Note to the Teacher

The key phrase for this lesson is, “Are you hospitable?” The icebreaker invites youth to learn more about one another. The discussion encourages students to spend time engaging in the idea of hospitality. The activity allows youth to brainstorm ways that their church, youth group, or class. can be more hospitable. Times are based on a fifty-five-minute lesson period but may be adjusted.

Snowball Stories (15 minutes)

Give each participant a sheet of paper. Invite students to write a weird or funny story about themselves. (It must be a true story.) After they’ve written their stories, have them crumple their pieces of paper like snowballs and put them into a bucket or container. The facilitator should begin to pull out snowballs and read the stories. It is then up to the group to guess who wrote the story.

Option 1:

If playing with a large group, the story time could get lengthy. Instead, have students write a weird or interesting fact on their paper. If the group has more than thirty participants, break them into multiple groups.

Option 2:

Instead of having students write true stories, encourage them to write fake stories to be guessed.

Read Scripture (5 minutes)

Our scripture reading today involves the concept of hospitality.

Genesis 22:1-14; Matthew 10:40-42

Discussion (15 minutes)

What is your definition of hospitality? What does that definition have to do with this story?
How do you think Isaac felt about the situation with his father, especially at different points in the story?
What kind of discussion do you think Abraham and Isaac had as Isaac was being bound?
How do these scripture passages encourage hospitality?
How are God’s responses similar or different in the two scripture stories?
How can our stories reflect radical hospitality?

Activity and Discussion (20 minutes)

Take this lesson to the next level by getting students’ hands and imaginations working by creating a brainstorm session. This can go as deep or as wide as the facilitator wants. Ask the following questions.

In what ways can our group be more hospitable?
In what ways can our church service be more hospitable?
In what ways can our whole church be more hospitable?

Then invite your students to brainstorm how they can partner with adults, leaders, and one another to enact one of the hospitality ideas.

* We highly recommend using large post-it notes on the walls. Have the students use sticky notes move around to be engaged in this activity.

Points for discussion:

Hospitality is a hallmark of Jesus’ ministry and an ongoing demonstration of God’s love.
Hospitality involves caring for those who are marginalized or outcast.
Hospitality creates space for someone without saying, “You have to become one of us.”
The act of hospitality has nothing to gain.

TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes