This illustration is great for either making New Year resolutions or commitments to Christ and the youth ministry after youth camp. You need one ball of yarn.
Have all members of the study group gather into a circle. Have one student tell what he/she will do differently in their daily lives to have a better relationship with Christ. After the student has done this have him hold on to the end of the yarn and throw the ball to someone else. The next person does the same thing until all are holding the yarn. The ball must be thrown to someone who has not already received the ball. Make sure they keep the yarn tight. By the time you are done, you should have a pattern of yarn that shows that when we are committed to God then we are connected to each other. Again make sure they keep the yarn tight.
After this go around the circle and say to each student that they have broken their commitment to God (whatever it was) and to let go of the string. When everyone has let go of the string show that when we break our commitments to God we then are not connected to each other and are no longer a ministry doing God’s work.