Stories from Seventh: The Amazing Race

Last year I took on a new role in my life. I became a youth counselor for the senior high youth in our church. I have always wanted to work with kids in some way, but didn't know exactly what I would be doing, where it would be or when. So, when I got the letter that I had been a person they were considering to work with the youth of our church, I knew I was meant to be there!

Yesterday we had our fall kick-off to begin a new year with the senior high youth. I wanted it to be something big. Something different. Something fun. Something to get the youth excited for the year. Something amazing. What better than our very own Amazing Race! I knew this would be a challenge and take a lot of planning, but was totally up for it!

I met with our Pastor and we mapped out a plan of locations we could go to. We wanted to be respectful of places and people, but also wanted the youth to have fun. We worked on writing clues to 8 different places around town that everyone would know. We have some pretty great landmarks in our town, so we used them. They included: Noonan's Park, the YMCA, the Maritime Museum, Big Ole, Zion Lutheran Church (our sister church), City Park, Le Homme Dieu Beach, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (our church), the Runestone Replica and then ended back at our Pastor's house for pizza and games.

We picked our teams by picking out different colored Starbursts from a bag. Even the adult drivers picked their color so no one knew who their driver would be. We thought it would be safest to have an adult drive each team around so no one would speed or get in an accident. We took off and each team received their first clue in the vehicle from their driver. It was up to the youth to direct their driver to the location. Once they arrived at their location, they were given their challenge envelope. Each location had challenges that incorporated the place we were. There were two choices and as a team they had to decide which challenge they wanted to perform together as a team. The driver also acted as a judge to make sure the challenge was completed. They were also responsible for documenting it with pictures/videos.

Partway through the race, we had a person for our church waiting at Big Ole. The first team there got to pick which way their team would go by choosing "Envelopes #1" or "Envelopes #2". Each envelope would send you to a different location. The second team to arrive would get the opposite and the third team got a choice. So we split and then met up again. It was really fun and you didn't know who was ahead at the time. We all finished at the same location and the grand prize: 100 grand! Yep, quite the generous prize, wouldn't you say? We told the kids they were playing for a prize worth a lot. And it was...I mean 100 grand!?! I think they may have been a little disappointed when it was a 100 grand candy bar, because they honestly thought they were playing for money. But we all had a good laugh and a lot of fun.

If anyone in the area would like to do this with a group, let me know. I would love to share some of our clues and challenges with you. It would be great to put them to use again.

We had an amazing day at the Amazing Race. I think everyone had fun, there were no broken bones and people got to meet people they don't know as well. I look forward to an amazing year with some amazing youth. We have a busy and fun year planned and I am so excited to get to know each of them more and help guide them in their walk with God and build on their faith. I pray that God will use me in teaching them and being a person they can trust and go to with anything that may be happening in their lives. I am so excited for an amazing year!!

Now, here are some pictures from our Amazing Race:

This was my team, Team Red. They chose the challenge of running around the duck pond at Noonan's park while quacking. Their other option was to waddle across the bridge and through the yellow house. Since we parked on the opposite side of the pond from the house, they decided it would be easier to run around.

Here they are completing 50 jumping jacks outside of the Y. They got some looks from people inside. Their other choice was to sing YMCA with the hand motions.

Team Red at City Park.

This was Team Pink who made a sign at the Runestone trying to get 20 people to honk at their sign. It said "Honk if you love Jesus!" I think they needed to make their sign darker because it took them awhile to get their honks.