Read Tips for running a youth group online to find out more about how to take your youth group online. Suggestions for adapting these resources for online youth groups will be added if groups continue to be unable to meet physically (see previous issues for examples of this).

Create a shared story. First, offer a starter such as, ‘John had really upset Jane, so she…’ Invite each person to add the next line of the story, ending each line with ‘so he…’ or ‘so she…’ until everyone has had a turn, or the story has run its course.

Gathered groups: keep 2M apart.

Give each young person a copy of the passage and a highlighter pen. Ask them to read the passage and highlight anything Jesus says that they believe is good advice. Share the pieces of good advice with one another. Ask: why does this seem good? Does everyone agree?

Questions to discuss

• Why would Jesus need to talk about how to deal with someone who does wrong within the church community?
• Why might Jesus believe it is best to ‘have it out’ with someone rather than ignoring the problem?
• What do you think it means when Jesus says that he will be there when two or three gather in his name?

Gathered groups: prepare kit for individuals/household groups 72 hrs in advance.

Watch the scene ‘Appreciate me’ from the film The Breakup [12A]. In this clip, Gary let Brooke down by failing to turn up at a concert, and she tells him face to face how this made her feel. Discuss the clip with the young people and ask: what changed between them when she confronted him? What could have happened if she had decided to do nothing?

Gathered groups: keep 2M apart.

Provide access online or print out some stories for the group about people who spoke up against others in their community they believed were doing wrong. Discuss together the young people’s reactions to these people and their actions. How did they make a difference? What types of wrongdoing can occur in the communities we are part of, e.g. church, school, friends, family, country? What action would you be prepared to take?

Gathered groups: prepare kit for individuals/household groups 72 hrs in advance.