MEETING 2: EVERYONE

WELCOME

ODD MAN OUT

Set up some contained spaces where individual group members can stand.

It could be a piece of flat cardboard, a hula hoop, a large box, string or rocks formed into a circle, etc. If you don’t have any props available, it could be a chalk-drawn circle on concrete, markings on a gym floor, lines on a tiled floor, or simply an outdoor location like trees, bushes, or various structures.

When your group arrives, set the limit for how many people can fit inside the spaces or at the designated spot, and make sure it’s a number that will ensure at least one person will be left out. Competitors are not allowed to push someone out of their spot. Once they are in a spot, they are safe.

Have everyone line up at an equal distance to the contained spaces. Shout “GO” and watch chaos ensue as the competitors scramble to find a spot. The game is over when all the spots are filled, and at least one person is left out. Repeat the game a few times or as long as time permits. Afterward, ask the group the following questions:

Q: What was your favorite part of this game?

Q: What was your least favorite part of this game?

WARM-UP

PICK ME!

It starts as a kid the first moment you find yourself on a playground at recess, at the park with some friends, or in PE class. Game time creates tension from our natural desire to be loved, wanted, and accepted. “Pick me!” is an outward expression of a very real, internal need.

And it only intensifies over time. We want to be picked to make the team, picked to start, picked for honors and awards, picked for a scholarship offer, etc. Each time, just like the feeling of exclusion like in the game “Odd Man Out,” it’s a gut punch when things don’t go as we’d hoped.

Q: Think about a time when you were hoping to get picked. Were you . . .

• Nervous
• Fearful
• Excited
• Relaxed

Q: How do you feel when you get picked and why?

Q: How do you feel when you don’t get picked and why?