Overview:

The theme of today's lesson is exploring the significance of the call to worship and preparing our hearts for worship. To begin, students engage in "The Big Worship Story" icebreaker, where they collaboratively create a fictional narrative about a Sunday service, fostering creativity and engagement. Afterward, read 2 Samuel 7:1-14a to understand God's promises to David. Discussions focus on why these promises were made, ways to prepare for worship, and reflections on the call to worship's impact on community connection. For the activity, students participate in a "Worship Walk," reflecting on different aspects of worship at various stops, sharing insights, and considering how these reflections can enrich their worship experiences and daily lives.

Icebreaker: “The Big Worship Story”:

Ask students to sit in a circle. Begin the story by saying, “Once, during a Sunday service at [your church’s name] … “

The first student continues the story with another sentence, and this continues around the circle until it gets too out of hand there seems to be a natural ending. When you reach that point, you can say, “Amen!” Then, you can either start a new story or move on to the rest of the lesson!

Read 2 Samuel 7:1-14a.

Discuss:

What did God promise to David in the passage for today?
Why do you think God made these promises to David and his descendants?
How can you prepare your heart and mind for worship before you come to church?
What is the call to worship in your service? How does it look in your context (you may need to help students understand this one)?
Do you think the call to worship helps people feel more connected to the service? Why or why not?
How would you improve the call to worship to make it more meaningful for you and your friends? In other words, what words or actions, to you, demonstrate that it is time to worship and prepare yourself to be open to what God might do during worship?
Design a visual or symbol that could be used during the call to worship to represent togetherness and community.

Activity: Worship Walk

Begin with a brief discussion about the importance of gathering for worship and how it prepares our hearts and minds to connect with God and one another.

Then, take the students on a walk around the church grounds or a nearby park. As you walk, pause at various points to reflect on different aspects of worship (e.g., gratitude, confession, praise). If time allows in preparation, consider having a student or volunteer create posters or artwork of some kind for each pause point. Bring them along with you and display them at the appropriate time.

At each stop, ask a reflective question related to the call to worship (e.g., "What are you thankful for today?", "How can we prepare our hearts for worship?", "Where do you see God in this place?”).

At each stop, invite students to share their thoughts and reflections. Encourage them to listen to one another and think about how these reflections can enhance their worship experience.

Return to the starting point and gather in a circle. Invite the students to share one thing they learned or a new insight they gained from the walk. Discuss how this walk helped them understand the call to worship and how they can carry this mindset into their daily lives and regular worship practices.

Close in a manner appropriate for your group.