CHURCH is what you do! It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way Gather in the gym. Welcome, & introductions, make announcements. For Sponsors: Which way are we moving? 1. What is ONE GREAT DAY  Which Way Are We Moving Work Zone and High Way You may say, I can have a relationship with God without going to Church. I don't need people to tell me what to believe. If I don't want to go, why should anyone make me! I'm old enough to decide for myself what's right or wrong. That may be true, but maturing in the faith comes through fellowship with other believers. This was the case with the first century church. We are all called to join with fellow believers. Getting' right with Jesus happens when we meet to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" or "sharpen" each other. It does not have to be in a church building on Sunday morning. It is possible that some of us may not be able to go to church all the time. We still have a responsibility to do all we can to locate other believers and get together with them. We may need to start something on our own and do our best to help people around us get right with God, so we can grow from there. Getting' right with ME is what is easiest. Here's a quote recently taken from the Internet. "You know all this YOU ARE GOING TO CHURCH NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY is really getting annoying. This is stupid, why should I have to go to church? Why should I have to be good? I am going to do whatever I want, to whoever I want and if you don't like it (I think I will stop right their).............applause please!!!!!!" What do you think about this independent Christian? Pray and Break into Journey Groups Moving In  Work Zone & High Way Church is a Verb  Needed: Handout Say: If you are happy with the status quo of our youth group, you may not like what you hear tonight. My purpose is not to convince you to see this incredible opportunity the same way I do, but to answer your questions as openly and honestly as I can. Even if we don't end up agreeing, hopefully you will understand that our differences are still part of the body of Christ. The "One Great Day" event is intended to make us into a group that does, that lives, and loves as Christ has planned for us. The only problem is that "we" as a youth group are convinced that "I" am what counts and that to participate in something that doesn't benefit "me" right now will not be my choice.  Discuss: Pass out the handout, have different volunteers read one quote at a time. After each quote have a sort discussion about the content. Moving On  Work Zone Me, Myself and I Needed: 60 or so note cards, small stack of paper Pass out 3 note cards to each youth. Have them fine a place in the room that is away from everyone else. Next instruct them to build a house with the cards on a chair that they can place behind them. Give each youth about five sheets of paper. The object of the game is to knock over everyone's house while protecting your own. You can only use the paper to attack another person's house. You may not touch anyone else; otherwise you will be out and must sit down where you are. If your house gets knocked over you may continue to attack others houses as long as you do not touch anyone. The winner is the last house standing.    Play twice then change the rules. Give everyone two minutes to form alliances. Allow teams to form then play and name a group winner. Ask: · How is this game like not going to church? · What happens when you gather in groups? Moving On High Way Where Do You Go To Church? Say: Where do you go to church? Many of you may not like this question, even if you are able to answer it with a specific organization. You know what it means culturally, but it is based on a false premise--that church is something you can go to as in a specific event, location or organized group. Jesus looks at the church quite differently; he didn't talk about it as a place to go to, but a way of living in relationship to him and to other followers of his. Asking where do you go to church is like asking me where I go to Person. How do I answer that? I am a person and where I go a person is. 'Church' is that kind of word. It doesn't identify a location or an institution. It describes a people and how they relate to each other. If we lose sight of that, our understanding of the church will be distorted and we'll miss out on much of its joy. Ask:  · Is Church a place you go on Sundays? · How did Jesus view the church? · How would you describe West Heights UMC and it's relationships. Are You Just Trying to Avoid The Question? Say: If you only apply the term 'church' to weekend gatherings you miss out on what it means to live as the body of Christ. It will give you a false sense of security to think that by attending meetings once a week you are participating in God's church. Conversely, when you hear people talk about 'leaving the church' it seems a drastic measure. If the church is something we are, not someplace we go, how can we leave it unless we abandon Christ himself? if you think only of a specific group as your part of the church, you will only be separated from a host of other brothers and sisters that can help teach you with their life experiences. The idea that those who gather on Sunday mornings to watch a praise concert and listen to a teaching are part of the church and those who do not, are not, would be foreign to Jesus. The issue is not where we are at a given time during the weekend, but how we are living in him and with others all week long. Ask:  ·What does church mean? ·To be the church, what should you be doing? Moving Up Work Zone  Kick the Can Needed: A can Move to the family life center. This old time game can be played anywhere. Set up a jail in the kitchen cove. Pick someone to be "IT." Let IT decide where to place the can. The game is played like tag. Anyone tagged must go to jail. Anyone still free can try to kick the can to free the captives. Once the can is kicked everyone is safe from tagging until the can is set back in it's place. Play until everyone is caught then the first one caught and not freed is the new IT. Play until the last fifteen minutes.  Ask: · When a group gets together and does something is it church? · Played with respect, compassion & include everyone, is it church? Moving Up High Way Regular Fellowship Say: It is human nature to hunger for others in our lives. No one is an island. A group of people may choose to walk together for a bit of their journey by cultivating close friendships and learning how to listen to God. They realize that whatever they know of God's life is just a part, and only the fullest revelation of him is in church. Many people may choose to live outside traditional structures and find not only an ever-deepening relationship with God, but also connections with other believers that run far deeper than they found in the institution. Jesus indicated that whenever two or three people get together focused on him, they would experience the vitality of church life. Please don't make a huge mistake by assuming that fellowship takes place just because you've attended an event together, even regularly, or because you belong to the same organization. Fellowship happens where people share the journey of knowing Jesus together. It consists of service, honest sharing, genuine concern about each other's physical and spiritual well-being. Ask: · Do you think you can learn about God without others around? · How many people does it take to make church? · What must you do to experience fellowship? Moving Out Work Zone & High Way  Why Go To Church? Say: Why go to church? If you claim to follow Jesus, I'm afraid that question misses the point. Be your part, however Jesus calls you and wherever he places you. Not all of us grow in the same environment. It is difficult to fellowship with people who only view church as a two-hour a week dumping ground of forced fellowship. It is difficult to work next to those who depend on their own works of righteousness but who have no compassion for other people. If you gather regularly with a group of believers at a specific time and place and that participation helps you grow closer to Jesus, by all means don't think you have to change. Keep in mind, however, that just gathering is not the church. It is just one of many expressions of it. Church only comes as God connects you with a handful of brothers and sisters with whom you can build close friendships and share the real ups and downs of your journey. Remember, freedom of church is a danger. Some people who leave traditional gatherings end up abusing that freedom to satisfy their own desires and thus miss out on church life altogether. Still others are 'church hoppers', who whip around from one place after another looking for the best opportunity to fulfill their own selfish desires. They are seeking authentic expressions of body life and because they never connect they pay an incredible cost to seek it out. It would be easier just to go with the flow, but once you've tasted living fellowship between passionate believers, it is impossible to settle for anything less. Ask: · What are some ways to be a part of church? · If you only come to church because you have to, what good is it doing you? · Do you need to have a reason for finding church? · Do you believe that "church" is what you do and not where you are? · What would you do if you didn't church on Sundays? · Do you need weekly fellowship? · If you get your "church" from a group that doesn't place Christian fellowship as a priority is that okay? · Do you agree with the statement; "I can do what I want when I want with whoever I want? · Do you see a danger from making only "Me" based choices?  Return to Family Life Center Closing  Work Zone and High Way  Gather in the closing circle. Sum up the lesson&ldots;Pass out the One Great Day packs, go over the directions and remind everyone that we will be collecting money and checking on progress. "Pass the Peace" by saying "I am the body of Christ" (Start it both ways) Do the UMYF Benediction and turn out in to the world.