WAYS TO BEGIN: Greet each student; welcome back anyone present for the first time since summer recess; talk about the past week together informally. You may wish to serve donuts and juice or some light refreshments.
THE THEME: The parable of the steward (a difficult one to understand) is about living in preparation for the Judgement that is coming.
1. What questions do you have about this parable? What do you think Jesus is trying to teach us?
2. Are you ever in situations in your life when you have two conflicting choices before you? How do you make a choice?
Role play the following situation: You will need a person to play the Boss, a person to play someone your age, and a person to play an older adult who sometimes counsels you when you have a difficult choice.
You have a summer job of selling Bibles door to door. You plan to use the money to go on your church's Youth Mission Trip to help needy people. After your week of job training you realize your boss is asking you to sell these Bibles to people who often can't afford them or who already have copies of the Bible. The selling techniques play on people's emotions and sentiments. You are confused as to whether selling these Bibles in this way is right or wrong. Your boss urges you to get out there and work hard saying that you can make a lot of money and besides, everyone is better off by having a beautiful copy of the "holy word". You ask your older friend what he things and he is bothered by the techniques of selling, but really throws the decision back to you.
Discuss as a class what is the right thing to do. Consider the good things and the bad things about either choice; make a list of these. Consider if there are other alternatives. Discuss what you think parents, other friends would advise you to do. What do you think Jesus would want you to do? What is the class's consensus of what decision should be made?
End with the Collect for the day.
