| Session
Plan
Getting Started 15 Minutes
As participants arrive, you may want to supply name tags if
the group consists of people who do not know each other well.
Introduce yourself and then explain to the group that they are
about to embark on an exciting and challenging adventure together.
They are about to discover what happens when the beautiful world
of nature goes out of human control and creates a nightmare
of destruction. We all read about floods, hurricanes, earthquakes,
tornadoes, and fires in newspapers and books. Some of us have
even encountered a natural disaster in person. There are also
terrifying disasters such as fires and explosions that are caused
by human neglect or evil intent. Explain that in your time together
you will be learning more about disasters and how they impact
the people who are caught in their midst. You will also be exploring
how Christians can celebrate and bear witness to God's goodness
even in the middle of disaster. Give an overview of the five
modules that you will be using.
Explain that it will be important to your group to learn to
care for and trust each other if you are going to be effective
helpers at a time of disaster. Therefore, you will be spending
time during each session in creating your own community.
If your group consists of fewer than ten participants, you
will want to arrange chairs in a circle and have everyone participate
in the following get-acquainted activity together. If there
are more than ten people in the group, suggest that the group
divide into small clusters of 4-5 people each. You may choose
to assign people to small groups by placing numbers or colors
on chairs or name tags. If the participants know each other
fairly well, Skip question #1. Have every person in the group
give an answer to one question before going on to another question.
- Invite group members to give their names, where they live
and go to school. If this is an ecumenical or interchurch
group, they might also share their church affiliation.
- Then ask each group member to name a favorite activity,
sport, hobby, job, or project. Comment on the variety of activities
that offer enjoyment.
- The third time around invite group members to share a small
"triumph" they have experienced. It may involve
a challenge that was accepted an obstacle overcome, or an
accomplishment that involved hard work. Encourage them to
describe how they felt about that "triumph". The
group leader should be prepared to tell about a personal triumph
first while the participants are thinking.
- Ask each person to tell about a time she/he felt frightened
or out of control.
If your time is limited, you may choose to select either question
3 or 4.
When the group has finished, comment on the value of our feelings
as important aspects of who we are as human beings. Explain
that during this course, participants will be exploring their
own feelings and learning about what happens to people who have
survived major disasters in their lives They will also practice
listening to the stories and feelings of other people.
What is a Disaster? 10 Minutes
Introduce this activity by explaining that your group will
be spending a considerable amount of time together learning
how to be effective helpers in situations of disaster. It is
important first to come to an understanding about what a disaster
is.
Ask: What do you think of when you hear the word disaster?
As people suggest responses to that question, have a volunteer
write the suggestions on newsprint. This is a brainstorming
session. Encourage participants to give as many responses as
they can. If participants have difficulty responding to the
question, the leader may prompt the discussion using the following
questions:
What kinds of disasters are there?
What feelings do you associate with disaster?
Turn to the definition of disaster on page 2 of the Activity
Guide, WHAT IS A DISASTER. Ask a volunteer to read the definition
aloud.
Ask: Is there anything you would like to add to this definition
or any changes you would make? Explain that your group will
continue to learn more about disaster as you work together.
You may want to write the definition of disaster from the Activity
Guide on a piece of poster board to hang in your meeting room
as a reminder of what brings your group together.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Feelings about Disasters
Spread the mounted pictures of disasters on a table or tape
them to a wall. Tell participants to walk around for one or
two Minutes studying each picture. Then ask each person to select
one picture that has particular interest for that person or
which catches his/her attention. (It is fine if more than one
person chooses a particular picture.) When each participant
has chosen a picture, he/she may take the picture back to the
circle.
Ask each person to show the picture she/he has chosen and then
to complete aloud the following sentence: "When I see this
picture, I feel..."
Again, if there are more than ten people in your group or if
your time is limited, you may want to divide into smaller circles.
Summarize the responses by naming all the feelings that were
mentioned by the participants. A volunteer may write all the
feelings on a sheet of newsprint.
Group Game, "All in the Same Boat"
20 Minutes
See page 6 of this Leader's Manual for materials needed for
this game.
Explain that the purpose of this game is to involve the group
in teamwork and decision-making under a simulated crisis. The
instructions for playing the game are found on page 1 of the
Activity Guide. Have everyone follow along as you read the instructions
aloud.
Bible Study 10 Minutes
Ask participants to follow along in their Bibles as a volunteer
reads Luke 10:29-37 aloud.
Have participants turn to page 3 of the Activity Guide. In
small groups of three or four, have participants take turns
verbally completing the statements in the Activity Guide. Suggest
that each person complete one sentence in turn. If there is
extra time, let others in the group give responses to each statement.
When the small groups have finished their work, have the entire
group join together to discuss the following question: What
responsibility do Christians have to help people who are hurting?
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Dramatizations
Have the group plan and present a dramatization of the Bible
passage (Luke 10:29-37). After participating in the dramatization,
ask the group to complete the sentences on page 3 of the Activity
Guide.
Video Discussion
Use the Video Guide on page 34 of this Leader's Manual to
lead you in a viewing and discussion of the video "When
Disaster Strikes".
Group discussion or journaling
Explain that the experience of disaster often makes people
to ask difficult questions about the nature of God or God's
relationship to the world. Suggest that participants turn to
page 4 ofthe Activity Guide to look over the list of HARD QUESTIONS.
Ask whether anyone can think of any other difficult questions
that come to mind when confronting disaster. Add each suggestion
to the page. Have the group choose one or more of the questions
for group discussion or for writing about in their journals.
Closing 5 Minutes
Ask group members to indicate their willingness to commit to
the Group and the study for the designated period. Explain that
their effectiveness in helping others is related to the strength
of their commitment to the program and to each other.
Read Psalm 46 aloud.
Read in unison CLOSING PRAYER on page 4 of the Activity Guide.
|
