SKITS

"He Said He's Met You Before!" Characters: (1) Old man; (2) Old woman; (3) gas station attendant. The old married couple is sitting in two chairs up front. They are acting as if they are driving in a car with the old man's hand on the steering wheel. They pull into a gas station, and the old man roles down his window. Gas station attendant: "Can I help you?" Old man: "Fill 'er up." Old Woman asks the old man, "What'd he say?" Old Man: "He asked if he could help us." Old Woman: "Tell him to fill 'er up." Old Man: "I told him to fill it up." Gas station attendant: "Where are you two headed?" Old Man: "We're going to Disneyland." Old Woman: "What'd he say?" Old man: "He asked us where we're headed." Old Woman: "Tell him we're going to Disneyland." Old Man: (disgustingly) "I told him we're going to Disneyland!" Gas station attendant: "Where are you two from?" Old Man: "We're from Hudsonville." Old Woman: "What'd he say?" Old Man: (angrily) "He asked us where we're from!" Old Woman: "Tell him we're from Hudsonville." Old Man: (very angry) "I TOLD HIM WE'RE FROM HUDSONVILLE!" Gas station attendant: "Hudsonville, I've been to Hudsonville before. The women there are DOG UGLY!" Old Woman: "What'd he say?" Old Man: (looks at the old woman, then at the gas station attendant, and then back to the old woman and says) "He said he's met you before!" Curtain closes or lights go down and music comes on (ideally), or old woman and man get up and walk out of the room like old folks.

Spittoon Boy Three hillbillies acting like they are chewing begin to brag about their spitting prowess. One spits for speed, one for distance and one for power. They decide to have a contest and call out Spittoon Boy (guy enters wearing rain slicker, boots, hat, goggles, and carrying a coffee can). They each back him up more and spit for distance. He flicks the can each time as if the spit landed in it. The last guy even sends him out side, down the street (he comes back amazed.) Now for speed: for the first guy he flicks the can quickly after the guy spits, second guy he flicks it faster, the third time he flicks before the guy spits. Now for power, the first guy spits powerful-like and Spittoon Boy flicks and falters a bit. Next guy he flicks and falls down behind something (blocking him from the crowdwhen behind the crowd- trade cans with a can full of water). The third time he flicks and spills it (water) all over crowd.

Taking the Plunge

Youll need four or five performers for this skit, only one of whom will actually speak. The setting is the high-diving platform of a local pool. Would-Be Diver stands in the middle of the platform. While he talks, the other people in the skit keep walking past him, giving him skeptical looks, and diving into the pool. This skit will work especially well if you can set it up on some kind of stage or platform, so that the divers can pretend to climb ladders up the front of it and then dive (perhaps into a mattress or the arms of trustworthy stagehands) off the back of it. For extra effect, you might have someone behind the stage with a bucket, tossing water back onto the stage to represent the splash from each dive.
TAKING THE PLUNGE WOULD-BE DIVER: [While he talks, he does elaborate stretching and breathing exercises, as though he thinks hes a world-class diver.] I cant believe Im finally up here. All the work and preparation Ive done is about to pay off. Its too bad my friends back at diving camp cant see me now. I told them I was going to do this, and here I am, ready to go. [He walks to the edge of the platform and peers down.] It's, uh, a little higher than I expectedbut that doesnt matter. I still know what Im doing. Itll just give me extra time to do more tricks on my way downyeah, thats it! Ill do a double somersault with a half twist. Or maybe Ill do a back somersault. Or maybe Ill do a lay out from a pike position. [As he talks, one of the other divers accidentally bumps into him, and he panics.] Hey, watch it! What are you trying to do? You almost knocked me in! Im not ready yet! [He tries to talk to the other divers as they pass him by.] The people back at camp expected big things from me. They said Id make a great diver. Oh, man, those were the days. Wed sit around and talk for hours about all the dives we were going to do. We werent scared of anything. Of course, none of the boards at diving camp were as high as this one. To be honest with you, those were baby dives compared to this one. [He nervously peers over the edge of the platform again.] Maybe if wed known what a real diving platform was like, we wouldnt have been so brave. This is really high. I dont think I can do it. Maybe I should try one of the lower platforms. Or maybe I should just wait until I get a little more training. Yeah, thats it! Ill go back to camp next year, work on all the things I need to get better at, get my confidence up again, and then come back here and do some dives that people wont believe! After all, theres no need to jump into things right away. Hey, thats a pretty good oneno need to jump into things right away. [Finally tiring of the Would-Be Divers nonstop talking, the rest of the divers rush him together, pushing him off the diving platform.] END

Making the Connection Ask your group members if anything in the skit sounded familiarlike the connection between diving and living as a disciple of Jesus. Point out that its easy to talk about discipleship in the safety of a Christian camp, when most of the people around you are supportive of you and talking about the same things themselves. Its much more difficult to live as a disciple outside the camp setting. A lot of campers make big plans and talk boldly about the things theyre going to do in their lives, but when reality slaps them in the face, they back off and head for the safety of conformity. Ask one of your group members to read James 1:22-25 loud enough for the entire camp to hear it. Then toss the following questions out to your campers: Describe how Gods Word reflects areas of our lives back to us. What kinds of things in your life have you seen reflected in the Bible? How do you usually feel after youve studied Gods Word? Why do some Christians listen to what Gods Word says, get all excited about it, but then do nothing with it in their lives? What practical steps can a person take to move from being a listener to a doer? Explain that the purpose of this last session is to give your kids a push off the diving platform of discipleship, to give them the confidence they need to live the things next week that theyve been talking about this week.