PURPOSE
The purpose of this adventure learning simulation game is to take participants into the Christmas story so that they can be confronted by the marvelous and personally important phenomenon of the Incarnation. God became flesh and dwelt among us!

"Immanuel" is a party devotional for use by adults, teens or families. It requires 60 to 90 minutes.

Players role-play the shepherds who were visited by the angels. They are then to go into the town of Bethlehem to find the Christ Child.

The main objective of this adventure is to confront the Incarnation, when God took on human flesh and appeared among us in Jesus Christ to die in our place. (Please read John 3:16 and Philippians 6-8.) Other objectives include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The fearful yet wonderful experience of the shepherds.
  
• Definitions of the fruit of the Spirit.
  
• The necessity of Christian community and working in small groups.
  
• God often puts other, lesser assignments in the way to direct us in the right direction.
  
• Worship of the Lord is a priority.

NEEDED:

One 3 X 5 card for each player with one side blank and Micah 5:2 written on the other side.

SMALL GROUP OF EIGHT OR LESS:

It is easiest to run this adventure learning simulation with 4 to 6 "shepherds."

PARTY-SIZED GROUP:

In groups of 7 to 15 players it is possible to run Immanuel as a group experience with yourself as the only Adventure Master (game leader). Group the people in groups of 3 and 4, with the strongest or most vocal person being alone (a group of one). This will give you different groups of shepherds for teaching purposes. The reason for the lone shepherd is to show why Christian community is critical to obedience in the Christian life.

LARGE GROUP:

In groups over ten it will be unmanageable to run the game and not have long, boring segments while you deal with each small group of shepherds separately. Therefore, chose an Adventure Master, a sub-leader so-to- speak, for one to three groups of shepherds. These will not be players, won't memorize Scripture or give responses. So, either run Immanuel for them beforehand, or chose those who are more spiritually mature to be these helpers. They will have an important and enjoyable role.

BEGINNING INSTRUCTIONS:

Players write down on a piece of paper the nine fruit of the Spirit in order as found in Galatians 5:22,23 ( love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). Then, starting with love and going in order, they take the numbers 2 through 10 and spread them out to the nine fruit, deciding which to give the higher numbers and which to assign the lower numbers. Encourage the players not to go from 2 to 10 in order from love to self-control. Tell them that you want them all to be quite different from one another and that there is no "right answer" to how the numbers should be assigned. Also, for teaching purposes later, do not let the players collaborate in assigning numbers.

A faster way to assign numbers is for players to assign the fruit of the Spirit values based on their Social Security Numbers. In this case, numbers are placed in order from love to self-control just as they appear in the SSN. If you use this method, one's are used and zeroes are ten.

CRITICAL NOTE: DO NOT READ OUT LOUD TO PLAYERS WHAT IS IN BRACKETS [ ] !

READ TO PLAYERS:

This is a role-playing simulation designed to teach and encourage you. I will tell you what is happening and role-play portions of the story. Try as best as you can to pretend that you are in the adventure. This is called role-playing.

You are each a shepherd. By this I mean that you will each role-play a shepherd. What is important is that you are shepherds tending your flocks by night - in the year 5 B.C. The exact year of Jesus' birth is unclear; it appears He was born sometime between 8 and 4 B.C. Each of your shepherd groups are on different hilltops. The one lone shepherd (name of whomever) is alone on another hilltop.

Here is the adventure you are in, right now in your imaginations.

The night is a little chilly. You wrap your tunic around you a little tighter. The sheep huddle together because of the cold. An occasional bleating pierces the darkness. The night sky is moonless, so millions of stars shine overhead. You see the hazy path of the Milky Way.

Today you have led the sheep to graze on a hilltop that overlooks the town of Bethlehem. It has been a different kind of day. You had to register for the census that the Romans ordered. You resent the occupation of the Romans, but Israel hasn't been a free country since long before you were born.

You have lived in Bethlehem all of your life. Basically, you live in a class society. As a land-owning shepherd, you are a peasant, the most prestigious of the lower four classes of people. You are above the Artisan Class which includes carpenters and such. And you are not of the Unclean and Degraded Classes, for example, porters, prostitutes and miners. Nor are you of the Expendable Class ranging from petty criminals to beggars and underemployed itinerant workers.

You are a peasant farmer of the Peasant Class that makes up the majority of the population. Your class bears the tax burden of supporting the state and its privileged classes. Rulers, the Governing Class, the Retainer Class made up of bureaucrats and soldiers, the Merchant Class and the Priestly Class are a wide gulf above you in wealth, privilege and status.

But you don't mind because what is most important to you is the group to which you belong, the extended family, those related by blood. Being peasants is what your family is all about. And you live for the honor of your family - everything else is much less important. So you are happy. These are your family's sheep from which you make a meager but pleasant living.

An unsettling wind arises without warning. You stand up and look around. The sheep sense it too. You pick up your shepherd's crook in case you need to control anxious animals. But instead of seeming disturbed, the sheep are standing peacefully. And they are all looking behind you. You turn to see what is capturing their attention.

You fall back in surprise -- an angel is approaching you. It must be an angel. No mere man would be surrounded by light in the darkness of night.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND? SHARE WITH THE GROUP YOU ARE IN. THE SINGLE SHEPHERD HAS NO ONE TO SHARE WITH OR LISTEN TO.

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

The light surrounding the angel overtakes and engulfs you. It is the glory of the Lord that encloses the angel -- and now you! You are terrified.

OF WHAT ARE YOU TERRIFIED? [Scripture says that the shepherds were terrified.] TELL THE OTHER SHEPHERDS WITH YOU WHAT FRIGHTENS YOU. THE SINGLE SHEPHERD HAS NO ONE TO SHARE WITH OR LISTEN TO.

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

The angel speaks, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger."

TELL THE OTHER SHEPHERDS OF YOUR GROUP WHY THIS IS GOOD NEWS. THE SINGLE SHEPHERD HAS NO ONE TO SHARE WITH OR TO LISTEN TO.

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

The angel said to not be afraid. To decide if you can overcome your fear requires us to check your character strengths, actually the fruit of the Spirit, which the shepherds did not have, for it was before Pentecost. But for this devotional adventure, you have character strengths based on the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit that counts most in overcoming fear is PEACE.

PEACE is the supernatural ability to be calm, feel secure, and have confidence because of the Lord's presence. To overcome the fear of this awesome angelic visit, a visitation by one of the messengers of The Most High God, requires a PEACE of 7.

Do you all have a PEACE of 7? If not, your group of shepherds has work to do. Rotating turns, those of you who have a PEACE of 7, 8, 9, or 10, beginning with the strongest shepherd, the one with the highest ranking, and taking turns down to the shepherd with a PEACE of 7, talk to the fearful shepherd or shepherds in your group and help them overcome their fear. You raise their PEACE character rating by one point for every statement of biblical counsel, either based on Scripture or Scripture itself that relates to peace in fearful situations. You may use the New Testament even though this adventure takes place before its writing, .

The shepherd who is alone remains afraid, unless his or her PEACE is at least a 7.

Is there any group that does not have anyone with a PEACE of 7 or higher? If not, the shepherd with the highest PEACE rating in those groups runs over to another group of shepherds and gets help in the form of biblical advice from shepherds with PEACE ratings of 7 or higher.

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

All of a sudden the whole hillside lights up and for a moment you are blinded. At the same time you hear many wonderful voices singing the words, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." As your eyes adjust to the brightness, you see -- angels beyond numbering.

And just as suddenly -- they are gone. WHAT DO YOU DO?

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ADVENTURE MASTER:

[Remember that the angel told them to go and find the baby. If they choose to do anything else, ask,] "But what about the angel's assignment? Don't you fear God? Angels are God's messengers and should be listened to!"

[Note that the angel's order to find the child is implied: "You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger." Since God doesn't really have to say, "Pretty please....", the shepherds should understand. If they still do not decide to go find the baby Jesus, have lightning strike all around them - out of a cloudless sky. That should bring the point home. Make a note to talk to this group of shepherds after the adventure about seeing God's commands in His every desire, even implied instructions.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

We need to check your character strengths again. The fruit that counts most in this deciding to go into the town to seek out the baby is JOY, GOODNESS and FAITHFULNESS. JOY is the supernatural ability to be content in all situations because God is at work in them. GOODNESS is the supernatural ability to do what is right, to act righteously, be holy, and behave in a godly manner; the ability to do those good works assigned by God. And FAITHFULNESS is the supernatural ability to be unshakably enduring in loyalty to Jesus Christ as evidenced by trustworthy and dependable behavior.

Since going into Bethlehem is a group decision, your group together must have a JOY of 16 and a GOODNESS of 12 and a FAITHFULNESS of 14.

STORY LINE CONTINUES; READ TO PLAYERS:

The lone shepherd, finally realizing that there is little chance for successful obedience acting alone without other shepherds, walks from his (or her) hill to join another group of shepherds. It is now obvious that shepherds can do more together than alone.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ADVENTURE MASTER:

[Put the lone shepherd in the group that is the smallest.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

Go ahead and add your JOY ratings. Do you have a total of 16 or more? Good, so far. You overcome your fear of leaving the sheep alone on the hilltop. If your group falls short, you need to find one Scripture on JOY for each point you are deficient.

Now add your GOODNESS ratings. Do you have a total of 12 or more? Great. This is a good work assigned by God through the angel. Your group wants to do this good thing. But, if your group lacks GOODNESS points, find enough verses about GOODNESS to raise your score to 12.

Now add up your FAITHFULNESS ratings. You need a total of 14. Do you have it? Fantastic! See how much easier it is to be strong spiritually in a group? Your group is ready to be faithful to the Messiah and seek him out in the streets below. Yet if your group needs more points, get with it. Find those Scriptures about FAITHFULNESS.

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

Off to Bethlehem town you go. You expect the sheep to be restless and afraid, but the Lord is providing for their security -- and they know it. Peaceful sleep overtakes all of them.

As you walk into Bethlehem, you agree that it is important to memorize the Prophecy. (In this game, memorization is done by reciting the reverence, then the verse perfectly from memory, and then the reference again.) The verse of Prophecy is:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah*, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

[* Ephrathah may be left out if too difficult to pronounce]

When you get into Bethlehem, a drunken man asks you to guide him home. Of course, having grown up in this town, you know where he lives. DO YOU TAKE HIM HOME?

LOVE is the supernatural ability to deny oneself for another's good, to be selfless and live for God despite the risk to our own happiness and well- being. To take the drunk man home when you are so excited about finding the Babe in the Manger is a difficulty level of 6 against LOVE.. To deny your desire to find the Christ Child right now and do what God has asked of you on the way to the manger requires LOVE.

You must have a strength of 6 or higher on LOVE. Those with a 6 or higher must raise the others who have less by adding one point to a single shepherd with one verse found regarding LOVE and explaining how that verse addresses taking the drunk man home. If no one has a 6 or higher, you each raise your own LOVE by one point for each verse found, explaining how it relates to self-denial for love of God and taking the man home. Once someone reaches 6, he or she keeps on finding verses and adding points to those shepherds in the group who do not yet have enough LOVE. As other shepherds reach 6, they help out.

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

Your groups' LOVE ability being at least 6, you take the drunken man home. Unfortunately, he lives in a part of the city that is home to many other lost souls who drink too much and are idle more than is good. One such fellow approaches you and asks, "Where you are going that you have left your sheep alone and vulnerable to the wild animals?"

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADVENTURE MASTER:

[Remain silent and await their answer. If leading more than one group in a party-sized group, deal with each group separately in the order that they speak up. Then go on to the next group by repeating the question, "Where you are going that you have left your sheep alone and vulnerable to the wild animals?" If they do not answer, tell them that they must answer the man.]

[Role-playing the man, a somewhat combative, know-it-all type, tell them that they should go back to their sheep, that the Messiah is not to be born in Bethlehem, but in the important metropolis of Jerusalem. Embellish as appropriate, e.g. "Significant things happen in significant places." and "Isn't Jerusalem where we worship? Doesn't it make sense that is where the Savior would be born?" Immediately become belligerent with each group and invite them to fist fight.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

PATIENCE is the supernatural ability to keep from sinning under difficult temptations and circumstances, to tolerate evil in mankind and yet not react sinfully. Any shepherd with a PATIENCE Rating less than 5 wants to fight and gets a black eye.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADVENTURE MASTER:

[If you have something that comes off easily, paint it around that player's eye, just for fun.]

[If they do not say Micah 5:2 soon, ask them where on earth they got such an idea as that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. As each shepherd recites Micah 5:2 correctly as stated above, turn and look to another person and ask again the question, "Where on earth did you get such an idea as that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem?" But for shorter parties and quicker resolution, have the requirement that only one shepherd must memorize and say correctly Micah 5:2.]

[When the last of each group recites Micah 5:2, tell that group that the man ceases his argument and they are free to pursue their search through the city for the Christ Child. They then wait while you deal with all of the other groups of shepherds.]

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

Looking down a side alley with smaller homes, you meet some people who invite you in for drinks. You ask if they know of a birth in a stable anywhere near. They shrug and pour you all a drink of some stuff that smells pretty powerful. You want to get on your way and have to turn down the offer.

SELF-CONTROL is the supernatural ability to keep on course in the Christian life, to be disciplined and to work toward righteous goals and accomplish God's assignments. Any shepherd with a SELF-CONTROL character rating of 4 or higher can turn down the offer, but must vocalize it while I role play the host. Any shepherd with a 2 or 3 SELF- CONTROL rating grabs a drink. What do you who have a 4 or higher on SELF-CONTROL do?

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

As you search down a long side street, you come across a man crying. You ask why and he points into his shoe shop and says that vandals have thrown all of his tools and materials off the shelves. You see quite a mess all over the floor.

KINDNESS is the supernatural ability to be useful in service with a friendly, generous, helpful, merciful and compassionate attitude. Those of you with a KINDNESS of 6 or higher quickly suggest that you help the cobbler pick up and organize his materials. Those of you with KINDNESS of 5 or less argue until your KINDNESS is raised to 6 by the counsel of the other shepherds as done previously.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ADVENTURE MASTER:

[If a group of shepherds gets stuck, mention that working together the task is but a 20-minute job and there are many hours of night left for the search.]

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

As you come to an intersection, you hear a baby cry. Could that be the Holy Child the angels mentioned? The sound comes from the left. What do you do?

Just beyond the end of a row of joined houses is an inn. The crying comes from behind. You walk quickly around the inn and find a cave. Inside you see a man and a woman. Having calmed the baby, the woman lays the baby into a feeding trough, a manger.

Well, what do you do?

In order to bow down at the manger takes a GENTLENESS character strength of 6. GENTLENESS is the supernatural ability to know our own frailty and depend on God, thereby responding to others with mercy, grace, forgiveness, humility and tenderness. Those with a 6 or higher on GENTLENESS must tell those with a rating of 5 or below why they should bow down before the Child.

[AFTER A FEW MINUTES, CONTINUE.]

READ TO PLAYERS:

You tell the parents of the angel's message and the praiseful singing of the heavenly hosts. The mother, whose name is Mary, seems to listen to what you say and take it into her heart for further reflection.

Soon you are saying goodbyes and walk away full of wonderment. What kind of things do you say to each other about your reaction to the events of the night?

Soon you hear the sounds of the sheep. They are all looking your way as you approach. They are bleating as if to ask if you saw Him, the Savior of the World. THE END

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
(if time permits)

1. Are these shepherds ever mentioned again in Scripture? Did Jesus
have any shepherds in his band of 12 disciples? [We can't be sure,
but probably not. The fishermen are identified, so it is reasonable to
think that shepherds would also be identified.] What is your opinion
why the shepherds were initially privileged, but then not included in
the band of disciples?

2. Why do you think the shepherds were sent to find the Christ Child?
Why would not another type of person have been more appropriate?
Since God makes His decisions with perfect wisdom, why
shepherds? Your opinions, please.

3. How hard would it be for you to send your child on a mission
requiring death? (See John 3:16.)

4. Read Philippians 2:6-10. Note that Jesus was completely willing to
come to earth to die. What was it that He got out of coming and
dying for us? [a pure, un-infiltrated, uncontaminated People as well
as the praise of nonbelievers - Phil 2:9-11]

5. If you really were one of the shepherds, how would it change your
life, especially in light of not much happening for 30 years, until
Jesus began His public ministry?

6. How could you keep the experience alive for those 30 years when
not much happens?

The adventure learning techniques used in IMMANUEL are those used in the youth discipleship game DragonRaid which has led thousands of teenagers to Christ and discipled over 100,000 since 1984.

DragonRaid is available through The Lamb's Bride Project and was invented by Dick Wulf.