A program of Serving.LOVE
Discovering Joy
Equipping leaders to have a healing, empowering impact on hurting youth and adults.
Why it matters
The people in your room are hurting, and you can't see it.
Emotional pain. Addiction. Suicidal thinking. If you stood in front of a youth group and asked everyone who has ever felt rejected to stand up, almost no one would. They're embarrassed. They don't want anyone to know.
Discovering Joy trains leaders to break that silence safely — leading people to the realization that everyone around them is also broken. That realization can reduce the sense of isolation and open the door to conversation and appropriate support.
2nd
Leading cause of death, ages 10–24
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24 in the United States. Youth and young adults account for 13% of all suicides.
Source: CDC Suicide Prevention
The tool
“Where Are You Hurting?”
A single anonymous worksheet that lets a room discover, in about fifteen minutes, that no one in it is alone.
1
Hand it out, folded
Every person gets the Where Are You Hurting? worksheet and a pencil. Told it's anonymous, and
Don't let anyone else see what they mark.
2
Mark what's real
Read each question. If it's true in your life, mark YES. Refold, fold in half twice, drop it in the bucket for your row.
3
Mix and redraw
The buckets are mixed and redistributed around the room so no one can tell whose is whose. Each person picks one back at random from the new bucket for their row.
4
Stand up
The leader reads the questions aloud. If the sheet in your hand has YES marked, please stand up.
The first question is: “Have you ever felt rejected?”
Almost the entire room stands.
5
“Oh my gosh — I'm not the only one.”
In that moment, a person's entire view of their own brokenness shifts.
For some it quiets suicidal thinking born of feeling like an all-alone failure.
For most it gives emotional permission to finally talk to someone.
There is no charge for the leader package that provides the resources to present Discovering JOY in your group. The above list is flexible and can be edited. Choose to bring more JOY to your group through this and possibly save some lives.
Part two
Then we point to where joy actually comes from.
After the worksheet, the leader closes the session by walking the group through four things:
- Why there is so much pain in the first place.
- That God loves them exactly as they are, and Jesus died for them.
- That God redeems suffering — growing us and preparing us to comfort others.
- That showing care and compassion to others brings joy to the one doing the loving.
What leaders say
Reactions from the field
“This is a grenade that would explode self-condemnation!”
Ministry leader
“This would give emotional permission to talk about their pain!”
College director
“This would save lives!”
Professional counselor
Questions
Common questions
How long is the workshop?
About one hour, including the worksheet exercise and the closing session. It can be longer. We have plans for 1 - 3 day retreats that go deeper into discovering JOY and learning better how to love others.
Who is it for?
Youth groups and adult groups alike. It's designed to be led by youth leaders, counselors, pastors, teachers, and anyone else responsible for a room of people carrying pain.
Is it really anonymous?
Yes — that's the whole design. Sheets are folded, mixed, and redrawn so no one can trace a sheet back to a person, including the leader.
What do I get as a leader?
Discovering Joy provides a complete content package to support leaders in presenting the workshop. Contact us to request it.
GET THE LEADER PACKAGE!
There is no charge for the leader package that provides the resources to present Discovering JOY in your group. The package includes recommended planning and instructions along with a .docx file of the questions that can be edited and printed.
Bring more JOY to your group and possibly save some lives.
Or request Hank Tate, the creator of Discovering JOY to present the workshop or a retreat.
Discovering JOY Retreat
A very effective way to present Discovering JOY in your group is to have a two or three-day retreat.
The Disccvering JOY Retreat Overview below shares the conceptual plan for an effective three day retreat.
Hank can be available for presenting a retreat.