John the Baptist had a specific calling that was announced before he was born. But none of us are John the Baptist—and that’s the point! We each have our own callings. They may be lifelong or for a season. They may be known to us from the start or discovered along the way. They may relate to our career or not at all. What matters is that God has made each of us uniquely and calls each of us into roles and responsibilities unique to us. Have you considered what God has planned for you? Let’s consider this now.

Distribute to each student a piece of paper and pen/pencil. Discuss the following questions as a group, allowing one or two people to share their answers per question. Everyone should jot down their personal answers on their paper.

• What skills and talents do you have? (Answers will vary; public speaking, drawing, music, drama, writing, etc. might be included.)

• What do you enjoy doing? (Answers will vary and might include: sports, problem solving, making people laugh, etc.)

• What events or circumstances have most shaped your life? (Answers will vary; it could be a move, a diagnosis, a trip, or a tragedy that has changed a student’s life, or perhaps it is their race, disability, or economic status that impacts how they see the world.) 

• What is the most important lesson you’ve ever learned? (Answers will vary; answers may include good advice or something they’ve learned the hard way.) 

• What people have influenced you? Who do you influence? (Answers will vary from parents to teachers to authors and from friends to family to children they coach or babysit.)

• What issues are you passionate about? (Answers should vary widely; examples might be girls in science, representation in media, school shootings, accessibility in church, etc.)

Everyone in this room is unique and can contribute uniquely to their community and world.  Sometimes other people can spot our gifts or positive attributes even before we can do so ourselves. Let’s take another minute to share what gifts or positive attributes you see in your peers here.

Instruct students to help each other tape their papers to their backs. Have them move around the room and write affirmations on the papers on the backs of their peers. You and other adult leaders should join in and make sure that every student has at least one comment written by someone else on their back. Be sure to police anyone’s lack of good taste or attempts at humor.

Finally, play the video linked below as you allow students to reflect on what they and others have written on their paper. Remind them that we’re not here by accident to wander aimlessly on this earth. God created each of us uniquely and for a purpose. We each have something to offer, a role to play. Encourage students to put this paper somewhere visible and read through it several times this week as they look for what opportunities God may have planned for them.

Play the following video during a time of reflection [4:05]:
Matthew West’s “Do Something:”

Close in prayer. Pray that they would have the wisdom, courage, and faith to say yes