Suicide is a topic that few people want to broach.
The crisis is all too real. The numbers change from study to study, but the trend is alarming. Too many teenagers are choosing death over life. As a culture, we’re facing an epidemic.
As a pastor, you’re facing an existential threat to the families in your church. In times of epidemic and threat, credentials are an afterthought. You may be a licensed counselor, a concerned youth worker, or a desperate parent. Whatever the case, you need to understand this: You’re the ideal person for this job. God has laid this matter on your heart, and you can be confident “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
Like the boy with the loaves and fish in John 6:9, whatever you bring is enough. The Lord can and will multiply your resources to produce ultimate good from unimaginably bad circumstances.
Alive to Thrive offers leaders guides designed to accommodate you, no matter how much or how little group-leading experience you have. Alive to Thrive is filled with eye-opening statistics, poignant stories, and road-tested strategies for identifying risks related to suicide and lessening their impact on teenagers.
Our goal is to give you what you need to equip the parents in your group, in a streamlined and useful format. Toward that end, each session contains five segments:
Break the Ice provides a light opening into a heavy topic.
Explore the Word introduces a relevant passage from Scripture to set the tone for your study.
Consider the Need explores the essential information from the book.
Embrace the Challenge gives parents a chance to wrestle with the problem together as they forge workable solutions and strategies.
Bring It Home gives parents a chance to share their personal burdens with the group and receive support and encouragement.
The challenge is formidable, but it’s no match for the One who stands ready to work in and through you as you assist parents in showing their teens what it means to be Alive to Thrive.
Get your free Alive to Thrive Leader’s guide here.
