Bruscopia 2007

Have you ever tried to get across to your teens the importance of reaching out to lost people and people groups in a country that may not be open to the gospel but open to faith based organization.  This Activity was developed by myself and my Co-director for camp Scott Dorsey.  This is an all day event that has several areas to deal with I will try to give an overview and then break down some of the areas to deal with.

Overview- The Main purpose is to challenge teen to reach out the and countrry that has be depleated by economic drought.  It takes all day and you need to spend a ton of time praying about this activity before you start.  If you would like to see the paper work that we have on this you can email me and I will send it to you.  You want to see if the students can do ministry on thier own to help lost people and share the gospel with the people of bruscopia

Characters:

Priminister of Bruscopia

Vice Minister of Affair

All staff are the people of brusciopia who love there leaders who have taken care of them but now there is no money and they are struggling to survive.  They can be homeless, shop workers, those with leprosy and even a tribal group and may in between from young to old.  All of these people are only allowed to eat rice that day unless served by other. It is vital to have a leader for the teens like the missionary or speaker to work with the teens who are not sure how to get started on serving

The night before:  After everyone has gone to bed post all the papers about the new country that is the camp or conference.

Day of:  all staff need to be ready before breakfast, at breakfast have the priminister arrive with his guard and leaders an announcement is made about the change in camp and that all the people to stay in the country need to apply for thier visas to this means long lines and frustration to many. 

Durning the day: The teens need to start to meet need while sharing thier faith.  Helping the teens to work with the government to accomplish thier goals of reaching Brucsopia for Christ.  This will be intense and many will grow tired of this activity and isn’t that the frustration for many today that many Christians only want Christ when it is easy and meets thier needs.  this year we saw several teens just play volleyball all day while other worked there hearts out for the hurting people.  Several of the brucsopianss were baptized into Christ afeter many were ministered to all day long.

Debrief:

The key to any activity is the discussion afterwards.  This year many of the teens shared thier frustrations with the people who just gave up or messed around and did not even come to worship services that they provided.  Many of the staff did not come to Christ becasue of seeing the lack of concern from those who were suppose to be helping them.  I beleive that camp is atraing ground for those who will change the world not a play time of just fun activites there has to be a balance.  that is why talking about these activies that we do are so important.

Like I said this is a very powerful tool for teens and extreamly draining on your staff.  Make sure that you build them up during the day.  There is so much more that I could tell you about this if you would like you can contact me and I can send you all the paper work and the overviews of the activity.  I hope this stirs thoughts in you to work harder at you camp programs to challenge teens in their faith.

Bruce

What a Summer

I am sure that like me many of you have had an amazing summer.  Ours has been filled with a Missions trip to Mexico where our Go, Inc. group took 305 people into mexico and build a Church, a rehab clinic and 15 houses plus did several VBS’s and several vision clinics.  There are many things that I learn from doing missions but the one that always stands out is how short term missions trips effects the church in Mexico and our youth ministry.  Over the past few years many of our strong kids have have point to our missions trips to Mexico as what stirs them to growth in the faith.

I have also spent a couple of weeks at camp this Summer with Jr. Higher and High school teens.  I have several things i want to write about dealing with our similation game this year call Bruscopia.  I will get into that more as time goes by.  I also have serval community building activities that we did this year and in the years past that I plan on passing on to anyone who is interested.  But for now just wanted to post that I’m still here and planning on writing more this fall.

Bruce

What a week it has been.  It seems like times never slow down.  That is why we do what we do.  Ministry keeps us hoping.  Our youth group is doing well. Our High School small groups were up this week.  Our Jr. group was the best it has ever been,  That is truly exciting.  We are dealing with random questions that we have about God.  Next week we will start a three week series on the gospel.  knowing in, living it and teaching it for going into the summer. 

World Evangelism

Here is another activity that we do every year at camp.  I think one of the greatest things we can do for our teens is put them in real life situations so they can fail and succeed so they can be ready to be light to a dark world.  This activity is vaulable for heling your teens learn to share thier faith.  It takes very little prep time.  Staff- during your staff meeting tell your staff to think of a role they can play as a non-beleiver.  We have had varied roles in the yearswe have done this from lesbian couples to tree huggers to tribal people.  let the staff use thier imagination.  Encourage them to think about thing the students might come across at school or in thier life as well.  make sure you tell the staff to make students work for the right to share thier faith.  You might have a few police around just to keep things interesting and give your staff a chance to play thier parts.  Spend time praying about the activity. Give a set amount of time for this activity about and hour to an hour and half.  Prep the students by telling them that you are going to give them a chance to share thier faith with non-believers.  Then send them out.  Debriefing is the key-  we have found that this is better done in smaller groups of about 30-50 just so everyine including the staff get to share.  you want to ask questions like. What were your expeinces tonight? What really frustrated you? What does building a relationship have to do with sharing your faith? Why did you not know what to say? Make sure you leave time for the staff to share since they will have good insights for your teens.  Follow up this in your class times by teaching your teens how to share thier faith in a not threatining way. Hope you can use this idea in your camps or retreats in the future

Angels and demons

I don’t know how many of you have ever used this similation game but it should not be done without a lot of pre- prayer.  You need to cover this entire activity the teens and the couselors as well.  I like to use this event when we are dealing with spiritual warfare and the need for teens to decide about Christ in thier lives.  you will need some material and prep time.

material Needed (blind folds for everone, You can use cotton ball and tape but cutting up a sheet is easier.)

Site needs:  large area like a feild and two areas one for heaven and one for hell.

Prep info:  meet with all of your staff and assign them parts in the activity.  You will need

Angels

Demons

Screeming deamon

Jesus figure

door keeper in both heaven and hell

Prayer Walkers

have them meet with thier groups to discuss and pray about thier rolls.   It is vital that you have a prayer ministry running through out this event.  This can become a very spiritually emotional event for some teens.  I would not recommend that you do it with Jr. Highers they just don’t seem to be ready for this type of spiritual warfare event.

When you meet with the teens you give them just the intro. information they will be blindfolded and placed in a feild and they are to determine where they are to choose by the voice that comes to them.  it might be an angel or a demon and they have to choose who they will follow.  Tell them of the two places heaven or hell but do not tell them where they are located.  Answer questions briefly and don’t give them to much information.  Tell the teens that there is a time limit and get them prepared with thier blind folds have the staff lead them to the starting area.  I would give about 45min. to an hour for this activity.  but you can judge that by how it goes.

Angels: must lead and guide but not give the answers that a student needs to get into heaven

Demon: can lie and decieve but they can not claim the name of Jesus as thier Lord they can acknowledge Him but not claim James 2:14

Jesus Figure:  Needs to take on the role of Jesus in leading by his words.  This person needs to be someone who is well versed in the Word

Screaming Demons:  just that scream twirl student but don’t hurt the teens just cause havoc

Gate keep Heaven:  why should I let you into God’s kingdom.  We like to have teen make a confession at this point. Matt 16:16 Because Jesus is the Christ and my Lord and Savior.  have them be flexible but not soft.  heaven is the narrow road. 

Gate keeper of hell:  ask the same questions but the answer does not matter.

Prayer Walkers- pray for the activity while they walk and come along upset kids and give them assurace and encouragement.

Once you have students in heaven or hell have them sit quietly in hell or rejoice in heaven.  a twist is to not tell them until the game is over. 

As this activities draws to a close make sure you as the leader encourge teens to choose.  To not choose is a choice for hell.  When the time is up all those not in heaven are taken to hell.  then reveal where they are and give a few good leaders a chance to debrief them there.  Then come the true teaching point during the debrief time.  You need to allow the teens to talk about how they felt and then move them to the reality of the activity.  Remind then that this is training ground and you want to assure them that they are not going to hell but are being taught.  Let the staff share a few thought but allow them to talk with their groups at a later time like in the cabin or small groups which ever you do.  Be very aware that you will have some teens upset with where they ended up.  Others upset with you for making them choose and some just mad because they don’t see the value of this activity.  If you decide to do this be willing to take the heat.  But remind them that you are training them to go back to the real world to do battle.  We all know that it is a spiritual battle that we fight.  This activity just makes it a little clearer.

Hope you enjoy this

Camp stuff

I was just going to start putting on some ideas that I have used in camps in the past.  I am a big believer of Similation activites at camp.  I beleive that we need to have purpose to why we do camp.  We are not just there to waist time and entertian teens.  I have been directing Camps for over 20 years.  It is different than CIY because of the atmosphere of camp.  That can be bad or good.  Here are a few Ideas we have used in the past.

Angels and Demons

World Evangelism

To the Least of These

Bruscopia

Footwashing and passion week portrayal

I will explan these in the future if you are interested

Bruce

Getting started

hey just wanted to see how this blogging works.  I will be putting different youth ministries ideas and thought that i have in the future.  Let me know what you think

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