You will need: paper cut into love-heart shapes; pencils.

• Give each youngster a paper love heart and ask them to think about finishing the sentence ‘I love God because...’
• Ask them to write or draw their response on their heart. End with a prayer, using some of the group’s responses.

Play

I love you, honey (C+YP 10 mins)

A simple game to play together

• All stand in a circle, fairly close together. Leaders should be part of the circle.
• Start by turning to the person next to you and asking them to turn to face you. Keeping your face straight but looking them in the eye, say ‘I love you honey, but I just can’t smile’.
• The receiver then turns to the next person and does the same. This continues around the circle, with anyone who laughs or smiles being asked to sit out. Encourage real eye contact around the group.

Play

Love self – Free time (C 10 mins)

Taking time out for ourselves

You will need: games, toys and craft materials, see ideas a–d below.

• Provide resources so the group may choose to: a) read a lovely Bible storybook; b) listen to some worship music on a CD player or MP3 players if you need to keep quiet; c) look at a beautiful painting with paper and paints for them to create their own art; d) write messages on a mirror, using lipsticks you have provided (leave some wet wipes by the mirror to wipe it clean).
• Explain to the group that we are called to love ourselves as we love others. Invite them to choose from the areas you have set out.

Sing

Love self – Thank you, God (C 5 mins)

Thanking God for the things we love

Ask the children to name things they love about themselves or about their lives.

Sing the song ‘Thank you, Lord, for this new day’ (Junior Praise, no. 232), replacing the words ‘this fine day’ with some of the children’s suggestions.

Think

Love rules (C+YP 5 mins)

Writing our own ‘love rules’ –creating a graffiti wall to use in ongoing weeks

You will need: pens.

• Tell the group the story of Rabbi Hillel, a Jewish sage who was asked by a Gentile to teach him the whole Torah while standing on only one leg. Rabbi Hillel lifted one leg and replied, ‘Don't do to other people what you wouldn't want them to do to you’.
• Ask the youngsters to think of their own ‘love rules’ that help us to love God, love others or love ourselves. These must be short in length, so they can say them while standing on one leg!
• Write these ‘rules’ around the ‘LOVE RULES’ heading on the graffiti wall that you created in Prepare the space.

Think

Love rules? (YP 10 mins)

Imagining new communities

You will need: copies of Mark 12.28-34, paper and pens.

• We are all used to rules: in school, in society, in clubs. Ask the group to identify rules in the following categories:
  • rules about safety
  • rules about identity
  • rules for the sake of rules.
• Discuss the rules that they have to live by, within their own households.
• Explain that a group of people is planning to set up a new community where they live, as the early disciples did, following Jesus’ rules.
• Invite the young people to work together or in groups to write a new set of rules for this new community. What will help people to live out the love rules of Jesus? Give out copies of the Bible to help them find the rules.