HELP WEEK
MENTOR GUIDE
Purpose: Equip students to start a Gospel conversation.
Preparation:
- Give student speaker a Leader Guide for Opportunity Week. (Equip them for success.)
- Be ready to help students share the Hand Gospel.
Supplies:
- Hand Gospel Card
- Dry erase or poster board for Church Shout—Outs
- Leader Guides for Opportunity Week
LEADER SIGN UP
If there are weeks that you do not have people to lead or serve, this is the time to sign them up.
RANDOM QUESTION
[All Adults] What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
GET CONNECTED
[Mentor] Before we jump in, it’s time for CHURCH SHOUT—OUTS! We love seeing you plugged into a local church, so, here’s your chance to give yours some love. What church do you go to, and when do you meet? (Give students and adult volunteers time to share. If you have a dry erase board or poster board, write down the churches and have students take pictures.) Let’s welcome our student host for today! [insert name]
WELCOME & OPEN PRAYER
[Host] Hey everyone! Welcome to First Priority. We’re so glad you’re here! Today [insert name] is going to be talking about how we can share Jesus with our families — even when it feels kind of awkward. Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to pray and invite God into this time. Let’s pray!
Sample prayer: God, thank You for bringing us together today. We’re excited to learn more about You and how we can live out our faith with the people closest to us — our families. Help us to listen well, encourage each other, and take something from today that we can live out this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.
THE CONVERSATION
[Speaker] Hey friends, let’s talk. Raise your hand if there’s someone in your family who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus. (Pause and look around — chances are, you won’t be the only one with your hand up.) You’re not alone in that. Believe it or not, even JESUS had family who didn’t believe in Him. Crazy, right? But that truth should actually give us hope. Because if Jesus experienced this, and still saw His family come to faith, then there’s hope for ours too.
In John chapter 7 verse 5, it says, “For not even His brothers believed in Him.” Imagine how hard that must’ve been. You’re literally the Son of God, doing miracles, living sin-free, and still your own brothers don’t believe. That had to hurt. In fact, in Matthew chapter 13 verse 57, Jesus says, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” Ouch!
At one point, His family even thought He was out of His mind (Mark 3:21). That sounds like something we might hear in our own families. “You’re getting too religious.” “That Jesus stuff isn’t for everyone.” “Don’t preach at me.” But don’t miss this — fast forward to Acts chapter 1 verse 14 and guess who’s in the upper room, praying, and waiting after Jesus’ resurrection? His brothers!
Jesus’ brother James not only believed, but he also became a key leader in the early church. He even referred to Jesus in James chapter 2 verse 1 as “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” That’s not just belief, that’s transformation.
So what changed? We don’t know the exact moment it clicked for them, but here’s what we do know. Jesus was consistent. He loved them. He lived out His mission. And He didn’t stop just because they didn’t believe at first.
That gives us our game plan too:
- Love our family, even when it’s hard.
- Be real with our faith.
- Don’t give up praying for them.
- Keep showing them who Jesus is by how we live.
Remember, it may take months or even years, but our faithfulness can be a seed God uses to grow something big. People in our family may one day choose to begin a relationship with Jesus, because we decided to start talking about our faith with them. How will they know unless someone tells them?
CONVERSATION STARTER – HAND GOSPEL
[Speaker] Today we’re going to learn a super simple way to share the Gospel using just our hand. Sometimes our family simply needs a helping hand, and this is a great way to start the conversation. (Have student leaders pass out the Hand Gospel card.) Let’s say you notice a family member going through a hard time. You could say, “Hey, I noticed things have been tough lately. Can I share something that gives me hope?” Then use your hand to walk them through the Gospel:
- Put your thumb up and say: “I’ve got Good News — God loves you!” John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” God wants a relationship with us. That’s the Good News.
- Put your pointer finger up and say: “There is ONE PROBLEM… Sin!” Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our sin has separated us from God. Sin is the problem, so something had to happen.
- Point to your middle finger and say: “Christ died on the cross.” Romans 5:8 says, “but God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross in our place. All of this while we were still sinners.
- Point to your ring finger and say: “We use the ring finger because a ring is a symbol of commitment.” Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” We must confess, believe, and commit our life to Jesus.
- Tap on your pinky finger with your thumb and say: “Just a little bit of faith is all it takes to put your trust in Jesus.” Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by Grace you are saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God.”
- Point to the palm of your hand and say: “We are secure and safe in the hand of God!” John 10:28 says, “I give eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” This is a great reminder that we are secure in God’s hand, if we choose to put our faith in Jesus. Are you ready to trust and follow Jesus as Lord of your life today?
If the person you are sharing with said yes to this question, you can lead them in a prayer that goes something like this: “God, thank You for loving me and making a way for me to have a relationship with You. I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus had to die on the cross in my place and that He rose from the dead so that I could have a rela!onship with You. I choose to trust and follow Jesus as Lord of my life today. Amen.”
Practice Time! Pair up and take a minute to practice sharing the Hand Gospel with a partner. This helps us to be ready when the real moment comes.
(Have the student host come back up and give the CHALLENGE and PRAY.)
CHALLENGE & PRAY
[Host] Our challenge for this week it to pray for someone in our family who doesn’t know Jesus. Ask God to give you a chance to share the Hand Gospel with them this week. It might feel scary, but you’re not alone. God is with you, and He loves your family even more than you do. Let’s Pray!
Sample prayer: God, thank You for our families. Even when it’s hard, we believe You are working. Give us courage to love them well. Use us to bring hope to the people we care about most. In Jesus’ name, amen.
We got this. Let’s go be the light at home first.
GAME TIME – Optional
[Host & Mentor] (See the Game Time tab for options.)
