Note to the Teacher

The focus this week is exploring spiritual growth and fruit. The icebreaker, "Rock-Paper-Scissors, Storytellers!," gets students interacting and sharing creative stories. Discussion questions encourage deep thinking around the idea of fruit. The active learning activity involves creating a collective display of fruits to help students apply abstract concepts in their context.

Icebreaker: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Storytellers! (15 minutes)

Divide the group into pairs. Each pair plays a round of “Rock-Paper-Scissors.” The winner of the round quickly thinks of a random word (e.g., joy, friendship, challenge). The person who didn’t pick the word has thirty seconds to come up with a three- to five-sentence weird, funny story that is inspired by that word. After sharing, the students play another round and repeat the process with a new word. After a few rounds, have pairs share their favorite stories with the group.

Read Scripture (5 minutes)

Read John 15:1-8.

Discussion (15 minutes)

When you hear “vine and branches,” what plants or images come to mind? How do vines (or tree trunks) differ from their branches (offshoots)?
What do you think Jesus meant when he said, "I am the vine, you are the branches”?
What does it mean to “remain” in Jesus, according to this passage?
What nourishes your spiritual roots and keeps you feeling connected to your faith?
What are some ways you can “bear fruit” in your community or school?
Share an experience where you felt disconnected from your spiritual source. How did it make you feel?
When have you seen someone else bear fruit?
How can you make Jesus' words remain in you?

Activity and Discussion (20 minutes)

This activity will help engage students’ creativity and imagination as they bring the abstract idea of bearing fruit into practical actions in their world.

Give each student a paper cutout of a fruit or flower or invite them to draw fruit or flowers on a sheet of paper. Invite them to write on one side a quality that Christians should exhibit (kindness, patience, love—you can use the fruits of the spirit if that helps). On the other side, have them describe an action or habit that can help them develop this virtue. Get butcher paper and invite students to crumple it and attach it to the wall in the shape of a vine and create branches where everyone places their “fruit.”

Let students share their creations as they place them on the wall.

TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes