Life often has a way of closing in around us doesn’t it? The image that comes to my mind is the sights, smells and feelings of walking on Yonge Street in Toronto. It is noisy, busy, cluttered and chaotic. Often you can’t see the sun because of the buildings blocking the view. They call it an “urban canyon”: People pushing, everyone moving at a different pace. Through the windows media calls out – cheap sex, new perfume, leather or Armani. The smell of yesterday’s garbage mixed with the multiple scents of Mediterranean, McDonald’s and Pizza.

It is tiring, confusing, loud and enveloping.

Wondering if youth don’t feel more and more like that every day in our society. Decisions, stress, relationships, family, finances…all push in on them and it’s hard to know where to look to find answers.

The theme of “Elevate” has been designed to help you give your students a new perspective on some of the essential elements of life. How do they view the world around them? How do they view relationships? How do they think of God? What place should Jesus play in their decisions?

C.S. Lewis made an astute observation a number of years ago. He said, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” This year is about providing opportunities for you to pull your students out of the urban canyon and chaos of their lives, and allowing them to experience wide open spaces, clean air, and new visions.

This curriculum focuses on part of the CBOQ Youth vision: cultivating intimacy with Christ.

Curriculum Modules:

• Panorama ("what's God's perspective on all of this?")
• Elevate Your Priorities (time, talents and money)
• Seek What is Noble (moving away from the fence line of Christian life towards the inner core of abundant life in Christ)
• Return of the King (Christmas series)
• Worship - the Most Noble Thing (what constitutes "worship in spirit and in truth")
• Living Life at the Highest Level (secret of abundant life)
• Elevating Your Vision of God (see God as the Bible presents Him)
• Join What is Good (next logical step in faith: action to join what is good)
• Wrap Up