What exactly do such cleverly named events entail? Well, the first activity for each group was an INVENTION CHALLENGE! Each inventor was tasked with producing inventions to be judged by the patent board of a futuristic, dystopian police state (but as is often the case, the people were largely unaware that they were living in a such a totalitarian regime). The patent board was, of course, made up of two highly respected inventors: Dr. Doctor, who has a tendency to bestow on everyone the honorific title of 'Dr' and Caitlin, or Dr. Caitlin according to her colleague on the board.
Among others, the junior inventors presented inventions for maximum relaxation, speed, police and ambulance response and military fortification; the seniors presented discreet ninja tools, advanced water-crossing devices and waffle sculptures. Then the board members stepped out in order to deliberate on the future of these inventions and whether the inventors would be able to patent them.
When the patent board returned from their deliberations, Dr. Doctor began presenting their findings. Then, in a surprisingly cruel turn of events, not uncommon in futuristic, dystopian police states, board member Caitlin announced that she would be stealing all the inventions, no patents would be issued and that they would all be imprisoned by an army of enslaved, sentient, lego robots (Caitlin's most prized invention)!
Needless to say, the news was not popular, but after spending some 'quality time' with the robots, all of the inventors confessed that they had in fact stolen all the ideas from Caitlin's personal lab through extensive and highly illegal corporate espionage. They were sentenced to be converted into sentient lego robots to serve the state, a punishment which they reportedly deemed 'far better than what we deserve for such treachery.' Caitlin was relieved at their candor and conversion as well as by the fact that sentient robots never plot to overthrow the totalitarian regimes that enslave them. I am sure nothing else will come of this situation.
The next game we played, this time based in our present reality, was lego pictionary. Instead of drawing, players had to build clues to each word out of lego. Chairs, lamps, bananas, cats, iphones and octopuses were all among the words that the groups had to guess over the course of the game. Despite Caitlin's repeated guesses, it was never a bird, a plane or Superman.
It may not seem obvious at first, why we spend our time on fanciful lego games in youth group. What does this have to do with Church? But then again, what does quilting have to do with Church? Or arranging flowers? Or BBQing at a picnic? For me, the goal of youth group is building Christian community and building individual relationships within that community. Through these games and activities, we learn to work together, to respect people who have different ideas from our own, to encourage one another, and to be creative like the God in whose image we are each made. We also share our lives, our highs and lows, with other members of this community and we are able to offer and receive support when needed. God in Christ is in this time that we spend together as we care for each other as Christ called us to following his own example of love for friends.
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