January–April 2022
Unit 1: Nehemiah—Rebuilding the Faith
Many youth have likely memorized some of the more popular Bible stories: Noah and the flood, Moses and the exodus, Esther and King Xerxes. Nehemiah, however, usually doesn’t stand out among these heroic acts of faith from their Old Testament studies. This first unit leads youth to rediscover the daring man who called on God’s children to rebuild their faith, and whose story still calls us today.
Unit 2: Ethical Issues
How does power influence the difference between right and wrong? What resources should we share with others? What is the right way to respond to conflict? Youth may not realize it, but they confront these and other ethical dilemmas every single day. Scripture texts in Mark, Luke, and 2 Corinthians will encourage youth to ask questions and seek answers to some of their most pressing political, social, and individual ethical concerns.
Unit 3: Jeremiah
As youth grow and develop unique personal identities, they probably don’t look to the prophetic books of the Old Testament for guidance. And yet, Jeremiah’s journey as a prophet to Israel and Judah during a tumultuous and worrisome era is full of questions and circumstances that allow youth to consider their own callings. Without shying away from the tough questions, this unit examines what Jeremiah’s life can teach young learners about discipleship today.
Unit 4: Learning to Share Grace—Giving Away Your Faith
After exploring their own faith, youth can use this unit to discover endless ways to share that faith with others. Each session asks youth a new question about their relationship with Christ and others—What am I saying? What do I hear? What am I learning? What am I doing?—while Gospel texts provide powerful examples of Christ’s love and guidance.
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.