Cross Borders
In this unit, crossing borders is about actions we take to reach out to others who are different from us in order to love them and build bridges of understanding and justice. Jesus encountered many borders in his ministry. People suffering from illnesses like leprosy were considered unclean and to be separated from others. Women, even from his own Jewish religion, were legally the property of men and treated as second- or third-class citizens. People from other religions or countries were suspect and to be avoided. Over and again, we find Jesus crossing those human-erected borders and walls, challenging them in the name of love and justice. He even called out his own political and religious leaders for enforcing unjust borders, which, in part, led to his crucifixion.
This practice shows how we, as followers of Jesus, are pushed, pulled, invited, and commanded by God to embrace the fullness of humanity. This unit focuses on four aspects of crossing borders: leave your comfort zone, embrace relationships, challenge exclusion, and speak God’s language of love.
Youth Leader's Guide
This leader’s guide is for youth ages 11–18. It contains helpful information for the leader, including information about leading youth, background information about the practice, a note about supplies, and other helpful information for each session. There are symbols for each activity within the session that allow a leader to see at a glance the type of activity and customize each session for their group of youth. Our youth leader guide activity symbols assist the leader in accommodating both concrete- and abstract-thinking youth. Each session includes resource pages that may be copied, printed, or sent out electronically to participants. There are other helpful pieces for youth in the Congregational Guide.
Featured in the Youth Leader’s Guide:
Leave Your Comfort Zone (Acts 11:1–18)
Embrace Relationships (Ruth 1:1–17)
Challenge Exclusion (Mark 14:3–9)
Speak God’s Language of Love (Acts 2:1–4, 17–18)
