Lifeline Living it out 30-­‐50 minutes Years 7-­‐12 Quick look What you need To allow a chance for a look at our lives so far and to tell friends about the events that have been the most important to us. •Large cheap blue tarp from discount shop or butcher’s paper with large wavy line drawn full length in felt pen OR Masking tape along the carpet in a wavy line (see photo) •Envelope for each person with symbols printed from sheet provided on WORKSHEET 2 • (optional) Short Powerpoint presentation (below) Each group divides their group time line into three parts. By using special symbols or stickers they mark events which have been the most important ones in their lives so far. Moments of joy, unhappiness, discovery, mystery and loneliness are marked by special symbols along with times when God became more real. These symbols become a springboard for sharing together in small groups. Before Print symbols – one sheet for each person Check out the Powerpoint slides and decide if they will help you explain the symbols to your group. Leave the symbol slide showing throughout the meeting. Bible Acknowledgements Outline •
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Explanation to whole group Form small groups Lifeline in small groups Concluding prayer in small groups led by each group leader
Winners, D Grover SU Background Not many of us often find the chance to step back from our busy lives and look from a distance. We are busy either with the present or planning for the future. It is often not only our friends who do not know the big events that have made us who we are, often we haven't even thought about them ourselves! We don't stop to remember how our awareness of God has grown and matured over time. © SUNSW 2012 1 This meeting does just that! Talking about important things is always made easier if we are not alone. In this meeting discussing is also made easier by the way in which it is done. If your group lacks leadership skills then this idea will also facilitate the group opening up and talking about the things that have been important to them. Participants divide a line into three periods representing their lives to the present. Moments of joy, unhappiness, discovery, mystery and loneliness are marked by symbols along with times when God became more real. This simple chart then becomes an aid to talking about these events. Groups have often noticed they have become closer because of the valuable sharing encouraged by this idea. The meeting Small groups of 4-­‐5 people are formed with a leader in each who has also done the activity. Explain that the group will be sharing events in their lives which have been important to them. Explain that it will be entirely up to each person what they share or don't share with others. Have the group as a whole divide the lifeline into three roughly equal sections using two dashes. Explain that these three sections of their lifeline represent three stages of their lives. These may be three main places they have lived in, or three stages of schooling (infants, primary, secondary), or any other dividing periods of their life. This is just to make it easier later on in thinking about events. Explain that the group (include yourself!) will be putting different symbols at places along the line when important things happened. They don't need to say or write down what the event was, only choose a symbol to represent it. A symbol can be used more than once or can be left unused. Carefully explain the meaning of each of the symbols on the worksheet. © SUNSW 2012 2 Each person is now given 3-­‐4 minutes on their own to place their choice of symbols on their lifelines at the appropriate places. The following is a selection of questions to use in these small groups: Icebreaker Questions The leader begins with general icebreaker questions: Ask who put the symbol ? on their lifeline at least once and so on through the symbols Ask what were the three periods each person chose for his or her 3lifelines. Ask what symbols people left out. Deeper Questions Who found this an easy thing to do? Who found this hard to do? Who has never thought about the big events in their lives like this before? Who would like to tell the group about a time of joy in their lives? Move through the symbols asking a similar question each time. Make sure as leader that you share openly.) Conclude with the opportunity for the group to talk about a time God became more than a word for them. Wrap Group leaders conclude with a brief prayer in their small groups. More ideas Do a lifeline for someone else: friend, famous person, or someone from the Bible (Jesus, Paul, Peter, Moses, Abraham, Noah, etc.) Instead of a drawn lifeline, each person is given a length of stiff wire and asked to shape it to represent their life. Pairs are formed to share. Then partners share with the whole group. Each person brings an object to represent themselves. This acts as a springboard to talk about themselves with the group. © SUNSW 2012 3 WORKSHEET 1
a Scripture Union ISCF resource Lifeline
© SUNSW 2012 4 WORKSHEET 2 Lifeline symbols Print symbols for each person Draw wavy line as shown below, stretching full length along a cheap blue tarp © SUNSW 2012 5