Reach4Life Training Manual to train for the Reach4Life manual Biblica

Open Introduction to Reach4Life

INTRODUCTION TO REACH4LIFE

Reach4Life is a comprehensive, Christian life skills programme for young people – with a particular focus on identity, sexuality and relationships – that brings about holistic spiritual and behavioural transformation. It is based on the idea that comprehensive behavioural change is only possible once there is a spiritual revolution in the hearts and minds of young people.

It was initially developed for teens between the ages of 12 and 18, however it has been found to be effective with pre-adolescents from as young as 10 (before the onset of sexual activity) right up to young adults in their early 20s who are still facing questions of who they are and how they can make wise life choices.

The core of the programme is the Reach4Life Bible that contains – in addition to the full text of the New Testament (using the New International Readers Version or NIrV) – lessons and stories that guide young people to faith in Christ, belief in themselves, and gives them the essential l

Open History of Reach4Life

HISTORY OF REACH4LIFE One of the biggest ongoing tragedies in sub-Saharan Africa is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Africa has 70% of all HIV infections, with southern and eastern Africa accounting for over half of all global infections.

Although AIDS is no longer necessarily a terminal disease, as it can be managed with antiretroviral drugs, there is still no cure. And one thing that is very clear from the history of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa is that there is a direct link between the spread of the disease and poverty. For young people mired in poverty, there are few opportunities and little hope for the future. Hopelessness leads to risky behavior, including sexual promiscuity and drug and alcohol abuse. For young men, there are few good male role models and young women are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse.

In the face of such intractable social and moral problems, a few sex education classes and handing out free condoms is not the answer! Only a total transformation of the heart and mi

Open Essential elements of Reach4Life

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF REACH4LIFE

There are some essential elements that have been developed over many years that form the heart and soul of the Reach4Life programme:

1. It is a long-term discipleship programme, not just a product or free giveaway.
2. It is designed to be facilitated by peer educators in a small group context.
3. It works best when Scripture is read aloud, together.
4. It is not so much about teaching a lesson as creating space for discussion; in other words, the young people should be talking more than the facilitator!
5. It provides a safe space where young people feel free to ask any questions without being judged.
6. It is designed for young people to learn to think critically and biblically for themselves – not just to be given the right answers.
7. It can be used flexibly as the core content is designed to be adaptable to different contexts and cultures.
8. The ultimate goal is to get young people reading and engaging with the Bible for themselves – and reading whole bo

Open The theory underpinning Reach4Life

THE THEORY UNDERPINNING REACH4LIFE There are several core theoretical assumptions that the Reach4Life programme is based on. These may not all be visible on the surface – in other words, they may not be obvious by just skimming through the content, which sometimes appears deceptively simple. They do, however, serve as the foundation that the whole programme is built on. Or to use another analogy: the programme is like an iceberg of which the largest portion is below the water’s surface – the unseen section (the theory underpinning the programme) keeps the entire iceberg (Reach4Life) afloat!

There are several core theoretical assumptions that the Reach4Life programme is based on. These may not all be visible on the surface – in other words, they may not be obvious by just skimming through the content, which sometimes appears deceptively simple. They do, however, serve as the foundation that the whole programme is built on. Or to use another analogy: the programme is like an iceberg of which the largest

Open The 4 Journeys

THE 4 JOURNEYS

The 4 Journeys, and the 40 lessons covered therein, form the heart of the Reach4Life programme. The progression of the 4 Journeys – from Believe to Grow to Live to Change – illustrates the development and growth that is required for a young person to evolve to full maturity in their faith. This is well illustrated by the image of a tree that grows from a seed, to a small sapling, to a mature tree that produces fruit and seeds for new trees to grow.

1. Believe: Takes youth through all the essential elements of the Christian faith. After going through all 10 lessons they will understand why they need God, who Jesus is, what his death and resurrection achieved for them, and what it means to accept Christ and commit their lives to serving him.

2. Grow: Works systematically through the core doctrines of Christianity. It starts with an understanding of the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the church as God’

Open Bonus inserts

BONUS INSERTS

1. Reality Bites: A biblical approach to 20 sex and relationship issues that many young people struggle with. You could call this the FAQ (frequently asked questions) section of Reach4Life. The aim is not to give simplistic answers to complex questions, but rather to help young people ask the right questions and think through the issues in mature, critical and biblical ways.

2. That’s Deep: Answers to 12 hurdles to drawing closer to God, providing practical help to deal with faith issues commonly faced by young people.

3. Wow! 63 amazing and interesting facts about Jesus that you probably never knew. 4. Zoom: Introductions to every book of the New Testament that explain who wrote the particular book, who the intended audience was, and what kind of book it is (epistle, letter, etc.). This really helps to know how to read and understand the Bible.

4. Journey Links: 61 extra Scripture notes linked to the 4 Journeys. There are references to these links at the end of t

Open Being a door opener

BEING A DOOR OPENER

When the Reach4Life programme is being launched in a new area, the partner organization will need to approach several institutions to introduce the programme and ask for permission to run it in their institution. This process of asking for permission is what we refer to as door opening – opening the door for this ministry to be run in that institution.

The challenge is to select institutions strategically and get permission from the management to hand out books to participants and explain to everyone how to make the most of the book.

Before going out to any institution, the team needs to map out the area to agree on which institutions will be targeted. Thereafter, find out who are the contact people so that you have some background information as you plan your visit.

Methodology

1 . Here are the factors in deciding which institutions to approach. Since you probably have limited numbers of Reach4Life books allocated to you remember three things:

• Contact the Bibl

Open How to start and run a group

HOW TO START AND RUN A GROUP

There are detailed instructions for how to start your own Reach4Life group at the end of the Reach4Life book, explaining who can start a group, how to go about running one, and some essential guidelines for facilitating a group.

There are detailed instructions for how to start your own Reach4Life group at the end of the Reach4Life book, explaining who can start a group, how to go about running one, and some essential guidelines for facilitating a group.

It is important to note that although the 4 Journeys and the 10 lessons in each are designed with a logical sequence in mind, it is quite acceptable to change the order of the journeys or lessons to suit the needs of your specific context. For example, some people choose to start with Journey 3: Live, as it grabs the attention of young people and deals with the most pressing issues, before going back to Journey 1: Believe.

It is important that you stick to the following guidelines; it will help trust and authenticit

Open Basic counselling techniques

*BASIC COUNSELLING TECHNIQUES *

As a group leader, you may find young people approaching you, wanting to speak confidentially about problems they are struggling with. While it is important to acknowledge that you are not a trained counsellor, you can still help a lot by just listening to their stories. If there is anything they share with you that you think needs more help than you can give, refer them to a teacher, counsellor, pastor, or social worker who is trained to deal with more complex problems.

Here are a few basic counselling techniques to help you have meaningful conversations with young people:

1 . Active listening: The most important part of building a trusting relationship is listening. Do not rush to respond. Be present with the person, actively listening to both what they are saying and what they are not saying. Watch for non-verbal signals indicating that there is more to the story. Be prepared to go in-depth and encourage them to focus on and process their feelings. Often, ju

Open Group Facilitation Methods

GROUP FACILITATION METHODS

• Have group members read aloud.

• Use drama and role-play.

• Use diagrams, charts, graphs, posters, pictures (visual aids).

• Use an object to make a point i.e. show how the battery in a cell phone is like God’s spirit in us: without it, there is no power.

• Use stories to demonstrate a point.

• Get the group to draw pictures showing a concept or story.

• Get the group involved; have them do something (stand, sit, clap, shout out, stamp feet) when they hear certain words in a passage or story (when they hear the word wind they make noise like the wind, when they hear the word rain, they make noise like rain).

• Write down real life situations on pieces of paper and have each group member pull them out of a hat. Have them say what they would or should do (Your friend picks up some fruit at the market without paying and says you should too – what would you do?).

• Use analogies (Life is like a painting that’s not done yet).

• See through th

Open Writing a lesson plan

WRITING A LESSON PLAN

A lesson plan is a step-by-step guide that lists the group leader’s plan for what the group will learn that day. It involves setting goals, deciding what methods you will use to teach the concept, thinking of activities, and making a note of what materials you will need.

Objectives and goals Here you will write what you want your group to know or be able to accomplish after the lesson is completed.

Materials needed Think about what materials you will need. (You will always need your Reach4Life book and training manual.) If you have other materials or props (pictures, newspaper, etc.), collect them and have them ready to take with you on the day of the group meeting.

Introduction The purpose of the introduction is to:

• Say or do something that gets the group interested in what you have to say.

• Tell the group briefly what the lesson will be about.

• Talk about how this ties in with what you’ve talked about before.

• Find out what the

Open Sample lesson plan of Self-Image: Live 7

*SAMPLE LESSON PLAN ON SELF-IMAGE: LIVE 7 *

Objectives and goals

Teach the young people that they have value and that God has a plan for them.

Materials needed

Reach4Life book, cup of water, empty Coke can (poke small holes in the bottom and drain ahead of class), pieces of paper to write names on, diagram of butterfly (or actual butterfly or caterpillar).

Introduction

Today we are going to talk about the way you see yourself. You’ll see that you have value and that God has a plan for your life.

Look at this cold drink (Coke or something similar) and this cup of water. Which would you choose to drink?

The cold drink looks good on the outside but is empty on the inside. The cup of water doesn’t look very exciting, but what is on the inside is full of something that gives us life – water! We cannot live without water! Sometimes we see ourselves and others in the wrong way.

Ask: What are some ways people might feel bad about themselves? Write the list on the board

Open Reporting and Accountability

REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

A vital part of the Reach4Life programme is keeping a good record of what you have done. Reporting is essential for 4 reasons:

1 . It provides a written record of the quantitative and qualitative impact of the programme.

2 . It is a form of monitoring and evaluation, helping us see what we are doing well and how we can improve.

3 . It assists with reporting to ministry investors what the spiritual return is on their investments.

4 . We can share compelling stories that will attract new ministry investors and ensure the long-term sustainability of the programme.

The exact system of reporting and accountability will differ from one organisation to another, but it is vital that there is a system in place. Group leaders need to report their activities to designated coordinators; coordinators need to collate the information, and this needs to be fed back to Biblica at regular intervals.

Reporting should be both quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (st

Open Taking Good Photographs

TAKING GOOD PHOTOGRAPHS

1 . Look your subject in the eye: Having the person’s eyes looking toward the camera will allow others to feel more connected. Hold the camera at the person’s eye level. For children, stoop down to their eye level. Your subject doesn’t always have to look into the camera – just being at their level will make a better picture.

2 . Use a plain background: A plain background makes the person you are photographing stand out. As you look at your subject on the viewfinder, think about the background. You don’t want any poles or trees to look like they are growing out of their head.

3 . Move in close: Take a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. But don’t get too close or your pictures will be blurry.

4 . Move it from the middle: Having a person stand in the middle is not always best. Sometimes you can make it more interesting by having the subject off-centre. Make sure your

Open School Ministry Guidelines

SCHOOL MINISTRY GUIDELINES

School staff are interested in providing learners with a quality education. The Reach4Life programme encourages learners to reach their fullest potential. This means the school and the programme are working toward the same goal. The Reach4Life programme also provides moral guidance which will have a positive effect on both the learners and the classroom. For things to work smoothly in the classroom, meet with the teacher whose classroom you will be using. During the meeting:

• Be professional and courteous.

• Briefly explain the basics of the programme.

• Find out how much time you will have and stick to it.

• Ask how many learners are in the class.

• Don’t ask the teacher for supplies; bring your own pencils, etc.

• Learn what the classroom rules and methods of discipline are.

• Find out if the school has any special policies and procedures you should be aware of.

• Are there any safety procedures (fire drills, school lockdowns, other emerge

Open Prision Ministry Guidelines

PRISON MINISTRY GUIDELINES

• Know your facility. Find out what the rules are and follow them. Rules will be different at different facilities. If there are any written instructions for volunteers, ask for a copy.

• Be sure you understand when you will be allowed to come in. Then be on time.

• Wait patiently to be processed. The officers are very busy, and you may be delayed. Allow time in your schedule for this. Be courteous and respectful of the facility staff.

• Bring current ID (no expired driver’s licence).

• Do not ask for special privileges from the facility (for example, asking them to let you in even if you forgot your ID).

• Clothing should be neat and clean, but not flashy. Women should dress modestly.

• Don’t chew gum or bring it with you. It can be used in harmful ways.

• Leave your cell phone, keys, small knives, etc., at home or someplace else.

• Do not take anything into or out of the facility without the permission of the facility’s programme administrato

Open Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation

SEX, GENDER AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION

What is the difference between your sex, your gender, and your sexual orientation? Defining these terms is important because they are often confused. What also confuses people are the two related issues of:

1 . Whether variations in sex, gender and sexual orientation actually exist.

2 . Whether the existence of variations means it is morally acceptable to express your gender and sexuality in any way you want to.

A simple way to make the distinction is by remembering that:

Your sex is about your body, your gender is about who you feel yourself to be, and your sexual orientation is about to whom you’re sexually attracted.

A small number of people are atypical in their biological sex (sex), or their feeling of being male or female (gender), or who they are sexually attracted to (sexual orientation). In other words, some people are born with abnormalities in their biological sex; some people question whether their gender matches their biological sex

Open Sex and pregnancy

SEX AND PREGNANCY

The reproductive organs

A number of organs and structures in both the woman and the man are needed to make a baby. These are called the reproductive organs and genitals.

In males, the reproductive organs and genitals include:

• testes: also called testicles; a pair of oval-shaped glands that produce sperm

• scrotum: the pouch of skin that contains the testes

• penis: the male reproductive organ, through which urine and semen pass

• prostate gland: a gland that produces some of the fluid part of semen

• seminal vesicles: a pair of glands that also produce some of the fluid part of semen

• vas deferens: a pair of ducts leading from the testes to the seminal vesicle, through which the sperm travel

In females, the reproductive organs and genitals include:

• ovaries: two organs on either side of the lower abdomen that release an egg cell ever

Open Teen pregnancy

TEEN PREGNANCY

*What is teen pregnancy? * Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in a woman 19 years of age or younger. A woman can get pregnant if she has vaginal sex with a man at any age after she’s begun having regular monthly periods – which includes her teen years! A teenage pregnancy can change the course of a young mom’s life. It puts her in a place where she’s responsible not only for herself, but also for another human being.

_How teen pregnancy affects the mother _

Physical impact

Teens are at a higher risk for pregnancy-related high blood pressure (preeclampsia) and its complications than average-age mothers. Preeclampsia can also harm the kidneys or even be fatal for mother or baby.

Pregnant teens also have a higher chance of becoming anaemic. Anaemia is a reduction in the number of red blood cells. This can make you feel weak and tired and can affect your baby’s development.

Although modern medicine has made giving birth safer than ever, childbirth is still more dange

Open Sexual assault

SEXUAL ASSAULT

What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual act done by one person to another. Sexual assault is never OK and if it’s happened to you, know it’s not your fault. In essence, it is an act of violence committed by a person to feel power over another person. It can come in different forms:

• Sexual touching of any kind that is unwanted or coerced, including kissing, groping, or fondling.

• Rape means being forced to have vaginal, oral, or anal sex against your will or without your full consent including penetration with objects or body parts.

• Acquaintance sexual assault is when a person is attacked by someone they know such as a classmate, neighbour or friend.

• Date rape is a specific type of acquaintance sexual assault which occurs when a person is attacked by someone they know and may be interested in (like a partner).

Other forms of sexual violence include **sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, sex traffickin

Open Sex trafficking

SEX TRAFFICKING

What is sex trafficking?

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, including sexual slavery. A victim is forced, in one of a variety of ways, into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s) and then used by said trafficker(s) to give sexual services to customers.

Sex trafficking is one of the biggest criminal businesses and it has been described as ‘the fastest growing criminal industry in the world’. Due to the covertness of sex trafficking, obtaining accurate, reliable statistics is difficult for researchers. The global commercial profits for sexual slavery are staggering.

Most victims find themselves in coercive or abusive situations from which escape is both difficult and dangerous. Locations where this practice occurs span the globe and reflect an intricate web between nations, making it very difficult to construct viable solutions to this human rights problem.

Sex trafficking occurs in a range of venues including fake

Open Pornography

PORNOGRAPHY

Pornography has been peddled in the last few decades as harmless, natural, and innocent. Many label pornography as acceptable, but the truth is: pornography is harmful. It can entwine a person so far in, that it feels like there is no way to ever being free from its grasp.

The biggest reason that pornography is so dangerous is because it doesn’t leave physical evidence of its presence. There are too many ways to hide its usage. The other reason is that people refuse to acknowledge it except in hushed whispers – which doesn’t exactly create an environment where you can feel like it’s acceptable to find help if it becomes a problem for you.

Who consumes pornography?

The average age of introduction is 11 years old. That means that many children saw it earlier than that. Many are first introduced to pornography by accidentally stumbling across it online. Porn sites and streaming services form a shockingly large percentage of all online material. Unfortunately, most teens aren’t p

Open HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS

What is HIV/AIDS?

In short: AIDS is a chronic, life-threatening disease caused by HIV (a virus).

HIV is short for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a type of virus which causes disease by infecting and killing blood cells central to the body’s immune system – which helps the body to defend itself against infection and disease. As these cells are progressively wiped out, the body becomes less and less able to defend itself against otherwise common illnesses.

AIDS is short for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It is the final stage of HIV infection where a person’s immune system has been weakened to the point where it can no longer fight disease. This leaves the body open to a wide range of potentially deadly diseases known as opportunistic infections. So strictly speaking, AIDS isn’t a specific illness but a collection of many different conditions in the body – thus syndrome.

As such, HIV can be considered the cause and AIDS the effect of the infection.

Open Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIs)

*What are STIs? * Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – sometimes also called sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) – are diseases that are spread by sexual contact. STIs can cause severe damage to your body; even death. Except for colds and flu, STIs are the most common contagious (easily spread) infections in the world, with millions of new cases each year.

STIs affect both men and women, but in many cases the health problems they cause can be more severe for women. If a pregnant woman has an STI, it can cause serious health problems for the baby.

How are STIs transmitted?

A person with an STI can pass it to others through contact with skin, genitals, mouth, rectum, or bodily fluids. Anyone who has sexual contact – vaginal, anal, or oral sex – with an infected person, may get an STI. Some STIs, such as hepatitis, can also be transmitted without sexual contact, by coming into contact with an infected person’s blood. Others, such as gonorrhoea

Open Alcohol use and addiction

ALCOHOL USE AND ADDICTION

Alcohol is a legal, controlled substance. It is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, so it slows down mental and bodily processes. With the first drink of alcohol, users may experience a decrease in anxiety and lowered inhibitions. It also has a broad range of side effects, from loss of coordination to slurred speech. Alcohol is commonly consumed as a drink in various forms, including beer, wine and hard liquor.

Not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic, but anyone whose life is negatively affected by alcohol on a consistent basis is considered having alcohol use disorder (AUD).

What is alcohol use disorder (AUD)?

Alcohol use disorder is a chronic disease that affects your brain. Sometimes genes passed down to you from your parents can put you at risk. However, your environment or psychological make-up also play a significant role.

How do you know when you’ve crossed the line from alcohol use to alcohol abuse and even addiction?

Because a

Open Nicotine use and addiction

NICOTINE USE AND ADDICTION

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance found in tobacco; a plant grown for its leaves. Tobacco products can generally be divided into two types: smoked tobacco and smokeless tobacco. Smoked tobacco includes cigarettes, cigars, hookah, and e-cigarettes (vaping), while smokeless tobacco includes chewing tobacco, snuff, and tobacco gum. Passive or second-hand smoking is when you inhale nicotine just by being around people who are smoking.

How addictive is nicotine?

Nicotine is highly addictive. More than two-thirds of nicotine users will become dependent on the drug. And only six percent of smokers are able to quit in a given year.

Nicotine is unique because the drug’s intoxicating effects are less intense than most other substances. Perhaps this is the reason that nicotine addiction is the most common addiction worldwide. As a stimulant, nicotine increases levels of dopamine in the brain. This triggers euphoria, boosts mood and enhances memory. Although it is

Open Drug Abuse and Addiction

DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION

Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterised by drug seeking and drug use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences. People from all walks of life can experience problems with their drug use, regardless of age, race, or background. Abusing drugs can lead to addiction – leaving you feeling helpless, isolated and ashamed. Drug abuse and addiction is less about the type of substance consumed and more about the consequences of that drug use. If your drug use is causing problems in your life – at work, school, home, or in your relationships – you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem. Recognising that you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery, one that takes tremendous courage and strength. If you’re ready to seek help, you can overcome your addiction and build a satisfying, drug-free life for yourself.

Why do people abuse drugs and risk getting addicted in the first place?

Some experiment with drugs: •

Open Social media use and addicition

SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND ADDICTION

If you use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Tumblr, WhatsApp, or Reddit (to name just a few), you are a user of social media.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using social media. After all, technologies such as Skype, Instagram, and Facebook allow us to stay in contact with family and friends on the other side of the planet. But when someone spends hours a day updating their status, uploading pictures, commenting on walls, playing Facebook games or searching for friends to add … it is safe to say there is a problem. If you spend unhealthy amounts of time on these platforms, you may have become a social media addict – it is just that you don’t know it yet.

Don’t be fooled: behavioural addictions, like spending time on social media, can be serious. Often it goes hand-in-hand with other Internet applications that a teenager is addicted to, such as online gaming or sexting. The focus becomes the digital world and the person i