Children & youth ministry

Space Invaders

Split the group into four groups of six again for this game and you will need water balloons. Have each team form a triangle like a space ship with three in the back, two in the middle, and one in the front. Give each member of the team one water balloon, staying in space ship formation have them begin war with the other teams working as a group to soak the other team while they stay dry. The team that is the driest in the end is the winner. (Suzan Vermeule)

Plugged In and Guided

For this message you need to have a television set up with a Sega or playstation or some other game hooked up and the game set on pause. The scripture basis for this message is Psalm 139: 10, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me tight. Begin by explaining that when playing a video game you have to have a controller for that game plugged in so you can guide the character where he needs to go. You can hold the controller all day long but if it’s not plugged in the character is not going to go anywhere and cannot defend itself against the enemy. Also if it is not plugged in the character has no ability to move or gain any rewards on the game such as extra lives or points. While you are saying this have the controller unplugged with a volunteer trying to make the character move. After you have said all this tell them the only way you can play the game is if you are plugged into the game source and while you are doing that plug in the controller, allow the volunteer time to get some points and overcome one enemy. Close up the message by saying that this is the way we are with the Lord, he wants to guide us but unless we plug into Him we cannot go anywhere. When we are plugged into Him we allow Him to guide us in His will, also we have the power to overcome our enemies. And last but not least we have the chance to gain the reward of His love and eternal life in His kingdom. Are you plugged in?

Bibliography

FunAndGames.com

FunAttic.com

Fun Games for Children’s Ministry Packet

GamesKidsPlay.net

Owensby, Garland. Children’s and Youth Ministry Notes

YouthPastor.com/games

Michael Willburn

Game Night Theme: Enjoy
Icebreaker #1

Paper Roll

This is a good game to begin a meeting with in order to give everyone a chance to get to know one another. Don't tell anybody what is going to happen, but get a roll of toilet paper and tell all those playing not to take too much but to take however much they want. Once all the players have taken the number of sheets they want each has to tell one thing about themselves for every sheet they have.

Source: (http://www.funandgames.org/games.html).—Sent in by AE Hendricks

Icebreaker #2

Find Someone Who...

Needed for this one is a sheet of questions (as many as you like) such as, "Find someone who has visited another country, find someone who had eggs for breakfast," and so on. You are only limited to your imagination. Each person is then given the list, along with a pen, and must get the signature of someone who did whatever each question asks. If you require a different signature for each question, participants will meet as many people as there are questions.

Source:(Catholic Youth Foundation-http://www.catholicyouth.org/icebreakers.htm)

***The questions which will be included for this particular game are:

1. 
   Find someone who is wearing the same color shirt as you.
   
2. 
   Find someone who is in the same grade as you.
   
3. 
   Ask someone their middle name and have them sign their first and middle name in the blank.
   
4. 
   Find someone who has eaten fast food more than once this week.
   
5. 
   Ask someone their favorite hobby—have them sign their name and record their favorite hobby.
   
6. 
   Find someone who has the same favorite food as yourself.
   
7. 
   Find someone who likes to eat pizza for breakfast.
   
8. 
   Find someone who doesn’t like ice cream.
   
9. 
   Find someone and make them say their ABC’s backward.
   

--Also, a rule will be added that each person must not only get each place signed, but must be able to remember the person who signed it as well. They can’t have one person’s signature more than once.

Icebreaker #3

Communicating Challenge

This game must be played without anyone talking. Give everyone a number. They have to arrange themselves in numerical order communicating with each other without speaking or holding up fingers. They make up their own sub-language or sign-language and it often is pretty amusing. Another alternative is to have people arrange themselves in order of birth or in calendar months

Source: (http://www.funandgames.org/games.html).

Icebreaker #4

Knots

The group will be divided into 3-4 different groups depending on how many are present. Each group should contain 6-15 youth. The group will then stand in a circle and stretch out their hands. They are then to grab two other hands—just can’t be with the same person or someone directly to their right or left. The object of the game is for the group to work together to get untangled and again form a circle without breaking hands. When the first group wins they are to help the other groups get untangled.

Source: (http://www.cay.org.nz/resources.html).

Icebreaker #5

ANIMAL/NUMBER GROUPS

Everyone is instructed to mingle amongst themselves all over the room. Be sure that people don't just stick with the same people the whole time (mix them up). Instruct them that when a number is called out, they need to get into groups the size of the number called (i.e. when a 2 is called; get into groups of 2). After you call out a number, yell an object of some sort (i.e. a number, a letter, a box, etc.) and the groups have to portray that object as a group. Example: if I were to call out "4...rectangle", they would separate into groups of 4 and everyone would lie down on the floor to form a box. You can make the game harder by saying to form something like a tree, or a river. There aren’t any real winners here, just a fun game to mix it up a bit. This game is tested and proven to be very fun and the youth love it.

Source: (http://bradzockoll.tripod.com/youthworker/id1.html). -submitted by Kristopher Loewen, Walla Walla, Washington