***Click here to view a sample of the Crossings Leader Guide.

***Click here to view a sample of the Crossings Youth Journal.

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"Because every confirmand should know the eight core stories of the Bible."

The Crossings confirmation program concentrates on three areas:
1. Identify the eight parts of the core biblical story. Crossings explores five events from the Hebrew Scripture and three events from the New testament in order to discover how God speaks to us and leads us in our journeys.

2. Relate the core biblical story to our individual stories. Each of the 30 sessions helps youth explore the intersection between the Bible and their own questions of identity, doubts, and hope, as they discover the questions the story asks of them.

3. Participate in the real life practices of the Christian church through worship, community, devotional life, and service.

• Worship: Faithful participation in the Lord’s Supper and experiences of God’s grace.
• Community: Connections with others who encourage and nurture us in faith.
• Devotional life: Individual prayer and study that brings depth, growth, and new hope.
• Service: Extending ourselves for others brings justice and renewal to every part of God’s creation.

Crossings Content Overview
Crosssings includes a total of 30 sessions: 15 from the Hebrew Scripture and 15 from the New Testament. Three retreats provide beginning and ending points, plus a bridge between the Old and New Testaments.

Crossings Components

• Leader Guide: Includes biblical background for eight units and three retreats, plus step-by-step suggestions for each session.
• Youth Journal: Summarizes key points of each of the 30 sessions in this course. It offers individual and group activities and provides space for youth to record their experiences with the Bible.
• Crossings X-treme Bible Trivia Game: Offers additional Bible learning in a fun format including Bible references for further exploration.
• Poster Set: The nine full-color posters in this set will accompany your journey through the Crossings confirmation program.

Meet the Crossings Writers
Dr. Thomas G. Long wrote Bible Backgrounds for the New Testament. He is a Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. His numerous publications include The Witness of Preaching; Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian; Hebrews in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching; and Matthew in Westminster Bible Companion Series.

Dr. Mark A. Throntveit wrote Bible Backgrounds for the Hebrew Scripture sections of Crossings: Retreat 1 and Units 1-5. Thronveit is professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. His books include The NIV Learning Bible; 1 & 2 Chronicles in The Interpreter’s Study Bible; 1 & 2 Chronicles in Harper’s Bible Commentary; The CEV Learning Bible; and Ezra-Nehemiah in Interpretation Commentaries.

John Indermark wrote the 15 New Testament sessions in Units 6-8. He is a retired pastor of the United Church of Christ. He has written for Seasons of the Spirit and published several books including Parables and Passion; Companions in Christ, Neglected Voices; and Traveling into Prayer Paths of Jesus. He lives in Naselle, Washington.

DeAnna Miller wrote the 15 Hebrew Scripture sessions in Units 1-5 and created the Crossings X-treme Bible Trivia Game. She has a master’s degree in theology from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota and has been active in leading her congregation’s youth program. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Keri K. Wehlander created the three Crossings retreats. She leads retreats and workshops and has written several hymn texts and books of worship resources, including, Circles of Grace: Worship and Prayer in the Everyday. Her writings have been included in anthologies in both North America and the U.K. She lives in British Columbia.

Crossings Content Overview
Crossings includes a total of 30 sessions: 15 from the Hebrew Scripture and 15 from the New Testament. Three retreats provide beginning and ending points, plus a bridge between the Old and New Testaments.

Retreat 1: How Is the Bible True?
Genesis 1:1-2:3

Unit 1: God’s Call
Genesis 12:1-9; Genesis 17:1-27

Unit 2: The Exodus
Exodus 3:1-12; 7-11; 12; 14-15

Unit 3: The Sinai Covenant
Exodus 19:1-6; 20:1-17; 24:3-8; Deuteronomy 6:1-7

Unit 4: Promised Land
Numbers 21:4-9; Joshua 6:1-25; 24:1-24

Unit 5: The Davidic Rule
2 Samuel 7:4-16; 2 Kings 17; 25; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 8:3-13

Retreat 2: Jesus’ Family Tree
Matthew 1:1-17

Unit 6: Jesus’ Life
Luke 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Unit 7: The Cross
Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 9:21-22; 23; Hebrews 2:10-18; Philippians 2:1-11

Unit 8: Resurrection Life
Matthew 28; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 23:50-24:12; John 20-21; 1 Corinthians 15

Retreat 3: Run the Race
Matthew 8:11; Hebrews 11:1-12:2; Revelation 4:1-11

Options for using Crossings (8 units)
One-year program

• Use all 30 sessions and 3 retreats.
• Focus on the 8 core stories, selecting from the available sessions.

Two-year program

• Year 1: 1 retreat and 15 sessions from the Hebrew Scripture.
• Year 2: 2 retreats and 15 sessions from the New Testament.

Retreats can be adapted for use from 2 hours to 2 days.

How to Get Started
The best way for leaders to equip themselves for this program is to purchase a copy of Crossings Review Kit. It offers leaders one copy each of all the resources recommended for the program: Leader Guide, Youth Journal, Poster Set, and Crossings X-treme Bible Trivia Game.
 

* Crossings Review Kit (one of each-a 23% savings)

CCRVK - $95.23

* Additional Leader Guide 
CCLDR - $47.58

* Additional Youth Journal
CCYTH - $23.77

* Additional X-treme Bible Trivia Game
CCBTG - $23.77

* Additional Poster Set
CCPST - $28.54/set of 9