As an introduction to our study we outlined what each week will look like and how the questions and conversations would be framed. Below is a couple of keys to the study as well as the basic outline of what we will be doing each week.

What You Should Know Before We Start:
Key #1: This is about faith that sticks. Having real conversations about God now, while in high school, can prepare youth for young adulthood, including college and the challenges of faith to come.
Key #2: Don't hold back. ANY questions or doubts you have are welcome. In fact, they are required.
Key #3: Learn the "context". To understand what the Bible means, we need to understand what it meant for the people who wrote and read it "way back then."
Key #4: Don't study alone. These sessions are meant to be studied together with others, in community!
Key #5: Ask God for help. Studying these topics may bring up challenging questions and potentially big breakthroughs for you. We have the promise of the Holy Spirit living in us and we will ask the Holy Spirit to guide us through this study!

Overview of each Sunday night study topic:
Story: relevant and realistic story
Questions: initial questions to help us think about what each of us bring to the topic.
Notes: background content on the topic, various viewpoints within Christian culture and the broader culture.
Scripture: relevant scripture readings and questions about each topic.
Talk: fictional conversations to discuss for real life conversations.

This is our first week. We are continuing on our journey of learning what doubt is about and how it helps us connect with God and our faith in new and exciting ways!

​Next Week: Is it wrong to doubt God?

Dear Parents & Guardians,
 
Last year we introduced a study dealing with questions related to God and faith. The meaningful discussions over the course of 6 weeks our High School Ministry on Sunday Night, reached a new depth of understanding in our relationship with God and those around us. I’m excited to introduce another set of questions we will be studying on Sunday Nights!
 
We will be using a resource titled Can I Ask That? Vol. 2, a Sticky Faith curriculum from Fuller Youth Institute (fulleryouthinstitute.org), which is designed to lead teenagers in critical conversation about their faith. This study will invite students to look at topics like the existence of hell, why bad things happen to good people and sex outside of marriage. It raises hard questions that don’t have easy answers, and helps students think about them from a biblical perspective.
 
We have convictions that high youth should wrestle with challenging topics now, with adults who know them and care about their faith, rather than on their own later. Some research suggests that about 50 percent of youth group participants will leave their faith when they graduate from high school (see stickyfaith.org for more research and resources addressing this concern). We don’t want young people to leave faith in Christ because we haven’t had real conversations with them about topics that matter.
 
These studies are written to intentionally encourage students to consider many sides of these issues and help them begin to form their own opinions based on dialogue around scripture, different Christian and non-Christian perspectives, and the tradition of our church. If you are interested in a copy of the curriculum, please let me know. I always welcome your questions and input.
 
Along with encouraging your student to attend our weekly HSM Sunday Night meetings, you can also keep up with our HSM Blog for families. Each week we will post the highlights from the topic of the night. We will post links to other resources for your family to consider as well. We hope you will take this opportunity to explore your own understanding of the topics being discussed and have follow up conversations throughout the week.
 
We are excited about this series and hope you will encourage your high school youth to attend throughout the coming months. HSM Sunday Night is a time and place for youth to belong, question and connect.
 
Sincerely,
Michael Beckmann
Director of Teen Ministries
First Lutheran Church
michaelb@firstlutherancr.org