discovery camp

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f ormatio n track man u a l year 2 [ chapter 3: orientation talk

orientation talk through the Father’s eyes

YFC DISCOVERY CAMP TALK 1 DISCOVERY CAMP
expanded outline session dynamics

objectives
I. Objectives of the Discovery Camp
1. For the participants to see beyond the judgements that the world
• To refresh the participants of their commitment in the youth camp. makes about them
• To discover the basic, real and crucial issues and areas in their 2. To fully understand and claim their identity as children of God
lives that can make or break them as a person.
3. To realize that they have all the security that they will need
• To understand how to respond to these issues.

II. Expectations dynamics

• Expect to have fun and enjoyment. 1. Opening video.

Note: The team will need to prepare an opening video that will talk about the current
• Expect to grow in relationship with your brothers and sisters in realities of how the world measures our values as persons and the confusion young
your household and in the other households. people are going through at their age. It is a one (1) to two (2) minute video.

• Expect to hear God’s word and listen to what He is telling you and 2. The speaker starts with the talk.
what He is leading you to discover about yourself and the life that
He has given you. 3. After the introduction, the speaker calls on the sharers to share
on the “dark part” (the part of their life wherein they haven’t
III. Attitudes experienced transformation yet) of their story.
4. The speaker proceeds with the talk.
Discovering oneself is an interactive process. God has surrounded
us with friends, family and other people. How we can make this possible 5. Just before the conclusion, the speaker will call again the sharers
depends on our attitudes in all the session to share on the “victorious part” (the part of their life during and
after they have experienced transportation and victory with the
• Open up/ allow your brothers and sisters to love you. Lord) of their story.

• Have a grateful heart. 6. The speaker then proceeds to the conclusion.

• Make the most out of this time to recharge and refuel. 7. As the speaker concludes, a prayer may be made segueing to the
Reflection song and video.
IV. Present the Schedule 8. Reflection Video
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f ormatio n track man u a l year 2 [ t alk 1: t hr ough t he Fat her ’s ey es
Note: The team will need to prepare a video showing how God’s beautiful
craftsmanship in nature leads to how special we were created. The video should
illustrate the power of God’s unconditional love for us. The background music of the
video will be the reflection song.

9. Reflection Song through the Father’s eyes

Note: The team must choose a song that tells about how God sees us and His amazing TALK 1 DISCOVERY CAMP
love for man. (E.g. True Colors) The song will be played as background music for the
whole reflection activity, including the video.
expanded outline
10. Reflection Activity
Note: After the video, as they continue the reflection activity, the participants are I. Eyes Wide Shut
instructed to draw a vision for themselves, seeing themselves through God’s eyes.

11. The speaker ends the reflection activity by closing the prayer. The world measures our value as a person by the way we look, the
way we speak, what we have or what we can do but never about who we
12. Group Discussion are. Because of this, many young people are confused and unhappy - even
those who are already in YFC. It is important for us to realize and accept
speaker’s profile who we really are if we want to live the life God wants for us.

A YFC Leader who has struggled about his identity but now knows Just like we learned in our Youth Camp, “Yes, I know the plans I have for
that his greatest identity is being the son of God. He should be at least a you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for woe, plans to give you
chapter head or campus execom or campus unit head or high school club a future full of hope.” (Jer. 29:11) The world says many different opinions
officer. and ideas, distorting our own beliefs and definitions in our lives. Media
and a lot of influences confuse us by setting the world’s standard instead
sharers’ profile of God’s.

There will be at least 2 sharers for this session, ideally at least one We are judged based on the color of our skin, physical beauty, material
brother and one sister, with any of the following profile: possessions, or wealth. We force ourselves to live our lives based on
what other people expect of us, instead of relying on God’s will. We push
1. A YFC who has the “Ugly Duckling turned Beauty Queen” story ourselves to make everyone accept us, thus leading us to exert effort in
– someone who used to just be satisfied with the normal and trying to please everybody.
mediocre but after realizing that God deserves the best, is now
excellent in studies or excellent in sports & other extra curricular The frustration of wanting to feel accepted and love pushes people to
activities. release this pressure in different vices in life. People try so hard to hide
their imperfections, pretend and put up an image to be accepted. Everyone
2. A YFC who has gone through an Identity Crisis – issue on seems to be trying to make themselves worthy of love and attention.
homosexuality, black sheep turned shepherd, overcoming middle
child syndrome. (Present AVP1, Sharers will all share the dark part or the struggle part of their sharing.)

II. Seeing Our Identity and Purpose

We need to see that we are God’s handiwork, created in His image and
likeness. We need to understand and accept our nature. We need to see
the person God meant for us to be.
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A. Our Name be, as either a man or a woman. Our genitals alone don’t make us
who we are.
• All of us were born, given our names and baptized.
How sad it must be to live our life believing that we are not
• Given names to show our relation to our parents and family, created on purpose, that we are some accident. It must be so
some are even given Christian names. Do we even know the depressing to think that we are a mistake, that we should have
meaning of our names? been a woman instead of a man, or the other way around.
• Our identity as a Youth for Christ member.
When we start to understand that we are created for a
• Our citizenship/nationality. purpose and created special by God, then accepting who we are
will not just be easy, it will also be life-giving.
B. Our Gender
C. Our Youth / Age
Gender issues cause much of the confusion and therefore
unhappiness among many young people today. Let us live our life. Our youth should be fun and enjoyed! Let us not
sacrifice this time to insecurity and pressures. Let us discover ourselves
1. Men and the gifts God has given us.

It is a man’s nature to be a protector, provider and pastor. Everything about us is changing. Growing up takes a lot of change
God even created men to be physically bigger and stronger for in our bodies as well as in the way we think and feel. As young people,
this purpose. we have the idealism and passion that can radically change our world.

2. Women III. Freedom to Be the Best Son/Daughter of God

Women are precious. They should be sought after and We are loved eternally by a God who never changes His mind. We can
cherished. It is her nature to want to be cared for and pursued. never out-sin His mercy, never fall too far out of His grace. At our worst self,
we are deeply loved.
Women are naturally nurturing because they have been
designed to be life-givers. Theirs is a privilege of bringing life to When we realize this and believe in it with all confidence, then we are
another human being. free! This unconditionally accepting love makes us free to be the best, to
be excellent.
3. Other Identity Issues
A. Free To Be the Best Son or Daughter
Note: When stating this point, do it in such a way that won’t be too offensive
to the participants. The speaker should refrain from name calling or making jokes
about them. Our goal is to remind them that they are special.
We are free to be the best son or daughter we can be. Whether
we are an only child or the fifth of 8 kids, whether we are the favoured
There is a reason why we are the way we are. We are created one or the least noticed in the family, we can still be the best son or
with all intention and purpose. We are planned and loved into daughter.
existence. Let us not waste our whole life trying to be someone or
something that we are not and will never be. B. Free To Be the Best Student

No matter what we do, how much we try to change physically, We may be at the top of our class or among the average-
mentally, or emotionally, we will always be how God created us to performing students. We may be great in arts or the worst in math.
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Whatever it is, we can be the best student we can be without being discussion group guide
guilty or insecure. We have our own talents. Let us have confidence
in them not because we are really good but because we are so sure of 1. Share to the group your vision of yourself as seen through God’s
the God that gave them to us. eyes.

C. Free To Be the Best Friend 2. What makes me special in God’s eyes?

We can be the best friend that we can be because we don’t have

to pretend and put on an image or a mask. We know that we can love
and that we are worth loving because the God of all creation loves us.

D. Free To Be “The Best Me I Can Be”

We can be the best person - honest, responsible. We watch out

for other people more than ourselves because we are confident that
the all powerful God watches over us. We can be the best children of
God.

(Sharers come in to share their victory of their life – how they look at themselves through the
Father’s eyes.)

IV. The Father’s Eyes

We are special! We are already loved! All we have to do is listen to the

Father and see ourselves through His eyes. In the Father’s eyes we are not
perfect but we are loved perfectly by a perfect God.

activity

1. The speaker leads everyone into prayer.

2. The speaker exhorts everyone to watch the AVP2 and reflect on it.
3. The speaker leads everyone to reflect on the song that will be
played, allowing this song to be God’s message for them.
4. The speaker leads the drawing or writing activity; on the paper
provided, the participants will be asked to write about/illustrate
how they look at their life through God’s eyes.
5. The speaker closes the prayer and ends the session.

Note: After the session, the team leader comes in to wrap up and announces the groupings for
discussion and the discussion questions. He also encourages everyone to share in the group
discussions.