New students of 2023

Today in THP Students, we welcomed our newest students! We were so excited to celebrate and honor our 6th graders as they begin this new journey.

Today was all about making connections and introducing not just our new students, but our older students about what growing together means. We did this through a series of games that coupled with a lesson.

Catch the Oreo

To start off, we played a game called Catch the Oreo. It’s a fun and silly game. Each student places an Oreo on their eye and then tries to maneuver the Oreo down to their mouth. It’s incredibly awkward and funny to watch. At one point we discovered one of the students have a ridiculously long tongue!

What’s the point?

As a community, we will see some of the most awkward sides of individuals. Even the most put-together of us will find ourselves in a moment where we don’t look pretty and where we are making mistakes as we strive to accomplish the goal in front of us. As a community, we have to learn to have grace for each other. As a community, we have to learn that while others may look awkward at times, we also are no strangers to the awkwardness of trying to walk in what God has for us.

The Discernment Bag

For this game, I placed a random object in a bag. I then paired up two students who stood across from each other. One student had to look in the bag and describe the object. They could tell the truth or lie about what the object was. The other person was free to ask questions and attempt to discern if the person was lying or telling the truth. If they got it right, they won the game!

Students got super silly as we guessed the various objects in the bag, including a flashlight, a key chain, and a candle. At one point, there was a debate about whether there was one marble or two in the bag. Plot twist: There weren’t any.

What’s the point?

Growing up in a community means learning to read each other. It means learning to discern when a person is having a good day or a bad day. It means learning when it’s okay to joke and when a joke has gone too far. It’s not an easy process, but as we grow, we can learn to not just discern how people are but how to best help them grow in various seasons of their lives.

Story Time

Here, students sat down in a circle, and I gave them a topic. The students then corporately told a single story, one word at a time. Our story got a bit wild as it became a story about a cat who was… married to an owl… who had adopted… a dog? It got interesting for sure.

What’s the Point?

So often, we believe that our individual experiences and stories are isolated and mean nothing to others. Reality is that as a community, we are all telling one big story. Each student is part of each other’s story. The students as a whole are part of the story that is The Healing Place. The Healing Place as a whole is part of the bigger story: the story of Jesus and His love for us all.

At the end…

At the end of the day, our students had a blast but also walked away, understanding that what we are building at THP Students isn’t just about fun and games, nor is it going to be a spiritual time card that they stamp. It’s an opportunity to experience Christ, grow in friendship, and discover what God can and will do in their lives as they walk their faith out together.