sunday School) if they don’t come up:
Wrap-up: (Leaders: Play a worship CD conducive to prayer and reflection for your wrap-up. Share a personal story from a tough time in your life when God really came through for you – not so much in what He did for you – though that may be part of your story – but more so, what He did in you at the time. Encourage your group with the assurance of God’s continual presence-even during tough times-and His love for them.)
As we close, I want us to go around the circle and, if you’re going through a tough time for any reason, share what you’re comfortable sharing, and we’re going to pray for each other.
| New Movie Reviews: Kicking and Screaming, Kingdom of Heaven, Sin City, In Good Company, National Treasure, Sideways, Spanglish … |
Ever looking for a movie to watch and you don’t have a clue? Our new MOVIE REVIEW page brings you Jonathan’s “two cents” about select films … from the perspective of a youth worker and a parent.
Check out reviews of films now in theatres like KICKING AND SCREAMING (see it), KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (wait for rental), SIN CITY (don’t see it) … and watch for new reviews soon on the new STAR WARS film (released this week) and the fantastic new Ron Howard film with Russell Crowe called CINDERELLA MAN, probably the best film I’ve seen this year! (released June 3rd)
Or check out reviews of films in the New Release section of your local video store … like IN GOOD COMPANY (skip it), NATIONAL TREASURE (must rent), A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (rent it), SIDEWAYS (skip it), SPANGLISH (rent it) …
ON OUR MOVIE REVIEW PAGE
| An Opportunity in Phoenix, AZ: Jonathan is in the Phoenix Area this July. Are You Looking for a Speaker? No Travel Costs! |
Jonathan is going to be in the Phoenix area from July 20-22 (if he doesn’t spontaneously combust!) If you would like Jonathan to come in and train your leaders, do a training workshop, or speak to your group, this is the time. Don’t worry about travel costs (he’s already there) and pay only half the normal honorarium. Email us for details at speaking@TheSource4YM.com
| Jonathan Training in Phoenix: Pre-register for Jonathan’s “Reaching the Unchurched” all-day training workshop for only $10 |
Youth Specialties/Zondervan recently released Jonathan’s hit new book, DO THEY RUN WHEN THEY SEE YOU COMING? REACHING OUT TO UNCHURCHED TEENAGERS. (CLICK HERE FOR THE BOOK) Bring the training to your city now!CHECK OUT THIS UPCOMING TRAINING-WORKSHOP:
-Chandler, AZ-
July 23rd, Jonathan is doing a Saturday workshop (9AM to 3PM) for youth workers within driving distance of the Phoenix area. If you’re a youth worker, paid or a volunteer, this is for you!
Here’s the details:
WHEN:
- Saturday July 23rd, 9AM to 3PM
- CrossRoads Nazarene Church 2950 W. Ray Rd. Chandler, AZ 85224
- Two choices:
- $20 after July 20th or at the door on the 23rd (includes lunch)
- ONLY $10 if you pre-register before July 20th (includes lunch)
- CONTACT the CrossRoads Church office at (480) 722-0700
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Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.