Gather

Risky business!

• Divide your group into two teams, and ask each team to provide five volunteers. Only now tell people that the game is ‘Risk it for a biscuit’! Ask one volunteer from each side to come forward for their challenge; if they take it on, they get a biscuit (or similar). Afterwards, ask the volunteers how they felt doing the challenges –was it worth the risk?
• Set challenges appropriate to your context and the age of the person, but here are some examples: drink a cup of water from the back of the cup –no hands; hop around the building on one leg; name the books of the Bible; eat a doughnut without licking your lips; sing a verse of a nursery rhyme.
• Ask everyone to think about a time when they were faced with doing something risky. Did they do it? How did that make them feel? Who has done something risky this week? In today’s worship we explore the risks and opportunities involved in sharing our faith.

First impressions

You could also use the image and following questions to help introduce the theme.

Click on the image to view a larger version or use the Jump menu to go to This week's images. For artist's details, see this issue's illustrators.

Questions

• What is about to happen here? 
• What aspects of the Gospel message would you want to ‘shout from the rooftops?’
• Does fear stop us from sharing our faith? What does God have to say about this?