FELLOWSHIPS: ADULTS

Come to a MELONS AND MELODIES FELLOWSHIP
For Young Adults

TIME_ PLACE_ DATE_

On Saturday afternoon a telephone committee could provide a last minute reminder for regular members; Sunday afternoon, for visitors and new members. Offer to drop by and pick them up for the evening service and fellowship afterwards. Plan to have the melon cutting out-of-doors if possible.

·       Set up tables, end to end, and cover them thickly with newspaper. Be sure to have plenty of light on the area.

·       Sharp knives for dividing the melons into individual portions are a must.

·       Forks and knives should also be available to those who prefer flatware to fingers.

·       Have salt and pepper shakers filled and ready. It's refreshments first with this fellowship. Have a special table prepared for the melon cutting ceremony.

·       Confer the honor of making the first plunge of the knife to a special guest. Perhaps you would want him to wear a chef's hat and large apron for the occasion. After the ceremonial first cut, others can speedily hack up the melons into portions.

·       As each guest picks up a paper plate (plastic is better) containing his piece of melon, he can carry it to his chosen seat at the table.

·       When everyone has been served, place remaining chunks of melon in the center of the table in several easily accessible places.

For the melodies part of the fellowship, record players or tape players can furnish background music while eating. As the eating diminishes, the singing can begin. Some fun
songs fit in with the festive atmosphere. Close with a prayer song.

To make it easier for the clean-up committee, have several strategically located trash cans with plastic liners available for each one to dispose of his rinds and seeds as he leaves. Be sure there are helpers to fold up and carry in whatever furniture and supplies which were borrowed for the occasion. Remember that the old saw, "Many hands make light work," applies as much today as in grandma's era.

You can extend the fellowship as long as you wish by adding other facets, such as: watermelon seed spitting contests, using targets drawn with felt-tip pens on poster
boards or newsprint; guessing the number of seeds in a jar; passing the watermelon seed from closed fist to closed fist around a circle and letting it guess who has the seed. When

it guesses correctly, the one who has the seed in his grasp becomes the new it.

However, whether the fellowship is short or long, it is good to conclude it on a high spiritual note which can be accomplished with music. If your minister of music and the music department do not sponsor this event, you would be wise to .enlist their cooperation. *

 

FAMILY MAKINS' FELLOWSHIP

Rick Fisher

 

Family Makins' is an after-church fellowship for young adults. It emphasizes the family as a unit. This could also be adapted for other groups within the church. Each family member creates his favorite pizza, sundae, footlong hot dog, or any goodie from ingredients provided for them. While the pizzas cook, or before eating any food, have a time for family emphasis. Activity place mats, such as those by Broadman, can be given to each family and time allowed for them to work through the material printed there. This supplements cooperation and communication as families think about their favorite times together.

Following this period, use a printed hand-out to suggest ideas for family times at home (television programs, books, games, devotions and meals). Let the families eat together,
with the suggestion that a conscious effort be made to do this every meal. Finally, you will have asked each family member to bring along his favorite item. Display these items in family groups, labeling each group with the family name. Conclude by allowing the families a closer view of the display. This should lead to interfamily sharing centered around these items. *

 

OPEN A CAN FELLOWSHIP

Edison Prince

These plans are for a young adult supper and evening of fun, games, and fellowship, ending with a devotional time. The "theme object" is the ordinary tin can, found in
abundance in most homes and church kitchens. The plans might be adapted for younger or older age groups. A number of suggestions are given. Pick those that would be of interest to your group.

THE SUPPER

Appoint a committee to be in charge of the meal. The committee should plan a simple menu built around canned foods. A soup or stew made with various canned vegetables and meats might be good, or a canned chili supper would be easy. Dessert could be canned fruit and/ or a canned sweetbread such as date nut bread. Beverage could be canned soft drinks, or coffee served in tin cans.

The committee would decide whether the group involved would bring the canned foods to the supper or to church at a prearranged time (Sunday School or Church Training on the Sunday before, etc.), based on the menu, time, and number of people involved.

A spokesman should explain the activity to the group, perhaps assigning specific foods for individuals to bring. After consulting with the activities committee, the spokesman might ask group members to bring extra tin cans for games.

The evening of the supper, preparation should emphasize simplicity. As cans are opened and emptied, they should be carefully rinsed to be used in games later in the evening. Tables might be decorated with flowers in tin cans. The supper might be eaten by candlelight, using small tin cans as candleholders. Attractive paper tablecloths, napkins, plates, and plastic utensils could be used. Those preparing the meal should be able to participate in the activities.

ACTIVITIES

Another committee should plan, explain, and lead in the games. Two arrangements should be made as the games begin. All available clean empty tin cans should be placed on a table or in a pile in the center of the activities area. Labels need to be left on the cans. As many cans as are available could be used, with four to five cans per participant being the minimum.

Secondly, the group should be divided into teams of seven to ten persons each. These teams could remain together throughout the evening, or new teams could be formed for each game.

Again, choose the games/activities that would be appropriate for your group and time limitations.

Stack can. Group the teams around the pile of cans. Each team tries to make a pile of cans, one stacked on the other, as high as possible. The team that has the highest stack, after a time limit of three minutes or so, is the winner. Can word list search. Have each player get two or three cans from the pile. From the information printed on the labels, have each team compile the lists given below. The team with the most items on its combined lists wins. Lists: States of the United States; fractions; zip codes; colors; measurement words (pounds, grams, teaspoons, hours, etc.).

Can spell-down. Each team is given a number of pieces of 81/2 by 11 paper. On one paper is printed the letters CAN. The other papers each have a letter of the alphabet printed on them. There should be two each of A, D, E, T, and N. (Care should be taken to prepare the papers before the supper as it is quite time-consuming.)

A leader calls out the definitions given in the list below. Each team scrambles to figure out what the word is and spell it out. One person holds the "CAN" sign, with other players permitted to hold only one letter each (unless, of course, there are more letters than people on the team).

For each word spelled before the other teams, a team gets a point. The team with the most points wins. According to time limitations, all the definitions might not be used.

something often used by a blind person ………………         cane

divinity, fudge ………………………………………….…         candy

a Panamanian waterway …………………………….….         canal
Indian mode of transportation ……………………….….        canoe
light bulb substitute …………………………………….…        candle

something to nibble on before dinner ………………….         canapé
a Louisiana water bird …………………………………...        pelican

a feathered singer ………………………………………..        canary

to make null and void ……………………………………         cancel
very frank and honest ……………………………………        candid
a dog ………………………………………………………         canine

a big gun …………………………………………………..        Cannon

a Southern nut ……………………………………………        pecan
used with oil paints ……………………………………....        canvas
a big musical work ……………………………………….         cantata
to put water in …………………………………………….        canteen

to deny one's faith ……………………………………….         recant
from the USA …………………………………………….         American

a Toronto resident ……………………………………….         Canadian

container for salt, sugar, or flour ………………………..       canister
one who dines on others ………………………………..         cannibal

WATER POUR-DOWN THE LINE

Each participant gets one can from the pile without knowing the nature of the game (the more variety in can size in this game the better). Teams line up in side-by-side rows. At one end of each team place a large container filled with water. At the other end of each team place a large empty container. At the "go" signal the player on each team nearest the filled container fills his can with water and pours as much as possible into the next player's container. The second player pours the water into the third player's can, and so on down the line. When the last person fills his can, he must empty his can into the empty container.
When the first player's can is empty, he refills it and begins passing the water down the line again. The object of the game is to pass as much water down the line as possible.
The team with the most water in the second container at the end of a time limit, about three or four minutes, wins. A variation is to have all team members blindfolded for this event. It might be more enjoyable to have a few large teams (with more water and time) rather than several smaller ones for this game. Perhaps two or three teams could be combined.

DEVOTIONAL

Ask a group member in advance to present a brief devotional based on Philippians 4: 13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Close with a prayer that the group will serve God, doing all it can for Christ, knowing that it serves in his strength. *

ABSOLUTE AUCTION FELLOWSHIP

King Beeker

Most senior adults-and a lot of other people-have a variety of "white elephants" on hand. Unhand them at this fellowship.

INVITATION

Write the following invitation on colored paper and decorate it with one or more chalk-white elephants: An Absolute Auction of "elephants" white- Or even of red ones or blue-

Or of other colors that you don't need with fun and refreshments for you.
(date, time, place)

Note: Please bring your "elephants" in bags.

DECORATIONS

Decorate the walls with pictures, sketches, or cutouts of elephants of all sizes and colors. Display stuffed elephants or wooden ones or whatever may be available.

REFRESHMENTS

Elephants like peanuts, and so do people. So, serve peanuts: peanut brittle, peanut butter sandwiches with a little orange juice added to thin the peanut butter, peanut-butter bread made with half a cup of peanut butter replacing each cup of nuts in your nutbread recipe, peanut nougats, or just salted peanuts along with cookies and coffee or a fruit drink. To make peanut nougats, put a pound of sugar in an iron frying pan and stir it constantly till
it melts to a syrup. Then stir in a quart of salted peanuts.

Quickly pour the mixture into a warm, buttered pie tin and mark it in small squares.

ABSOLUTE AUCTION ACTIVITIES

Reception of "elephants" and others. -At the door collect the "white elephants" and give each guest five hundred dollars or more in play money and a "peanut voucher" to exchange for refreshments. Cut the vouchers from tan construction paper or color them with light-brown crayons. On them write: "Good for nutty refreshments at the Absolute Auction" and the date.

When you are ready to begin the activities, have an auctioneer who has really "studied his calling" to begin the usual auctioneering jargon to get attention.

First bids. -Give each person a pencil and a piece of cardboard or heavy paper on which to write his "bids" on the following questions about "firsts." Then reread the questions. Let people answer and check their correct answers, add them up, and write the figure on their papers.

Each correct answer will count ten dollars in bidding.

1.     What was the name of the first human father?

2.     Who is the First Lady in the White House?

3.     Who wrote the first book of the New Testament?

4.     What was the first animal to jump over the moon?

5.     Who was one of the first men to walk on the moon?

6.     What is the name of the first book in the Bible?

7.     Who took the first long voyage on record?

8.     How far did Orville Wright fly on his first flight?

9.     Who was the first person to mass-produce cars?

10. Who made the first practical sewing machine?

11. Who was the first woman judge of Israel?

12. Who was the first President of all fifty states?

13. Whom did God choose as the first king of Israel?

14. Who were Christ's first two followers?

15. Who was the first Christian martyr?

16. Who was said to be "first in war, first in peace, and

17. first in the hearts of his countrymen"?

18. What is the first day of each week?

19. What did the first man name the first woman?

20. Who was the first man who rode into outer space?

21. What is your pastor's first name?

Answers: (1) Adam; (2) wife of the President; (3) Matthew; (4) cow; (5) Neil Armstrong/Buzz Aldrin; (6) Genesis; (7) Noah; (8) 120 feet; (9) Henry Ford; (10) Singer; (11) Deborah; (12) Eisenhower; (13) Saul; (14) John and Andrew; (15) Stephen; (16) George Washington; (17) Sunday; (18) Eve; (19) Elijah (in "a chariot of fire, and horses of fire"); (20) (give his name).

Second bids. -On a large chalkboard draw a line down the center and print the word "second" at the top of each column. Divide guests into two groups and give them ten minutes to list words which we combine with "second." Then instruct each group to send one member at a time to the board to write one of their words in their column. Give the group with the most words or combinations of words a second helping of peanuts.

Here is a list of possible combinations: second base, second-best, second blessing, second childhood, Second Coming, second-class, second-degree (burn), second estate, second growth, second-guess, secondhand, second helping, second lieutenant, second mortgage, second person, second-rate, second reader, second reading, second sight, second-story, second-string, second thought, second wind, just a second, second the motion.

Final bids. -Instruct the "auctioneer" to peep into each sack before he begins to auction it off so that, without telling what the object is, he may give a hint about its color, the material of which it is made, the age or sex of the user, its shape, or a possible use. He might begin bids at "fifty dollars" and work up.

CLOSING THE BIDS

Read Genesis 37:26-28, 36; 39: 1-4; 2 Kings 5:2-3; and Ephesians 6:5-8. Comment that we have many other stories and references to slaves and their treatment in the Bible. One is that of Gomer, the unfaithful wife of Hosea, who bought her back from the slave mart for "fifteen pieces of silver" and some barley. Paul offered to pay Philemon whatever the slave Onesimus owed him. After the Second Coming of Christ, all of us will come to our
"absolute auction"; but Christians can take comfort from God's promises in his Word. (Read Rom. 5:8-10; 8:31-39; and John 3: 16. Thank God for the assurance that "Jesus paid it all" ahead of time.) *

GREEN THUMB FELLOWSHIP

Berniece Camp

 

Plan a Green Thumb Fellowship hour following a luncheon for Senior Adults. Decorate with lots of plants, cut flowers, and greenery. Move from the luncheon table to an open area with
chairs arranged in a circle. Begin with group singing of old and familiar songs with
words printed on a green sheet labeled "Nursery Rhymes." Provide pencil and paper for a green quiz with printed questions or phrases needing a one-word answer or definition, such as: money (greenback), inexperienced person (greenhorn), Green Mountain state (Vermont), emotion associated with the color green Jealousy), name of a town
(Greenville, Greensboro, Bowling Green), something said to have green eyes (monster), and go ahead signal (green light).

Ask a local florist, nursery owner, or garden club member to give tips on growing house or yard plants. Ask a speaker to talk briefly on plants in the Bible. Close with the reading of Psalm 1 with emphasis on verse 3 as applied to the Christian life. Provide plants in attractive paper cups or pots for those who would like to have them. *

SAND IN YOUR SHOES FELLOWSHIP

Ida M. Clark

A common belief that sand in your shoes will bring you back to the place where it was found, may also serve as a theme for a fellowship for older adults and their guests just
before a revival service.

Promote the get-together at the Sunday morning department assembly and the morning worship service. Printed invitations can be included in the Sunday bulletin, or made separately and handed out. Distribute small plastic pill bottles containing sand with an attached tag reading as follows:

"Here is sand for your shoes
We want you to come

to a preservice fellowship
and BRING SOMEONE.

Date: __ Time __ Place: __

If the service is scheduled for 8:00 P.M., you might want to set the time of your fellowship for 7:00 P.M., Be sure to allow enough time for the members and visitors to become
acquainted.

As the guests arrive, designate two or three members as the welcome committee. Have them pin on paper shoes with the guest's name written on them with a felt-tip pen.
Someone else could give out papers with "Sand In Your Shoes" printed from top to bottom on the left margin of the paper. Those who attend the fellowship should attempt to fill in a blank at the right of each letter with the first, middle or last name of another guest.

Example: S-Sam, A-Anne, N-Nancy, D-Don.

Next, divide the group into two teams: Sand and Rocks. Put up a large poster with Tic-Tac-Toe markings (two vertical parallel lines crossed by two horizontal lines which form six squares). Number the squares from one to nine. Have an envelope containing Bible questions referring to sand and rocks (stones). Each team takes a turn choosing a
square and answering a question. With each correct answer an S or R is placed in the square. Incorrect answers give the square to the opposing team. An alignment of
three squares, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally produces a winning team. Two games out of three determines the winner for the evening.

Some Bible questions could be:

1.     Whose seed did God promise to multiply as the sand upon the seashore? (Abraham);

2.     Who did God instruct to smite the rock in Horeb? (Moses);

3.     Who said that a foolish man would build his house on sand? (Jesus);

4.     To whom did Jesus say, "Upon this rock I will build my church"? (Peter);

5.     Who is "The stone which the builders rejected"? (Jesus);

6.     Who brought the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone down from the mountain? (Moses);

7.     In what book do you find "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?" (Luke);

8.     Who said, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress"? (David).

Following this game, refreshments can be served. You might want to follow the theme and serve sand tarts (a crisp cookie) with a cool or hot punch.

For decorations the table may contain a small sandbox in the center depicting an oasis in the midst of a desert. Use a mirror for a small lake; bits of fern and tiny branches to
represent trees. Scatter a few rocks and stones in strategic places. If you have small dolls, place them in the scene. After people have finished eating, and while they are still
sitting in a circle around the room, go to the piano and start playing some old favorite songs and choruses. Encourage everyone to sing.

Now is the time to introduce the evangelist, the song leader, and the pastor. Plan ahead of time for the evangelist to speak for about five minutes at the most. Let him know just how much time he will have. The purpose of his few words to this group at this time is not to evangelize the group, but to interest them in the revival service to follow.

If possible, have the group sit together in the audience so that the visitors will have a sense of belonging and will not feel like strangers and outsiders. After the service let the visitors know that you were glad they came, and be sure to invite them to come again. *