Bring it together: about 7:15pm

"Hey, glad to see you all here. Welcome to ?????

Introduce new people: give them a blow-pop, skittles, or snickers bar, etc.

Youth Challenge:

(an up front game/crowdbreaker) Have two students come up and do some challenge against each other. (Chubby bunnies, dollar hop, baby food eating contest, burp contest, etc. Be creative!!!

Announcements: upcoming activities, events

Games: Choose games from Game List

Discussion Starters:

*Optional Edge TV video

*Agree Disagree Statements (have people stand on opposite sides of room)
1. There is more racism/prejudice today than there was 20 years ago.
2. Teens are more racist than adults.
3. Racism is nothing more than fear.
4. You can be a racist and be a good person.
5. Some racism-prejudice is justified.
6. If your family is racist, you will be racist.

Discussion (for small or large group):
1. What is racism?
2. What are the different kinds of racism?
3. What causes racism?
4. Does music influence racism? How?
5. What problem do racism cause?
6. Think of the people who have hurt you the most often in your life- are they the same race as you?
7. How have you been affected by racism?
8. Think about someone that you didn't like at first, but then you became friends. Why did your attitude change? (bring our that your attitude changed when you got more information and got to know them)

Wrap up:

Over the years in youth group I've noticed that there are a lot of kids that walk in here that would never have been friends at school because they were from a different group/click, etc. Over time, once they got to know each other they become friends. Despite their differences, they realize their similarities and become friends.

This next section is targeted for an ignorant middle class, white group that lacks understanding of racism. This is not necessary for a mixed group- in fact it might stir up emotions that don't need to be stirred.

I want you to use your imaginations. You are hungry and decide to go into a restaurant. After waiting to be seated for 30 minutes the manager walks up to you and says, "We don't serve your kind here!" You leave the restaurant in anger and decide to go home. On your way you stop in the park to get a drink from a fountain. Just as you start to drink, someone taps your shoulder sharply. "You can't drink from this fountain, that one over there is for your kind!" In frustration you walk down the street. People move in your way, forcing you to walk in the gutter. You get on your bus home, having to sit in the back so that people who aren't of your kind don't have to look at you. From the bus you see people like yourself being mistreated, even beaten, just because they are different . . .

This kind of racism/prejudice happens throughout the world and on our street every day. We don't have oppressive laws for separate drinking fountains, schools, places to sit on the bus for people who are different, but we used to. We do have people hating each other because of skin color, ethnic background, dress styles, music preference, financial/social status and even because of what people believe in.

It's amazing how, throughout history, wars have brought together people that never would have come together to fight for a united cause. Conflict or crisis often brings people together to conquer adversity. People realize how silly their hate is when they realize that others are in the same boat.

We are different, but we are the human race. One of the saddest things we all have in common is that we are all dying from a disease. A disease that attacks all races of humanity. It is sin. A sin is knowing what is right to do in a situation and not doing it.

There is another thing we have in common, a healing solution to the disease of sin. It is the reason I am not prejudice or racist. God puts an infinite value on each on of us. (Romans 5:8) The Bible says "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

He accepts all of us for who we are, no matter what our skin color is, or what we have done. He took our disease of sin upon himself and died in our place. Through his eyes all are equal. We all have an equal choice that we have to make: to be healed from sin and be renewed in Jesus, or to continue to die form the disease of sin.