Today marks an exciting beginning! You may already know some of the young teens in your group, but others you’ll meet for the very first time. Offer a friendly smile to each one who walks through the door. Introduce yourself and learn everyone’s names. Middle schoolers can be a self-conscious bunch, so the tone you set today will help them feel comfortable with you and with the other members of your group. Chat about what they did this summer, the beginning of the school year, or what’s happening around town as you wait for everyone to arrive.

When you’re ready to begin, welcome your group and express how glad you are to be with them. Share your desire not only to be a good leader but to learn with them and from them. Encourage them to come each week expecting to discover new things about God and themselves. Tell them that you hope they’ll feel comfortable expressing their ideas, faith, and doubts; asking questions about God; and sharing stories from their own lives. Ask everyone to work together to help make this group a place where each person feels accepted, respected, and appreciated.

Let the young teens know that each time you meet you’ll begin with a question or short activity to help you get ready to hear God’s Word. Spend a few minutes talking about this question together (be sure to answer it along with everyone else).

If you could have one superpower—like seeing through walls or turning invisible—to help you solve your problems, what would you choose? Why?

When everyone has had the chance to answer, direct their attention toward today’s topic. Mention that although we don’t have superpowers, we do belong to an all-powerful Savior, Jesus. He knows every hair on our head, loves us more than we can imagine, and promises that he’ll never leave us or forsake us!

Close the gathering time with a prayer from Psalm 121:1-2. Teach the group their line, and practice it once through before saying it together as a prayer:

Leader: I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?
Group: My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 

Pass out pens and a copy of the Dive magazine for each person. Let the group know that you’ll be using them for the next several sessions, and encourage everyone to write their names somewhere on the back cover. Take time to draw or display the story symbol (printable page). You’ll be adding a new symbol each session. See DwellCurriculum.org for creative ways to display the symbols.

Ask if anyone has heard of the ten Boom family and the courageous things they did during the Holocaust. Preteens have probably studied the Holocaust in school and may have read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Tell them that like Anne and her family, the ten Booms lived in the Netherlands when the Nazis invaded their country during World War II.

Ask two people to read the sections called “The ten Boom House” and “Locked up for Showing Love” on page 2 of the magazine. Then pick up where they left off, sharing Corrie’s incredible story. Read all or just a few of the excerpts to your group, depending on how much time you have. But be sure to include “Under the Lightbulb” because the next part of the session builds on that story. Anyone who is interested can read the sections that you don’t read together either after the session or at home when the unit is complete. 

After you’ve shared Corrie’s story, ask your group this question:

Imagine that you are a prisoner at a Nazi war camp. What are some of the thoughts and fears you might have? What would be the worst part of it for you?

Allow time for everyone to answer who wants to. Then mention that Corrie and Betsie found deep hope and comfort in their relationship with God, even in this horrible situation. Next tell the group that in a few minutes you’ll be recreating the worship service that Corrie and Betsie hosted at Ravensbrück and imagining that you’re there too, worshiping along with them. Give everyone 3-5 minutes to work individually or with a partner to think of a song, Bible passage, or encouraging word that they’d like to share to bring hope to other “prisoners.” Assure them that they can read the lyrics for any song they’d like to use instead of singing it.

Have a few hymnals or songbooks available, several Bibles, a CD or MP3 player, and any youth-friendly Christian music you have with the lyrics printed inside the album jacket. Also point out pages 6-7 in the magazine, which offer Scripture passages that might be helpful.

Keep in mind that the young teens in your group may have a wide range of Bible knowledge. If a person seems stuck, help him or her look up a few of the passages suggested in the magazine. Bring along at least one Bible that has a concordance so that if someone has trouble finding a verse, you can show how to search for it by looking up key words.

When everyone’s ready, dim the lights and light a candle or two (if permitted by local fire ordinances and your building’s regulations) as you describe what the imaginary prison camp around you looks like. Speak in a soft voice and try to create an atmosphere of quiet anticipation. Encourage the group to huddle fairly close together on the floor near the candles and away from the windows, out of sight of the guards. Then hold your worship service, asking group members to share their songs, Scripture passages, or thoughts. Wait until the end to share your portion.

When it’s your turn, tell your fellow “prisoners” that you’d like to read two things—the first is a Bible passage that describes how Paul and Silas responded to being unfairly imprisoned, the second is a statement of faith made by Christians long ago.

Read Acts 16:16-25 with expression from a modern translation of the Bible or a paraphrase such as The Message by Eugene Peterson. Comment on what a powerful example Paul and Silas are for you. Then read Q&A 1 from the Dive magazine (p. 8). Briefly (2-3 minutes at most) share what it means to you to belong to Jesus and why you find that truth so comforting—especially during hard times.

End your secret service by blowing out the candles and turning on the lights.

Move back to your usual seats and tell the group that although your lives are very different from the lives of the people in this week’s stories, you do go through some very hard times and sad experiences. You face real fears, pain, and disappointment. Assure everyone that just like Corrie, Betsie, Paul, and Silas, we can find hope and comfort in knowing that we belong to the Savior of the world, who is with us in all circumstances, and who has a purpose and plan for each of our lives!

Ask everyone to open their magazines once more to page 8, and hand out pencils or pens. Mention that the triangle that appears on that page is similar to one that the ten Booms put in the window of their clock shop. It was a signal to their partners and to those who needed help that the coast was clear and it was safe to enter the hiding place. Let your young teens know that for the prisoners we’ve read about today and for us too, Jesus is the safest hiding place. He welcomes us to enter his presence in prayer and find healing, peace, and security in our relationship with him.

Give the group 3-5 minutes to reflect individually or pray silently about the questions in the triangle. Play Christian music quietly in the background (for ideas see Easy Extras #3). When everyone is finished, close your time together in prayer, thanking God that you belong to Jesus and asking God to use each one of you to offer encouragement and hope to others this week.

Thank everyone for joining you for the first session, and let them know you’re hoping to see them again next week! As they leave, hand out the Memory Challenge cards (printable page) and collect the magazines. Store them somewhere in the room for upcoming weeks.