The first time I volunteered to lead a youth Bible Study, I envisioned myself as John Keating from Dead Poets Society. Maybe this was a ragtag group of teens, but I was prepared. I had full confidence that these students would leave our study eager to dive into their own Bibles, becoming scholars and leaders themselves.
If you have ever led a youth Bible study, then you already know my idealistic vision was far from reality. Regardless of my earnest preparation, every week felt more like leading a book club in which only one person had actually read the book. Most were there for the snacks, and the few who were dragged there were not afraid to make their disinterest known.
While curriculum may not be the make-or-break factor of a youth group, it is a foundation upon which leaders can build. This is why the curriculum you use matters. You want it to guide your time without owning it, which means you need a curriculum that fits your group’s unique structure—whether small or large; one hour or multiple; in homes or in a classroom.
Curriculum Benefits Leaders and Students
My story is not unique. Over the years, I have watched zealous leaders jump into youth ministry and quickly become overwhelmed. They lower their expectations, hoping to make it easier on themselves and their students. Suddenly, the win is students showing up to youth group or small group. While presence can be a big win with students, it can never be our end goal as youth leaders.
It is good to expect more of our students because they can handle it. They can study deeply and think critically. They can memorize and meditate. And they can do the work. This is why one of the first encouragements I offer youth leaders is this: do not change expectations; change your tools. You are not in this alone. Find the right tools to help your students and you as a leader.
After all these years in ministry, I am more convinced than ever of the value of curriculum. There are two things I look for in any curriculum I use with my students: consistency and flexibility.
This is why I have loved using and contributing to Rooted’s curriculum. Rooted has structured its curriculum to provide consistency across every study, with the aim of training students in a versatile Bible study method they can replicate on their own. Yet consistency is not the antithesis of flexibility. When looking for a curriculum, I always want one that provides more than I need or get through in a small group. This is because content is the key to flexibility; the more you have, the more you can plug and play the lessons to serve your unique framework and structure without losing depth. You don’t want curriculum that forces a script, but curriculum that provides consistency and flexibility.
Whether your youth ministry meets in small groups, large group, or homes, I believe Rooted’s curriculum can serve you. Here are a few suggestions for using the curriculum in your ministry context.
Curriculum Helps Students Grow
Many curricula are built on small group discussion, and Rooted’s curriculum is no different. We intentionally offer a separate leader guide to aid small group leaders in discussion, even outlining potentially tricky topics. The curriculum is built on a clear flow of questions that follow the observation (what?), interpretation (so what?), and application (now what?) method of inductive Bible study. At the end of each lesson, there are reflection questions. You can send those home with your students to help them dig deeper into the lesson throughout the week.
As I have used Rooted’s curriculum in our Sunday small groups, I have learned there are two ways you can engage this curriculum:
1. As a Small Group Guide
First, you can use the curriculum only during your small group time. Leaders look over the lesson beforehand, but largely study it in real time with students. This approach gives your students a front-row seat to their peers and leaders studying and wrestling with the text.
2. As a Personal Bible Study Before Small Groups
Another way my students have benefited from Rooted’s curriculum (and a favorite of my leaders) is to use the study as their weekly Bible study, which they discuss in small group once a week. Each week, the leader gives their students a copy of next week’s lesson to complete as homework before the next group time. They can use it as their individual Scripture study, allowing them to move as slowly or as quickly as they would like. This method also gives students ownership of the study. It also provides an opportunity for them to engage with the text for a longer period of time.
This second method creates the opportunity for deeper conversations with our students, since they have had more time to consider the questions. Also, it gives leaders freedom to skip some questions or slow down on others, since there is no pressure to get through the whole study in group time. It places higher expectations on the students, communicating their own ability to understand and study Scripture. Using the curriculum this way offers flexibility for students who have not completed the work or who are new to Bible study to participate by reading the text.
Curriculum Aids Leaders in Large Groups
You may have never considered using curriculum in the context of your large-group settings (i.e. teaching times). Most youth ministers know that planning and preparing lessons can take more time than we have, especially if we work another job or are parents. Rooted’s curriculum is designed so that you, as the teacher, can follow each lesson’s outline in your teaching. You can use the provided commentary and questions to write your own lessons. Each lesson provides a main point(s) and a takeaway; everything you need to easily build a large-group teaching. When I was a part-time youth leader, working to rebuild a ministry from scratch, using curriculum made me feel like I had a ministry partner alongside me. It reminded me I was not alone, and I am forever grateful for that.
Not only was the curriculum an aid to my teaching, but I was also able to incorporate the application (now what) questions after my teaching. Breaking into small groups after my lesson and going over the application questions allowed the students to consider the text’s application in their own lives. I would also suggest giving students time at the end of the night to answer the reflection questions on their own. Another way I used the curriculum was by sending my students home with the student lesson for the following week to use as their personal Bible study. I loved that this encouraged my students to spend time with the text prior to the teaching.
Using Curriculum at Home
The reality is that the majority of ministry to youth does not happen in the church building but in the home. As the parent or guardian, you can use the leader guide to aid you in the study with your teenager. Give them the student packet, and then either walk through the study together or have your teenager complete the lesson on their own time, while you do the same. Then come together to discuss your answers.
Each study offers a list of references and resources used by the author. If you feel like you need more aid as you study with your teenager, check out those resources listed in the back of the study.
Rooted provides “Parent Questions” at the end of every lesson. So regardless of how you use the curriculum, I encourage you to connect the church and the home with these questions. You can send them home with your students, email them to your parents, or even share them on social media. However you choose to get them to your families, encourage your parents to engage the questions with their teenagers each week. These questions help the student review and connect the parents to the student’s application of those truths.
A Steady Foundation
If you feel frustrated or feel like giving up in ministry, I hope you are encouraged not to change your expectations but to change your tools. We realize that no curriculum will ever be the magic bullet to change your youth ministry. Instead, our prayer is that Rooted’s curriculum will create a steady foundation that will give you the freedom to use your gifts, lead your students, and run the race to which you have been called.
Our latest youth ministry curriculum, The Apostle Peter, takes students through the Gospel of Mark and 1 and 2 Peter, where they will learn about who Jesus is, who they are in him, and God’s abundant grace for them.
