Since 1993, Student Life has been bringing God’s Word to life for young people through its youth camps, kids camps and other events.
With the introduction of Student Life Publishing and a new ground-breaking curriculum, Student Life will now be bringing God’s Word to young people on a weekly basis through the Internet.
“God has blessed us with a great response (to our events) and with that comes an influence,” said Student Life founder and president Randy Hall at a recent reception to introduce the new project. “Now He’s put a new calling on my heart related to Bible study in the local church.”
The Student Life Bible Study Plan is a six-year Internet-based program. It begins with Scripture and builds on that foundation as students progress through the program. Featuring ease of preparation for teachers and a variety of teaching tools, the curriculum also provides opportunities for teachers and students to expand their studies beyond Sunday morning Bible studies.
Eight simple doctrinal statements express what the Student Life Publishing team hopes to convey to students during their six-year journey, including: God Is, The Bible is God’s Word, People are God’s Treasure, Jesus is God and Savior, The Holy Spirit is God’s Presence, The Church is God’s Plan and God Holds the Future.
The Student Life curriculum, described by Hall as the first of its kind, addresses the unprecedented flow of information experienced by youth — an influx that is in many ways counterproductive to the message of Christ. Such informational access, Hall said, produces smart kids who need smart Bible study.
“We don’t need to insult them on Sunday morning in the way we teach,” Hall said, noting the program targets students in middle school through high school. The program is an effort to bring solid Bible teaching to “Generation Next,” a largely biblically illiterate generation characterized by short attention spans and a “no absolutes” view of life.
“The danger is that active teenagers will graduate from youth ministry never having studied certain parts of the Bible,” said Dwayne Ulmer, president of Student Life Publishing. “We want to get the students into Scripture, starting with Scripture instead of topics.”
The plan, Ulmer explained, begins with the three-year Foundation Series that covers the life of Christ, character development and the community of believers. The second three-year set of studies, the Formation Series, builds on the previous studies and addresses ethical behavior, beliefs and establishing a framework for living.
The first volume of the Foundation Series, “The Life of Christ — The Basis of Faith,” is scheduled for release July 1. Subsequent volumes will be released each July 1 through 2008.
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