CONNECT WEEK
THE ETERNAL CHURCH
LEADER PREPARATION
Lesson Summary:
Note: These lessons are designed to be 30 minutes long. If your club time is shorter than this, we encourage you to be prayerful about parts of this lesson to put more or less emphasis on. If limited on time, we urge you to prioritize Tool Time and summarize Dig In, as Tool Time is what prepares you for sharing the Gospel. As always, let the Holy Spirit guide your leadership.
God is gathering His church in preparation for eternity or a life without end. In our small groups, Bible studies, and communities of faith, He has woven reminders of his promise of eternity.
Main Point
The Church God is building and invites us all to be a part of has an eternal focus where every nation and person worships God together.
Team Roles
Host: This Student Leader will lead the Start Up section of the lesson, helping create a fun environment, making everyone feel welcome and included.
Speaker: This student leader will guide the group in growing deeper in their faith by reading and reflecting on passages of scripture. They will then connect the content to the group’s daily lives by asking practical questions and leading the conversation.
Other Roles: Promo, Welcome, and Follow Up.
Scripture References
Materials Needed
- One Balloon Per Student
(7 minutes)
Welcome everyone and be sure to get the names of any new friends.
Icebreaker Game: Snake 2.0
Supplies Needed: One Balloon Per Student
Game Preparation: Inflate balloons before the game begins.
Ask the two tallest students in your group to come to the front of the room. Hand each of the remaining students an inflated balloon and instruct them to spread out. Once the group is scattered and seated, explain how the two tallest students are now the heads of two snakes and that they will be competing to see who can create the longest tail. To add to their tails, the two “heads” will walk around and place a hand on a seated students balloon.
The seated student will then stand up, keeping one hand on their balloon and the other hand free to add another student to their tail.
If a student drops their balloon, everyone behind them is now disconnected from the tail and free for the other team to steal. The game concludes when every student is a part of a tail.
DIG IN
(5 minutes)
Say: The word “Church” is often used to refer to a building or even your local community of faith, but the definition we’re talking about today is so much larger than that.
This Church includes everyone who has been devoted to God throughout the centuries. It includes any of us who have chosen to follow Jesus and all of those who will accept Him in the future. In Revelation, God gave John a vision of this Church that gives us a glimpse of the sheer beauty and glory of eternity.
Read Scripture: After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:9-12)
Ask: Describe the last time you were a part of a massive crowd that was united for a single purpose or cause. What was it like? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Say: Whether we are cheering on our favorite sports’ team or listening to an artist we love, there’s an energy and power when we are part of a huge crowd united for a single purpose. Now imagine that kind of energy, but with the Creator of the Universe as the center.
Stop for a moment and picture the sheer joy of being a part of God’s family which extends to everyone throughout the globe. In this multitude, so large that it is beyond counting, you are joined by people from every tribe and tongue. All the separation of generation, language, culture, or experience drops away as every heart, spirit, and voice is united in one thing- the worship of God.
TOOL TIME
(18 Minutes)
Ask: So, the big question is SO WHAT? How does the reality of the global Church impact my life today? How does it change the way I share God’s love with my friends and fellow students? (Let students think about this for just a moment.)
Say: In the verses we’ve looked at today, the gates were open wide to God’s Church. In a society that is quick to draw lines that separate and isolate, God’s invitation breaks down every barrier and obstacle.
Too often people look at church and are quick to point to its imperfections. Just as it is difficult to imagine a mature, flowering tree that will eventually tower above all others when you consider a tiny seed, it can be challenging to catch a vision of God’s eternal Church in us.
Ask: What are some critiques you have heard about God’s Church? What are some ways you are able to share the truth about God’s invitation being open to everyone? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Say: The Bible’s message for us all is that we are seen and loved. So much of Jesus’ miracles and parables reminded His listeners that even if they were cast off by society, God saw every moment of their lives and showed gut-level compassion for them. God sees you, you are important, and you are known.
But there is also a corporate aspect of God’s promises. If you want to understand the full potential of being a member of God’s Body, you have to first get involved in it.
From your creation, you have been made by God with unique and wonderful abilities and experiences. Jesus’ invitation for you to follow Him is very personal and intimate. But there is also a united and communal aspect of this relationship with God that reveals your ultimate purpose.
As God’s Body and Bride, we are always in the act of becoming, but there are still ways we reflect God’s eternal Church. Because we are followers of Jesus, people who do not know about God should be able to see Jesus in us as we gather together.
In our fellowship, they should see joy, peace, mercy, forgiveness, hope, and belonging. Just like a beautiful thread in a tapestry, your worth and value is only multiplied when you connect as part of God’s eternal Church.
Read Scripture: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:15-18)
Say: I hope that, in these words, your spirit got caught up in who Jesus is. This Jesus who has come to rescue and redeem us is the one through whom all things have been created and are held together. He is the one with whom we will spend eternity, not plucking harps on a cloud but reigning with Him forever.
Ask: What are some ways you can build up your church? How can you strengthen and support each other? Are there ways you can connect a church to your friends who don’t know Jesus yet? (Take a few moments for students to share.)
Before we close our time in prayer, let us remember our main point for today: The Church God is building and invites us all to be a part of has an eternal focus where every nation and person worships God together. Commit to taking action that will build God’s Church.
Closing: End your time together with prayer.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you don’t have a church home, talk to any one of the Student Leaders or adults here, and we would be more than happy to connect you with one! We will see you next week as we become better equipped to spread the Gospel by looking to God’s promises.
Note: A great way to make sure students are getting connected is by having students invite their friends or other club members who may not have a church, to go to church with them. If you have extra time in club, ask a few volunteers to share where they go to church.
Here are a few important things to have them mention:
- Where they go?
- What their youth group or church is like (what is a typical night like at youth group?)
- What time/day? Upcoming special events?
- If the student is able: offer a ride to anyone who needs it.
*If there is someone who wants to visit a youth group but doesn’t have a ride, talk to your Campus Coach to find a solution! They are there to help you!
