Children & youth ministry

ICEBREAKERS

1. 
   Movie Pairs
   

Depending on the expected number of students for the evening, think of many pairs of movie characters. These pairs should be ones that would naturally be placed together. Write each name of the pairs on separate sheets of paper. When a student arrives tape the name of a movie character on his/her back. He /she has to find out the character on his/her back by asking the other students questions about the character without asking specifically what the name of the character is. Once the student has discovered the character on his/her back he/she can then proceed to find the matching pair.

2. 
   Movie Scene Trivia
   

This icebreaker is one that is done on PowerPoint. Have the students go to their seats to give them a break from the previous game. On the screens show different still shots of movie scenes, but with the faces of the characters removed. Throw some candy to the first person to yell out the correct movie.

3. 
   Movie Star Reverse-Interview
   

Break the students into 2 or 3 groups. Put brothers and sisters on the same teams. Pass out a sheet of paper to each group and ask each student to list one thing that no one on the other team knows about them. Collect the papers and let the reverse- interview begin. Read off a random answer from one team and the people on the other two teams have to guess who the answer refers to. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. If no one guesses correctly then the team that the answer was from gets the point. Continue on like so. (http://www.pastor2youth.com/mildingames8.html)

4. 
   “Goonies” Treasure
   

Ask every student to pair up with a person of the same sex who has a birthday in the same month. Then have the students run around the room and find the treasure that is hidden somewhere. Play the “Goonies” theme song while the pairs are looking for the treasure. The group that finds the treasure gets to keep it. Make the treasure something good like Little Debbie snacks. As the students are returning to their seats turn off the lights and play the scene from the movie “Goonies” where they find the treasure.

5. 
   Name that Movie
   

Split the students into small groups of 4 to 6 based on their favorite sodas. Record short one or two-liners from movies onto an audio track and play them one at a time for the students. They have to guess what movies these lines are from.

**At this point play some fun movie soundtracks and have the students walk around and talk a little bit and get some popcorn and stuff if they want to.

GAMES

1. 
   “The Fast and The Furious”
   

Divide the students into two teams of equal numbers. To do this have them cross their arms in front of their chest. Those with the right hand on top place in one group and those with the left hand on top place in the other group. Position a medium sized plastic toy car in the middle of the room. The teams can either sit in a BIG circle around this or in two lines down the edges of a playing area. Give the players in each team a number so that they are partnered off with a player of the same number on the opposite team. When their number is called the objective is to grab the car and get it back to their space (or garage) before being tagged by the player with the same number from the opposing team. If players are tagged they must immediately drop the object and the opposing player then must try to get it back to their line without being tagged in return. Players must have the car in their hand to win. A fast action clip (www.FunAndGames.org)

2. Hobbits, Orcs, and Men

This is a team version of the old game of “Paper, Rock, Scissors”, but has funnier actions and noises which each team has to act out. Each of these characters from “The Lord of the Rings” (Hobbits, Orcs, and Men) has a specific action and noise.

Hobbit: Squatting down and placing hands on feet to imitate very large feet while saying “Proud feets!”

Orcs: Standing on tip toe, arms raised in frightening posture making growling roaring sounds.

Men: Standing normal but acting as if using a sword and making sword fighting noises.

As with Paper, Rock, Scissors each character can win against one character or loose against the other. Each team finds a quiet corner and decides on a character to be as a team, after choosing their character each  team stands facing each other with hands behind their backs. On the count of three the whole team acts out their character with the points going to the team that chooses the winning character. If both teams pick the same character there is a draw. (www.FunAndGames.org)

3. “Dumb and Dumber” Snowball Fight

Play the snowball fight scene from “Dumb and Dumber” before the game begins. This will give the students some inspiration.

You'll need white pantyhose and flour to make the snowballs. How many pantyhose depends on your group size (about 1 to 1.5 per person). You take the pantyhose and cut the two legs apart from each other. You take an 8oz paper cup, fill it with flour and put it into the bottom of the pantyhose leg. Then you tie off the pantyhose with two square knots on top off each other, cut the pantyhose in between the knots and you have a snowless snowball. Repeat the process where the knot is still in the leg until you have used it all. You should get about 8 per leg from "queen size" hose.
Now you have snowballs that do not hurt too bad when they hit you and you can use throw them over and over again. With these snowballs you can play any number of games.
One is to have the group break up into two teams with a brave youth leader as the leader, or should I say target for each team. Split the area of play in half and have the leaders positioned a good ways away from each other in a designated place with only a little room to move around (a circle 4ft across is good). Then have the teams try and hit the other team's leader. If a person is hit with a snowball while on the enemies side, they have to drop their snowball and return to their territory. The team that ends up with the leader that has less flour on them is the winner. (www.pastor2youth.com)

4. “Armageddon” Lava Crossing

Divide the group into two teams by asking which students fold their toilet paper and which ones wad it. Give each team 3 “rocks” (construction paper cutouts about 1 ½’ x 1 ½’). Make a start and finish line (about 30 ft. apart) and tell the students that they must get their whole team across without touching the hot lava. They can only use the rocks to get across. They may move the rocks as they go, however, only one foot can be on a rock at a time. (www.pastor2youth.com/mildingames8.html)

5. “Spiderman” Web Tangles

Divide the group into several teams of 5-9 students. Place them in a circle and have them reach across and grab each other’s hands. They cannot grab their own hand and no one can be holding both hands of the same person. Then, they have to un-tangle themselves without letting go. It can always be done so don’t let them give up. (www.pastor2youth.com/mildingames8.html)

6. 
   “. . .and ACTION”
   

Now it is time for the students to do the movie making. Divide the students up into teams of about 8-10. Give each team a sheet of paper with some random words, places, activities, and characters written on it. The students will make their own movie based on what is written on the piece of paper. They can be as creative as they want and add whatever they want to help them create their story line. There needs to be a video camera for each group and a youth sponsor/worker to help assist each group. Send the groups off with their cameras and youth sponsors and give them about 15 minutes to film their movies. You may want to lay out a bunch of weird objects, costumes, and wigs to help them have more fun in making their videos. When the 15 minutes is over bring them all back in and begin the short sermon. When the message is over watch the videos. Make it a real special event and put the videos on the biggest screen (or wall) possible.
TRUE THIRST

Often times things are not what they seem. This is partially what makes movies so much fun. We get the chance to watch exciting events and observe crazy characters that we would not encounter in real life. However, as humans we have the tendency to hide the reality of our lives and instead put up a front, a façade, a “fake character.” Since we are Christians this can eventually prove to be very harmful to the way the people view us. Our friends see us one sometimes, attempting to “act” as Christians, and then at other times watch us completely change into another person (who in no one resembles a Christian). Luckily for the movie industry, movie audiences do not care if the situations they are seeing on the screen are real or not. We, however, do not have that luxury in dealing with our every day lives.

So how do we become real? How do we as Christians insure that we are not just telling people “yeah, I’m a Christian” and then not living that way? Well, just like the director and producer of a movie we have to want it bad enough. When a director sets out to make a movie he no doubt desires that movie to be the best that it can possibly be. He wants success and perfection so bad he can almost taste it. As Christians we must do the same with God. We must want Him with all of our beings. We must truly LOVE him. Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us that we must “Love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart and with all [our] soul and with all [our] strength.” You may be saying “Oh, that’s no problem. I already love the Lord.” This is true, maybe you do. But, do you love him with ALL of who you are? Are you hungry for him? Are you thirsty for him?
ILLUSTRATION: (Have a student begin running back and forth. When he/she gets tired try to give him/her other things to satisfy his/her thirst: candy, coke, dollar bill, apple; finally give him/her water.)

The student knew that he wanted water because he was thirsty. If we truly become thirsty for the Lord then he will give us his water.

TEXT:

Matt. 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.”