How to start an SU Group - Scripture Union Scotland

Team Leaders’ Manual – School SU Groups8. Question Time!Give opportunities to a ask questions (and get ready for the tricky ones) Sometimesquestions come out during a story – look out for red herrings – and it’s okay to say, ‘That’s agood question, and we will look at that soon but for just now…’Having a week just for questions (with a question box available for a couple of weeksbeforehand). If you don’t know the answer be honest and say that you will get back to them.9. Re inventing the wheelThere is lots of good material around– there are some noted in Section 3. But make sure yougive yourself time to know the text more anything.10. Make room for God to speakGive room for reflecting and responding. Be quite deliberate about saying that there is goingto be a quiet moment – or by suggesting scenarios in their own lives where they could applyGod’s word too. i.e. if you are looking at the hard time Jeremiah got for telling God’smessage ask them to think of a time when speaking about Jesus was difficult for them, or ifthey think that speaking about their faith is the way to make themselves cool in the school.11. 'Hide the word'Have a memory verse or summary statement for the day. There are lots of fun ways to teachthis too. Think about the purpose of teaching a memory verse. It’s not to see who thecleverest person is – it’s a chance to let as many as possible learn it.12. Pray!Ask God to prepare the hearts of the young people and to guide you as you prepare. AllowHim to speak to you through your preparation.6.4 How will they hear?Often the biggest frustration at an SU group is that the Bible story got lost somewhere in the muddleof everything else.Think carefully about how God’s Word can be at the centre of the group. Perhaps the game playedat the start will be helping with that. Actually, just mentioning it as people come into the room is anobvious way to set the scene for what this group is about. (‘Hi, come in...once people have had lunchwe are looking at a brilliant story – it’s about the least likely person you would ever imaginefollowing Jesus...no, it’s not your teacher.’ Etc.)Give the story prominence. How is it going to be heard?Are the young people going to read it? Then make it as easy as possible for young people to read thepassage for themselves. Some of your group may be very poor readers. Don’t ever force them toread out loud – if you are going to let people read aloud, ask for volunteers. Don’t always read thepassage – you may want to act it out, tell it as a story, show a clip from a video like The MiracleMaker or the Jesus video or use pictures. Your group may not be able to find their way around theBible – help them by giving page numbers and explaining the layout of the Bible.The Schools Live website has lots of good ways of telling the story in interesting and creative ways.However, just settling people down and telling the story in a way which shows that you know it,have loved it, want them to get something from it is key no matter what prop, costume, Bibleversion, etc., you are using.January 2012