The Gospel of Mark Bible Study for Youth – Lesson 2: Mark 2-3

Practice Duration 30-60 minutes

Lesson developed byJill Olds and Victoria Crooks

Setting the Atmosphere

If in person, set the room with chairs or around a table for a small group conversation
Consider centering the space with a lit candle (unscented for those with sensitivities), or with a simple symbol, such as a cross
Consider having a ball or stuffed animal to throw around the circle, for the person speaking to hold when it is their turn
If virtually, schedule in your preferred video platform

Materials Checklist

Bibles or copies of the scripture
Paper
Markers
Various pictures from magazines or the internet of people, places and things that you’d find in a community
Laptop or media device with the clip of Nick Fury from The Avengers (YouTube video)

Select the option that best suits your group’s needs:

Exercise Option 1: Create Your Own Community

Give your youth paper, markers, pictures from magazines or the internet, etc. Then have them create their own community. Start simple with; what does it look like? What do people do in the community? What are the rules of the community? Give them time in between each question to world-build.
Ask them why they are choosing the things they are choosing, what’s important to them? What are they willing to give up for something else? (Could be a good time to discuss implicit bias as well! Read more here.)
Now have them merge communities with the person on their left (or partner them yourself).
Discuss what happened when you did that, did things have to change? Did your partner include things that you hadn’t thought of?
Debrief on the exercise.

Exercise Option 2:

Watch together the clip from The Avengers when Nick Fury choses doing good over following orders. (YouTube video)

Reflect together on the following questions:

What was Jesus modeling for the disciples and for the community in verses 1-5? What kind of community was he creating, and how was that received (by the people being healed, by the disciples, by the authorities)?
What is our tendency in, say, a group project at school? Is it to try to do it all, or to delegate? What does that mean for the end result of the project—is it easier or harder, or better or worse to have more people involved?