Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Awakened Life for High School Students: Finding Stillness in an Anxious World; Leader Guide
    The Awakened Life for High School Students: Finding Stillness in an Anxious World; Leader Guide
    The Awakened Life for High School Students: Finding Stillness in an Anxious World; Leader Guide
    Ebook152 pages2 hours

    The Awakened Life for High School Students: Finding Stillness in an Anxious World; Leader Guide

    By Sarah E. Bollinger and Angela R. Olsen

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    One out of five teens lives with depression, anxiety, or another mental illness. Some come to believe that worry, isolation, and fear are all life has to offer. Yet God created us for lives full of joy, well-being, and connection.

    The Awakened Life for High School Students is an eight-week small-group guide that empowers teens to awaken to a more abundant life through practices that build resiliency, teach psychosocial skills, and foster emotional and spiritual well-being. It is designed to be led by those who provide spiritual and emotional care to students but who are not professional counselors or therapists. Over the course of this study, students will learn how to connect with their own minds and bodies, expand their understanding of the importance of connection to others, develop connections to nature, and then combine all of these practices to build a resilient, joyful, and awakened life.

    The curriculum walks participants through 8 weeks of practices and reflections. Each weekly session lasts for about an hour and includes a mindfulness or spiritual practice to explore as a group. Many of these practices involve prayer and meditation techniques, coupled with discussion and journaling. Students will be encouraged to do each week's spiritual practice at home, to reflect on the experience in a journal, and to check in with an accountability partner at least once a week.

    Each week's session follows the same rhythm by revisiting these themes: Awake, Aware, Alive, Abide, and Arise. Through participation in The Awakened Life, high school students can wake up to abundant life; become aware of their worth and belonging; come alive to their senses, thoughts, and emotions; abide in the love and grace of God; and arise to live a life as connected, whole people.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherUpper Room Books
    Release dateJul 1, 2020
    ISBN9780835819428
    The Awakened Life for High School Students: Finding Stillness in an Anxious World; Leader Guide
    Author

    Sarah E. Bollinger

    Sarah E. Bollinger, PhD, LCSW is Director of Collegiate Ministry Leadership Development, Division of Higher Education, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

    Related to The Awakened Life for High School Students

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Build Your Resilience

      Dec 21, 2021

      • One to one Prioritise those relationships where you can talk about what matters to you. In the words of Bill Withers: ‘No one can fill those of your needs that you won’t let show.’ • In a group The need for community is hardwired into us. It might

      1 min read

    • Article

      Try It Yourself

      Mar 1, 2022

      The vagus nerve passes through the throat on its way from the brain stem down towards our abdominal organs, and it’s thought that when our throat muscles constrict during controlled breathing activities, this can stimulate the vagus nerve. If you’re

      1 min read

    • Article

      Setting Intentions

      Dec 30, 2021

      Setting Intentions
      2 min read

    • Article

      Dispelling Myths Of Art Therapy

      Nov 4, 2020

      Myth: You need to be good at art in order to engage in art therapy. Fact: The process is much more important than the end result. The goal is to explore emotional undertones from what we create, to foster greater awareness of our emotions. Myth: I ca

      1 min read

    • Article

      Standing Up To Bullies

      Sep 1, 2019

      Standing Up To Bullies
      2 min read

    • Article

      Trust Yourself to Fail Wisely

      Aug 13, 2020

      CHERYL JONES Founder, The Mindful Path Cheryl Jones became an expert at using mindfulness to navigate difficult times out of sheer necessity. She was in a marriage with a spouse who was “a stressful person” when she read Wherever You Go, There You Ar

      1 min read

    • Article

      Help Your Kids Tap Into Their Inner Strength

      Jun 17, 2019

      Many of us are lucky enough to be able to look back fondly on our childhoods and remember the easy joy and limitless potential that seemed to fill each day. However, even the happiest of childhoods don’t seamlessly transition straight into adulthood

      6 min read

    • Article

      Top of Mind

      Dec 18, 2018

      Top of Mind
      2 min read

    • Article

      Thus Has She Heard

      Mar 23, 2021

      Thus Has She Heard
      7 min read

    • Article

      Everlasting Love

      Jun 14, 2020

      Everlasting Love
      2 min read

    • Article

      Awaken The Flow Of Gratitude In Nature

      Oct 18, 2022

      Give yourself permission to be outside. Go into nature without an agenda or expectations, just to be with it and move with it. If you are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, or sluggishness, moving outside can ignite an internal shift. Movem

      1 min read

    • Article

      Get Happy

      May 8, 2020

      Get Happy
      1 min read

    • Article

      It’s In The Doing

      Sep 13, 2023

      It’s In The Doing
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Healing Power of Creativity

      Nov 10, 2018

      The Healing Power of Creativity
      2 min read

    • Article

      6 Ways To Tackle The ‘Don’t Fancy Him’ Trap

      Mar 5, 2020

      1 If you have ‘off’ days where you don’t find your partner attractive, don’t panic! But if you have ‘off months’ or ‘off years’, take that seriously. 2 However unsexual you might be feeling, try to keep the physical affection. Hold hands, cuddle or

      1 min read

    • Article

      Reawaken Your Spiritual Practice

      Oct 10, 2018

      Words VERONICA JOSEPH Photography SUN KIM PHOTOGRAPHY For a yogi, practice is a big part of life. Finding your yoga groove takes time and commitment but, once you do, it becomes a daily staple. Your yoga might happen as soon as you wake up every day,

      8 min read

    • Article

      BANISH Your Inner Critic

      Aug 14, 2022

      There’s this old legend of a Cherokee grandfather who tells a story to his grandson that shines a light on the inner voice. He said, “Inside of each of us there’s this battle between these two wolves. One wolf is faith, goodness and openness, and the

      3 min read

    • Article

      Lunar Might

      Dec 13, 2017

      Words DANIELLE KIRK Every morning for the past month, I’ve been inhaling love, security and joy and exhaling love, security and joy. I plop myself down on a meditation cushion, post-yoga and precoffee, look at an amateur illustration of a tree and fo

      3 min read

    • Article

      Is Self-love Selfish?

      Aug 8, 2020

      Christian Maurer Edinburgh University Press, 2019 240 pages Hardback, £75.00 (paperback edition forthcoming) ISBN: 9781474413374 The concept of ‘self-love’ is sometimes touted as radical today. It was much more so in 18th-century Scotland, where inna

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Power Of THANK YOU

      Jun 6, 2019

      The Power Of THANK YOU
      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Awakened Life for High School Students

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Awakened Life for High School Students - Sarah E. Bollinger

      THE AWAKENED LIFE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: Finding Stillness in an Anxious World; Leader Guide

      Copyright © 2020 by General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church

      All rights reserved.

      This resource has been adapted by Upper Room Books® from The Awakened Life: An 8-Week Guide to Student Well-Being, published by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church.

      No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. For information, write Upper Room Books®, 1908 Grand Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212.

      Upper Room Books® website: UpperRoomBooks.com

      The Awakened Life for High School Students website: UpperRoomBooks.com/TheAwakenedLife

      Upper Room®, Upper Room Books®, and design logos are trademarks owned by The Upper Room®, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.

      All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

      Scripture quotations marked CEB are from the Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible. Used by permission.

      Quotations designated (devozine) are taken from devozine. Copyright © by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

      Excerpt from Awake Awhile from the Penguin publication I Heard GOD Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy, Renderings of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky, copyright 2006. Used with permission.

      Yoga prayer sequences were created by Jill Wondel. Used by permission. prayerandyoga.com

      At the time of publication all websites referenced in this book were valid. However, due to the fluid nature of the internet, some addresses may have changed or the content may no longer be relevant.

      Cover and interior design: Jay Smith–Juicebox Designs

      Illustrations: Kristi Smith–Juicebox Designs

      Typesetting: PerfecType, Nashville, TN

      ISBN (print): 978-0-8358-1940-4

      ISBN (mobi): 978-0-8358-1941-1

      ISBN (epub): 978-0-8358-1942-8

      CONTENTS

      Welcome

      Getting Started

      Week 1. Introduction to the Awakened Life

      Week 2. Connecting to Self: Noticing Thoughts

      Week 3. Connecting to Self: Being Present in the Body

      Week 4. Connecting to Others: Working Through Loneliness

      Week 5. Connecting to Others: Working Through Shame

      Week 6. Connecting to Creation: Experiencing Awe of Nature

      Week 7. Connecting to Creation: Sharing a Meal of Intention

      Week 8. Closing: Awakening to Joy

      Notes

      WELCOME

      Wake up! This is not your typical Bible study. This is an invitation to awaken to life. Too many of us are overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, worry, loneliness, and fear. Stressed and distracted, we miss so much of what makes life wonderful. We believe there is an alternative.

      Within these pages, faith, practice, and science come together. We share the science behind the ways mindfulness and spiritual practices can reduce anxiety, worry, and depression. We explore practices of prayerful meditation that allow us to calm our minds, to slow down amid the pressures of life, and to find stillness in an anxious world. In this stillness, we can be present to the grace and love of God—and there, we can find wholeness and joy.

      Daily spiritual practices open us to the abundant life God offers each of us. An abundant life is not one free of pain and worry but rather one rich in the beauty of all life has to offer—sadness and joy, seriousness and celebration, the ordinary and the transformational. Over the course of the next eight weeks, we invite you and your high school students to explore new ways to get the most out of each moment and to see what God is doing in you, in your relationships, and in the world around you. We hope the practices you adopt and the insights you gain about yourself each week will bring you closer to God, help you build strength to face life’s struggles, and awaken you to the joy of a more abundant life.

      Your sisters,

      Sarah & Angie

      GETTING STARTED

      The Awakened Life for High School Students is designed for youth workers and church leaders who work with high school students. Our hope is that this small-group study provides tools and practices that will help you empower students to live a more abundant life.

      WHAT THIS STUDY IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT

      We take seriously the alarming research showing that depression, anxiety, suicide, and other mental health issues are on the rise among young people. Many church leaders and youth workers admit that the declining emotional, mental, and spiritual health among high school students is an ever-increasing area of concern in their ministry; yet, they rarely feel equipped to help students cope with these issues. The Awakened Life for High School Students offers a way to address these concerns. This eight-week study is designed to help church leaders and youth workers guide high school students through practices that build resiliency, develop psychosocial skills, and foster emotional and spiritual well-being.

      This is not a traditional Bible study. While we use scripture and talk about well-being from a United Methodist theological perspective, this is not simply a scriptural study of well-being. In the same vein, this is not a clinical intervention. We do not intend for this to be a replacement for mental health treatment or therapy. Referral to necessary mental health resources is the correct response to a mental health crisis or symptoms that could lead to a diagnosis of mental illness.

      This is a resource to equip those in nonclinical roles who are working on the front lines with students; it is designed for those who provide spiritual and emotional care to students but who are not counselors or therapists. Furthermore, this resource leans on the idea that our faith can help us to assist students in building resiliency and developing psychosocial skills. It was conceptualized to respond to nonclinical issues of well-being among students with an intentional focus on using our faith tradition and practices to inform this work.

      Mindfulness and Christianity

      Christianity and mindfulness go hand in hand. One way we address student well-being in this study is through using both spiritual practices and mindfulness techniques. Research shows that mindfulness practices, including meditation, contribute to improved mood, increased concentration, and healthier relationships. Our faith tradition also has a lot to add to the conversation around mindfulness, and we share rich contemplative practices that point to this truth. With this knowledge in mind, we approach this study with the intention of empowering students to be more present and able to navigate emotional disturbance. (For those who are interested in reading more about the connection between Christianity and mindfulness, Amy G. Oden’s book Right Here, Right Now is a wonderful resource.¹)

      HOW THIS GUIDE WORKS

      This study walks through eight weeks of practices and reflections. Each weekly session is about an hour long and includes a spiritual practice that you can explore as a group. In each session, prayer and meditation techniques are coupled with discussion, activities, and journaling. Plan to give your students sufficient space and time to work through the content.

      You can tailor the sessions to suit the students in your group. Each week contains one key practice that is central to the week’s big idea; it can be a guidepost for how you choose to lead each session. The weekly plans include information, discussion questions, activities, and instructions for facilitation. If you don’t make it through every activity or discussion, that is perfectly all right. Videos, audio tracks, and other ancillary resources are available at UpperRoomBooks.com/TheAwakenedLife. The website also offers supplemental content—additional exercises for optional use as well as devotionals written by and for teens that relate to each session.

      The content for this study is organized into three central components: connection to self and the work of the divine within, connection to others in meaningful relationship, and connection to creation. The sessions begin with an introductory week, then follow this flow: two weeks understanding our relationship with ourselves, two weeks deepening our relationships with others, two weeks connecting with nature, and, finally, a closing session in week eight. Here is a brief outline of the study:

      Week 1. Introduction to the Awakened Life

      Week 2. Connection to Self: Noticing Thoughts

      Week 3. Connection to Self: Being Present in the Body

      Week 4. Connecting to Others: Working Through Loneliness

      Week 5. Connection to Others: Working Through Shame

      Week 6. Connecting to Creation: Experiencing Awe of Nature

      Week 7. Connecting to Creation: Sharing a Meal of Intention

      Week 8. Closing: Awakening to Joy

      Weekly Content

      Each week’s session will follow the same rhythm by revisiting the following five elements:

      Awake: Sessions will begin with an introductory section on waking up to the abundant life God offers each of us. This section is the students’ call to wake up, join in, and participate in this work each week. It is inspired by a moment in Jesus’ life when he was seeking connection and support from his friends in moments of struggle. Three times he found them asleep in the garden of

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1