I Lead Youth

Worship Suggestions
Song suggestions can be found in a number of hymnals and songbooks. These came specifically from The Faith We Sing, Songs of Zion, The United Methodist Hymnal, Amazing Abundance: Hymns for Growing Church, God Can Be Seen in Other Ways: Hymns and Tunes for Today (all from Abingdon Press), and Songs & Prayers From Taize´.
At the end of each of the seven studies is "View You." The instructions in the books are for individual reflection and response. However, they easily lend themselves to creating a special worship time, providing closure to the specific study for the whole group. Here are some suggestions of ways to turn the "View You" portion of each study into a memorable time of worship.
Please feel free to adapt these ideas and add ones of your own to make this time especially meaningful for your particular group. For additional ideas, check out Worship Feast Ideas: 100 Awesome Ideas for Postmodern Youth and Worship Feast Services: 50 Complete Multisensory Services for Youth
Jesus, the Christ

“Who Do You Say I Am?” (Mark 8:27–9:1), page 14
Songs: "Where He Leads Me," "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” “The Lily of the Valley,” “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone” “Take Up Thy Cross,” “We Search in Vain”
Visuals: Stained glass or other images of Jesus, cross
One possibility is to have students move around the church to view images related to Jesus (windows, cross, pictures). Then have them in some quiet place, perhaps where they can view their favorite image, contemplate the question, Who is Jesus to you?
Another possibility is to set up stations of the cross. See Worship Feast Ideas: 100 Awesome Ideas for Postmodern Youth (#97) for an example.

You Can’t Go Home Again (Luke 4:16-30), page 28
Songs: "The Summons," “Jesus, Jesus,” “Here I Am Lord,” “We Search in Vain,” “Companion of the Poor”
Senses: Incense
Visuals: Project images of contemporary people who are poor, blind, captive, oppressed—either literally or figuratively; include pictures also of persons to represent those whose suffer from spiritual poverty or blindness or whose captivity or oppression can’t be seen. Also intersperse images of your group or congregation in ministry—perhaps slides from a mission trip or service project.
Invite youth to view the images and to pray silently as they reflect upon the questions in View You.

Standing Before the Light of the World (John 3:1-21), page 40
Songs: “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” "Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters" (especially verse 3), “Baptized in Water,” “Come, Be Baptized,” “For God So Loved the World,” “We Are Singing (Siyahamba/Caminando),” “Freely, Freely” “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”
Visual: Darkness, Christ candle on altar
Sound: Flowing water
Consider doing this exercise: Repeat John 3:16 multiple times, each time emphasizing a different word. For example, “For God so loved...”; “For God so loved... Do this as a group, or have different students do the verse each time. Give a few moments of silence between readings.
Focus on responding to Jesus through baptism; invite youth to “remember their baptism” through touching the water, perhaps making a sign of cross on their forehead or palm.

Faith That Changes Everything (Galatians 3:23–4:7), page 52
Songs: “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love,” “Make Us One,” "You Have Put On Christ," “Christ Beside Me,” “We Need a Faith,” “By Your Cross (Per Crucem),” “We Search in Vain”
Altar Visual: A box covering one or more helium balloons. Release the balloons at an appropriate time.
Movement: If you have one or more youth with a gift for liturgical dance, invent them to interpret the Scripture through movement.

The Faithful High Priest (Hebrews 2:10-18), page 64
Songs: “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High,” "The Head That Once Was Crowned,” “Blow Ye the Trumpet, Blow," “Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus” “Hallelujah! What a Savior” “How Great Thou Art” (especially verse 3), “The Old Rugged Cross,” “What Wondrous Love Is This,” “Lift High the Cross,” “Christ Is All,” “Cares Chorus,” “We Adore You, Jesus Christ (Adoramus te Christe)”
Visuals: Candle light, altar with cross
After a time of singing, have a time of quiet reflection based on View You (page 64) and prayer. Invite the youth to kneel at the altar rail or to go prone in prayer as an expression of giving oneself completely to Christ, who has made the sacrifice of atonement for our sin. You may wish to allow the youth to leave individually whenever they are ready.

The Seventh Trumpet (Revelation 11:15-18), page 78
Songs: "Jesus Shall Reign," “Christ Is the World’s Light, “All Hail King Jesus,” “He Is Exalted,” “We Will Glorify the King of Kings,” “Lord, Be Glorified,” “Prayers of the People,” “Mansions,” “Soon and Very Soon”
Altar visual: Trappings of royalty and kingdom: for example, gold and purple cloths or braid, a crown
Sound: Trumpet fanfare or portions of Handel’s Messiah
Consider introducing the worship time with a trumpet fanfare and the announcement from the verse 15. Invite students to name ways Christians live as hopeful people in light of Christ’s eternal reign.
Consider doing “Prayers of the People,” sung or spoken, modified or complete. Close with the Lord’s Prayer with emphasis on “Thy kingdom come.”

Casting Out Demons (Mark 5:1-20), page 90
Songs: “Into My Heart,” “Something Beautiful,” “Amazing Grace,” “He Touched Me,” “I Surrender All,” “Spirit Song”
Visuals: Cocoons and butterflies, made of paper or images projected
Consider giving each youth a butterfly replica of some sort either to keep or, if made of paper, to use as part of the prayers below.
Invite students to pray for themselves and for others who need healing or help dealing with “demons” they face. If their butterflies are paper (perhaps made by the students themselves), invite them to write the need or the name of the person on the butterfly and place it on the altar as part of their prayer.

• Song suggestions can be found in a number of hymnals and songbooks. These came specifically from The Faith We Sing, Songs of Zion, The United Methodist Hymnal, Amazing Abundance: Hymns for Growing Church, God Can Be Seen in Other Ways: Hymns and Tunes for Today (all from Abingdon Press), and Songs & Prayers From Taize´.

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