Games/Activities

A few getting to know you/coming together games for your youth group or children’s group

Here I Sit – All people sit in a circle on chairs. There is one extra chair in the circle. A person sitting next to the spare chair starts by moving into the spare chair, saying “Here I sit”. The next person moves along a chair and says “In this chair”. The next person moves up a seat and says “With my friend..” and names someone else in the circle, who comes and sits in that person’s old chair. The people on either side of the new spare chair have to race to sit in it (probably best to play this on carpet to avoid serious injuries if people fall off chairs!). The game then continues with whoever made it into the spare chair saying “here I sit” etc.

The sun shines on… – Sit on the floor in a circle. Someone (a leader?) starts in the middle and says “The sun shines on people who (choose an attribute that more than one person, including the person saying it, in the room has, e.g. have blue eyes; are wearing red; have a sibling etc). All the people who share that attribute must swap places and the person from the middle must try to take one of their places, leaving a new person in the middle to say the next “The sun shines on..” thing. Continue until everyone is exhausted (or has had a go!).

Two truths and a lie – A great getting to know you game! Everyone in the group has to come up with three things to say about themselves – 2 must be true but one must be a lie. When the person has said their three things, the group must decide which of the 3 is a lie. Make it as outrageous, silly (or boring!) as you like!

Movie Night

Castaway (2000)
Tom Hanks:
"One day logic was proven all wrong because the tide lifted, came in, and gave me a sail. And now, here I am. I'm back. In Memphis, talking to you. I have ‘ice’ in my glass. And I've lost her all over again. I'm so sad that I don't have Kelly. But I'm so grateful that she was with me on that island. And I know what I have to do now. I have to keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"

Hope Floats (1998)
Sandra Bullock:
"Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts. So, when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float up. And it will."

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Tim Robbins (Andy), Morgan Freeman (Red)
Tagline of the movie: “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.”
Red's hope for a life after prison: " I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it is in my dreams. I hope..."

Life is Beautiful (1997) La Vita e Bella
Roberto Benigni
"Life Is Beautiful'' is not about Nazis and Fascists, but about the human spirit. It is about rescuing whatever is good and hopeful from the wreckage of dreams. It is about hope for the future. About the necessary human conviction, or delusion, that things will be better for our children than they are right now."

It is helpful to review successful films. They tell us a lot about our culture - which they reflect.
The top dozen films of all time according to Worldwide Box Office (and their total earnings) are:

1.	Titanic (1997)	$1,835,300,000
2.	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)	$1,129,219,252
3.	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)	$968,600,000
4.	Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)	$922,379,000
5.	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)	$921,600,000
6.	Jurassic Park (1993)	$919,700,000
7.	Shrek 2 (2004)	$880,871,036
8.	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)	$866,300,000
9.	Finding Nemo (2003)	$865,000,000
10.	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)	$860,700,000
11.	Independence Day (1996)	$811,200,000
12.	Spider-Man (2002)	$806,700,000

In a small group, reflect on these questions.

How many of these films have you seen?
How many of these films are based in Fantasy?
How many have a hero?
How many are on a journey?
Independence day is a re-telling of the biblical story of David and Goliath, and Jurassic park explores chaos and destiny. Discuss how many Spiritual/Biblical/Christian connections can you find within these films?
What hopeful messages can you find in these films?
Do you think these films represent modern life? Do you think that they reflect a hope that we have collectively for our future?