We’re starting a new Youth Group series in High School this week! It’s called More Than Friends and here’s what we’re talking about:

All relationships can be tricky, but none seem trickier in high school than the romantic ones. When a relationship moves from “friends” to “more than friends” status, things can get complicated in a hurry. In this series, as we look at what God’s says about how we treat others and how we allow them to treat us, we’ll see that being more than friends doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems.

Week 1 (March 11) Whether you want to date someone or are dating someone, one thing is true: When you’re in high school, dating is on your mind. But for all the time we spend thinking about it, as soon as we actually start dating, the thinking tends to stop. This week, we’ll discover that the best thing we can do for ourselves and our dating relationships is to keep thinking.

Week 2 (March 25) If you want to avoid a person or habit that hurts you—physically, emotionally, or spiritually—it’s going to cost you something. It could cost you time, relationships, and maybe even money. But the alternative is becoming a slave to something that will eventually result in resentment or long-term regret. This week we will take at pornography and the devastating effects it can have on our relationships and the freedom that God wants us for us instead.

Week 3 (April 8) Breaking up is hard to do. And whether you’re in a relationship now or will be in one in the future, a breakup is almost inevitable at some point in the future. And while all breakups are difficult, they don’t have to cause permanent damage. This week, we’ll discover that valuing others and ourselves at all times is the key to going through a breakup that doesn’t break you.

 

More Than Friends at Home We hope that parents and kids can continue the conversation after Youth Group wraps up. Here are some resources to help you do just that:

Dating Agreement Parents and students can use this dating agreement as a starting point for conversations about dating. Add, delete, and fill it out together.

Dating Conversation Guide This Conversation Guide for parents has ideas for what to say and what not to say for before, during, and after dating relationships.

Parent Cue for More Than Friends Things to know, talk about, and do related to this series.

Personal Values Think through your personal values with this questionnaire that will help you prioritize what needs prioritizing while dating.

Who Am I Looking For? This is another activity for parents and students to work on together to help clarify what the student is looking for in a potential date.