by Steve Case of Involve Youth
Ways to Start a Discussion
The 2 key principles are:
1. Participants need to make a small commitment
2. There needs to be variance in the answers given
Voting — participants vote in response to a statement (such as “teenagers would be a lot better off if they’d just do what their parents tell them”) by marking strongly agree, agree, undecided/pass, disagree, or strongly disagree. This can be done on paper or with hand motions.
Continuum — A line separates two opposites (such as “clear” and “fuzzy”). After a statement is made (God’s will for my life is), participants mark on the continuum where they see themselves. This can be done individually or as a group on one line.
Ranking — after hearing a statement (such as “God communicates to us primarily through”) participants are given three or more options (such as “Scripture” or “key people” or “still small voice or circumstances”) to rank from best to worst (10L, 2nd 3rd etc.). All options need to be somewhat equally good or equally bad.
Goal Setting — usually given at the end of a discussion, a goal (such as “only those who bring a friend are allowed into youth group next week”) can be given to start a discussion if it can be adjusted during the interaction (those who bring a friend get a free music CD or get to be first in line for snacks).
Listening/Looking — after hearing a paragraph of information (listening), participants respond based on the information received. This can be done with a skit or a video clip (looking) and resources exist for this purpose, or you can create your own.
Interview — this can be done 1-to-1 in front of a group (more threatening), or the facilitator can jump from person to person (the people stay in their seats if you want it to be less threatening) with a question or a flow of questions on a given topic.
Dilemma — a situation gets presented in which there is no easy next step (a lion is following you down a trail, a bear is coming the other way, and there’s a cliff to the side—what will you do?). The listeners make suggestions on what can be done and their reasons for their ideas (why?).
Forced Choice — participants are given an “either-or” statement (such as “would you rather have been present when EITHER a. earth was created OR b. Jesus walked on the earth?). Participants choose one or the other, then give reasons for their choice.
Ways to End a Discussion
Summary — repeat what the key points of the discussion were. You might have these in mind from the beginning, or you might be able to weave in elements that others added to the discussion. An exampie of a summary would be, there are a variety of ways to get a discussion going, but the two key principles are always 1. a small commitment is needed, and 2. there needs to be variance in the responses.
Action — based on what was discussed, what kind of action are people to make at this time? For example, let’s bring back hygiene packs tomorrow to send to hurricane victims.
Invitation/Challenge — I’m feeling a call right now. Sometimes the discussion has an implied action, but it may need a actual invitation or challenge. For example; if what we’ve been talking about really matters to us, then 1 invite you to talk to three of your friends about Jesus in this next week, no matter what they might say to you!
Commitment — can be a private or public, individual or group commitment, based upon what has been discussed. For example, if you’re willing to pair up with another person to be prayer partners for a full month, go to that person now and kneel beside him/hen
Question — either a summary or the next step to ponder or wrestle with once the discussion is over. For example, The wise men saw the star from a distance, but nobody in Jerusalem saw it when it was right over their heads. What’s close to you right now, but it may take somebody from a distance to point it out to you?
Prayer — doesn't have to be a cop-out ending. Some discussions should lead people to pray! For example, we don’t know the specific changes God wants in us right now, but we are open for Him to show us now. Let’s listen to His voice during this time of meditation.
Symbol — a potentially powerful item that can keep the discussion alive and refocus people when they remember it. For example, put your WWJD bracelet inside your pocket and see if people notice you behaving in a Christlike way without seeing the bracelet.
Open ending — leave people without a neatly package tie-off, sort of like real life! For example, yes, our youth budget was voted out of existence for next year And yes, we feel abandoned by the rest of the church. Some of our youth may quit. Or this might be the spur we need to fake more initiative instead of expecting everything to be handed to us. That’s what we have to wrestle with now.
