Tapestry of Faith: Families: A Jr. High School Youth Program that Explores the Diversity, Commonality, and Meaning of Families

Family Scenarios

Part of Families

Assign a family member role to each member of your group, and plan two role-plays. The first role-play can demonstrate the way you think the family would most likely react. Or it can demonstrate, with humor, a disastrous family response. The second role-play should demonstrate how the family could meet the challenge well. At the end of each role-play, have each person freeze into a pose that represents how that family member feels.

The Job Offer

Imagine that the members of your group all belong to the same family. An adult member of that family has been offered a new job a thousand miles away. The adult is delighted at the idea of moving and thinks that other family members should feel the same way. Others are not so sure.

The New Dog

Imagine that the members of your group all belong to the same family. A young member of the family has brought home a stray dog and wants to keep it. Others are not so sure.

The Relative

Imagine that the members of your group all belong to the same family. An elderly relative has become ill and wants to move in with you to avoid going to a nursing home. Everybody in the family likes this relative, but the change will not be easy. What will happen? What are some factors that make the situation vary from family to family?

The Keys

Imagine that the members of your group all belong to the same family. The family has one car, and one member of the family has just lost the keys so nobody can go anywhere. The keys are under the couch in the living room, but nobody knows that yet. What will happen?

The Fight

Imagine that the members of your group all belong to the same family. The family has one television set. Two members of the family have spent weeks looking forward to different shows that are scheduled at the same time. What will happen?