Praxis: Everyone Pitch In!

Setup:
Bring 4 bags full of things that you'd take on a picnic. Have the name of each item you brought written on a slip of paper. Put all the slips in a bag and have the participants each draw a slip.
Say "Today we're going on a picnic. When you go on a picnic, what do you bring? In the bags you see we have things you'd take on a picnic. Each of you have a slip with some item we'll need for today. You are the only one with that certain clip so it's your choice to either look for and find the item or to not. The choice is yours." (Arrange with one of th eparticipants ahead of time for them to purposefully not bring their item. Ex. they were supposed to bring cups for th e kool-aid, but since their aren't any cups, no one can drink.) That way they'll experience what the principle of this praxis is: People in the Body of Christ make unique and necessary contributions that allow the whole body to benefit or cause the whole body to lack.

Warmup:
Set out what everyone brought in. Talk about how each person had a specific task that they were responsible to complete.
Say "If _____ wouldn't have brought the blanket, we all would have been sitting on the scratchy grass. So - each of you made important and individual contributions to our one project. That's how it is for us as Christians. Each of us have something to give - some gift that the Holy Spirit gave us. When we share it with others we all benefit.

Study:
I Cor 12:12, 14-17 - What does these verses tell you? Do you think they apply to you? What gift(s) have you been given to contribute to other Christians?
What is it like when Christians don't share their gifts?
Rom 12:3-6 - Discuss the importance of the contributions of everyone in the Body of Christ. Is it hard to appreciate other Christian sometimes?

Application:
-What are you going to do this week about giving your gifts away?
-By next week this time, what will be different?
What can we do together to give ourselves to each other?
Ask God to show you the gifts He's given you.

Reflection:
It took everyone's effort for us to have what we needed for this picnic. it also takes effort and willingness from every Christian for the Body of Christ to function like it supposed to.
By Cindy Spoonheim