Begin by splitting your group into teams. One group are the Bible Smugglers. The other group consists of the Gestapo, two Prison Guards & 3 or 4 Lighthouses (depending on the size of your playing area- the more lights you have going around, the more fun the game can be). The Gestapo should be a much smaller group than the smugglers.
The game is played in complete darkness and the object is to get from the back of the room to the front, get a bible and get it to the Underground Churches (5 or 6 locations revealed before the game). The underground churches can be a circle of chairs or a desk, anything that a bible can be placed in that signifies a room or a home. Place twice as many bibles under the table as you have underground churches…I.E…if you have 5 underground church locations – put 10 bibles under the table. One lighthouse should be standing on the table containing the bibles for more of a challenge.
Bible Smugglers: Object is to make it to the guarded bibles & deliver them to the Underground Churches without being caught.
Gestapo: Object is to detain any Christians that are spotted by the lighthouses & take them to the Prison Guard (or eliminate them on the second time). Every Gestapo member should have a whistle. Free to move about the room, but may only capture prisoners that were detected by the lights.
Lighthouses: Object is to create patterns with their flashlights to try and make it difficult for the Smugglers to perform their duty. Have someone with a watch blow a horn or make a loud recognizable noise every 2 minutes, at which time all of the lighthouses change the light pattern. (Often Adult sponsors are best suited here)
Prison Guards: Object is to detain the prisoners for 30 seconds & to be as cruel to them as possible for that time. They also will keep any bibles that were found on the prisoners in their possession for the rest of the game.
RULES:
When a smuggler is spotted by the light, he/she must count silently to 10. During this time, if the Gestapo has seen them, they can detain them. However, after the 10 count they can resume moving about. (Honesty policy is important here!)
Anytime a Gestapo spots a smuggler, he/she must blow their whistle & yell the name of the prisoner, and then escort them to jail. When the smuggler is called, he/she cannot run, they must go to jail with the Gestapo. (Each member of the Gestapo can only have one prisoner in his or her custody at a time).
The lights do not stop when a prisoner is spotted, they continue in their pattern at all times. (So, there are advantages & disadvantages to moving your light around too quickly; you may spot more Christians, but you may make it harder on your Gestapo.
When smugglers are caught a second time, they receive the death penalty and are out of the game. It is more fun if the youth do a dramatic death scene & fall down when the Gestapo shoots them. They are to remain there for the remainder of the game.
The bibles are placed under the table of the main lighthouse. Play some crazy jungle music or intense music to create a fun environment. P
Play the game until all the Underground Churches have received a bible, or all of the smugglers have been given the death penalty. You could also play for a certain time limit, and change up teams etc. The game can go on for hours & is a blast!
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