I'm a big believer in the power of experiential learning. To this end, instead of giving a talk about prayer, I'd much rather create a series of prayer stations designed to give students the opportunity to pray in a variety of ways.
Over the next several weeks, I'll be posting some of my favorite prayer stations. Prayer stations can be used collectively during a prayer night or individually as part of a larger lesson. For example: This particular prayer station was used as part of a prayer experience during a junior high & high school winter retreat focused on baptism.
Prayer Station: One in Christ
Themes: Baptism, Unity, Identity, Stereotypes, Racism
Scripture Link: Galatians 3:26-28
Supplies: Paper, pens, Sharpies, balloons
Directions:
Galatians 3:26-28 says, “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
According to the Apostle Paul, the author of these words, baptism unites us as children of God. Through baptism, our primary identity becomes “child of God”, not Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.
Think about our world today.
What are some of the things that divide us?
On the sheet of paper, rewrite Paul's words for a modern audience using this formula:
“In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer _________ or ____________, there is no longer ______________or ______________, there is no longer ________ and ________________; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
Then take six balloons and blow them up and tie them.
On each, write one of the divisive labels you included in your rewritten version of Galatians. (So if we were doing this with Paul's words, we'd have one balloon that said Jew, another that said Gentile, etc.)
Next, write as many stereotypes as you can to describe each label. (These don't necessarily have to be things you believe to be true.)
Then, reread the stereotypes you've written on each balloon. What would it take for these groups to truly be “one in Christ Jesus”?
Pray that the groups you've listed would truly become one in Christ Jesus.
Finally, pop each of your balloons to symbolize your commitment to work towards unity in the body of Christ.
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Download the One in Christ Prayer Station as a PDF here.
Get the Happy Baptismal Birthday Prayer Station here.
Get even more creative prayer stations you can use with your teens here.