Young people's session

Read Bible notes on Isaiah 42:1-9

When this portion of Isaiah was written, the people of Israel were exiles in Babylon. The servant has been interpreted as Jesus, Isaiah’s son, or Israel, but the message (whoever the servant may be), is one of hope for the future, when God will refresh promises made to the people years before.

Do you look at the world and feel hopeful about the future? How do you understand the promises of the Bible in relation to troubling local or global events?

Young people are often told they should feel anxious about the world they will inherit, particularly as governments seem slow to respond to crises like climate change. Ask them about where they find hope and encourage them to think in terms of God’s plan for the future.

Epiphany Challenge: Week 2

For full details of the six-week challenge, look out for this symbol in the resources: .

This week: As we think about ‘Hope refreshed’, the young people are invited to donate an item that can be tied or loosened, or to write a prayer for your chosen charity.

Prepare for Week 3: Invite the young people to bring something in a container (e.g a tin of beans) to donate to your selected cause.

Don't forget:
Check-in: a weekly biblical reflection on youth and contemporary culture.
Thrive: A resource to encourage family faith at home.
Plus: Images and links to templates, music tracks and other online resources.

Tenacious, patient, resilient W S

You will need: self-lighting candles.

• Light the candles and ask the group to talk about their hopes for the future.
• Explain that sometimes hope can seem to be extinguished, but that God can refresh our hopes when they appear to go out. Blow out the candles and watch them relight.
• Ask: What hopes or promises may seem to have been extinguished in our lives? How might we see them refreshed?

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 are you hoping for?
• How might this everyday image convey the idea of Jesus bringing light and fresh hope?
• What spiritual refreshment can we offer people this week?

Springing forth W S

You will need: bowl of water and a Jesus figure.

• Tell the group that today we remember Jesus’ baptism.
• Choose one person to read the first and last verses of the Isaiah passage; divide the remaining verses between the group. As the first verse is read, place the Jesus figure in the bowl of water. As the last verse is read, bring it out again.
• Discuss: What hope does Jesus’ baptism bring and how does this connect to the Isaiah reading?

Bruised but not broken S A

Find a material that has the strength of Isaiah’s servant

You will need: spring scale gauge, fishing line, rubber band, wool, hair, etc.

• Attach the gauge to a solid base and invite the young people to tie the material to the other end. Then pull on it until the material snaps or the gauge reaches its limit.
• Ask: What sort of person has strength under duress? Does it give us hope to think that God’s servant is strong in this way?

A spiritual vision board W E S A

Think about the year ahead and your spiritual hopes for 2026

You will need: large poster paper, magazines to cut up, pens, glue.

• Challenge the young people to think about how they would like to engage with God in 2026, and where they would like to see God working. Using words, pictures, or both, create a vision board showing what they would like to see happen.
•  Play ‘I speak Jesus’, Charity Gayle (feat. Steven Mussi) on Endless Praise, during this activity.

or

Rebranding W S

Think about what it means to refresh or renew your vision

You will need: Image of redesigned brand logos.

• Have a look at the redesigned brand logos. What has remained the same and what has changed? Do you think the products themselves have undergone similar changes?
• Talk about the vision in Isaiah 42. How does the passage suggest refreshment or renewal for Israel?

 Epiphany Challenge: Week 2 W E S A

Pray for people who feel imprisoned and without hope

You will need: donations box, marbles, paper, scissors and pens.

• Take turns to put a marble into the box, each one representing a situation lacking hope (think about prisoners, victims of trauma, people living in war zones).
• One by one, take the marbles out again, praying with hope that they will be released, like ‘prisoners from the dungeon’.
• If the young people have brought in items that can be tied or loosened, talk about the freedom and release that people can discover through the light and love of Christ. And/or ask the young people to write prayers about hope for freedom and release (based on Isaiah 42:6-7) onto paper chains, to share with your chosen charity.
• As they place their gifts and prayer chains in the donation box, you may like to say the Epiphany Challenge Prayer together:

 Epiphany Challenge Prayer

Use this prayer each week as a focus:

What can I bring to the King of Kings?
I offer my heart, I offer myself, I offer what I can to you.
Take my gift, Jesus my King, and use it to help others as you help me.
Amen.

• Explain about the filled container that they can bring in for Week 3.

Check-in: Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues

Available by 10 am on Thursday 8 January 2025.

• Read Isaiah 42:5 again. Discuss why it is important to remember the things that God has done as we look to the future. Talk about who we trust when it comes to making prophecies about what will happen next. Are the people we trust the most also the ones that give us the greatest hope? How can we make sure that these are the voices we hear?

Go with God 24/7 W E A

As we continue to think about giving gifts in Epiphany, look at the Prison Fellowship Letter-link scheme. Is this something that you might consider getting involved in?

Thrive

As you finish,
give out the Thrive
resource to encourage
faith at home.