MYF Programs

“Roxanne” Game - Submitted by Mark Bogart

This game is hilarious. First, find the song “Roxanne” by The Police. Next, round up a few bags of large marshmallows and 4 cans of soda. Choose 4 youth to participate in the game and have them sit up front. Here’s where the game gets saucy.

Here are the rules to the game:

Every time they hear the word “Roxanne” the youth have to eat a marshmallow

Every time they hear the words “Put on a red light” the youth have to take a sip of soda

What seems like a simple exercise at first becomes a hilarious melding of chewed up marshmallow goo and soda. Enjoy. (Oh, and bring towels)

WHO WANTS A HAPPY MEAL? - Submitted by Lynell Kennedy

Purchase a couple of McDonalds Happy Meals and bring them to MYF.

You will also need some clear cups and a blender.

Ask for volunteers that would like to eat a Happy Meal. I even had a timer up there so they thought it was just a timed thing – who could eat it the fastest. Once you have them up there, take out the Happy Meal, unwrap the burger, set up the coke with a straw ~ whatever to get them ready.

Then bring out the blender. Put the meals in a blender, blend them up and pour the Happy Meals into the clear glasses. See if anyone can drink it.

Prize could be a gift certificate to McDonalds

Small Group Stuff - Submitted by Sedonia Finstad

Give everyone a copy of Acts 2: 42 – 47. Use different translations.

Group leaders have scripture and questions.

Give group members copy of questions to do alone at end of group time.

The Fellowship of the Believers (acts 2)

Read these verses to the group.

42.They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43.Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44.All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45.Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46.Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47.praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Part 1

community – fellowship of believers

1. The community of believers devoted themselves to what four things?

devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching

devoted themselves to fellowship

devoted themselves to the breaking of bread

devoted themselves to prayer

2. what does it say about believers in verse 44?

3. what do you think they had in common?

4. talk about verse 45. what’s one good reason for possessions and stuff?

5. The believers did what 7 things each day? (46 – 47)

6. How did The Lord bless the community?

Part 2 (hand these questions out to group members after group time.)

Seniors/Leaders – give everyone in your group this group of questions to do alone. Tell them to move outside the group a little and quietly answer these questions to themselves.

do I feel like a vital part of a community?

do I learn with others; fellowship with them; eat with them and pray with them?

do I hold onto what we have in common, Christ, more than what we disagree on?

do you give to people in need?

look around the room. Yeah. Look around you. This is your community of believers. Steve, Sedonia, Mark and Carrie care about you. You can count on many people in this room. Some of them can count on you. Know this. Your presence is God’s blessing in our lives.

Get back in your group for prayer and thank God for the people around you.

Small Group Questions on Prayer - Submitted by Carrie Olander

How often do you pray?

Why do you pray?

When you pray do you ever just try to listen to what God is saying to you instead of you talking to Him? Why is this sometimes hard for us to do?

“There is a vast difference between saying prayers and praying.”

-Anonymous

Talk about this quote and whether you think it is true or untrue. What is the difference between saying prayers and praying?

What did Jesus tell us about prayer?

Seniors-see what the group has to say before you get people to read these scriptures.

Get someone to read these verses…aka get some Bibles and get them to look them up.

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Matthew 21:22

What do you think about this verse? Does this mean that if I believe in God and don’t study for a test but ask God to give me an A He will? Talk about what this verse does mean.

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6:5-8

If God knows what we need before we ask Him then why should we pray?

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Talk about this quote and if you think it’s true and what it means.

Drive in Movie - Submitted by Sandra Roberson

This summer on one of our Sunday nights, we hosted a drive-in movie on our parking lot. We had a big screen, but you can probably use a sheet and sold hot dogs, popcorn, candy, and drinks for cheap. It was a huge success! This fall we did one and offered it to our church and community.

Editor's note: For a fun variation of this, take over a large swimming pool and do the same set up and have a "Dive-In Movie". Get cheapo blow up rafts and have fun. The movie, Jaws is a Dive-In classic. Titantic is also fun. Get blocks of ice to float around the pool and figure out how to block the screen during that one nekkid scene.

Hunt for Christ - Submitted by Kelli Griffin

We gather the opening weekend of deer season in full camo. I do a Bible Scavenger hunt around our church. I divide the group into smaller teams. Each team has a different route to take on the scavenger hunt. There is a prise at the end. The adults love this night. They dress in full camo and hide at each destination. Most of them have nerf guns. I also have guys who run around and if they catch a team they have to perform a task...sing a song, do situps, etc Everyone always has a great time.

Polaroid Scavenger Hunt - Submitted by Boyd Goodloe

Poloroid Scavenger Hunt?
Only 10 Poloroid pictures can be turned in per group. Each picture must include one or more   persons from your group and be numbered with point value and additions. Each person from your group pictured will add one point to the picture. Pictures can be taken that combine objects of the hunt" to allow points for more than 10 "objects of the hunt." Whenever multiple "objects of the hunt" are pictured in a single picture points are combined for the objects AND then DOUBLED. Pictures are due at ________ at or before _____ 10pts/min if late.

1. All your group members in a ball pit 50 points

2. All your group in a boat 75 points

3. Members of your group hanging upside down
      from monkey bars/jungle gym 60 points

4. All your members on a boulder 50 points

5. All your members in a vegetable garden 55 points

6. All your members with a live cow or horse (half points for full-size statue) 80 points

7. Members of your group with a real stuffed animal 40 points

8. All your members in a field forming a human pyramid 55 points

9. All your members in a tree (cannot be combined with tree house) 40 points

10. All your members in the form of a cross 40 points

11. Members of your group in a fireman's suit 60 points

12. Members of your group in a shopping cart 40 points

13. Members of your group holding a real live bird
       on finger or arm 75 points

14. Members of your group hugging a Wal-Mart or Target cashier 60 points

15. Members of your group on couch with Starbucks employee 50 points
        (15 bonus points for bringing ____'s favorite drink)

16. Members of your group at/in dryer at laundromat 60 points

17. Members of your group with a church clergyperson 50 points

18. Members of your group in storefront display window 80 points

19. Members of your group by a public clock showing time 50 points

20. Members of your group in a tree house 55 points

Subtle Differences - Submitted by Luke Glomski

Since I have a small group (Mid and Sr. Highers), this worked well because they are pretty layed back; don't have to be moving around all of the time!!! Actually, this program is like the form of a sm. group Bible Study.

Open up in prayer.
(According to the size of your group, it probably is a good idea to break the Freshman from the Sophomores and so on...because of the different level responses.

When you have them in groups, start off with your regular icebreaker. Then ask them, What is a subtle difference to you?" Tell them to reflect on the question while you watch a power point show in which you are given two identical-looking photographs to desipher from at the same time. Within each set there are three differences that you will want to see if your youth can pick out. Give them some time at first; they are really hidden. After you have gotten through all 6 sets and there differences (given that you are getting feedback from your youth) go back to the question "What is/are subtle difference(s)?" Google definitions gives this definition of Subtle: "Sly in design; artful; cunning; insinuating;
Cunningly devised;
Characterized by refinement and niceness in drawing distinctions; nicely discriminating."

Then ask your youth: "Do you think that there are Subtle Differences between humans and God?" (The answer is obviously no but it will spark some thought-provoking conversation.) For thought: God is Divine perfect and immune from temptation; Humans are mortal not perfect (by their free will) and are vulnerable to temptation.

A few scriptures to use. Use these as you are talking with your youth: Psalm 90:11-14 (God's power and human power); Ezekiel 45:13-25 ("offerings" in the form of commands from the Lord); Mark 9:33-37 (Christ's Twelve arguing over who should be #1).