Group Leaders BriefinG

TruTH fiTness is all about going deep into the truth of Gods Word and understanding why we believe what we believe. TruTH fiTness will give youths a good training ground to get them fit in their Christian beliefs. This camp will help youths understand the importance of apologetics in their lives.

A. Group Leaders Roles

1. 2. 3. 4. Getting to know your group members before, during and after camp Leading your group in the morning devotions Leading your group in the group-discussions after each session Leading your group during applympics, amazing race and skit night

B. Shh... Time
1. The shh... Time is a period of 30 minutes, in which everyone is to reflect on what the session was about or what God is saying to them. 2. no one is allowed to talk to one another during this time. sms-ing, listening to ipods and other forms of distractions will not be allowed. 3. The shh... Time will happen after the session, before the group discussions. 4. ensure your members participate in the shh.. Time

C. Skit Night
1. 2. 3. 4. More information will be given about the skit time at camp plan with your members your skit. encourage everyone to participate, even if the role is a minor one. plan your practice times with your group

D. Game Activities (Applympics and Amazing Race)

1. The safety and Well-being of your group members should be your top priority. please ensure that all members are fit to participate in every task. Keep an eye out for them. record our camp nurses number in your phones. 2. The campsite is huge. Try your best to move around together to avoid losing members, especially when transitioning between stations. 3. please ensure that valuables like phones, watches, wallets and bags are kept safe when participating in the games. Travel light during games. 4. Keep in mind the goal of teamwork, communication, appreciation, encouragement, good fun and servant leadership. do not forget to compliment and encourage a team member who does a task well. appreciate and encourage a team member who may not have done well. Communicate clearly. Be patient with all your members. dont be very competitive, but do motivate your members in order to build team spirit. in tasks that could be tricky, set the example by going first. 5. remember, to be a cheerful, encouraging coach to your members. not a grumpy, demanding Ceo/boss. Have fun.

Keep A Look Out For:

1. Group members who are new to youth camp (Guests of pBC youth, new-believers, form ones, etc.) 2. Quieter or non-participative members. find out if theyre enjoying camp. However do respect their quietness, as some may not be comfortable with new people yet. one tool to help is to ask open-ended questions like: what do you think of... questions. (the food, the campsite, Lady Gaga, ballet, etc.) 3. Lone-Rangers. individuals who are frequently by themselves during activities or free time.

4. Campers who are sick or injured. When they begin to sneeze a lot, complain of headaches, etc. alert one of the advisors or go straight to the camp nurse for treatment. 5. Campers whom you are concerned about. They may be sharing stuff in your group discussions that may be of concern. (for example: suicidal thoughts, sexually-explicit thoughts/language, etc.) 6. Pay attention to the questions and concerns your group members have about their faith. dont be overwhemed by feeling you need to answer all their questions. Take their questions and concerns down and assure them that you will check it out (with advisors, speaker or bible guides). do make it a point to get back to them during camp.

Avoid:
1. Avoid Being pushy. its good to get your members involved, but it can ruin your relationship-building if they are forced to do something they arent comfortable with. 2. Avoid Answering all the questions you ask. if the group is still silent, perhaps they didnt understand you the first time. rephrase your question. if they still arent answering, you can give a simple answer and ask for feedback or move on. dont be afraid of silence. sometimes, they need a little time to ponder. Your simple answer may get them to ask you questions instead. 3. Avoid Being judgemental. during your sharing, you may have members who would share personal details in their lives that they could be wrestling with (for example: smoking, swearing, etc.) avoid making statements or gestures that are disapproving. shaking your head, cringing, laughing, sighing or saying My goodness or aiyoh can be judgemental. instead, say, Thanks for being open with your sharing, we will keep our sharing in this group confidential. remind your group to be committed to keeping things confidential. 4. Avoid Being too easy going. Your members look to you for instructions, guidance and order. Keep to the time limits. Be clear when you explain something. When the group discussion deviates from topic, gently steer them back on track. if you have a very chatty and talktative group, dont be afraid to limit their sharing time in the interests of keeping to the schedule. play this by ear, because you wouldnt want to ruin an emotional sharing about how your member came to God after the death of her pet african bullfrog. 5. Avoid Paying attention to only a few members in your group. as humans, we tend to click with those who share similar interests and personalities. However, as a group leader, you are responsible to care for every member equally. Time and attention is a big way you show your care. ensure that you have made time for conversations with every member in your group. 6. Avoid Excessive competitiveness. While it is exciting and motivating to prompt your group to excel and bag scores and prizes, be careful not to let the competitive spirit dictate your group. Healthy competition is necessary and fun to get your members involved. But when everything is about winning and losing, weaker participants may easily be side lined, while the more capable ones be consumed by how well they perform. This will distort your group dynamics. instead, instill in your group values of teamwork, perserverance and servant leadership.

Prepare. Gather your group members to quieten themselves as

you lead them into an opening prayer. Pray that Gods name will be honoured and glorified, and that the Holy Spirit will enlighten everyone as they read and understand todays scripture passage.

Read. Begin by reading the scripture passage. Enjoy the verse or Explore. Some devotional commentaries offer a brief exposition
on the passage. Others may share stories or testimonies that coincide with the passage or illustrate the point. Let the commentary encourage and insipire you. Ask yourself, what is God saying about himself to me?, Is there a principle or promise for me? You may lead your members to share what they think of the passage, or share similar lifestories.

A Simple Guide to Leading Quiet Time

passage. Let it sink in! Understand what the scriptures say*. Grasp what the writer is trying to communicate. Avoid jumping into the devotional commentary before reading the scripture passage.

Respond. Quiet Time is an important practice to help you

End your quiet time in prayer.

reflect on your relationship with God. Based on the days reading, encourage your members to reflect on the questions in the devotional and respond by sharing or journaling their thoughts.
* As the leader, you will need to do your preparation of understanding the context of the passage.