United Church of Christ
United in Spirit and inspired by God’s grace, we welcome all, love all, and seek justice for all.
The Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ (UCC) equips a courageous Church alive with Christ’s transforming love.
Scripture Text | Luke 23:26
Three Wonderings
1
I wonder about a time when you thought you couldn’t do something or when you did not trust yourself?
2
I wonder what you did to believe or trust in yourself?
3
I wonder who showed up to give you encouragement?
Caring for the Common Good Project
Create Big-Hearted Self-Portraits
Use this printable template and your own to design a self-portrait collage to inspire and uplift you in moments of self-doubt. Find complete project instructions and templates here.
Materials: Printable self-portrait template; Collage materials (magazines, textured paper, etc.); Crayons or markers; Scissors; Glue
Reflect:
Why does taking care of yourself – and speaking kindly to yourself – make a difference?
Contemplative Movement
Outdoor Explore
What: Place objects that represent your self-doubts in a bag or backpack. Littles may only be able to carry one! With this added weight, walk around your neighborhood.
Reflect/Ask:
- Notice how it feels to have to carry so much weight just to walk in your own community.
- Return the bags/heavy objects to your home and resume walking the neighborhood.
- Notice how much lighter you feel and easier it is to walk.
- Where is God in the heaviness and in the lightness?
Creative Project
The Weight of Doubt
Materials: multiple heavy objects, paper & coloring utensils, tape or twine
How to: Let each person create a list of self-doubts, of not-enoughnesses.
- Search around your home for multiple heavy objects (not breakable).
- Assign each object a self-doubt. Consider the heap of self-doubt.
- Draw or write responses to: How might you affirm one another’s strengths and gifts? Which doubts feel heaviest/lightest? Can we carry other people’s doubts for them? Why/why not?
Books
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Additional Resources
- Try sharing a random act of kindness like this fun Car Window Poetry exercise to encourage others who may be feeling self-doubt
- Read the chapter book A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
- Resources from the Ministry Lab for raising Confident Kids and Confident Tweens and Teens.
- Scripture Text Luke 23:26