THEME
Make Room for God’s Transforming Work
 
SCRIPTURE
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 
                                                Galatians 5:22
 
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.                                                   1 Corinthians 13:13
 
Come to Jesus, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.                      
​                                                       1 Peter 2:4
 
GOAL OF MENTOR MINISTRY WK5
To encourage students to be reminded of God’s work in their lives through the Spirit. The use of a prayer stone will help youth remember to lean into where God is prodding them to show God’s love to others.
 
THINK ABOUT THIS
The image of a stone or rock is used often in the Bible as a sturdy place to build a foundation or is used in the foundation. Where have you built your foundation? The scriptures this week remind us of the work of the Spirit in our own lives. Where do you see these “fruits” in your life and how are they impacting how and what you prayer for?

Share a high and a low this week. You could also share how the mentor ministry experience has been for you and your mentee. 

Read the Bible Verses to the left. Pick out a word or phrase that stands out to you as you read.

Pray together, using the prayer practice with a stone. Create a prayer phrase by combining the word on your stone and your favorite name for God. Using your highs and lows, pray for each other, ending each petition with your prayer phrase, repeating it each time.

Use this blessing to bless one another, marking each other with a cross, either on your hands or forehead.
“(Name), you are a child of God.”
​

THEME
Make Room for the Life of God
 
SCRIPTURE
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.                                                      1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
 
And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.                       Matthew 6:5-6
 
GOAL OF MENTOR MINISTRY WK4
To encourage students to be reminded of God’s love and peace flowing in and out of them.
 
THINK ABOUT THIS
Prayer often is something we see as getting us something and when we don’t get that something, we get upset at God for not “coming through.” But Paul reminds us that it is more about God’s will coming to use through prayer. Constant prayer changes our will and can connect us to God’s will. 
​

​Share a high and a low this week.

Read the Bible Verses to the left. Pick out a word or phrase that stands out to you as you read.

Use the questions below to guide your discussion about the scripture and topic for tonight. Feel free to skip or adjust questions to your discussion.
What does “the Life of God” mean to you?
What words stick out to you from the scriptures? What makes them stick out to you? How do they relate to your high or low?
Rejoice, pray and give thanks are instructions from Paul, how do you and your family do this during the week? What are practices you could start doing?

Pray together, using the highs and lows from the first part of your time together. Take a few moments to become calm.  Use the prayer beads, you can make a set in the narthex, to pray the prayer below.

Prayer Beads
There as many ways to pray with beads as there are beads and people in the world.  The beads are simply holy reminders to pray:
•Touch the white bead and offer prayers of gratitude for your many blessings.  Spend a few moments in silence at the end of each prayer before moving on.
•Touch the orange bead and pray for others (friends, family, the world).
•Touch the red bead and offer prayers of confession and forgiveness.
•Touch the green bead and talk to God about any personal concerns and requests for guidance.
•Touch the blue bead and invite the Holy Spirit to work within you and your life.
•Hold the purple bead and remain silent, listening for God.
When your time in prayer has come to a close, express your gratitude to God that you can bring all your concerns to God. 

Use this blessing to bless one another, marking each other with a cross, either on your hands or forehead.
“(Name), you are a child of God.”

THEME
Make Room for God with a Spiritual House Cleaning.
 
SCRIPTURE
And Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?”                                                                       Mark 11:15-17
 
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.                  Philippians 4:6-7
 
GOAL OF MENTOR MINISTRY WK2
To encourage students to pray for those around them and to make space for God to work through them in prayer.
 
THINK ABOUT THIS
It is often easier for youth to pray for someone with a visual reminder. Today’s scripture and practice can help us make space in our mind for those who need prayer. Sometimes we all think about prayer as something we do to get something we want. Tonight, try focusing on what others may need from God to help guide the discussion.

Share a high and a low this week. Suggest sharing a high and low about a friend or family member and use these in the prayer below.

Read the Bible Verses to the left. Think about a word or phrase that sticks out to you related to the theme of cleaning out or praying for others.

Use the questions below to guide your discussion about the scripture and topic for tonight. Feel free to skip or adjust questions to your discussion.
Why do you think Jesus was so upset with the merchants in the temple?
What words stick out to you from the scriptures?
Why does Paul instruct us in Philippians, “Do not worry about anything.”? What does that mean to you?
What does praying for “everything” mean to you and how do you think this brings God’s peace?

Pray together, using the highs and lows from the first part of your time together. Take a few moments to become calm.  Say a prayer for someone specific that you know who could use a prayer tonight.  

Use this blessing to bless one another, marking each other with a cross, either on your hands or forehead.
“(Name), you are a child of God.

THEME
Make Room for the Way of the Cross
 
SCRIPTURE
We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24
 
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.  1 Corinthians 15:3
 
It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
 
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
 
Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
 
GOAL OF MENTOR MINISTRY WK2
To encourage students to have a spirit of gratitude for Jesus’ work on the cross.
 
THINK ABOUT THIS
Thanksgiving is possible not because everything goes perfectly but because God is present. Pre-teens and teenagers go through a range of emotions, ups and downs, sometimes daily. Reminding them that God is present in these struggles can give them hope in rough times.

Share a high and a low this week. It can be easy to see where God is in the highs but spend some time thinking about where God can be seen in the lows this week as well.

Read the Bible Verses to the left. Think about where you see hope in the verses.

Use the questions below to guide your discussion about the scripture and topic for tonight. Feel free to skip or adjust questions to your discussion.
What does making room for the “way of the cross” mean to you?
What words stick out to you from the scriptures?
Why does Paul instruct us, in 1 Thessalonians to “Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances”?
Where can you find hope in your everyday life?

Pray together, using the highs and lows from the first part of your time together. Take a few moments to become calm.  Say a prayer of gratitude for all that has been, all that is, and all that will be in your life.  

Use this blessing to bless one another, marking each other with a cross, either on your hands or forehead.
“(Name), you are a child of God.”
​

THEME
Make Room for God through Repentance
 
SCRIPTURE
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
 those who lived in a land of deep darkness —  on them light has shined.                                          Isaiah 9:2

Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." 
John 8:12
 
GOAL OF MENTOR MINISTRY WK1
To encourage students to see how repentance can help us move forward from the fears we may have.
 
THINK ABOUT THIS
Repentance isn’t just about saying “sorry” and moving on. It is also about those things that we continue to drag along with us. We may think youth don’t have much “baggage” at this point in their life, but some may have unknown or unnamed worries of not measuring up to those around us.

Share a high and a low this week. Focus on something that you feel fear about as a low and how you are dealing with this fear as a high, or the hope you have in the future.

Read the Bible Verses to the left. Focus on a few words that stick out to you for the prayer at the end of this discussion guide.

Use the questions below to guide your discussion about the words chosen from the READ section. Feel free to skip or adjust questions to your discussion.
What word did you choose from the scripture and why?
How does light help you in your daily life?
What would you do without light?
Where do you find hope in these verses?
What gives you comfort?
What questions do you have about the verses?

Pray together, using the highs and lows from the first part of your time together. Then spend a minute or 30 seconds in silence, repeating the word you picked out from the scripture. End your prayer time with the phrase “Lord, remain with me, Amen.”

Use this blessing to bless one another, marking each other with a cross, either on your hands or forehead.
“(Name), you are a child of God.