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To Save A Life Leader’s Guide
Copyright © 2009 by Jim Britts
Published by Outreach, Inc. in partnership with New Song Pictures.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
The To Save A Life youth curriculum is based on the movie To Save A Life © 2009 New Song Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in this publication are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide. “TNIV” and “Today’s New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society®. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.
Outreach, Inc., Vista, CA
OutreachPublishing.com
Graphic design and layout: Stephanie Larson and Alex Rozga
Editing: Toni Ridgaway and Jennifer Dion
Printed in the United States of America
about
the film
10
To Save A Life is a powerful indie movie about the
real-life challenges of teens and their choices. In fact, this
project is more than just a movie—it’s a feature-length film, a
youth curriculum, and a teen devotional centered around the
biblical concept that we are never more like Jesus than when
we are reaching out to the hurting and lonely.
Powerful things happen when a community gathers
together behind a cause and a compelling story. Brought
to life by a team of gifted Hollywood professionals and
hundreds of volunteers, To Save A Life was written by Jim
Britts, a seasoned youth pastor combining his film degree
with a passion to reach youth. New Song Pictures is a
team of filmmakers from Oceanside, CA, with a vision
for life-saving entertainment. Outreach Films equips
churches with film and visual media tools to reach their
communities for Jesus Christ. They have been involved in
important Christian films such as The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; The Passion of the
Christ; FIREPROOF; and End of the Spear.
about
the film
About The Film
“The characters were realistic and, although the movie had meaning, it was really entertaining.”
“It’s the story that seriously touched me. I see myself in so many of these people.”
“A powerful movie that will challenge you to love radically.”
“A must see. Loved it. Great story with real struggles and actual problems.”
- Youth Worker
“I know every one of the characters in the film —they just go by different names.”
– Young Life Staffer
“Very potent—important for teens and anyone who loves teens to see.”
– Counselor
“It deals with real-life issues that teenagers are going through. For me as a high school teacher, it makes me realize my purpose and reason for being there, and that people and relationships are the only things that matter.”
– Seattle High School Teacher
To Save A Life Movie SynopsisJake and Roger grew
up as best friends.
But in high school,
Jake becomes a
star athlete who
has it all: a college
scholarship and
the perfect girl, an
ideal life that comes
at the exclusion
of his childhood
friend. Meanwhile,
Roger no longer
fits in anywhere
and becomes tired
of always being
pushed aside. He
makes a tragic
move that spins
Jake’s world out
of control. As
Jake searches for
answers, he begins
a journey that will
change his life
forever.
11About The Film
Why do this
series?
14
At some point, every teen has to decide what their life is going to be about.
The To Save A Life curriculum
will inspire students in your
ministry to be Jesus’ hands and
feet by reaching out to the lost, hurting,
left out, and lonely on their school campuses.
As you know, teenagers face more challenges than ever before.
Their lives are fast-paced, wide-open, high-pressure, and full of
relationship questions and temptations.
In the midst of these challenges, many junior and senior high school
students struggle with intense feelings of loneliness, rejection, and
depression. Thousands of hurting teenagers all over the world have
even considered taking their own lives.
In the movie To Save A Life, students at Pacific High School deal
with issues like teen pregnancy, suicide, divorce, and acceptance
from their peers, even while they appear to “have it all together.”
These same realities affect the teenagers walking the halls of your
neighborhood schools and coming to your youth group. They are
searching, and if you are willing to listen to their stories, they may
listen to what you have to say about Christ. Their only lasting hope
is found within a loving relationship with Jesus Christ, but statistics
show if they don’t find Him by the time they graduate from high
school, they probably never will. As you page through the Gospels,
over and over you see Jesus reaching out to the hurting and the
lonely. The truth is, we’re never more like Jesus than when we care
for those in need.
Why Do This Series?
We pray the Holy
Spirit will use this
curriculum to: ✚ Reveal the needs of
teenagers who are
hurting, and equip
ministry leaders
to offer them real
support
✚ Facilitate open
and transparent
communication
between students
and ministry staff
✚ Cast a vision for
teenagers in your
ministry, showing
them how they
can make a huge
difference by
reaching out to the
hurting and lonely
✚ Provide an incredible
opportunity for
teenagers to invite
others to church
who normally would
never come
✚ Bring teenagers to
Christ
Teen Suicide & DepressionA study conducted in 2007 by the Center for Disease Control found that 14.5% of students in grades 9 to 12 had seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months.
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death among children ages 10-12 and adolescents ages 15-19.
Studies show that four out of five teen suicide attempts have been preceded by clear warning signs.
Experts estimate that depression strikes about one out of eight teenagers. (www.teensuicide.us)
15Why Do This Series?
16
Hey, my name is Jim Britts.In addition to being the author of the new film To Save A Life, I’ve
also been a full-time youth pastor for the past 10 years out in
California. That’s just to say—I am one of you. I care deeply for
the students in my ministry. I’m passionate about reaching the
thousands of students in our area who don’t know Christ, and I’m
leery of all programs, conferences, and events that promise to
revolutionize our youth ministry. So, I’m not going to tell you any of
that, but I do want to share what’s happened in our youth ministry.
A while back, I attended an event at a local high school called
Challenge Day, where a secular group took 100 students through
reconciliation training. It was awesome! I’m an experienced youth
pastor, but I had never seen anything like this. In the course of
a couple hours, students were changed, sharing their deepest
fears, embracing former enemies, and committing to reach out
to the hurting and lonely on their
campus. Best of all, the principles that
transformed these teens are all found
in Scripture!
For more information on
Challenge Day, go to …
Fromthe
author
Why Do This Series?
17
At one point in our training, we did a 30-minute exercise in which
we listened to a set of statements, and if one of them applied to us,
we were to walk across a line 10 feet away. Statements included,
“My parents are divorced,” “I have felt judged because of the color of
my skin,” and “I don’t like the shape of my body.”
The final statement was, “Please walk across the line if you or a close
friend has ever attempted suicide.” I was shocked—more than 75%
of the students walked across the room! A few months later, we
adapted that same exercise for our youth ministry, and I asked that
same question to a large group of high school church kids. More than
75% of my students silently walked across the room. Again, I was
blown away.
We created this curriculum based on the premise that: We are never more like Jesus than when we are reaching out to the hurting and lonely.
We deliberately connected it with the themes from the film To Save
A Life, and it was easily the most powerful series I have ever been
part of as a youth pastor.
During the seven-week series, I saw:
✚ More unchurched students join our ministry than during any
other series
✚ More students enter into relationships with Christ
and get baptized than during any other series
✚ Students share more honestly and intimately
with each other and with our adult leaders than
ever before
✚ Excitement in our ministry like I had never
experienced before
✚ Our ministry come together around a cause
like I had never seen before
Why Do This Series?
18 Why Do This Series?
Our passion was to find a way to communicate to hurting kids, in
the most relevant way possible, the greatest message ever told. God
clearly told us we could accomplish this through producing this film
and creating this curriculum. When we started, we hoped local kids
would get a copy of the film because they or their friends were in it;
we didn’t even dream that God had much bigger plans.
So, this curriculum was created by an ordinary youth ministry,
one that has been blown away by God’s extraordinary results when
we simply obeyed Him and reached out to suffering people. Please
pray that the Holy Spirit will use this curriculum to reach a hurting
generation that desperately needs the truth to set them free.
ContentsForeword � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �5
About the Film � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �9
Why Do This Series? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �13
Using This Curriculum � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �19
What’s All This Stuff?
Preparing for the Series
Important Things to Do Throughout the Series
Volunteer Job Descriptions
Week 1: Lowering the Waterline � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �39
Week 2: You’re Not Alone� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 53
Week 3: Say Something…Do Something � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �65
Week 4: What’s Your Logline? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �75
Week 5: How To Save A Life � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �85
Week 6: Agape Feast � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 97
Week 7: Stepping Into the Bigger Story � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 101
Handling the Tough Stuff � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 111
Speak Up: Join the To Save A Life Community � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 119
Acknowledgments � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �122
Lowering the WaterlineWeek 1
40
Help students realize that
if they are going to love the
hurting and lonely, then
they first need to know how
much God loves them�
Key Scripture:
Get Ready (15 minutes before start time)
Gather your adult staff to pray�
Despite the temptation to immediately hang out with students,
prayer is vitally important and gives you the opportunity to inform
the team of any last details�
Week 1:
1� To Save A Life Resource DVD2� Loud music
3� To Save A Life Resource CD • Week 1 PowerPoint slides • Attendance sheets • Challenge Cards • Mail Cards
4� Your message notes5� One or two volunteers for the “If You Really Knew Me, You Would Know…” exercise�
lowering the
waterline
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
41
Get Started (5 minutes)
Rockin’ the Gauntlet Set the tone for the evening by having all your adult leaders line up
just inside the door to the youth room� When it’s time to start, have
every student run through the line of excited leaders giving high-fives�
Play energizing music in the background. As they “Rock the Gauntlet,”
every student receives words of encouragement before you even start!
WelcomeUse the Week 1 PowerPoint slides, available on your To Save A Life
Resource CD� You can print the slides and use them as handouts for
your leaders, or you can project them on screens in your youth room�
Open this week’s session by welcoming everyone, and then:
1� Give a short overview of the night, including what you’re going to
do as a group and the topics you will be covering�
2� Explain the rules, which are:
✚ Be real
✚ Take risks
✚ Confidentiality is crucial
✚ Show lots of love� Explain and demonstrate the sign-language
sign for love (shown below)� Tell students they should use the
sign for love when:
• Someone has been open and vulnerable
• Someone needs encouragement
• Someone is new
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
42
Breaking the Ice (25 minutes)
You Took My SeatHave students sit in a giant circle with the seats very close to each
other� If you have fewer than 10 students, leave one seat open; if you
have 20 students, leave two seats open� Use a similar 1-to-10 ratio for
larger groups�
✚ Have one or more students stand in the middle of the circle�
The number of students should match the number of open
chairs (e�g� two students for two open chairs)�
✚ The goal for the students in the center of the circle is to grab
an open seat�
✚ When you say “Go”, all of the students should begin moving
from seat to seat, going around the circle to their right� While
the students are moving, those in the middle of the circle will
try to grab a seat�
✚ If someone takes the seat to a student’s right, and they can’t
move into that seat, they go to the middle of the circle�
As the students shift quickly from seat to seat, they will move like a
wave around the room� Students frequently end up sitting on each
other’s laps, so there should be lots of laughter!
Pause and ReflectAfter “You Took My Seat,” ask the students, “How did it feel to lose
your seat and have to stand in the middle of the circle? Did you feel
angry, alone, embarrassed, or rejected?”
Then add, “This session helps us identify with the hurting and
lonely, and to experience God’s love for them�”
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
43
Dance and ShareBefore starting this activity, explain to your
students that people often don’t get to know
each other that well� This next exercise is to
help them learn some new things about the
other people in the group�
✚ Begin playing loud music� When the
music starts, the students all need
to find a partner and dance crazy
with them�
✚ When the music stops, the students
must ask their partner an icebreaker-
style question� Each time you start the
music, tell them the question they will
need to ask during the next break in
the music� Some examples are below�
• One dream I have for my life is…
• One thing that I am proud of is…
• My best childhood memory is… (and why is this their
best memory?)
• One thing that I am afraid of is …
• One thing I rarely share about myself is…
✚ Students must find a different partner each time the music stops�
Pause and ReflectAsk the students, “Were the first three questions on the list a little
easier to share than the last two? Did you hesitate a little before
sharing that deeply? If so, why?”
Then add, “True friends take the risk of being deeply known by one
another, and then realize they can be both known and loved�”
Use different styles of loud music to make this activity even more fun, and have your leaders (and you) participate.
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
44
Movie Time (4 minutes)
Watch the Week 1 movie clip on your To Save A Life Resource DVD�
Jake and Chris in the Car (4 min)
In this scene, Chris (the youth pastor) picks up Jake after Jake
becomes drunk at a party� As Chris drives Jake home, they begin to
talk about Roger’s suicide, and they realize they’re both living with
regrets over not being able to save him�
Large Group TimeStart the discussion by asking, “What do we know about icebergs?”
(Someone will inevitably share that the largest part of an iceberg is
under the water�) Continue the discussion by sharing that, “I think
we do that a lot in our own lives� We only allow people to see a small
part of who we really are� In just a moment, we’re going to have a
couple people share some stories about their lives, so you can see an
example of who we really are�”
Story Time (5-10 minutes)
If You Really Knew Me, You Would Know… Have two students (or adult leaders) share very honest and powerful
stories� Talk with some of your student (or adult) leaders as you
prepare for this session, and choose poignant and transparent
stories that will inspire the rest of the students�
“There was a kid at the party tonight, and
they didn’t let him in because he wasn’t cool
enough. How messed up is that—that he
wasn’t cool enough?” – Jake in To Save A Life
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
45
See the To Save A Life Resource DVD for
an example of an “If You Knew Me, You
Would Know…” story�
Before having your volunteer(s) share
their stories, tell the whole group, “It’s
not easy to get up and share honestly in
front of lots of people� I want us to make
two commitments to each other:”
1� What is shared in this room, stays in
this room� No gossiping about this at school tomorrow�
2� We commit not to think less of someone after they share�
Then ask, “How do you think these two commitments will help as
we share with each other over the next seven weeks?”
Family Time (15-20 minutes)
How to Form Effective Small Groups (“Families”)Give each leader a number, and then number-off students (guys
and girls separately) so that each group has both guys and girls�
The ideal group size is between four and six people, with one adult
leader for every four students�
The groups should all stay in the same room, and members of each
group should sit so closely that their knees touch�
After the “families” are seated all around the room, have your
adult leaders make sure there are no lone girls or guys who are
surrounded by a group of the opposite gender. Make last-second
group changes if you need to� Also, intentionally avoid having your
“Family” Groups include dating couples, best friends, or siblings�
Take a few moments to have students fill out an attendance
sheet (available on your To Save A Life Resource CD) and learn
people’s names�
Have your small group leaders read Five Keys to Leading Great Family Groups. This handout is on your Resource CD.
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
46
You’ve now formed the To Save A Life
groups for the next seven weeks�
After groups have formed, give these
instructions:
Each person has two minutes to
finish the sentence, “If you really knew
me, then you would know…”
Have someone in the front of the
youth room keep time and give
five-second warnings when time is
up� At the end of two minutes, the
group thanks the person for sharing
(group hugs are popular)� The person
sharing is the only one who can
talk—if they are silent, either let
the time be silent or others can ask
questions to help them�
Have the leader go first and
really lead by example by
taking a risk and sharing
from their heart. Some
groups will probably have
one more person than the
others. If so, during their
last two-minute time, the
families that are done can
share prayer requests.
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
47
Large Group Teaching (8-10 minutes)
See the To Save A Life Resource CD for the Week 1 message: Lowering
the Waterline� The text for this first session is given below� Feel free to
customize the message to meet the needs of your youth group and fit
your personal style�
During this part of the session, have students turn their chairs
toward the front but stay in their families�
Week 1 MessageHow many of you have heard of Alexander the Great? He really
wasn’t that great� He was a Greek ruler who lived from 356 to 323
B.C., and whose goal was to take over the world. (Much like my own
goal!) He truly believed that the Greek way of life was far superior to
the way the rest of the world lived� As the Greeks would invade other
countries and take over, Alexander really believed he was doing the
conquered nation a favor�
The Greeks were huge into beauty� They were known for building
incredibly beautiful buildings and had museums full of art� They
were especially focused on the human body and believed it was the
ultimate image of beauty� They started the Olympics and would have
gymnasiums where the rich could come and show off their bodies
(kinda like 24-Hour Fitness)� This process of changing nations into
the Greek way of living was called “Hellenization�” They wanted to
Hellenize the world�
Well, they almost succeeded, but like all good things, the Greeks’
time of power ended� You know who took over? The Romans� The
Romans were not that creative, so they really just copied the Greeks’
plan, but they took it to another level� Not only did they glorify the
human body, but they also would strongly look down on those who
had any type of deformity or imperfection or blemish� If a part of you
was not “acceptable” by their standards, you would be pushed to the
margins and seen as a lower-class citizen�
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
48
The Romans took it to even a higher degree than that� If someone
had a baby that was born with a deformity (for example, the parents
wanted a boy and were given a girl), people could go to a specific
mountain outside of the city and leave their newborn there to
die. Here is where it gets even crazier: People would go out to this
mountain and take these babies and raise the boys to be slaves
and the girls to be prostitutes� When the child was old enough,
he/she would be brought to the brothel so they could make money;
the common reason was that it was easier to raise a slave or prostitute
then to purchase one� Can you imagine growing up, knowing your
parents left you to die because you were “deformed,” and the only
thing you could offer of worth was slavery or prostitution?
There was this city called Ephesus that was especially known for
these practices. This guy named the Apostle Paul visited Ephesus, and
we learn that he led a wide variety of people to become Christians�
He led rich people as well as slaves and prostitutes� Churches back
then met in houses, so this eclectic group of people would have come
together simply because they had one thing in common: Jesus�
So Paul writes these house churches in Ephesus a letter, and many
of the people listening were these slaves and prostitutes� They would
not have been able to read three lines into this letter without falling
out of their chairs with tears of joy� Listen to Ephesians 1:3-6:
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy
and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted
as his sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, in accordance with
his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he
has freely given us in the One he loves.”
God was saying to this group:
✚ “I chose you before the creation of the world� I know you think
that nobody ever wanted you, but that could not be further
from the truth� I chose you before you were even left on that
mountain�”
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
49
✚ To be holy and blameless in His sight� In some translations, it
says without blemish� “You have been told your whole life that
you are deformed, but I’m telling you that you are absolutely
perfect according to me, and I made you�” Later in Ephesians 2,
Paul refers to the people as God’s masterpiece—they were His
“work of art�”
✚ In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons and
daughters in Jesus Christ� These people, who had been left by
their parents, now learned that they did have a Father who had
adopted them gladly�
Do you get this? Those people would have been dancing around the
room in gladness after only the first couple verses of this letter!
(My guess is your normal reaction in reading Scripture is not
so dramatic�)
Why is this important today? HELLENIZATION IS ALIVE AND
KICKING IN OUR WORLD! Go to the supermarket and just look at the
covers of the magazines telling you how you fall short and showing
you ways to hide your blemishes� Just look at the commercials
showing us what beauty really looks like and what we need to
compare ourselves to� Just walk on your campus, and you know the
game: people constantly checking each other out and playing the
game of comparisons� We’ve got tanning salons, implant surgeries
and more diet plans than you can imagine�
How many people here have ever felt self-conscious about the way
they look? Can I give you some great news? Jesus came to this earth
2,000 years ago to let us know that He loves you exactly the way you
are� You are perfect and blameless in His sight� You are His work of
art; you are not some accident—you are His masterpiece� You can’t
begin to look out into a world of hurting and broken people and
truly love them for who they are until you realize in your heart and
soul that God loves you exactly how you are� So check this out: you
glorify God when you act exactly as you are� The Church (His people)
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
50
is supposed to be the best picture of God to our world� When you
come here, it should be one long reminder that we and God love you
for exactly who you are, and not just with your physical blemishes
but your internal ones, too� You’re a member of the family of Jesus
Christ, and you’re accepted�
Experience It (10 minutes)
AppreciationInstruct students to find a partner within their family group and
move their chairs so they are directly facing each other� When the
group leader says, “Go,” one person has 30 seconds to explain to
their partner several of the great qualities about themselves—while
remembering that God created them with those qualities! When the
leader says, “Time,” the other partner will respond by going crazy
and celebrating that person for 15 seconds (shouting and standing
on chairs is allowed)� Then the partners switch roles and the second
person shares�
Have the group leaders ask students what it was like sharing good
things about themselves and having the other person celebrate them�
Now, share the following with the whole group: “What if instead of
sharing great things about you, you shared the stuff you are most
ashamed of? How would God respond to those who have entered into
a relationship with Him?”
Stand on a chair and shout:
This is my child, whom I have loved before the creation of the world. Out of
everyone in the world I chose him. I chose her. They are holy and blameless
in my sight. They have no blemishes. I adopted them and want nothing more
than to be with them. I’ve got incredible plans for their life. I’m crazy in love
with them and I’m not afraid to say it.
Give everyone in the group an opportunity to accept Christ into
their lives, right then!
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline
51
Challenge Card (2 minutes)
Place Week 1 Challenge Cards at the front of the room. (See your
To Save A Life Resource CD for Challenge Cards. Print and cut them
before each session�)
This week’s challenge: Say “hi” to ten people tomorrow that you
normally would just walk right by�
Announce that a Challenge Card is left in the front of the room—
students can take the cards as a step of faith and then apply this
week’s lesson by following the challenge� They don’t have to take the
card, but if they do, then they must commit to doing what’s on the
card� Don’t share the Challenge Card out loud—have students take
them as a step of faith�
Mail Time (2-5 minutes)
As students are excused, give them To Save A Life Mail Cards as a
tool to encourage them to write notes to others they met that night�
(See your To Save A Life Resource CD for Mail Cards. Print and cut
them before each session�)
Students should fill out Mail Cards and give them back to adult
leaders before leaving. Pass out the Mail Cards at the beginning of
next week’s session�
WEEK 1: Lowering the Waterline