Before you start:

Meeting aim: To raise the issue of inner peace: what it is, why it’s important and how God can help. 
Background: Inner peace means different things to us all - we all have different understandings, interpretations and experiences: whilst different, all are important. For many, especially young people, it can be extremely hard to explain the emotional distress they may feel.

Notes for adapting:

This subject can be an emotional one and may need planning and consideration for using with your group. It could be an idea to split the group into small, gender groups. Be aware that young people will be at different stages due to age, maturity and background. Don’t presume who struggles with this topic and who doesn’t, as it is often those who appear happiest that are actually struggling within. It may be necessary to pray at various intervals during this session - allow the Spirit to guide you.

Setting the scene:

Enter the words ‘tranquility’ and ‘peace’ into an internet image search engine and print off pictures (the more varied the better) or find some pictures in magazines or even use photos. Try to be open minded and display scenery, people, space, busyness and abstract pictures. If a few leaders can do this it avoids your own interpretation of peace hindering the variety of images displayed. You might like to have dimmed lighting or candles in this session.

Icebreaker: Tangle arms (10mins)

All stand in a circle. All place hands in the middle of the group and grab two different people’s hands. When everyone has two hands explain the rules. The aim is to untangle the group without letting go of hands and eventually form a circle! This exercise is NEARLY always possible! It needs teamwork, cooperation and flexibility! If the group succeeds too easily try doing it with everyone blindfolded!

Introduction: (10 mins)

If you have access to the Internet in your group open the online Embody Labyrinth and click on number 2: ‘Noise’. This is also on the Labyrinth CD resource (if you have it). If not possible, introduce the theme of this session and play a song about peace - inviting the group to relax and try to block out any distractions. A good example might be ‘Peace’ from the World Wide Message Tribe album Chilled. 

Peace: (20 mins)

Have some other images available that might describe lack of peace in one‘s own life (if using an internet image search engine try typing in: ‘tangle’, ‘turmoil’, ‘weeds’, ‘stress’, ‘busy mind’, ‘need peace’ or ‘going crazy’) and invite people to choose one or two that they relate to and to explain why. You may like to also display simple Bible verses such as Psalm 23: 4, 31: 9, and 60: 11 as some might relate to these better than to pictures.
Using a flip chart, brainstorm what it feels like to not have personal peace and jot down any key words that describe people’s feelings. Invite people to share how it can feel physically as well as emotionally.
Pick up on some key Bible verses about how God wants us to be at peace, e.g. John 14: 27, Philippians 4: 7, Ephesians 6: 10-18 (The armour of God: the shoes of the Gospel of peace) and Galatians 5: 22-23 (the Fruits of the Spirit). Be sure to discuss each of these no matter how simple they may seem and don’t just read them out. Have some different translations and paraphrases of the Bible available and see how the verses / passages are explained differently. The Message and The Street Bible might contain some good examples of this.

Key point: Peace is mentioned as one of the Fruit of the Spirit - fruits do not magically appear overnight and nor does peace! Be sure to make this clear to your group and how the Fruits of the Spirit can grow in our lives.

Ask the group to spend some time looking at the images you have displayed on peace and to pick one or two that best describe the peace they would like / long for personally and why. People might interpret the same image differently - be ready to facilitate any discussion here!
A visual response would be to burn or shred the ‘lack of peace’ images whilst holding on to the ‘peace’ images.

Peacemaker: (15 mins)

If you can, play the song ‘Peacemaker’ by Greg Ferguson (Willow Creek album: One Life) from CD, or get the sheet music

‘Peacemaker,
Fear taker,
Soul soother,
Storm smoother,
Light shiner,
Lost finder,
Cloud lifter,
Deliverer.

Mind clearer,
Sigh hearer,
Hand holder,
Consoler.
Wound binder,
Tear drier,
Strength giver,
Provider.’
Greg Ferguson, 2004

If no-one can sing/play this it does not matter - the words are the important thing. Break into pairs and hand out pre-printed/written sheets with one phrase from the song on (e.g. ‘tear drier’). Give each pair a couple of different phrases or let them choose and ask them to spend a few minutes on each, writing down words / prayers or drawing a picture about what it means to them. Have some different art materials available for this creative prayer time and play some music in the background (if possible - the ‘Peacemaker’ song itself or something else appropriate such as ‘Peace’ by R Kelly on the album Happy People / U Saved Me). You could have concordances available so they can look up Bible passages or stories that the phrases relate to.

Response: (10 mins)

Refer back to the Labyrinth resource, and click on number 6: ‘Holy Space’, or use the CD. Consider having some bread and wine (Communion/Eucharist) available to give to each other as a sign of accepting Jesus: giver of peace. You may need to invite someone authorised to administer this to the group.
An alternative to the Labyrinth resource (or an addition!) would be to have some modelling clay/Play Doh and invite the young people to model something that represents peace to them as a reminder to take home. They may like to use the images about peace as inspiration.

Group prayer: (10mins)

Discuss as a group the ‘Peace’ that your church uses - encourage people to share what they think it means and how it makes them feel. Together work out a way to share ‘The Peace’ that is relevant to the group and then share it!

Take it further:

 If relevant to your group, suggest the young people create a dance or mime to ‘Peacemaker’ and perform this to the rest of the church. Others might like to make up their own song to share.