FOR YOUR INSPIRATION
I want you to think about story, metaphor, and Jesus as you watch this video by Sigur Ros, an Icelandic band. This is one of the best depictions of my faith in Jesus that I think I’ve ever seen
FILM FESTIVAL
The title says it all. Throw a film festival. Most teens have cameras. Most have the ability to edit film at school or home. They can even record footage off their phones. Pick a subject… maybe not so easy… maybe a teaching of Jesus (“the kingdom of heaven is like a seed that grows….”)… something that causes them to grapple with the layered commands in the Word. Commission your students to help you with teaching this passage.
And… make sure you have lots of fun. Movies can be serious… but humor can do amazing things for community!
MAKE A VIDEO TO A FAVORITE SONG
One of my favorite song lines is in Derek Webb’s song “A New Law” where he says, “Don’t teach me about truth and beauty, just label my music. Don’t teach me how to live like a free man, just give me a new law.” We need to help our students become critical thinkers… about everything. Just because something is in the Christian music section doesn’t mean it’s great. Just because something is not in that section doesn’t mean it isn’t worshipful. You as the leader can help them think through the art they are experiencing (video, music, writing) and grow them in the areas of interpretation and discernment.
There is a song I love by Fernando Ortega called “Give Me Jesus”. I’ve seen other video forms that are good depictions of the song. But I decided to make my own video for it… cause I think it speaks to some really hard realities in our world. In that process of creating a video for it, the song became so much more to me… and deepened my prayer life. You can watch the video below. Pick a song out with students and have them match a visual interpretation with it.
