If you were a sailboat...

My official job here is teaching English, but since no one is interested in learning English for several hours each day, I have a lot of free time to help out with miscellaneous ministries. Since Martin is in charge of the youth group, I have been collaborating with him about program designs. Martin wanted to plan an active youth group this week, since last week's meeting was more contemplative. I have not been involved in youth ministry since I was in high school, so thinking about ideas for games and biblical tie-ins is a stretch. I started thinking out loud, which was a rambling, painful trial for Martin, as he tried to politely side-step ideas like 'set up an obstacle course for the students to run blindfolded, so they can learn about spiritual blindness'. Wouldn't you want me in charge of your youth back at home?

We settled on Paul being shipwrecked in Malta as the biblical emphasis for the night. Our game--giving the youths supplies to make their own small sailboat--was designed more for amusement that theological illumination.

After sharing praises and singing, we began on the craft. Our original design included a large, shallow kettle filled with water and an over-turned bowl to serve as the island. Getting their paper boats to touch the island before sinking, against the onslaught of an industrial fan, was the initial plan. But it was a beautiful evening and twelve people watching paper in a kettle isn't very interesting, so we walked to the park behind Bethel, which has kiddie pool and fountain.

Going outside to semi-moving

water turned out to be a much better plan, and youth group was a huge success that night. We didn't have a very specific plan or very good supplies. The youths were just given a sheet of A4 (an earlier post explains what this is.

I can't get into it again, because it's an emotional subject) paper and told to make a ship. Once we reached the pool, Martin told them to get their ships to the middle. It was a pretty bare-bones set up, and it was outrageously fun. Martin telling the youths that getting their ships to the middle could be accomplished by 'any means necessary' lead to the Dolce Vita moment you can see below.

Like I said, the fun was outrageous, especially since I got to watch the glee on everyone's faces without getting wet. Journalistic objectivity demanded that I not go in that scuzzy water.

After the youths had fulfilled the assignment (?? I think that means 'after Martin and I had decided that the fun would soon turn into lawlessness') we returned to Bethel and read parts of Acts 27 and 28. Martin talked briefly about the shipwrecks that life produces and what we can learn from Paul. The rest of the discussion came from the youths applying their thoughts and questions to the text.

The night passed with talking, music, bacon flavored chips (!nomnomnom) and selecting music for Martin and Petra's wedding. Great night.

[And for funzies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hOwLap5Je8, "If You Were a Sailboat" by Katie Melua. It's a very pleasing clip, for your ears and your eyes :) ]