Talk analogies and illustrations...

[XtattiK]

Sweet - weather has cleared, fields are open...league is on. but that's not the point, just a nice discovery.

One of the better parts of my job is attending one or two student chapel services a week. This year I've been assigned year 8, which is sweet as it means I also get to work with the worship band (a bunch of rather talented musicians who are learning to listen to each other, and the congregation, and play accordingly, and actually sound pretty good now).

Our Chaplains do a pretty amazing job in engaging the students during chapel times. Today our junior chaplain launched into a quiz, handing out freddos or other similar rewards. What was odd, was that he was giving the freddos to anyone who answered, regardless of whether or no they were right or wrong. This obviously annoyed quite a few of the students who thought they DID know the answer and should have received the prize. He then asked about their thoughts and feelings on the quiz, and rather smoothly linked that straight into the parable of the workers in the vineyards (Matt 20: 1-16) who work different hours for the same pay.

While not a perfect equivalent (but i'm not going to argue about that), it got the students attention, in a context they were immediately familiar with (school/exams etc) and allowed him to speak about the kingdom of heaven and rewards and things that they probably wouldn't have really listened to if he had just launched into a sermon.

Now it's been a couple of years since i was a youth leader, but over the years I've seen/heard/used various different techniques to retell an old story in context, or ensure i had listeners attention.

What are some of the ones you have experienced or used, that really stand out as an effective teaching tool, especially when dealing with youth (though adult illustrations don't go astray either)

Disclaimer - i may pinch your ideas for use in my own talks

[woody]

Heaven is like Nationals before 2006: anyone can get in if they want to.

[XtattiK]

So a tradition at the School i work at is to have a thanksgiving service as the last (or close to last) thing students do on the last day of school each year. We've now reached a size where it's necessary to have 3 service though - junior, middle and senior, with me this year being rostered to help supervise students during the middle school service.

Now the students are used to this - you come in, there's one, maybe two, worship songs...someone reads a passage from the bible...there's a talk...prayer...finish with another worship song.

This year it didn't go according to script. Started with the usual worship song, a bible reading...but it wasn't quite right. The Chaplain, who is normally fairly informally dressed (as much as our staff dress code lets you be anyway) was in a bow tie. Two of the school prefects were sitting on stage dressed as elves (green/red leggings, hats - the works). There were a series of rather odd, nonsensical interviews during which two students wearing glitter covered top hats were called on to drag people off stage like bouncers. Then it was time for our second song...which turned out to be "Land Down Under" - yes, the Men at Work song, complete with actions performed enthusiastically by those on stage. This was followed by another interview, with the principle, a rather conservative man at most times who was dressed up as a punk rocker (wig, pants, leather vest and some remarkably authentic looking tattoo "sleeves").

Students were completely bewildered...then Medon (the chaplain) started to make sense of it all. Almost none of what happened was what was expected...very much like the first Christmas - the angels appearing to Shepherds of all people, Christ born in a manger...etc. He went on to discuss God's often unexpected nature and actions and how they shatter our preconceptions and the like. Very out there service - but one the students will likely remember, even if they were in the brain numbing heat of our hall.