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his study plan involves youth in a 12-week group study of Survival Kit. The short-term group plan is designed for new Christians and for Christians who want to grow spiritually through this study. Youth work individually five days of the week. Weekly group-study sessions are based on the youths study during the previous week.
Testimony Outline
1. My Life and Attitudes Before Following Christ 2. How I Realized God Was Speaking to Me 3. How I Became a Christian 4. What Being a Christian Means to Me
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Stage
Excitement
Fight
Doubt
Panic-Search
Silent
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Session 1
ORIENTATION
Session Goal: Youth will work through the introduction to Survival Kit. They will develop a covenant and a prayer-contact chain.
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Display the Survival Kit Blueprint chart (p. 2). Preview the introduction of Survival Kit for Youth. Note the dangers and the five cures and growth agents. The five stages are introduced on pages 6-8 of Survival Kit. During this study, youth will be memorizing one Bible passage each week. Focus attention on the bottom of page 9 in Survival Kit. Inform them that week 1, day 2, they will begin memorizing their first verse. Point out the Scripture memory cards in the center of Survival Kit. When youth begin memorizing a passage, they will cut that card out of their books. Suggest that youth glue an envelope in the back of their Survival Kit to hold the cards. During the next 11 weeks, this group will be vital in the lives of the youth. Group members should be committed to the study and to one another. Lead youth to form a covenant expressing their commitment to the study and to one another. Ask for suggestions of points that should be included in the covenant. Suggest daily work in Survival Kit, helping one another, asking for help, keeping in contact with one another, sharing concerns, and attending all sessions. Facilitate discussion. Determine contents of the covenant. When youth decide, fasten a sheet of newsprint to the wall. Write the covenant on it. Communication among members is essential to keep one another aware of prayer requests, to support and encourage one another, and to keep one another aware of news and events that relate to the group. Lead youth to form a contact chain. Pass a sheet of paper. Ask each youth to list his name and home telephone number. Explain that at the next session each youth will receive a copy of the covenant and the prayer chain. Explain that each week the first person on the list will call the second person on the list, who will in turn call the next, and so on, until the chain is complete. Place yourself at the end of the chain. Instruct group members to select the person to start the chain. Make youth aware of the importance of setting aside a time each day for Bible study, prayer, and meditation. Suggest that each youth decide when and where he will have his daily quiet time. Suggest that each youth write that information inside the front cover of his Survival Kit. Scan pages 10-17. Show youth how to use Survival Kit this week. Instruct youth to use their quiet time on the other two days to prepare for Sunday School and Discipleship Training. Remind youth of this weeks three assignments: (1) Tomorrow, complete the section in Survival Kit for week 1, day 1. Caution members to do only one days exercise at a time. (2) Write a personal testimony. (3) Begin memorizing Scriptures. Close the session by forming a circle. Ask that each youth, one at a time, kneel in the center of the circle while each youth prays aloud for the one who is kneeling.
Session 2
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Session Goal:
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have been the same if Christ had not been controlling your life? Allow time for discussion. Help youth see that Satan does not come in a Halloween costume, obvious to see and refuse. He comes in many forms, subtly catching us. Make assignments for next week: Scripture memory; look for a discovery in Bible study; rewrite and memorize their personal testimonies; prepare a report on their pre-Christian impressions of the words denomination, church, baptism, and holy. Ask youth to join hands and pray silently for one another. Close in prayer.
Session 3
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[leading youth through a 12-week group study]
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trays contain are also symbols. Their purpose is to remind us of something more significant than the juice and the bread themselves. Ask: Do you remember what the juice and the bread symbolize? Allow discussion. Be sure that youth understand the symbolism of the Lords Supper. Lead youth to the baptistry. Ask them to reflect on the feelings that they had as they stood in the baptistry at the time of their baptism. Lead youth to compare those feelings with present feelings as they revisit the baptistry. Be sure to mention that baptism also symbolizes the believers entrance into the body of Christ. Ask: What does it mean to you to be a part of the body of Christ? Allow time for reflection and for sharing. Ask: How does being a part of the body of Christ affect the way you relate to other members of the body? Encourage questions and discussion. Lead youth to quote together Romans 12:4-5. Form a tight circle with arms around one another, creating a group hug. Close with prayer.
Session 4
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Session Goal:
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1 Corinthians 12:18 and then ask youth to say it with you. Assemble on the wall the construction paper body that you prepared in advance. Say: Each part has a special and an important function and is related to each part. Each part is a gift, and the gifts fit the churchs needs. All of the gifts are united to the body, the church, by love. Love should be expressed only to persons. Love of things is idolatry or covetousness. Lead youth to discover the difference between spiritual gifts and talents. Emphasize that we receive talents when we are born and gifts when we are born again. Gifts like love and service may be expressed through our talents for the good of the body. Distribute the sheets of aluminum foil. Ask youth to find in their Bibles Ephesians 4:7,11-13; Romans 12:4-7; and 1 Corinthians 12:28. Lead them to note that these gifts are examples of gifts God gives His people. Ask each youth to use the aluminum foil to make some symbol of one of the gifts, such as a towel for service, a coin for giving, a book for knowledge. After each has explained the symbol, collect the foil symbols. Tell members to give their first reaction to what you are about to do. Squeeze all the symbols into one ball. Try to communicate by your expression that what you are doing is constructivenot destructive. Ask youth to share their reactions to what you have just done. Say: The ball is the church; the gifts make up the church but do not stand out alone; only as a part of the ball (the body, the church) do they have meaning. Gifts are given to individuals to be used in the body of Christ. Ask youth to brainstorm ways that they can serve others in the church. Write the responses on the chalkboard. Add some thoughts that youth may not think about. Say: Keep in mind that this service is from God through us to people. It is not service to things or to institutions. Lead the youth to recite all of the Scripture verses that they have memorized. Form a circle and join hands. Close with prayer.
Session 5
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Session 6
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Session 7
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Ask youth to turn to 1 Peter 1:3-9,13 and find descriptions of salvation past, present, and future in these verses. Ask for volunteers to quote the Scripture passage for the week. Pray for continued spiritual growth.
Session 8
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you the Holy Spirit has. The statement Be filled with the Spirit is about His control in our lives. Ask youth to underline this sentence: And you tremble to think of living your life without His presence being fully in charge of your personality (p. 61). Ask youth to discuss what it means. Review the definition of salvation on page 62. Use the illustration of the transfer of ownership with a title of a car, a deed to a house, and the closing activities in which ownership is transferred. Ask youth to complete page 96 in Survival Kit. Instruct each youth to tear it out and give it to you. Read again Romans 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 10:13, then ask youth to repeat these verses with you. Form a circle and lead the youth in a series of oneword prayers, expressing to God their commitment to His salvation gift.
Session 9
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[leading youth through a 12-week group study]
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determine their religious ideas. They think their faith is proven by what they feel. This is a dangerous way to determine your beliefs. God is with us regardless of our feelings. Call on the enlisted youth to tell the following story of the blind men and the elephant: One blind man was led to the trunk of the elephant and took hold. He said, This animal is round and long and has an open mouth on one end. Another took hold of a leg, and said, Oh, no, this animal is like a tree. Another felt of the tail, and said, You are both wrong; this animal is very small like a snake and has hair at the end. The final blind man argued, as he sat atop the elephant: How wrong can you be; this animal is like a blimp. Ask youth to share examples of times when their senses fooled them. Lead youth to respond to and to discuss this statement: Believe only what you can see or document. Say: Intellect ultimately rests on faith. Can a person see and document emotion, thoughts, ideas, love, electricity, atoms? We live by and accept much that we cannot see and ultimately cannot prove. Ask youth to turn to page 64 in Survival Kit and refer to the chart in which they filled in four sources of authority. Ask them to identify the important distinction in the definitions listed in the chart. (Three sources of authority come from sources that man has determined. The distinctive Christian stance in all religion is: God reveals. It is Gods initiative, choice, and amazing love.) Ask one youth to read aloud Romans 12:1-2. Encourage youth to write the verse in the flyleaf of their Bibles. Close by forming a circle. Ask youth to decide on a blessing from God which would enhance the spiritual growth of the person to their right. Suggest that one at a time each youth turn to that person and say, I pray for you this week Gods blessing of...
Session 10
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Session 11
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Session Goal:
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Session 12
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Join hands. Pray aloud, asking God to continue guiding the youth. Thank Him for them.
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