We had an amazing night as we celebrated a new 6th grader coming up into student ministry! To celebrate, we played a couple of games, but as always, our games are never just games.

Game 1

The first thing we played was called Musical Battle Chairs,  a wild twist on musical chairs. Students walked around a circle of chairs while music played, and when the music stopped, they scrambled to grab a seat. The two left standing raced to a “dueling station” to grab pool noodles and face off, with the first to tag the other’s leg winning a spot back in the game. But the person who lost is not out; they now become an armorer. Their job is to equip one of the next duelist! Each round, a chair was removed until only three players remained, leading to a final duel to crown the champion. It was full of energy, laughter, and friendly competition.

The Point

In this game, sometimes you win the chair, sometimes you’re left standing, and sometimes you’re in a showdown with a friend. But no matter what happens, you’re still part of the game. In our group, it’s the same way, you might have moments where you may come head-to-head with others, but just because there’s some adversity, it doesn’t mean you’re not still part of what’s taking place. You still have a role to play. Adversity isn’t even always a bad thing. The Bible talks about iron sharpening iron, and so one person sharpens another. We need each other to challenge us to grow and become what God is calling us to be, even if that means we don’t necessarily get what we want. 

Game 2

We played Right Side Up Cup, a surprisingly exhausting game where students worked together to flip plastic cups to match their team’s goal. One team’s mission was to turn cups right side up, while the other team aimed to flip them upside down. With cups scattered across the playing area and a timer counting down, players raced back and forth, flipping as many cups as they could while respecting the rule of no guarding. When time ran out, the team with the most cups in their direction claimed victory.

The Point

In this game, every player had a role to play, and every flip mattered; no one could win on their own. It’s a great reminder that in our group, we succeed when we work together. Just like in life, we’re all moving toward the same ultimate goal of following Jesus, even if our paths and actions look different at times. Every encouragement you give, every prayer you pray, and every way you serve make a difference. You belong in this group, and what you do matters.

After the games, we walked our new 6th Grader through our regular schedule in THP Students, then proceeded to do what’s become a tradition for us. We presented her with a sign with her name on it and had all of the students write her an encouraging note on her sign. This is something we do so that when she goes home, she has a reminder with her that tells her that no matter what’s going on, her fellow THP Students love her and are here for her.