Young Adult VBS (Volleyball Bible Study)

Description: Young Adult VBS (Volleyball Bible Study) includes an hour-long Bible Study followed by a fun game of volleyball.

Get Ready

• Prep Time: If you are using a pre-packaged bible study, you will just need to review the materials ahead of time. If you want to create your own more personalized study, you could spend several hours preparing a custom plan. If you are unfamiliar with volleyball, you will need to familiarize yourself with the game. Some extra time will also be needed if you choose to make your own volleyball net.
• Volunteers Needed: You need a couple of people to help set up the net and ice some beverages. It would be good to recruit someone familiar with volleyball if you are not familiar with how to play.
• Supplies:
  • For the Bible study: Bibles and copies of any notes to be used.
  • For the volleyball: a volleyball, a net, and some way to mark the court boundaries.
    • Ideally, plan to use a space that already has a volleyball court and net.
    • You might also want to borrow poles and a net from someone.
    • If you want to do this outside and do not have your own volleyball poles, they are not too difficult to make, but this project will take some preparation. See additional options for constructing your net in the Help section:
      1. Get two old tires (try a local tire shop and get two they are throwing away), two bags of cement, two 8-foot poles, 4 “eye bolts,” 4 nuts and washers that fit the eye bolt, two pieces of 3×3-foot plywood.
      2. For each pole: take one tire, set it on a piece of plywood, mix the cement, pour it in the tire (the plywood serves as a base and will be removed after the cement hardens). Put the pole in the center and make sure it is level. Let harden.
      3. Drill a hole in the pole at the desired height of the net (top and bottom of net) insert the eyebolt with nut and washer.
      4. Repeat for second pole.
• Reserve the Space: Reserve a space suitable for volleyball: a gym, a grassy area, or a sand volleyball pit.
• Ideal Group Size: Six or more. You can take turns playing volleyball if you have a larger group.
• Who is this for? Any young adult.
• When is a good time for this? I have done this on weeknights, but if you are doing it outside you have to plan it for a time before the sun goes down. Weekend afternoons work well also!
• Publicize the Program:
  • Use Facebook, Twitter,and any other way you communicate with your young adults.
  • Emphasize the point that the Bible study will be only one hour (and keep it to that) then the Volleyball begins!

Prayer for Program Planner: Lord Jesus, Word of God Incarnate, guide my planning. Speak to us as we study and play. Let the joy of your word resound in us as we reflect on the scriptures and as we enjoy sport. Help us be good sports and let the time we spend playing and praying draw us closer to you and to each other. Amen.

Community Building: This is a great community builder as it is a lighthearted time of sports, coupled with a time of prayerful examination of the scriptures. 

Make It Happen

The Bible study portion of this can be prepared in many ways:

• Use a pre-packaged Bible study program. There are many out there:
  • Little Rock Scripture Study
  • St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
• Use Lectio Divina. If you do not know how to do that, here are a couple options:
  • Practicing Lectio Devina in a Group
  • Communities of Prayer has “Encounter Guides” that go along with each liturgical cycle as well as Lectio guides for the mysteries of the Rosary, the Creed, and more.
• Another option is a hybrid of the two above options. Here is a step by step process:
  • Choose a scripture passage ahead of time. Maybe you want to work through a book of the Bible over the course of a number of weeks, maybe you want to just do the coming Sunday’s Gospel, or maybe you want to do a topical study.
  • Prepare some notes to go a bit deeper into the passage. A great resource for this is the Collegeville Biblical Commentary. They have a commentary for each book of the Bible and it is even available in digital format (via the Logos Bible Software). Another resource is the Ignatius Study Bible. Or you can simply use a New Testament with awesome footnotes and side articles (i.e., Catholic Study Bible).
  • Some concepts you should consider for notes and discussion: What was the author intending when he wrote this? What are the major themes? Explain any of the deeper symbolism.

On the day of the Bible Study

• Choose someone to read the passage (or part of it if the passage is long, or if you are working your way through a chapter).
• Tell your participants: “When the passage is read, follow along. After it is read, I will ask you to share a word or phrase that jumped out at you … no commentary, just the word or phrase.” Then ask the volunteer to read the passage.
• Choose another person to read the same passage.
• Before the reading, say: “This time, after we listen, I will invite you to share why you chose that word or phrase.” Ask your second volunteer to read the passage again.
• Have everyone listen and share about the passage. Then ask them if they have any other comments or questions about the section.
• After the sharing is complete, pass out your prepared notes page and go over the notes.
• Depending on time you may do this process two or three times in an hour.
• Always have two or three “take-aways” to give your participants. As you are preparing the study, find a couple real-life application challenges to present. For example: If the study is on forgiveness, challenge them to forgive someone they have yet to forgive, or to go to confession in the coming week. It is important to put the Word into action so it will be planted deep inside our hearts.

Ideas

• Another study option is to view the Catholicism Series by Fr. Robert Barron or any other online content, video blog, or whatever you think your young adults would be interested in. The key is to find a “study” with a solid faith component.
• Remember, it does not have to be strictly a study of the Bible for we are a Scripture and Tradition Church. There is a lot of material to use!
• Perhaps a series (or one night) on Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium. Here is a great summary of the document that would suit your group.

Help

• If you are unfamiliar with how to play volleyball, be sure to watch the series of videos on YouTube called How to Play Volleyball from Expertvillage by Keith Sewell.
• VIDEO: “How to Make a Homemade Volleyball Net”
• “How to Set Up an Indoor Volleyball Court” (article)