Tapestry of Faith: Amazing Grace: A Program about Exploring Right and Wrong for Grade 6

Alternate Activity 3: Acting Out "Heaven and Hell"

Part of Amazing Grace

Activity time: 20 minutes

Preparation for Activity

  • Decide how to divide the youth into skit groups.

Description of Activity

Ask participants to act out their ideas of heaven and hell.

Say they should divide into two teams (or three or four if your numbers are large) and talk about how to act out different ideas of heaven or hell. To get ideas, they might try to remember what they thought when they were younger and first heard about heaven and hell. They could act out their own ideas or those of different religions, like Buddhism or Atheism.

Depending on the time you have available, the teams could each act out both heaven and hell or just one; they can choose or you can assign which.

Help them divide into teams and get started, as necessary. Allow time for teams to rehearse in separate spaces, if possible. Give a two-minute warning, then reconvene the group and give each team a chance to present its ideas. Then ask how those ideas compare to the story they heard.

Be sure the youth understand that you are not asking them to believe in heaven and hell. Say it is okay if they do, but that many people today, even some Christians, do not believe in traditional ideas about heaven and hell.

Including All Participants

Working in small teams is not easy for many sixth graders. Observe the teams with an eye toward making sure everyone has an opportunity to contribute and that everyone’s beliefs are honored. Remind participants of the covenant (if you completed Alternate Activity 2) and/or our first Principle: We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person.