God Calls Us to Lead

In this a c tiv ity, the participants learn how God

calls young people to lead.
time required: 30-50 minutes
i n t e n d e d fo r g r a d e s 9 - 1 2
Mat er ial s
N eed ed

» Bibles, one for each participant

» blank sheets of paper, one for each participant
» colored pencils or crayons, several for each participant

Activity Steps
1 T e l l t he pa rt ic ipa nts that the Bible records a number of examples of God making an
unlikely choice when calling a person for a special task in that person’s community (e.g., Sarah was
called to bear a child at the age of 99; Jesus’ disciples were poor and illiterate; Saul, who became
Paul, was a persecutor of the church). Tell the participants they are going to look at the story of
Samuel—another example of God calling someone who is an unlikely candidate. In this narrative,
Samuel is an unlikely choice because he is so young.

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Dis t r ibut e a B ible to each participant. As a group, read aloud 1 Samuel 3:1–21 and allow
a few moments for silent reflection. Then offer the following comments:
» God calls Samuel to be a prophet of Israel when Samuel is only a boy. In the story of Samuel
and Eli, it is significant that God calls the young, inexperienced boy rather than the elderly
priest to a leadership role.

» Samuel has no social or religious authority in his community, but Eli is a well-respected elder
and priest. Because of this, Samuel is an unlikely choice for the task. Yet God sees potential

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 in the youth, innocence, and faithfulness of a young boy. God sees that calling a young per-
son provides an opportunity for newness and change.

» The call of Samuel marks a new beginning for Israel. It lays the groundwork for a renewed
covenant of faithfulness for the Israelites. God gives Samuel an important role, and Samuel

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obeys God’s call.

I nv it e t h e pa rt i c ipa nts to take part in a large-group discussion using the following

questions and comments as a guide:
» Why doesn’t Eli realize (at first) that the Lord is calling Samuel? [Verse 1 tells us the word of
the Lord was rare in those days; this is the first time God has spoken to Samuel. Eli may not
have expected God to call to a child.]

» What does Eli tell Samuel to say in response to God? [“Speak, Lord, for your servant is
listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).]

» When Samuel recounts the Lord’s words to Eli the next morning, how does Eli respond? [Eli
listens carefully and believes what Samuel tells him; he does not get angry with Samuel after
hearing the words of the Lord.]

» Why do you think the Lord speaks to the young boy and not to the elderly priest? [God
speaks about punishing Eli and his sons. God wants to bring the Israelites back to a life of
faithfulness, and a child embodies the possibility of a fresh start; God is preparing Samuel to
become a prophet.]

» What does this story teach us about young people doing God’s work? [Young people can
participate in doing God’s work on earth. They should listen for God’s call and respond, and

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adults should support and encourage young people as they listen for God’s call.]

P r o v id e e a c h pa rtic ipa nt with a blank sheet of paper and some colored pencils or
crayons. Ask them to draw a long, winding road with three blank signposts and a traffic light after
each signpost. Tell them this is their “life highway.” Ask them to think about three times in their
lives when they have been a leader or have taken responsibility (e.g., running a lemonade stand,
helping a younger sibling learn to read, or helping to coach a sports team). Tell them to write their
ages at the time and a few words about the experience in each of the signposts. Allow ample time
for them to complete this task.

5 N o w a s k t h e pa rtic ipa nts to think about how others responded to them in those
roles. If their friends, parents, siblings, or teachers were unsupportive, they should color the traffic
light red. If the response was mixed or lukewarm, they should color the light yellow. If they felt
supported and encouraged to take on this responsibility, they should color the traffic light green.

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Again, allow enough time for the participants to reflect and complete the task.

F ina l ly, ask the participants to add a few images that show how they can listen for God’s call
as they travel along their life highways (e.g., symbols of praying, listening, or talking to others).

7 W h e n e v e ry o ne ha s had time to complete their highways, invite a few volunteers to share

and explain their drawings with the rest of the group.

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8 C o n c l ud e t h e ac tiv ity by inviting the group to prayer. Pray that the participants will
feel supported when they take on responsibility in their communities. Pray that they will respond
positively (be a “green light”) to other young people who strive to do the same. Pray that they will
listen carefully for God’s call and respond by saying, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716
wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.

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 About World Vision
W o rld V i s i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping
children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We
see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can
be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World
Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and
families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across
many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social,
emotional, and spiritual well-being.

W o rld V i s i o n R es o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice,
and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based
materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision
Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace
its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.

For more information about

our resources, contact:

World Vision Resources

www.worldvision.org
wvresources@worldvision.org

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