Talent Tower

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
"Talent Tower"

Objective

To introduce the participants to each other by creating a free standing building (with newspapers) as tall as possible using entire the group.

Opening Prayer (Read together as a group)

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord Have Mercy.

Lord, you who have given us this occasion to pray together, and have promised that when two or three are gathered in your name, you will grant their requests; answer, Lord, our prayers for our benefit, granting us in this world the knowledge of your truth and in the world to come live everlasting. Amen.

Materials Needed

• 25 rolled rods of newspaper per group (roll these before using 2 sheets of newspaper per rod, roll on the diagonal)
• 1 roll of masking tape
• Cup with water
• Blindfold
• Pens
• Paper

Rules of the Activity

• All participants must contribute both mentally and physically in the planning and construction of the Tower.
  
  
• All participants must work with in the guidelines of their special need.
  
  
• All participants must help each other to find how they can contribute despite their special need.
  
  
• Group Leaders will assign special needs to the young people in their group (Please have this planned before the activity. Take the personalities of the young people in your group into consideration).
  
  
• It may be necessary to give out the same special need to a couple of young people. (Make sure you have the proper materials to do so).
  
  
• Blindfold the blind person. (Tell them they must help to design and construct this structure along with everyone else. While doing this, they cannot see).
  
  
• Give one person a very full glass of water to hold in their dominant hand.
  
  
• (Tell them they must help to design and construct this structure along with everyone else. While working, they must not spill the water, put down the cup, switch hands or drink the water).
  
  
• Tape the ankles and the knees together of another young person. Try not to tape directly on skin and not too tight. (Tell them they are to help to design and construct this structure along with everyone else. While working, their legs must stay together and the tape must not break).
  
  
• Tape another young person’s mouth shut (one piece will do). (Tell them they are to help to design and construct this structure along with everyone else. While working, they cannot talk, grunt, hum or make any other noises).
  
  
• Tape both hands behind the back of a young person. Avoid taping on the skin and do not tape too tight. (Tell them they are to help to design and construct this structure along with everyone else. While working, they cannot break the tape holding their hands together).
  
  
• Now that the roles are handed out briefly restate the rules

Restate the Goal

Your goal is to create the tallest freestanding structure using everyone on the team using only these newspapers rods and this masking tape.

• Give them 20 minutes to work on the Talent Tower. Comment when you see people being excluded or not participating. Comment when you see excellent teamwork and resourcefulness.
  
  
• When the time is up or if they finish sooner (not likely), have the participants present their towers to the group. When done have them all sit in a circle.

Discussion Questions

          (Accept all answers and reflect back what has been said)

• How did the activity go?
  
  
• What was challenging about the activity?
  
  
• What would it have been like if you were all blind…unable to talk…not able to use your arms…etc?
  
  
• Ask them to listen carefully as the passage below is being read. Have a participant read the passage slowly and prayerfully. Tell them that we will take a moment of silence after you finish reading to think about the passage

Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”                                                    

Once the passage has been read, allow for one minute of silence.

Discussion Questions

          (Accept all answers and reflect back what has been said)

• What is St. Paul saying in this passage?
  (There are many gifts, but they are all important)
  
  
• What are some of the gifts St. Paul stated in this passage?
  (Wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, etc.)

State:

Often times, we look outward to see how we should be serving God. We look at what others are doing and how we can try to be more like them. But as this passage indicates, we are all called to serve him differently according to our own talents and gifts.

No calling is better than another, but each is unique as we are unique individuals. God is not asking us to give like each other. He is asking us to give of ourselves as He gave Himself to us, completely. If we continually look outward at what everyone else has to give, we may miss what our gift to give is. For example: (try to find an example to use here from the building activity specific to your group. For instance: If the blind man spent all of his time upset that others had sight and he did not, he might not have realized that the design for the structure was in his mind and he had only to describe it to his group for them to be successful.)

Reflection Time:

Have the participants take 5 minute to think about the gifts/talents they have been given by God.

Often times when we think of gifts and talents we thing of big things that everyone can see like singing, playing a musical instrument or a sport. These are wonderful talents and by all means list them because they are gifts that God has given you. But there are many other gifts that we have that we might not even realize are talents such as being organized, the ability to write well, budgeting money. Write all of the gifts you can think of.

Go around in a circle and have each participant share 1 of their talents with the group.

Closing Prayer:

(Read together as a group)

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord Have Mercy.

Lord Jesus Christ, we give thanks to You for your great blessings you have bestowed upon us. Teach us to recognize our gifts, which you have given us. Guide us as we use these gifts in our lives. Strengthen us to continually look for other ways that we can share our gifts with others. For You are a Good God who loves mankind, and to you do we ascribe glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.