Youth Ministry Object Lesson - Volleyball Christians

A common summer game is beach volley. But you don’t have to be at the beach to enjoy the sport. You don’t even have to be outside. Besides the official rules, there are also an infinite number of variations and other games that use the volleyball net, ball and court. And after you have played a game, there’s a lesson on what it means to be filled with the things of God so he can use you for the purpose he created you for.

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Volleyball variations
NOTE: If you want to make these games a little less intimidating and a bit easier, use a beach ball to replace the volleyball.

• All Hit Volleyball – This game follows the rules of volleyball, except; every group member must hit the ball before it goes back over the net to the other team.
• Ball Over – Divide the playing area in half with a line in the sand, a piece of string, or with markers on the side of the field. Teams are placed on each side and are not allowed to cross over to the other team’s side. Blindfold one youth and provide him with a whistle. When the whistle is blown play begins. The blindfolded youth can blow the whistle whenever he pleases. The object of the game is to keep the ball in the opposing team’s territory. One point is counted against the side that has the ball whenever the whistle is blown. The lowest score wins. For variation, have four or five players touch the ball before it can be returned to the other side. Or create a ‘no-man’s land’ along the dividing line. Teams, in getting the ball over, must bounce it into ‘no-man’s land’.
• Double Dipped Volleyball – Start with two teams each on a side. These teams begin hitting the ball back and forth over the net. when they are ready to begin, they yell “start”. from that point on, when a player from one side hits the ball to the other, she must dash under the net to the other side. Every time a player hits the volleyball over the net they must dash under the net to the other team.
• Battle Ships – This is like the board Game ‘Battle ships’ where you have to try and sink all the opposing team’s boats. First, you need a divider of sorts, about the height or a volleyball net or higher, so that each side cannot see the other (eg. a rope tied at each side of the hall and a large sheet draped over it or big boards put up in between). Next, have each side find a spot where they are not allowed to move from. When the game starts, each side is given a volleyball and then proceeds to try and hit the other team with the ‘bomb shells'(balls). If someone is hit with the ball, catches it or moves from their spot, then they sit to the side until the game is over. Note: each side needs people (runners) to fetch the ball once it has bounced and give it back to the Ships.
• Bounce Volleyball – This is played just like normal volleyball, but the ball is allowed to bounce on the ground once before it is returned to the other side.
• Chair Pass Ball – Divide the youth into two teams. A firm chair is placed at either end of the room or a designated outdoor playing area as a goal for each team. A person from each team stands on a chair as goalkeeper. The volleyball may only be passed from hand to hand. To score a goal, it must be thrown to the team member on the chair and caught by him. No running with the ball is allowed. Players are also not allowed to snatch the ball from other players. Change the goalkeeper after each goal is scored.
• Challenge Volleyball – Allow the team who is serving to call a name of a person on the other team who would be out if the serving team won a point. Upon winning the point on a serve the person called is out. The team continues to call names and knock out players until the serve is lost. The other team upon gaining the serve may call back the lost players or knock out some of the other teams. This brings great intensity to a game, and a team may get down to one player and come back to win. We still play to 15. The players picked on are the athletic players and the less athletic can become the heroes. To play a quick game don’t allow knocked out players to be called back in.
• Crazy Volleyball – Play Volleyball with four hits per side and a bounce on the ground considered a hit (it cannot hit the ground two times in a row). This makes it so anyone can have a chance of doing well with the added one bounce.
• Island Volleyball – The objective of this game is to keep the ball in the air and off the ground for as long as possible. All players must have at least one foot inside a hoop at all times. Once a player has put a foot inside a hoop, he/she cannot change hoops until the next round. Any player within a hoop may hit the ball, but two players from the same hoop may not hit the ball consecutively. If players from the same hoop make consecutive hits, the score returns to zero. If a player steps out of a hoop during play, the score returns to zero. You may not hit the ball back to the hoop from which it came. Penalty – Score returns to zero. Scoring: Total number of consecutive hits before the ball hits the ground. If you don’t have a hoop, you can use circles of rope.
• Maximum Score Volleyball – Instead of scoring a single point as with normal volleyball, the score is determined by the number of times the ball goes across the net to the other team. The normal rules of volleyball still apply.
• No Jump Volleyball – Play a normal game of volleyball, but no one is allowed to jump before hitting the ball.
• One Sided Volleyball – In this volleyball variation, all the youth start on one side of the volleyball net and no one is on the other side. The objective is to get everyone to the other side. Someone on the team hits the ball up to another player and then crosses under the net to the the other side. Every time someone hits the ball, they move to the other side. The last person hits the ball over the next and then the game begins again on the other side. Each time the team entirely crosses over they get a point. Anytime the ball hits the ground, play must start over, with people who haven’t touched the ball yet going first.
• Sitting Volleyball – Using the rules and set up for volleyball along with a net set up inside. Place chairs in volleyball layout on each side of net. Have people sit in the chairs and using belts or some rope tie each person into the chair (going under the chair and over the persons lap). Then play volleyball.
• Switch Sides Volleyball – This game follows the same rules as volleyball except that players rotate to the other team rather than to their same team. People become much less concerned about the score and more concerned about having fun, which is the entire point anyway.
• Walleyball – In this indoor version of volleyball, set up volleyball net or a rope across the room so the top of the net is about 5 feet above the floor. (Choose a room with nothing breakable. Teams should be 20-25 youth per team as they must sit on the floor with their legs crossed in front of them. Because they cant’t move, you need to fill the play area with as many people as possible. Don’t worry about how many hits per side. For safety you may wish to use a beach ball instead of a volleyball. Variation: Hang a sheet so they cannot see what is happening on the other side of the net.
• Watch the Net – Don’t have a a volleyball net to play this version of volleyball. Instead of two teams, split your youth into 3 equal teams, at least 4 per team. Choose 2 of the teams to play against one another just as you would in normal volleyball. With one team left, you add the twist. Have the last team stand within arm length of each other representing the net. The “nets” can only take 1 step forward or backward. The “net” can hit the ball anywhere on the court. If the “net” hits the ball out of bounds, re-serve. Now, when it comes down to game point and the ball is in motion, watch the net!

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Flat Volleyball – This should be the last game or the last round of one of the above games. Play the game with a volleyball that is flat – only partially inflated.

• When this ball was created what was it’s purpose?
• What was the ball expected to do?
• What was it created to contain?
• Why can’t can’t this ball fulfil that purpose at this time?
• How could the ball get in such a situation?
• What needs to happen for this ball to fulfil it’s purpose?
• Could a volleyball be filled with water? Is water a bad thing? But would it then fulfil its purpose?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

• As Christians we are also created with a purpose. For what purpose are we created?
• What things do we fill the emptiness in our lives with?
• When we were created, what did God intend for us?
• What needs to be in our life for that purpose to be fulfilled?
• What happens when we fill our lives with the wrong things (not necessarily bad things)?
• Just like the volleyball, we may be empty, or we may fill our lives with other things, but this prevents us from being used to our full capacity for which we were created.

Blaise Pascal said that we have all been created with a God-shaped vacuum that only he can fill. We will only find true meaning and purpose when we let God fill our lives to accomplish his will here on earth.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

• What are some of the purposes that God has for Christians?
• How can we be filled with the things of God?
• How do we get God in our Lives?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

• The easiest way to find that purpose, is to yield to God. What is an area of your life that God has been speaking to you about yielding to him?
• Ask God to use you this week in a way that glorifies him and gives you a clearer understanding of his purpose for your life.

ADDITIONAL LESSONS

• When we think of volleyball there are a few keys to scoring: set, dig, block, serve, and rotation. When you think of each of these terms, how do they apply to us spiritually?

When the ball is hit over the net, three shots are expected for a team to score a point. The first is called the dig. Digging is grunt work. It usually involves getting on your knees and absorbing a spike from the other team.

DIG – I compare digging to the unpleasant, often painful, formation of a person’s character. A good dig puts the ball in play and allows a team to go on the offensive. So it is with a godly character. The youth who is sincere, honest, loving, and faithful puts himself in a position to influence others for Christ.

SET – The second shot is called the set. Setting is a strategic move, requiring precision and finesse, and it sets the stage for the spike. Time spent in God’s word is like this strategic set. We must train and discipline ourselves in the way of godliness.

SPIKE – After the dig and set and only then are we ready for the spike. The spike is an aggressive, powerful play to score for your team. It drives home our purpose with unmistakable certainty. A score could be victory over a habit, the start of a new habit, winning someone for Christ, or simply being God’s salt and light in the world.

SCRIPTURE

PURPOSE

• Ephesians 2:8-10 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
• Romans 12:1-6 – “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God•this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is•his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
• Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
• Colossians 1:27 – “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
• Philippians 2:13 – “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
• 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)- “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

FILLED

• Ephesians 3:16-20 – I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”
• Ephesians 5:18 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”
• Philippians 1:11 “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”

SET

• Galatians 5:1 – “For freedom Christ has SET us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
• Colossians 3:1 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, SET your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
• 1 Peter 1:13 – “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, SET your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.”
• Galatians 5:1 – “It is for freedom that Christ has SET us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

SERVE

• Matthew 20:25-28 – “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
• Hebrews 6:10 – “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”
• 1 Peter 4:10-11 – “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

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