BOOK – The 7 Checkpoints: 7 Principles Every Teenager Needs to Know by Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall (This version of the books is for Youth Leaders), Copyright 2001
In Louie Giglio’s “Forward” he writes,
In the “Preface” Andy describes a bit about how he came up with the Seven Checkpoints. Here are some questions he asked his staff to take stock:
- If we could permanently imprint anything we want upon our students’ minds, what would it be?
- What do they need to know? What is the irreducible minimum?
- When everybody else is “doing it,” what’s going to keep them from joining in?
- When they are sitting in a dorm room during their freshman year contemplating their options for the evening, what principles or truths should drift through their minds in that potentially defining moment?
Context vs. Content
pg8…Content drives our context. We are committed to creating relevant environments. But the environment must support the content. We have discovered that once we have identified what we want students to walk away with, creating the right environment is much easier. Our environments are more focused and effective. this approach to student ministry does not de-emphasize the importance of a creative, fun, and relevant environment. Just the opposite is true. Once we have clarified what it is we want to communicate, we feel even more compelled to create the right setting.
Checkpoint #1: Authentic Faith
- Principle – God can be trusted; He will do all He has promised to do.
- Critical Question – Are your students trusting God with the critical areas of their lives?
- Key Passages – Proverbs 3:5-6
Checkpoint #2: Spiritual Disciplines
- Principle – When you see as God sees, you will do as God says.
- Critical Question – Are your students developing a consistent devotional prayer life?
- Key Passage – Romans 12:2
Checkpoint #3: Moral Boundaries
- Principle – Purity paves the way to intimacy
- Critical Question – Are your students establishing and maintaining godly moral boundaries?
- Key Passage – 1 Thess 4:3-8
Checkpoint #4: Healthy Friendships
- Principle – Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life.
- Critical Question – Are your students establishing healthy friendships and avoiding unhealthy ones?
- Key Passage – Proverbs 13:20
Checkpoint #5: Wise Choices
- Principle – Walk wisely.
- Critical Question – Are your students making wise choices in every area of their lives?
- Key Passage – Eph. 5:15-17
- Teenagers need to learn to ask, “In light of my past experience and my future dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do in this situation?
Checkpoint #6: Ultimate Authority
- Principle – Maximum freedom is found under God’s authority
- Critical Question – Are your students submitting to the authorities God has placed over them?
- Key Passage – Romans 13:1-2
- Snippets of what I highlighted…
Checkpoint #7: Others First
- Principle – Consider others before yourself
- Critical Question – Are your students putting the needs of others ahead of their own?
- Key Passage – Philippians 2:3-11
- Selfishness is natural. Selflessness, however, must be learned
Repetition is the way we learn
—> This book is EXCELLENT as a resource for putting some thought/intention/substance into the curriculum/teaching of junior and senior highers. I enjoyed reading it and it’s given me a deeper understanding about the importance of what we’re teaching our students about developing a deeper relationship and understanding with God.
