We had a wonderful year with the 165 teens in our Branches program and wanted to highlight some of the things we did, topics we discussed, service rendered, and prayers said.
Branches groups: 165 teens = 35 Freshmen—3 groups; 40 Sophomores—3 groups; 45 Juniors—3 groups and 45 Seniors—3 groups
Topics we covered:
- Dealing with stress & how faith can help
- How to bring prayer and faith into everyday life
- Ways to relax, meditate, & pray
- Healthy relationships, sexual assault on college campuses (The Hunting Ground viewing)
- Learning about hunger and our call to social justice
- Discerning your gifts—what is God calling you to?
- Learning about ourselves—personality quizzes
- Friendship and the qualities of friends
- Love Languages of teens & parent relationships
- Emotional intelligence
- Reconciliation in relationships
- Parent and Teens—understanding each other
- Alcohol and drugs—truth, decision-making, discussions
- Refugees and immigration
- Finding balance in life—prioritizing what truly matters
- The College process—making decisions about where to go, keeping faith alive in college
- Where is love in the world? Today’s problems and how we can make positive changes
- Poverty and homelessness