Synopsis
This album is a treasure trove of imagery, including such delights as, ‘Can you save my heavydirtysoul?’ which could initiate many youth group conversations.
INTRODUCTION
At a time when many young people feel caught between wanting to grow up and missing what has now gone, this session is designed to suggest that sometimes a childlike approach to life is just what is needed.
THE SESSION
As you begin, invite your group to share their favourite childhood memories. It could be one specific moment, or the sense of ‘we always used to…’ Ask your young people what they miss most about being a child.
TRACK 2: STRESSED OUT
Play the track, distributing copies of the lyrics. Ask your group to consider whether they can relate to that desire to ‘Turn back time, to the good old days’? What was it about those days that made them so good? How do things change as you get older? What gets better? What gets harder?
Say: When we’re young, the things that worry us really aren’t that big of a problem. Have you ever seen how stressed a threeyear- old can become when they’re asked to put their shoes on or when their jelly falls off the table? The things you worried about when you were young will seem insignificant now, perhaps even laughable. But the older we become, the more we have to handle; as life becomes more serious we can yearn to go back to more simple times.
Explain that Jesus once told his followers that we should become more like children: putting our faith and trust in God without overcomplicating matters. Ask someone to read Matthew 18 and discuss what you think it means to become like a child.
Say: Jesus also taught that we should not worry about life – we should hand it to God instead. Invite someone to read Matthew 6:25–34. Explain that it is only natural to worry about things and that, as we get older, bigger issues will weigh us down and stress us out, but in this passage, Jesus tells his followers that God has our backs, there is nothing that we will ever face alone; God is right there with us and will provide everything we need.
As you draw the session to a close, invite your group to make their own stress ball by filling an uninflated balloon with uncooked rice. Use marker pens to decorate, perhaps adding a smiley face or a few words that stand out to them from the reading. Invite your group to take them away with them as a reminder, when they are feeling stressed, to hand those worries over to God.
Invite each young person to hold their stress ball as you close the session, praying that God would enable us to hand our stresses over to him, knowing that we are all his children.
Becky May is a freelance writer and children’s and youth leader. She can be found at theresourcescupboard.co.uk
