Innovative Ways to Encourage Learning
Spirituality: Finding Your Way
As Winter fades and Spring approaches, adults are perhaps more aware of the sense that life is an ever-moving journey. For some, the journey feels lonely and frightening. Others have discovered the power and joy of having God as a partner in their journey. This study offers a creative way for adults to consider their journey as a spiritual activity, and encourages them to discover ways to find their way through life through God.
Spirituality: Finding Your Way is a five-week experience designed to help adults strengthen their journey through life by walking more closely with God.
Spirituality: Finding Your Way can be experienced across five successive Saturdays. Spiritual Saturdays involve the study of the session (1-1.5 hours) followed by an extended application (1-1.5 hours). Each session can be held at a different location relating to the theme of that session. These suggestions for activities to follow the study may spark your own ideas.
The First Saturday: Choosing a Direction
Lead session 1: Choosing a Direction, from the leader’s guide
Lead the group to watch a movie dealing with Jesus’ story and discuss the impact of Christ’s story. Watch for the direction Jesus chose for his life. Films that tell Jesus’ story in a straightforward manner would include Jesus, Jesus Then and Now, and Jesus of Nazareth. Consider retellings like The Cotton Patch Gospel (books now available from Smyth & Helwys Publishing), Jesus Christ Superstar, and Godspell. Check the licensing material that accompanies any movie you show to make sure that you do not violate copyright laws. Many videos have an address to which you can write for permission to use movies in this manner.
The Second Saturday: Finding the Path
Lead session 2: Finding the Path, from the leader’s guide
Hold your Second Saturday in a place that approximates the garden in John 20. A quiet area in a state park of the back yard of someone who lives in the country will help you imagine the area around the empty tomb. Tell each person to take their Bible and a notebook to a quiet spot and meditate, think, and pray for an hour.
The Third Saturday: Caring for Fellow Travelers
Lead session 3: Caring for Fellow Travelers, from the leader’s guide
Meet in a group member’s home. Prepare a meal similar to the breakfast of fish and bread described in John 21. Utilize as many aspects of the meal by Sea of Tiberias as will be helpful. For instance, you may want to cook over a charcoal fire. During the meal, discuss Peter’s conversation with Jesus and the sense of community your own group shares.
The Fourth Saturday: Following the Guide
Lead session 4: Following the Guide, from the leader’s guide
One way to respond to the story in Luke 24:13-35 is to reenact the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Choose a long path on which your group can hear one another. Walk together and have five different people read the resurrection accounts examined in Spirituality: Finding Your Way. After you have finished your hike, discuss what is different about hearing the story while walking.
The Fifth Saturday: Showing the Way
Lead session 5: Showing the Way, from the leader’s guide
Follow the study of Session Five with an opportunity for outreach. Secure the necessary materials for writing letters, making phone calls, or visiting homes. Provide a list of recent church visitors and new members. Your pastor or outreach director will be helpful in compiling the names of those who will appreciate further contact. Make this activity non-threatening. It’s easiest if you can extend an invitation to a particular event. Offer helpful hints for first-time visitors: call before visiting when you think it appropriate; decide on a particular objective; don’t stay too long; be genuinely friendly. Define this as an hour set aside to show concern.
Resources Available:
Beyond this outline, the main resource needed is the leader’s guide, Spirituality: Finding Your Way, by Brett Younger, available from Smyth & Helwys Publishing. Call 800-747-3016 or order online at:
http://www.helwys.com/choice/extensions/spirituality.html
Plan to provide a leader's guide for each leader in the series.
Tips:
• This experience in spirituality is quite approachable and non-threatening. Feel free to use the series as an outreach tool to involve new persons in your congregation.
• Feel free to place these activities on any day of the week that will work for your church. Sunday afternoons/evenings may work just as well, or the series could be used for a weekday set of experiences.
• The leader's guide offers several options for each session. Choose the ones the best fit your time frame and the size of your group.
• It’s possible to lead this study with multiple smaller groups, meeting simultaneously. Simply enlist enough leaders for the number of groups meeting. If you believe a large number of persons may want to participate, consider announcing the study in advance, asking persons to sign-up or register for the study. This way, you will have a better idea of the number of groups and leaders needed. Generally, groups should be no larger than 25.
• Promote the series as a light-hearted and relaxed look at spirituality. Many times spirituality is approached with such a serious and somber attitude that people are hesitant to participate. This study makes an easy entry point for the topic.
• Celebrate and encourage a wide range of generations for the series. Younger adults and senior adults will certainly learn from one another, but the study is also appropriate for older youth and students. Consider widening the age range for the series to include these persons.
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