Talk About Life

by Carol Davis Younger

Is it any surprise that the youth of today may be thinking less about the choices they daily face and more about the many distractions that daily surround them? The lesson below will help you walk your students through the process of carefully evaluating difficult decisions and assist them in arriving at their own conclusions.

Difficult Choices
Materials: Three prepared sheets of paper, Teacher Resource Page
Before the session, number three different sheets of paper 1, 2, or 3, writing the corresponding numerals on the sheets. Place the sheets in three corners in your youth study area. In addition, review the Teacher Resource Page (p. 73) Difficult Choices.
Begin by explaining that you will read about some difficult situations a teenager might face, along with three possible responses to each circumstance. Your youth are to decide which of the three responses they might choose and then indicate their choice by standing by the same-numbered sign.
Read each of the three dilemmas on the Teacher Resource Page, along with their accompanying choices. Pause after each dilemma so your youth can choose their response and position themselves accordingly. Have volunteers who hold different positions share why they made their decisions. Be sure no one is criticized for making a choice. Afterwards, ask some questions.

Suggestions to Consider

• Why might these types of choices be difficult in real-life situations?
• What do these sorts of choices have to do with our faith?
• What kind of attitudes do we reveal by our choices?
• In what way, if any, can choices lead to a sense of fulfillment or peace? Explain.

Dilemma One: Your family is planning to take a snow skiing vacation during the next spring break from school. You’ve been saving money for a long time. Now your parents’ best friends are asking several families to change their plans for next year. Your family has been asked to put their vacation money together in order to sponsor a joint family mission trip in another state during the next spring break. A family meeting is scheduled tonight in order to discuss the idea. Which of the following will you choose?

(1) Tell them you think your family needs to take a trip by themselves and encourage them not to change their plans.
(2) Suggest that you go on the family mission trip, though you will be disappointed.
(3) Suggest that you find a way to do a joint mission project with the group, without giving up the ski trip.

Dilemma Two: The committee or council responsible for youth ministry in your church wants to involve more teenagers in service projects. Two members are debating the best way to accomplish this task. One person thinks that any youth participating in summer mission projects should be rewarded with a fun activity. The other person thinks that participating in the mission experience should be its own reward. Your youth minister asks your opinion.

(1) You agree that to entice more youth to serve, you should provide some incentives and rewards.
(2) You believe that you should not pay youth to do missions by using other incentives because they will miss the authentic reward that comes from serving.
(3) You say that the concern is of little significance, and they should focus on other issues.

Dilemma Three: Following a lock-in where your group raised money for a world hunger offering, several youth suggest that everyone commit to changing their lifestyles by going without soft drinks and gum for one year. They offer statistics suggesting teenagers spend more on soft drinks and gum in one year than our nation spends on hunger relief for countries undergoing famines. Your friends want each person to pledge to give the amount to hunger programs. What is your reaction?
(1) It’s a good idea, and the group should work hard to make it happen.
(2) It’s i interesting idea, but it would be going to extremes to make it happen. It shouldn’t be enforced, but if anyone wants to do it, you’ll be proud that they are in your group.
(3) It’s an interesting idea, but it’s not the central purpose of your youth group and you vote to use your group’s energy in other ways.

—From Intersection, Volume 21