TOPIC: Diversity: Christian recognition that it takes variety of people to make up the world and god’s church.
TIME NEEDED FOR ACTIVITY: 20 MINUTES + DISCUSSION TIME (25-30 minutes)
MATERIALS NEEDED:
1 yardstick/tape measure for every two teams of five
masking/duct tape
ACTIVITY
Divide your group into teams of five (it can work with one group of five). Use masking tape to designate a starting line. Teams should line up behind starting line single file. Explain that the object of the game is to jump from a standing start as far as possible. You must take off and land on two feet. Remain where you land! Have the next person on the team come up where you landed, place his/her toes even with yours and jump from there. Continue to do this until every member of the team has had a chance to jump. Have the last person stay where they landed. Use the yardstick/tape measure to measure how far your team went. Record this score for each team.
One person needs to take the total from each team and figure out the average team distance from the first round. Figure out the average team distance on the second round (if you did a second round). Place ever team’s totals on the black/white board. Indicate the following winning categories:
- Team with longest combined distance round one
- Team with shortest combined distance round one
- Team closest to the first round average
Option: You can have them try a second time.
1 Corinthians 12:5-20(Today’s New International Version) (I like to have all the kids in the group open their Bibles and read this together out loud)
5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
Discussion Questions (Small Group time after activity)
****Always make sure everyone knows each person’s name. Use an ice breaker like having each person state their name and what the best part of their day was….but keep it brief!****
1. How far did your team go the first round? Second time?
2. Which team had the longest distance? Shortest?
3. Which team was closest to the average distance?
4. Did everyone on your team jump the same distance? Why not?
5. Did everyone contribute to the final score?
6. People vary greatly in skill and ability. Is it important to value the contributions of all? Why/Why not?
7. READ SCRIPTURE TOGETHER. Introduce by saying, “The Bible has a lot to contribute to this conversation. Let’s see what God has to say about our various gifts.
8. Why would God value the skills and abilities of all people?
9. What are some ways we act as if we are not One Body?
10. What are some ways we act because we are One Body?
11. According to verse 18, why did God make us One Body with
many parts?
How can we pray for you this week? (Pray together)
