Mixing it up with ... Harry Potter - Owen Smith

Fact 1... The seven Harry Potter books have sold more than 350 million copies in 200 countries and the films are one of the highest grossing film series of all time. It is a cultural phenomenon in which our young people are greatly immersed. Fact 2... Young people aged 9-13 are a massively under-resourced age group in churches. Spanning the 'tweenager' and 'tweenie' age zones young people of this age are increasingly fashion-aware, media-savvy and worldly-wise. They don't regard themselves as children but are not yet adults. This new book addresses both the need and the cultural interest.In 12 sessions, Mixing it up with Harry Potter draws parallels between events in the Harry Potter world, and the world in which our young people live. These parallels allow you to explore Christian concepts with your young people and engage with the Christian faith through the themes demonstrated - from complex subjects such as Sacrifice and Mercy, to everyday issues such as Fitting in and Boasting - with an introduction to the book covering all you need to consider in terms of health and safety, child protection, and how to handle the aspects of Harry Potter that are not always very godly.Mixing it up with Harry Potter will help young people to delight in their faith and encourage them to see that a relationship with God is even more enchanting than a visit to Hogwarts!Each session is divided into five parts and includes photocopiable material:
Beforehand (to help leaders prepare the session)
Opening Activity (introducing the session to the young people in an interactive and fun format)
Film Clip (a short clip from one of the Harry Potter films)
Taking It Further (developing the theme and exploring it in greater depth)
Bible Focus (a Bible verse that deals with the Christian perspective of the theme)
Prayer Response (prayer activity drawing on the theme and giving space for response)