Although parents and legal guardians make big choices for our middle schoolers, such as where they live or which schools they go to, our middle schoolers frequently make decisions that feel just as big. Every day, they are presented with different options and paths to choose from. Choosing wisely is key.
In this series, middle schoolers explore and reflect on the choices they make regarding time, people, actions, and, ultimately, themselves. They’ll also discuss what God’s hope is for their lives within these choices, how to discern the choices that best image God’s love, and the intentionality and care Jesus followers need when making such choices.
Details:
$75.00
Week 1—How do you spend your time?
This week, you and your group will discuss how we choose to spend our time. You’ll take a look at the work of Tibetan Buddhist monks who create a sand mandala and destroy it within moments of its completion, reflecting on the importance of presence rather than results. You’ll carry on with this idea by looking at the story of the Prodigal Son, who unwisely used his time searching for worldly treasures when he could’ve been sitting at the feet and in the arms of his loving father the whole time. The hope for your middle schoolers is that they learn to spend their time in the present moment rather than chasing results or earthly treasure. But rather choosing to spend their time being where their feet are, which more often than not, is right where God is.
Scripture—Luke 15:11-24 (NRSV)
Week 2—How do you choose your people?
This week, you’ll explore with your middle schoolers how to choose who your people are. How do we choose our community? Who do we spend the most time with, and how do they make us feel? How do these people impact or influence what we say, what we do, and what we like, and how does this align (or not align) with God’s will for us? Through a disorienting dilemma based on judgment and assumptions, and through the story of the Good Samaritan, you’ll discuss with your group the importance of choosing community and choosing it well.
Scripture—Luke 10:25-37 NRSV, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
Week 3—How do you choose your actions?
This week, you’ll discuss how we choose our actions. Do we act from a place of selflessness or selfishness? Impulsivity or intentionality? Carefulness or carelessness? Ultimately, your group will explore the idea of choosing the actions that draw us or others closer to Christ. In this lesson, you’ll begin with a disorienting dilemma that gets to the core of our “Why” we do the things we do, and continue with a discussion on Peter walking on water. During today’s reflections and discussions, the hope is that your middle schoolers leave wanting to walk through the world with a little more intention and care, realizing that this intention and care model the work and life of Jesus.
Scripture—Romans 7:15-20
Week 4—How do we choose who we are?
In this final session, students will wrestle with one of the most important questions of adolescence: Who am I, and who is God calling me to be? The world constantly tries to put middle schoolers in boxes based on appearance, interests, and cultural expectations. The goal of his lesson is to push back on those ideas. Beginning with a disorienting dilemma where students identify the puzzle pieces that make up who they are, they’ll confront the pressure to shrink themselves to fit someone else’s expectations. As the session unfolds, they’ll explore how their choices about time, relationships, and actions reflect their identity, and they’ll be invited to discern who God says they are. The goal is simple and significant: students leave knowing they are Children of God—and that’s a box worth living into.
Scripture—1 John 3: 1-3
Holy Disruptions series are designed to delve into the unique experiences of today’s youth, spark deep theological reflection, and foster transformative discussions. Our three-part methodology empowers students to align with God’s vision and desires for the world.
Facilitate a disorienting experience – where students are most receptive to growth.
Invite students to investigate their reaction to the disorienting moment.
Ask students to explore what God says about it.
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