Tapestry of Faith: Riddle and Mystery: A Program on the Big Questions for Grade 6

Faith In Action: Talking to Leaders

Materials for Activity

  • Newsprint, markers and tape
  • Paper and pencils
  • Optional: A directory of members and friends of your congregation

Preparation for Activity

  • Post a sheet of blank newsprint.
  • For Learning from Our Community Leaders:
    • Obtain a congregational directory
    • Identify a few adult congregational members willing to have Riddle and Mystery participants interview them about their lives. Find out when and where the adults can meet with one or more youth.

Description of Activity

If the group has an ongoing Faith in Action project, continue work on it.

Or, do this short-term Faith in Action activity:

Learning from Our Community Leaders

Ask participants who in the congregation they admire and why. Use a congregational directory to spark memories. Identify some individuals together. Let youth know which adults you have already spoken with about an interview. Assign two or more youths with an adult to interview. If possible, allow youth to choose whom to interview.

As a group, decide upon a list of interview questions. These might include:

  • What do you hope will be your legacy (what you will be remembered for)?
  • Did you feel called to your life's work?
  • What or who inspired you as a young person?
  • You seem to be really good at [whatever the youth admire about this interviewee]. Have you always wanted to do this? Were you always good at it or did you have to work at being good?
  • What advice would you give a young person trying to decide what they should do with their life?

Invite participants to add additional questions specific to their interviewee.

Help participants set up a public meeting time with their interviewee. After the interviews have been conducted, gather the large group and compare interviews for similarities and differences.

Optional: You need not limit the interviews to the congregation. You can involve community leaders in this activity. Participants will need more assistance contacting adults outside your congregation and you will need to follow the congregation's safety policies, which include meeting in a public place and having parents or adult advisors present during the interview.