Showstoppers! for 11 to 14s
Showstoppers! is a programme aimed at 5- to 11-year-olds, but you may have some young people who wish to come along to your club. This might especially be the case if they have been to the holiday club in previous years and want to carry on, despite now being too old. The activities here are designed to help you put together a section of the programme specifically for 11- to 14-year-olds. These activities should fit nicely into the Interval part of the programme. However, if you want to involve your young people in helping out with the workshops, games or craft for 5 to 11s, then you could do this material during one of the all together times.
Your 11 to 14s group should have a props box with the same materials as those for the children in the club.
Scene 1: In the ‘gods’
This session uses sound to respond to the story.
Curtains up
What you need
• Animation 1 and Animation 2 from Showstoppers! website or
• Photos or pictures that tell the story of God creating the world
What you do
As this might be the first time your group has met together, have an ice-breaker activity where everyone introduces themselves, talks about their favourite part of creation and gives reasons why they like that particular part of nature.
Watch animation 1 which shows the first four days of creation. Read Genesis 1:1–19 to the group. Talk about the different stages of the creation story and answer any questions.
Allow time for the young people to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation. Watch animation 2 Read Genesis 1:20–31 to the group. Ask the group to think about what it means to be ‘made in God’s image’. Encourage them to think about how this changes the way they think and act. Alternatively, encourage the group to look at the photos you have gathered together as you read Genesis 1:1 – 2:4. Chat together about different thoughts on God’s creation. There may well be differing views, but don’t get too bogged down in discussion about how things were created here. Focus more on the idea that God created the world, it was very good and that he created humans in his likeness to be in relationship with him.
Read the script
What you need
• Adverts cut from magazine and newspapers
• Audio Bible or The Word on the Street
What you do
Look together at the adverts you have brought and decide what it is each advert is promising. Are any of them unrealistic promises?
Listen to Genesis 3 from an audio version of the Bible or use The Word on the Street by Rob Lacey. Divide the young people into groups of three or four and invite them to read the passage for themselves.
Ask them to answer the following questions:
• What did that fruit promise?
• What did it deliver?
• What went wrong?
• What would be different in the world today if Adam and Eve hadn’t given in to temptation?
• Why is it important for us to do what God says?
(Because he is God, he is the One, not us; because he loves justice; because otherwise someone somewhere gets hurt; because it’s a good way of showing how much we love and respect him.)
Gather feedback from the groups. Then have a time of quiet and ask the young people to think again about why it is important for us to do what God says.
Big finish
What you need
• Musical and percussion instruments
• Recording equipment (optional)
• Selection of music and CD player/MP3 player and speakers
Ask the group to think about how soundtracks add to the mood and passion of a film. Ask if anyone has seen a documentary (perhaps a DVD extra) on constructing soundtracks. Can they tell the group how it is done?
Say that together you are going to create a soundtrack to Genesis 3. You could divide up the young people and give them a section of the passage per group (for example, verses 1–7; 8–19; 20; 21–24), work as one large group on the whole passage or challenge each small group to tackle the whole passage. The young people can use any instruments you have or use the recorded music you have provided.
When you have finished, perform the pieces to a reading of the passage as worship. You could record it, if you have the equipment to do so.
Critics’ review
What you need
• Notebooks (one for each young person)
• Pens
What you do
Give each person in the group a notebook and a pen. (You can get notebooks cheaply from supermarkets or many high street shops. Buying ones with a more durable cover may give them a more special feel, encouraging young people to keep them for longer.)
Explain that these notebooks are to give the young people a place where they can reflect each day on what they have discovered and discussed. Give the group five or ten minutes to record any thoughts, questions or comments about the session in their notebooks. Give a few minutes to chat and discuss any of the things that have been written (but don’t press too hard, if the young people have written something personal, but make sure everyone knows that you are available to chat).
Scene 2: In the dressing room
This session uses drama to respond to the story.
Curtains up
What you need
• Resource page 1
What you do
Ask the group to imagine it’s the third round of the FA Cup! Then read out the radio commentary from Resource page 1. (Practise beforehand to capture some of the excitement and tension of the event!)
When you’ve finished, ask how surprised they were to hear that Chelsea had been beaten in the cup. Chat about other places where you might get surprise results, for example elections, the courts, other sports, the X Factor! How do the group feel when they hear about unlikely or surprise winners?
Read the script
What you need
• Resource page 2
• Tape measure or ruler
This session’s Bible passage (1 Samuel 17:1 – 18:5) is a great, captivating story, but before you read it, try to work out the comparative heights of David and Goliath. Mark these on the floor or, if it safe to do so, on the wall of your meeting room. Would any of the group be frightened to have to fight someone as tall as Goliath?
Read aloud the paraphrase of the story from Resource page 2 and discuss these questions. Have Bibles available if young people want to refer to them.
• How had God prepared David for the amazing thing he had to do?
• How easy do you think it was for David to trust God?
•
•
End with this quote. Evangelist J John says David could have had two possible attitudes when he faced the giant Goliath: ‘He’s so big; I’d better run away’ or, ‘He’s so big; how can I miss?’
Big finish
What you need
• Bibles
• Pens and paper, or laptops
• Sound recording equipment (optional)
What you do
Challenge the group to provide a radio commentary on the story of David and Goliath. They could pretend to be sports commentators or radio presenters commentating on a big national occasion. Split the group into pairs or threes and encourage them to work together, picking out all the details that they want to have in their commentary. They should try and include some things that they have learnt during the session, or some things that God has said to them.
Give them some time to do this, and then practise. When everyone is ready, perform the commentaries to the rest of the group, or record them, if you have the equipment.
Critics’ review
What you need
• The young people’s notebooks
• Pens
What you do
Give the group space to respond to what they have heard today in their notebooks. To link in with the rest of the programme, you might want to direct them to think about David and how God equipped him to fight Goliath. David stood up to Goliath and God stood up for him. What does that mean for the young people’s lives?
Scene 3: Under the trapdoor
This session uses craft to respond to the story.
Curtains up
What you need
• Games console and game
• Data projector (if you have a large group)
What you do
Choose an appropriate two-player game. Split the group into two teams and then choose one person from each team to play. Make sure that you choose two people who are confident enough to do this challenge. Explain that each side should cheer on their player. Play the game. (If you have a large group, you could use a data projector to show the game action!)
At the end of the game, award the prize to the winning team. Go on to say that you think it is only fair that you have a rematch. Give the rest of the group members the opportunity to change sides if they wish (so they are cheering on the other person).
Play the game again and award prizes accordingly. After you have finished, discuss why the young people changed sides – were they unhappy supporting someone who lost? How would the group define the term ‘loyalty’?
Read the script
What you need
• Bibles
• Resource page 3
• Any resources needed to make the sound effects
• Resource page 4
What you do
Explain to the group that they are going to find out more about the life of Daniel. Ask the group to come up with suitable sound effects for: whispering, footsteps, door closing, lions roaring, large stone rolling and screams. Explain that you are going to read out excerpts of what happened but that you want them to imagine themselves as Daniel in the situation. Get the group to listen to a Bible reading/retelling and make their sound effects at the right time. You may need to rehearse this a couple of time.
When you have finished, ask the group:
• If you were in Daniel’s situation, how would you have felt?
Split the group into pairs or threes and give each group a copy of Resource page 4. Get each group to choose three words or phrases from the list to describe the advisers who went to the king to get the decree issued and three words to describe Daniel. Discuss these answers.
Ask the group to think of any situations they face, or have faced, where they have to, or have had to choose whether or not they will stay loyal to God. What tempts them to compromise? Get the young people to look again at the list of words and phrases and invite them to choose one word or sentence to describe their ideal attitude towards following God in all situations. Encourage them to discuss these words in their pairs or threes.
Big finish
What you need
• Bibles
• plain T-shirts, scraps of cloth, needles, thread, fabric paints, brushes or
• coloured thread, letter beads
What you do
Depending on the facilities available and the interests of your group, decide whether to create T-shirts or bracelets. Encourage the group to think of something that they have learnt from the story of Daniel, something that God has said to them during this session, and to decide how to show that on a T-shirt or a bracelet.
T-shirts
Ask the young people to decide how to draw or write what they want on their T-shirt. Ideas could include pictures of lions or Daniel praying, or phrases like ‘Follow God no matter what’ or ‘Call and God listens’. Encourage the young people to be as honest as they can with their response. Young people with no church background will have a different response to this story than churched young people. As you work, chat about the story and what the young people have learned. Be ready to share what God has said to you too!
When you have finished and all the T-shirts are dry, have a fashion show!
Bracelets
Ask the young people to think of a word or two which reflects what they have learnt in the session. It could be ‘Trust’, ‘Be faithful’ or God rescues’. Again, young people with no church background will have a different response to this story than churched young people, so be ready to affirm responses that may not be quite what you expected but that are still valid. As you work, chat about the story and what the young people have learned. Be ready to share what God has said to you too!
When you have finished, you could exhibit the bracelets to the rest of the club.
Critics’ review
What you need
• The young people’s notebooks
• Pens
• Copies of SUbmerge (optional – available from www.scriptureunion.org.uk/shop or your local Christian bookshop)
What you do
Give the group space to respond to what they have encountered today. Be ready to chat through any questions the group has and encourage them to be honest as they reflect.
Depending on where your group is at, you might like to challenge them to start reading the Bible more regularly and explore God’s plan in more detail. Scripture Union produces a Bible reading guide for 11- to 14-year-olds, called SUbmerge. Suggesting that they start today means that you can give them support and encouragement over the next two days.
Scene 4: In the wings
This session uses drama to explore the story.
Curtains up
What you need
• Small prize
• Paper and pens
What you do
This short game is designed to get the group thinking about what we make the most of at Christmas time. Divide the young people into pairs or teams. Read out the items below and ask the group to guess how many of each item are bought or eaten in the UK at Christmas:
How many turkeys will get eaten over Christmas? 10 million
How many Christmas trees are sold each year? 6 million
How many Christmas cards are sent? 2 billion
How much is spent on decorations? £600 million
How many mince pies are sold at Christmas time? 35.7 million
How many Brussels sprouts eaten over Christmas? 4 million
How much do we spend on presents? £17 billion