A Celebration Dinner: the Prodigal Son

About This Product A special banquet to help teens experience generosity in order to understand and appropriate God's generous love for them. In conjunction with this goal, teens will be invited to put themselves into Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son.

Depending on your teens' relationship with God, the format could be set up as an evangelism opportunity, or as an opportunity for students to explore new insights into who they are and whose they are.

The general plan is for students to walk in to a semi-formal banquet, called a Celebration Dinner. This can be promoted and advertised well in advance as a special activity; or it can be conducted with no publicity as a surprise during a regularly scheduled youth meeting on a Sunday or weeknight evening.

As the teens enter the room (or in any advance promotion) they are told that it is a celebration dinner, but not told exactly what is being celebrated. One could say, "We're celebrating you." Leave the students in suspense and uncertainty.

Any style of dress would be fine. If you are pulling this off without promotion, as part of a normal week night or Sunday night gathering, nothing would have to be said. However, if you are promoting it as a special banquet, encouraging students to dress in semi-formal wear might make it more meaningful.