May–August 2022
Unit 1: Jonah—The Reluctant Servant
When God calls the prophet Jonah to bring a word of condemnation and redemption to Nineveh, he packs his bags and heads in the other direction before God and a fish turn him around. These four lessons ask youth to consider their own stories in light of Jonah’s. In the process, they will consider the tensions inherent in God’s commandment to love all people. Reflecting on their lives as God’s people will invite participants to remember gratitude and regret in their own discipleship, ultimately challenging youth to look at their communities with the same eyes of restoration.
Unit 2: Becoming a Christian
This unit presents the basic message of salvation in fresh and exciting ways. Learners will spend three weeks exploring questions, steps, and struggles of declaring our faith in Christ through the experiences of a few inspiring Christians from the past. Lessons encourage youth to reflect on their own experiences of knowing Christ as they seek to grow in their faith.
Unit 3: Finding My Place in the World
This unit explores three main questions: “Who am I?”, “Who is God?”, and “Why am I here?” None of these questions have a correct answer, so each session leads youth in exploring their purposes and identities as growing Christians. Scripture texts from Jeremiah, John, and Exodus will guide discussion on the importance of each of these questions in the learners’ unique contexts. By analyzing their relationships with God and others, youth will be encouraged to consider where they fit as Christians in the world around them.
Unit 4: Ephesians
Paul’s brief, yet powerful letter to the Ephesians, is written to a group of somewhat new believers. In studying the book, you and your youth won’t discover long-winded or heavy theological treatises. Instead, youth will find messages of comfort, a call to examine their gifts, and tools for finding the resources to handle any problem they face in life. Each session in this unit will encourage teens to ask difficult questions and empower them to find the answers.
Unit 5: Micah Speaks
Youth often seem particularly hardwired for fairness, so the prophets’ commitment to justice may resonate deeply with them. This four-lesson unit brings youth to see the prophet Micah up close as an example for following God in the world. As youth reflect on the role of justice, peace, law, and forgiveness in Micah’s preaching, they may even grow to recognize their own place as leaders who challenge their communities and church to practice peace, love, and kindness for all people.
September–December 2022
Unit 1: Disciples Follow Christ
Whether your teenagers have grown up in a church setting or are being introduced to Christianity for the first time, discipleship probably doesn’t sound too appealing. After all, disciples have it tough; the most famous disciples were imprisoned, tortured, murdered, and had to write a lot of letters to try to solve other people’s drama. Today’s Christians face persecution all over the world and, at the very least, your youth probably fear how their peers will see them if they truly embrace discipleship. This series of lessons will help youth develop a faith strong enough to weather the struggles and challenges of adulthood. After all, discipleship at its most basic is composed of calling, study, prayer, service, and worship.
Unit 2: Pillars of Character
Strength of character has allowed many young people to persevere through difficult circumstances. One might describe character as moral excellence and strength of resolve. This unit focuses on four pillars of character that can serve as a solid and stable foundation on which youth can build their lives: fairness, responsibility, caring, and respect. These core values are explored through the study of four New Testament Scripture passages, encouraging teens to develop the character necessary to face the challenges of adolescence and their lives beyond.
Unit 3: Finding My Way
Not quite children and not yet adults—teenagers in your youth group often find themselves in a confusing transition period. They are learning to navigate their adolescent period and rarely have clear instructions or guidance. This unit explores stories of Jesus as an adolescent, Paul as a mentor, and the four young men in Daniel as examples of faithful Christians. Through them, your teenagers will come to recognize their own capabilities and identities as believers.
Unit 4: Immanuel—God With Us
This five-lesson unit welcomes youth to join the Church in waiting for and celebrating Jesus’ birth. During Advent, youth will spend time with Isaiah considering the kingdom of God—the path that leads to it, the peace that characterizes it, God’s strength that establishes it, and the Messiah who inaugurates it. In the weeks before and after Christmas, readings from Matthew and John will challenge youth to confront the great mysteries of God’s presence in the world.