PREPARE WEEK
PREPARING STUDENTS TO LEAD
WELCOME
Foundation Scripture
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” ~John 14:16-17
SAY: “Welcome to First Priority! This week is Prepare Week, where we prepare to share our stories to be able to reach our school and community with the Good News of Jesus. Our focus this month is on the Holy Spirit and last week, we learned more about the work and attributes of the Holy Spirit. Before we get started, let’s pray.”
OPENING PRAYER
DIG IN
SAY: “First Priority has one Scripture that is the foundation for everything they do. It’s known as the Great Commission and is found in Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The really powerful part of that Scripture is found in the last verse: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We know that most students and adults who follow Jesus would say it isn’t always easy. There are pressures to turn away from Jesus, to be ashamed or embarrassed of Him, or to feel like we can’t understand who He is and what He has planned for us.”
SAY: “But…when Jesus went back into Heaven after His death on the Cross, He left us with a promise: that He would be with us always, until the end of the age.
Let’s read from Luke 24:48-51
“You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.”
The way that He is with us today is through his Holy Spirit. We can trust that we are not alone and that even when following Jesus gets hard, we can do this with the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus left with us.”
We recognize that your club may be doing this month’s content In November, December, or even May. We are giving TIPS about a Christmas Party, because a Christmas party is a great excuse to get people together and talk about Jesus!
If your club is going through this content in March, consider an Easter party instead. Easter is also a great moment to celebrate and talk about Jesus! Easter parties are not as common as Christmas parties, but many students are looking for an excuse to celebrate! If you can come up with free pizza (or any food), many more students might drop by, hear about, and begin their curiosity concerning Jesus.
The conclusion of this tip: Your club shares the Gospel on Invite week but use as many excuses as you can to Share Jesus outside of Club time.
TOOL TIME
SAY: “Let’s begin to think about how the Holy Spirit fits into our individual stories. We want to take a few moments to think about a few questions that can help us map out how the Holy Spirit has worked in our lives so that we can share the Gospel with others!
(Use these questions as reflection questions. You can have them write their answers, share with a friend or simply think about them.)
- How have you seen the Holy Spirit work in your life?
- Have you ever heard the voice or felt the presence of the Holy Spirit?
- Is there an area in your life where you need the Holy Spirit?
- What would it look like (what do you think might happen) if you asked God to give you the guidance of the Holy Spirit?”
- What was your life like before the Holy Spirit? And after?
Alternative ways to present this…
- Continue to use the My Faith Story as a tool in writing and practicing stories (you will either need to introduce or review). Sprinkle these questions in to get the students to specifically apply the Holy Spirit to their stories.
- Have them break off into smaller groups where they can share and reflect on these concepts out loud with a friend or a leader.
- You probably have students who are ‘bored’ or ‘sick of’ the My Faith Story conversation each month. Be patient. Many people view Christianity as ‘come, sit, listen, move on’. This club is different on purpose. It is designed to be transforming and not everyone wants that. Be patient and stay focused.
SAY: “Let’s close with a time of prayer and ask that God would allow us to encounter and experience the power of the Holy Spirit in a new way; that the Holy Spirit would be our Helper in all things and that we would be encouraged that we can tell people about Jesus with His help.”
(Take time to pray with your group, have a few leaders or Student Leaders to pray out loud and with students. Boldly ask for God to help you all understand His Holy Spirit).
Don’t forget, next week is Invite Week! As you leave today, be sure to grab a few invite cards and see if you can invite at least one friend to club!”
CLOSING PRAYER
Have a Student Leader ready to pass out invite cards at the end of the meeting or at the door as they leave.
Have any students who want to share their salvation story write it down first and let your Club Coach look over it before they share it next week.
Don’t forget to announce Christmas Party!
