Ticket To Heaven

Contributors	J. Boulos
Objective	Can be used to teach sharing, selflessness, taking up your Cross, or just a segway into teaching about Heaven in general.
Materials Needed	An 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. If you have it, an 11" x 17" is even better. For large audiences, the larger the paper, the better.
Summary	This is a great visual effect that goes well with a story. I first saw this done years back by a Bishop at convention for little kids. I later use it in my own class and it was a success. I have also used it almost as a "party trick". It is quick, easy, and always entertains if the person hasn't seen it before. I have since then googled it and found the same thing online and described very well with pictures. One such site is http://www.intenseliving.com/ticket_to_heaven/. Definitely go there for a better explanation than I will be able to give here. Making the "Ticket" (do this in front of class): Take one corner of the paper and fold it all the way over till it touches the other side of the paper and crease it so that the top edge of the paper is now even with the edge. There should be a triangle now. Take the other corner of the top of the paper and fold it to the other side, making the triangle at the top of the paper equal. Now fold the paper in half so that the middle crease is at the point of the triangle. You should have something that looks like the beginnings of a paper airplane. Now you are done. Start telling the story. While telling, you will rip the paper 2 times, starting from the open edge of the paper (not the side with the fold). Story: Since this trick can be used for many different lessons, adapt this as needed. When teaching little kids, you will need lots of exciting parts to the story with animated story telling. Essentially, the story talks about 2 people: One is righteous and one is not. They both die and the good person is given a Ticket to Heaven. The bad person doesn't have one, but keeps pestering the good one for a piece of his very large ticket. The good person shares a piece of his ticket and begins his journey to the gates of Heaven. The bad person asks for another piece, and the good person oblidges the bad one. Eventually they get to heaven and the good person hands over his ticket. The angel, guard, st. Peter, or whoever, takes the good person's ticket and opens it. At this point open up the last piece of the ticket that has the point at top and the fold along the edge. Do this in a dramatic way and show everyone as it unfolds to a Cross. Say that the good person is admitted to Heaven. The bad person is exceited and eagerly hands over his ticket hoping to get into Heaven too. Now start opening up the ticket and arrange it on the floor ot table. It will be many smaller pieces. As you arrange it, the pieces can form the word Hell. You may need to practice at home first to know which pieces go where so that this part doesn't take too long. Now drive the lesson home depending on what you are teaching: -- God cannot be deceived and knows what kind of person you are inside -- Sharing gets you to Heaven, being greedy and taking from others what you dont deserve will end you in Hell -- Giving to those in need is all you need to worry about...God will judge them His own way etc.
Additional Resources	http://www.intenseliving.com/ticket_to_heaven/
Keywords	heavy sins, shoulder muscles, fatigue, confession
Date Submitted	11/02/2008