BELONGING

WEEK 1
Community | “Who”
This activity requires that everyone take a scrap of paper and write down something about themselves
that people would never guess is true of them. This works best if even their closest friends don’t know this
fact. Examples include: my aunt lives on an Indian reservation or we bought our dog from President
Obama’s 2nd cousin.

After everyone has written down a fact, have them fold up the paper and place it in a bowl. Then
designate someone to read each one aloud and have everyone guess who owns each fact!

Vision | “Who Belongs Here?”

[Open this time with prayer.]

Since the Uprising exists so that we who are Christ-followers can take some risky steps of faith right here
on our school’s campus, it would be rather tragic if we didn’t agree on who the Uprising exists for!

[Use a whiteboard or flipchart and ask everyone to list who belongs in the Uprising meetings. Then ask
this question and list people’s answers on the whiteboard too.]

∗ Who did Jesus spend time with?

[Read Matthew 5:45 aloud.]

45
that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

[Read this paragraph taken from Brennan Manning’s book, The Ragamuffin Gospel.]

“Jesus spent a disproportionate amount of time with people described in the gospels as the poor, the
blind, the lame, the lepers, the hungry, sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, the persecuted, the
downtrodden, the captives, those possessed y unclean spirits, all who labor and are heavy burdened, the
rabble who know nothing of the law, the crowds, the little ones, the least, the last, and the lost sheep of
the house of Israel. In short, Jesus hung out with ragamuffins.”

∗ Are the people on Jesus list included in our list?

For the next 3 weeks, we are going to focus on widening our perspective of who belongs here.

Challenge | “Look”
Let’s all leave today with an awareness that we have room to grow in the realm of belonging. That we
haven’t “arrived” when it comes to making this community a place where all types of people feel like they
belong here with us.

Let’s pray that we can develop our ability live, love and include like Jesus did.
 BELONGING
WEEK 2
Community | “Basic Bowls”
This is a form of catchphrase. It works by breaking everyone down into groups of about five or six. You’ll
need a “bowl” or similar container for each group, scratch paper and pens.

[Instruct each person in each group to write down about five different words on different slips of paper,
crumple them up and throw them in their group’s bowl. You may need to provide them with some
context about how to come up with good words or phrases for this game—not to hard to guess…but not
too easy either. Then have each group designate a time keeper. This game is played in rounds—as many
as you have time for, but preferably allowing each person to have a 60 second turn. Game begins by a
student picking a slip of paper and then describing it to the group without using the word on the slip.
They have 60 seconds per turn to describe as many slips of paper as the group can guess before it’s the
next person’s turn. Whoever guesses the most words/phrases correctly wins that round.]

Teach | “The Poor”

[Meet with your Uprising coach to personalize your talk. This week’s outline is based on Andy Stanley’s
sermon outline, which can be found at www.studentuprising.com under the “resources” tab. The “one
thing” for this lesson: the Kingdom belongs to those dependent on the mercy of God.]

ME
Sometimes I have trouble admitting my need for help.

WE
I’m guessing you have found it difficult to ask for help too.

GOD
The Bible defines who belongs in the Kingdom of heaven as the “poor in spirit”. [Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”] The poor, according to Jesus,
are those who have a need for God to meet their needs, forgive their sin and make them whole.

YOU
You may not be economically poor, but you are dependent on the mercy of God for the forgiveness
of your sins.

WE
Imagine how different this community would be if the poor in spirit felt welcomed here. If they did,
we could share with them the secret to being rich in spirit—Jesus!

Challenge | “Ask for Help. Offer help.”

If you are in need of help today, ask.
If you are prone to being self-reliant, ask for help with something today.
If you tend to be self-possessed, offer help to someone in need.
If you have financial blessing, give to someone in need this week.
Invite someone to the Uprising next week who is poor in spirit—Invite them to belong here.

Let’s pray.

[Pray for God to move our hearts towards either asking for help or offering to help in a specific way.]
 BELONGING
WEEK 3
Community | “Bowls—Charades Edition”
This is a form of catchphrase. It works by breaking everyone down into groups of about five or six. You’ll
need a “bowl” or similar container for each group, scratch paper and pens.

[Instruct each person in each group to write down about five different words on different slips of paper,
crumple them up and throw them in their group’s bowl. You may need to provide them with some
context about how to come up with good words or phrases for this game—not to hard to guess…but not
too easy either. Then have each group designate a time keeper. This game is played in rounds—as many
as you have time for, but preferably allowing each person to have a 60 second turn. Game begins by a
student picking a slip of paper and then acting it out to the group without talking-charades style. They
have 60 seconds per turn to act out as many slips of paper as the group can guess before it’s the next
person’s turn. Whoever guesses the most words/phrases correctly wins that round.]

Reflection | “Little Children”

We are in week 3 of a series on who belongs in the Kingdom of heaven and who belongs here in the
Uprising. We are going to spend then next 10 minutes reflecting on Scripture.

[Pass out handout with Matthew 18:1-10 and Mark 10:13-16 printed on it and pens.]

Read through the verses quickly once. Then go back and read through it again slower, circling any words
or phrases that stand out to you. Take note of anything God may be saying to you through these verses.

Reading | “Faith like a Child”

“The Kingdom belongs to people who aren’t trying to look good or impress anybody, even themselves.
They are not plotting how they can call attention to themselves, worrying about how their actions will bet
interpreted or wondering if they will get gold stars for their behavior…The child doesn’t have to struggle
to get himself in a good position for having relationship with God…When Jesus asks us to become like
little children, He is inviting us to forget what lies behind. Whatever we have done in the past, be it good
or evil, great or small, is irrelevant to our stance before God today. It is only now that we are in the
presence of God. It is important to remember the Jewish attitude toward children in first-century
Palestine if we are to grasp the full force of Jesus’ teaching here. In the present day, we tend to idealize
childhood as the happy age of innocence…but in NT times the child was considered of no importance,
meriting little attention or favor…For the disciple of Jesus ‘becoming like a little child’ means the
willingness to accept oneself as being of little account and to be regarded as unimportant.”

Taken from p. 53-55 of The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning.

Because children had not earned value, they were not valued. Jesus makes his point by offering his love,
grace and Kingdom to children who have not been corrupted by a society that deems us as valuable if we
earn it. You and me? We can’t earn the Kingdom of heaven. Nor can the people outside of the Uprising.
We all must see ourselves and those around us as little children worthy of the gospel.

Prayer | “Thankful”
Father, thank you for extending your Kingdom to those of us who don’t deserve it. Help us to look at
each other and those outside this room the way you see us. Help us to welcome those who seem of no
value to this school, this town, or even the Uprising. We are humbled today, Amen.
 BELONGING

“Matthew 18:1-10”
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
1
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2
He called a little child, whom he placed among them. 3 And he said: “Truly
I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—
becoming like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And
whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to
6

stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around
their neck and they were drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the
world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must
come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or
your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for
you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and
be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it
out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to
have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. See that you do not
despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven
always see the face of my Father in heaven.

“Mark 10:13-16”
The Little Children and Jesus
13
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on
them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was
indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not
hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell
you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will
never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on
them and blessed them.
 BELONGING
WEEK 4
Community | “Super Bowls”
This is a form of catchphrase. It works by breaking everyone down into groups of about five or six. You’ll
need a “bowl” or similar container for each group, scratch paper and pens.

[Instruct each person in each group to write down about five different words on different slips of paper,
crumple them up and throw them in their group’s bowl. You may need to provide them with some
context about how to come up with good words or phrases for this game—not to hard to guess…but not
too easy either. Then have each group designate a time keeper. This game is played in rounds—as many
as you have time for, but preferably allowing each person to have a 60 second turn. Game begins by a
student picking a slip of paper and then describing it to the group without saying the word on the slip.
They have 60 seconds per turn to describe as many slips of paper as the group can guess before it’s the
next person’s turn. Whoever guesses the most words/phrases correctly wins that round. The next round is
played like charades. The next round is played using words and action but each person only has 30
seconds per turn!]

Small Groups | “Sinners Table”

We are in the last week on a 4 week series on who belongs in the Kingdom of heaven and who belongs
here in the Uprising. Last week, we talked about how children were of little value to the culture that Jesus
grew up in and that when He said that children belonged to the Kingdom of heaven even though they
haven’t earned it, He was making a point about us not being able to earn our way to heaven.

This week, we are going to focus on how sinners were regarded in Jesus’ time. The social system of
Judaism legally restricted people from “hanging out with” people who broke the law. Since eating a
meal in someone’s home was regarded intimate and reserved only for genuine friendship, the story you
are about to hear is truly scandalous for its time.

[Read Luke 19:1-9 and then have students break up into smaller discussion groups. Prompt them to
discuss each of the questions below. Pause about 2-3 minutes between each question.]

∗ What would be the equivalent, shock-value story for us as Uprising attendees?

∗ What type of person would I have to eat lunch with today for you to judge me as hanging with
the wrong crowd?
∗ Does our Uprising make people feel that they matter, give them dignity, or value?
∗ Do people find peace here? Acceptance? Reconciliation?
∗ What’s one thing each of you can do to spread the joy of belonging today?

Prayer | “Forgiveness”
Lord, we confess we are sinners in need of your grace and acceptance! We are so guilty of judging
people in this very room for hanging out with the wrong crowd. Ultimately, you call each of us to invite
sinners to our table…to the Uprising for a taste of joy, acceptance, and belonging. Help us do this well.
Help us represent you better. Make this place a safe place for all. Amen.