The Youths Mission Statement
The Circle of Life recognises Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and all his/her activities aim to be established in the Christian Faith and the Bible with Jesus as the Center of the Circle.
In the Circle of Life we want to learn about the center of the circle which is Jesus Christ who takes away all our fears, and guides us into the path of salvation Christ centered in each of our lives.
The Circle of Life program acknowledges drumming as a powerful tool created by God just as with every beat of our heart inside us must nurish our heart with the scriptures that with prayer and communication with God will bring about effective change.
We play the percussion instruments as a declaration of faith and to express his/her worship of Jesus Christ.
The Circle of life uses drumming to promote unity, good relationships, to bridge cultural divides and to communicate God’s love to all peoples.
The Circle of Life aims to serve and encourage the Body of Christ (the Church).
The Circle of Life Drum circle is a Christian program that guides a drummer or percussionist who is readying himself or herself, in the pursuit of God’s call, as the Lord Jesus gathers and sends His drummers throughout the world with His heartbeat.
The Circle of Life (Drum Circle program for teens)
The Circle of Life logo by Dan Wheeler
The Circle of life is a teen Drum Circle. In todays world Drum circles have become popular indeed. Our program is different as it is CHRIST centered. The circle represents life. We all have a choice within our circle of life either to be Natural, Carnal, or SPIRITUAL. Three choices. We explain to the teens what the number THREE represents in the Bible.
How it works:
The Teens handcraft their own drums, and percussion instruments that relate to Biblical instruments. They do not purchase African drums and other percussion instruments. Then each week we gather around a fire circle and worship and praise God on their own level, the way they want to, the way they feel about worship. Here are some examples of percussion used in the Bible.
Using cardboard concrete forms the teens craft their own drums in different sizes for different tones. They also handcraft timbrels, bells, and cymbals, Mitzelets to use in the Circle. After you sign up for the program we will direct you to the instructions for crafting the drums for the teens to make.
1. The timbrel, a form of tambourine, a narrow hoop covered with a tightened skin, and struck with the hand on the Egyptian monuments are three kinds --the circular, the square, and another formed by two squares separated by a bar.
2. The drum (toph). Of this there were many varieties, some of them resembling modern drums. The Egyptians had along drum, of wood or copper, 2 1/2 feet long, resembling the tom-tom of India, and beaten by the hand. Another form was shaped like a cask with bulging centre, and was made of copper. It was of the same length as the other, but larger around, and was beaten with sticks. Another drum was more like our kettledrum; and one of these, the rabbins say, was placed in the temple court to the priests to prayer, and could be heard from Jerusalem to Jericho.
Gathering around Christ in the center of our lifes circle
They gather each week around a campfire. They learn that Christ is in the Center of the CIRCLE OF LIFE. As they gather around the fire they all play their percussion instruments. Some are small, some are large, as they in their own way praise GOD. There is no lesson plan for praise, or worship, it is done from the heart. One will start and then another will play along, before you know it they are playing together in unity.(Ensemble) This represents the beating of our hearts. A rhythm that unites us together with Jesus Christ in the Center of the Circle of our Lives.
At the end of the time together in the evening the teens gather hand to hand around the fire first and recite the scripture below and then each teen takes a candle and lights it from the fire and they all quote the scripture:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
They then sing the song PASS it ON as they all hold hands. After the song or several songs sung, the youth each carry their candle back to the fellowship hall walking away with the light of life, carrying that light home, into the world, making a difference.
- It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing;
That's how it is with God's Love,
Once you've experienced it,
Your spread the love to everyone
You want to pass it on.
What a wonderous time is spring,
When all the tress are budding
The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming;
That's how it is with God's love,
Once you've experienced it.
You want to sing, it's fresh like spring,
You want to pass it on.
I wish for you my friend
This happiness that I've found;
You can depend on God
It matters not where you're bound,
I'll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE GOD!
I want the world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on.
I'll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE GOD!
I want the world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on.
The teens learn about Prayer and how it is the most important tool for communication to God the Father. Each teen will begin and then to the next as they go around the circle giving joys and concerns they each have. A tablet of paper and pen is passed around with them as they express either out loud or written. They mark it on a paper and tear it out of the tablet and throw them into the fire and they are consumed and burnt.
Before the first gathering together of the teens, when you are crafting the percussion instruments you must also guide them in a lesson about
FIRE from the Bible. 
Why FIRE?
The average Christian, as their first choice, would not associate the word "fire" with the Creator Himself. Our first thoughts would probably be Hell-fire, the Lake of Fire, or Sodom and Gomorra. It may be surprising to many Christians that the word "fire," and its attributes of "light" and "heat," speak more of the Creator and His goodness than of a destructive force against His enemies.
Clearly, the writers of the Bible employed the use of fire in many different ways. However, when it came to the spiritual use of fire, they usually attributed fire to God. Yahweh manifested Himself in various forms of fire on many different occasions. We find some of these manifestations in the making of the Covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:17), the burning bush (Exo. 3:2-4), pillar of fire (Exo. 13:21), on Sinai (Exo.19:18), in the flame on the altar (Judg. 13:20), and Yahweh answering by fire (1 Kings 18:24, 38).
Sacrifices and offerings (including incense which represented the prayers of the people) were to be made by fire. (Exo. 12:8,9,10; Lev. 1) Fire often meant the acceptance of a sacrifice by Yahweh (Judges 6:21; 1 Kin. 18:38; 1 Chr. 21:26). Leviticus 9:24 tells us that the sacrificial fire "came forth from Yahweh." The fire on the altar was to be continually burning. (Lev. 6:12,13)
Fire came down from heaven at the consecration of Solomon’s Temple. Yahweh said He would dwell there "forever" according to the King James Bible, yet we know the Temple was destroyed and the fire put out. Did Yahweh lie? Is the Bible in error?
The fire on the altar, according to many Bible translations, was to be an "everlasting" fire, but was extinguished a few centuries later. (2 Chr. 7:1) There were many things called "everlasting" in the Old Testament which no longer exist or were done away with by the New Testament. The reason why some Bibles "appear" to have contradictions stems from the incorrect translation of the Hebrew word "olam" and its counterpart in the New Testament "aion." These words indicate "an indefinite period of time," not "everlasting." We have lengthy studies on these words for those interested in pursuing the subject.
While Yahweh’s answer by fire was usually a positive act, there were times when His manifestation in fire, or the use of fire, was used as a correction or destruction of evil (Gen. 19:24, Sodom and Gomorra; Ex. 9:23; Num. 11:1; Num. 16:35; Psalm 104:4; Lev 20:14; Lev. 21:9; Josh .7:25).
Fire is also figuratively used of Yahweh’s glory (Dan 7:9), of His holiness (Isa. 33:14), of His protection of His people (2 Kings 6:17; Zec. 2:5), of His jealousy for His sole worship (Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29; Ps. 79:5), of His wrath (Deut. 9:3; Ps. 18:8; Ps. 89:46; Isa. 5:24), of His Word in power (Jer. 5:14; Jer. 23:29), of Divine truth (Ps. 39:3; Jer. 20:9; Lk. 12:49), of that which guides men (Isa. 50:10-11), of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3), of Christ in His glory (Rev 1:14), of the power of love to overcome evil (Rom. 12:20), of trial and suffering (Ps. 66:12; Isa 43:2; 1 Peter 1:7; 1 Peter 4:12), of evil (Prov. 6:27; Isa 9:18; Isa. 65:5), of lust or desire (Hos. 7:6; 1 Cor. 7:9), of greed (Prov. 30:16), of the evil tongue (James 3:5-6), of heaven and its purity and glory (Rev. 15:2; Rev 21:22-23), and of Divine testing for divinity (Rev. 20). I am sure I have not exhausted the list of the various ways fire is used in the Bible. If we studied light and heat (attributes of fire), I’m sure we could greatly expand the list.
It is not surprising that fire plays such a significant role in the Bible. The Creator Himself is described as a "consuming fire." (Dan. 4:24; Heb. 12:29) Doesn’t it seem rather strange to our understanding to call the Creator a consuming fire? Rarely, if ever, do we associate fire with the creation process. We usually associate it with destruction.
Fire has played perhaps one of the most significant roles in the advancement of civilization. Practically no manufacturing would be possible apart from the use of fire to break down and shape materials for our use. Our very lives depend upon the energy given by the biggest fire near the earth, the sun.
They learn about the heartbeat of God. How special each of them are created, and that in their circle of life how Jesus Christ Must take the center of the circle.