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ACTIVITIES, STUDIES, DISCUSSION FOR TERRORIST ATTACK With the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon this morning, the Youth & Family Ministry majors and Christian Ministry majors at Midland Lutheran College (Fremont, Nebraska) developed the following activities, studies and discussion questions for congregational leaders to use with their youth groups. We pray they will be useful in helping young people keep Christ as their focus at this time. 1. OPENING - Open with a one-word prayer. Each person offers a prayer that captures where his or her heart is right now, and uses only one word. 2. WHERE ARE YOU TODAY? Identify feelings. Have each person name his or her feelings at the time they heard about the tragedies. Write the feelings on a piece of newsprint or chalkboard. Don't agree or disagree with feelings named, just acknowledge them. 3. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and Luke 22:39-46. Ask what the two scriptures have in common. (Emphasis is on praying always, Jesus prayed in tough times.) 4. HOW COULD GOD LET THIS HAPPEN? Ask youth to suggest why bad things happen even to good people. The following scriptures offer some understanding and suggests our response:
5. Ask youth how they think God might feel right now. Listen carefully to their answers and affirm statements that lift up grace and hope. 6. Use rainbow colored yarn or ribbon to make a bracelet or Bible marker for each person. Remind them that God placed the rainbow in the heavens after a time of great destruction to remind people of the promise of hope. We need to keep this promise before us in uncertain time. 7. HOW DO WE DEAL WITH OUR FEELINGS? Go back to the list of feelings generated earlier. Process feelings. Ask young people to suggest reasons they are feeling the way they are today. Make a list of the reasons. Again, acknowledge without judgment. Be sure to say that it is normal and natural to have strong feelings. It is important to find healthy ways to handle them. 8. Break into small groups to find scriptures that help youth deal with each of the feelings named. Split the list up so that all are covered. Psalms will be a good place to look for human response to the feelings experienced. "Hope to Carry You" by Caedman's Call and "Arms Wide Open" or "Higher" by Creed are three songs you may want to play while groups are working. Share the scriptures found. Be sure to read the reference and the whole scripture so everyone can hear it. 9. WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? Have the whole group read Proverbs 3:5-6 together. If you think everyone might not have the same translation of Bible, print it out and copy it before the group meets. 10. Pray together. Remember the victims and families and friends of those who died or were injured. Pray for peace, safety and security of our own friends and families. Lift up our leaders and petition for God's wisdom as they handle our national response. Pray that we are sensitive to each other's emotions. 11. Work to refine your focus. Read Psalm 46 and Joel 2:12-13. We are called to focus on God right now. 12. Speak about your faith. Our earthly life is fleeting. We don't take relationships for granted. Ask "How will you do things differently than before?" 13. Share your faith with others. 1 Peter 3:13-17 urges us to be ready to speak about the hope that we have. Brainstorm things you can say to peers, to other adults, to neighbors to help them experience God's grace and be encouraged to trust Christ with their lives. IF YOUR GROUP IS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE CELEBRATION IN PALESTINE use this simulation activity. Form two groups and have them debate a non-essential issue. (Green ketchup is better than red ketchup.) Emphasize that you are not trivializing what has happened in the attack, but are trying to help them experience the emotions of two different points of view. Encourage the two sides to try to "win" the debate. After the discussion has gotten intense, stop and ask each person to name feelings they are experiencing. How would they describe the people on the other side. Read Romans 12:9-21. Remind youth that Jesus died for all, and calls us to treat even our enemies with love.
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