Life’s Amazing Race (8 sessions)
1 Corinthians 9:24 – “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”
The Life’s Amazing Race series is all about the journey we each must make through life. Each step of the way the Bible is there for us and is our guide. In the eight weekly meetings this series will take teens through their life as they were, are now and where they will be going, along with the specific challenges they will face each step of the way. The youth group will be divided into teams of three or four and will compete for the least amount of time which will accumulate over the eight weeks. The team with the least amount of time wins!
This series, Life’s Amazing Race, takes the youth of a travel adventure (in their minds) from early childhood all the way through their adult life and ministry. They are taught how the Word of God interacts and instructs them and prepares them in each step that all of us must make. Teams will race through the Foothills of Foundations, through the Bay of Belief, the City of Change, the Mesa of Maturity, hearing the Voice of God until they reach the Lagoon of Legacy. At the end of this series they will know more about what they have already experienced, how to handle what they are experiencing now, and what to do in the future as they grow both physically and spiritually. With an emphasis on spiritual growth this series is sure to leave teens thinking about more than how their team can win.
The Starting Line
There are two basic types of tasks used for this series;
A team task is a task which must be accomplished by the entire team. They must read and follow all instructions carefully. Penalties may be given for failure to follow all instructions. They will be timed in each Team Task and that time will be added to their team’s total for the entire race. The team with the fastest time for the entire race will win!
And, back to top
A roadblock is a task that only one member of your team may complete. Team members may not complete a roadblock two weeks in a row. All team members must be used; however your team may decide who will complete each roadblock task each week. Each team member must complete at least two Roadblock Tasks during the entire competition. They will be timed in each Roadblock Task and that time will be added to the team’s time for the entire race. The team with the fastest time for the entire race will win!
Each week is filled with decisions for the teams as they unravel instructions and make choices which will all affect the outcome of the race. While some of the competitions are physical in nature, such as; Radiation Circles, Tree Hugger, Rat Race, Back-to-Back and the Amazing Clothes Race, others require a sharp mind and attention to detail, like; Marshmallow Mayhem, Over the Hedge, Ask the Sage, and one of the favorites, Big Bad Wolf.
While each team must learn to pay close attention to the details in the instructions of face time penalties, there are enough opportunities for prizes and time bonuses to make this interesting for all of the teams.
This series does require the use of at least one team monitor for each of the teams. Fun loving adults and/or college “kids” will do just fine.
The final race again includes:
- Parents (and other helpful adults) in race type competition against other teams.
- A video summary of the previous weeks
- Food and Fellowship
- Announcing of the race winners
- And of course prizes