Begin your new year with thanksgiving and a commitment to make a difference as a group of believers. Have your group start this time of worship by expressing thanks for lessons learned and the beauty of the last year. Then have each group member make a list of the gifts they could bring to their community. Examples might include prayer, leading a Bible study, making meals, and so on.
Read 1 Corinthians 13 out loud. Remind your group that love is the most important gift we can offer both to God and his people. It is in love that all we do finds its meaning. Have someone who is relatively creative draw the word LOVE on your board. Explain that, as a group, you are going to design a mosaic as a reminder of what and to whom God has called us. Then let the group talk a minute about how they'd like to see their board designed (the letters all one color or different colors, what the background will look like, and so on).
Have each person take as many stones as they have gifts on their list. Then they may begin gluing those stones (or cut glass) on the board.
After you are all done, remind your group members that when we bring our gifts—which are varied—to God's service, they create a whole, healthy, and beautiful expression of Christ to the world. Keep the mosaic and bring it out every week as a reminder to the group.
Things you will need:
- A piece of heavy cardboard or wood cut in any shape: circle, square, or rectangle. If you don't want to cut your own, you can find this (and the following items) at any craft store.
- Several bags of small, multicolored glass stones (Wal-Mart carries these for less than a dollar).
- Craft cement.
Copyright 2009 by the author and Christianity Today.
