Week 3 Overview for Discussion Leaders

• Have ¼ or ½ size sheets of paper and a pencil for each person.
• Preview the video portion and make changes or additions to the questions.
• Optional: If you want to do a skit, have the props ready. Ask some people to come a little early to prepare the skit.

Skit Ideas: Have some newspaper, tape, white cotton balls and glue to make a George Washington style hat with white wig; possibly, an empty frame, to give the impression that the person from the past is hanging as a picture on the wall.

Have some props for an administrator and secretary (e.g. briefcase, envelope and paper). Have props for a few Christian students and a Christian faculty club advisor. The administrator dictates a letter to the secretary that the school can no longer fund the Christian club because of the separation of church and state. George Washington or Thomas Jefferson or John Adams can come back to help them understand the true meaning of the separation of church and state. Use ideas from Week 2 post-video discussion notes.

Procedure

Game (15 minutes)

Divide people into two groups. Alternate the two pages of trivia questions between the two sides. The whole team can consult on the question. If one team misses, the other side will have one chance to try and can get extra points. Someone will need to be a scorekeeper. The person asking the questions should remind the scorekeeper of the changing point values for each section.

Optional: Skit (See above. You can have dessert between the game and the skit.)

Pre-Video Discussion

Review the prayer from last week's video that was claimed to be unconstitutional:

"Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country."

Ask them their opinions about this, whether they think it was unconstitutional.

Give each person a piece of paper and a pencil. They can write the year 1962/63. While watching the video, they can briefly record changes that occurred after 1962/63.

Video (21 minutes)

Post Video Discussion

Ask them what their impressions were; how their thinking might have changed in the past weeks; how any of this might apply to their campus, their job, their children, or future children.

1. What are the different areas that, according to Barton, have deteriorated after 1962/63?
2. Are there steps that Christians can take to help counter those negative changes?
3. Has your understanding of the meaning of separation of church and state changed during the past few weeks? If so, how?
4. How can Christians take a stand against the false notions of separation of church and state?

Again, give a reminder that these are complex issues and that there is a fine line between freedom of speech and invading others' freedoms. However, as Christians, we need not be intimidated by others' misinterpretations or faulty application of the separation of church and state. We do have a godly heritage and we have the freedom to take a firm stand on what we believe. For more specifics, the books mentioned in the introduction are very helpful.

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