Looking for the “best” curriculum for your youth ministry? There are many options from a variety of publishers and denominations. The right choice depends entirely on your context and goals. Below you’ll find a list of Building Faith’s favorite curriculum options based on theology, availability, and pedagogy. The articles in our curriculum center can help you identify your needs, capabilities, and hopes. Looking for more support? Join our free weekly Office Hours or reach out via email to buildfaith@vts.edu.

How To Use This List

• For each curriculum “top pick” we list the name, publisher, publication date (if applicable), age group, and a brief summary. We have done our best to include helpful information in the summaries such as:
  • Age group breakdowns
  • Digital media options
  • Materials available in Spanish
• Click on the name of the curriculum to visit the webpage for the curriculum.
• Click on the name of the publisher to learn more about the theological background of the curriculum and click on the denomination (if applicable) to read their statement of belief.
• As always, when choosing a curriculum for your setting, take into account the theology, Biblical interpretation, context, materials, and representation as you discern which curriculum might be the best fit for your context.

Top Picks for Youth Curriculum (Updated May 2022)

Animate
Publisher & Date: Sparkhouse (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
Age Group: Grades 9th-12th (note: this curriculum is marketed for adults by Sparkhouse, but we feel it is appropriate for some groups of older youth)
Summary: This curriculum is divided into three areas: faith, Bible, and practices. Each session includes a video featuring a leading voice from the Christian faith which can be followed by journaling time, group reflection, or both. This resource is available as a complete curriculum or as individual sessions.

Collaborate: Bible Study
Publisher & Date: Sparkhouse (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
Age Group: Grades 6th-12th
Summary: The curriculum includes 30 different Bible Studies. Each is fairly robust and could be stretched into multiple weeks of study. It includes student workbook with engaging infographics as well as leader guides and video content.
*Digital content available through Sparkhouse Digital

Connect
Publisher & Date: Sparkhouse (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), 2013
Age Group: Grades 5th-6th
Summary: A two-year curriculum for preteens with five Old Testament units and five New Testament units. It includes animated videos, hands on projects, and corresponding “Connect Bible.”
*Digital content available through Sparkhouse Digital

Echo The Story
Publisher & Date: Sparkhouse (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), 2014
Age Group: Grades 6th-12th (might be most appropriate for middle school)
Summary: This image/visual-oriented curriculum has two options: a 12-session overview of the Bible (Creation-formation of the church) and a 36-session overview (Creation-Revelation). The lessons engage a variety of learning styles through video, sketching, reenacting, and conversation.
*Digital content available through Sparkhouse Digital

Faith Lens
Publisher & Date: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Age Group: Youth and young adults
Summary: This blog offers weekly reflections, Bible studies, prayers, and discussion questions that correspond to the lectionary to connecting world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life. You can subscribe to receive Faith Lens weekly via email.
Note: This curriculum is not published during summer months.
*This curriculum is a free, downloadable resource.

Fathom
Publisher & Date: Cokesbury (United Methodist), 2017-2018
Age Group: Grades 6th-12th
Summary: This is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 studies. Each study includes four sessions. It could work for a group of both middle and high school students combined or separately.

Feasting on the Word
Publisher & Date: The PC(USA) Store (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)), 2020
Age Group: Grades 5th-12th grade (two groups: grades 5th-6th and grades 7th-12th) (corresponding children and adult curriculum available)
Summary: This curriculum follows the Revised Common Lectionary and allows groups of different ages to explore the same Bible passage each week. It explores the “what, where, so what, and now what of each biblical passage” through a variety of learning and teaching styles.

Follow Me: Biblical Practices for Faithful Living
Publisher & Date: The PC(USA) Store (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)), 2020
Age Group: 3-10 years old (two groups: 3-5 years, 6-10 years) (with corresponding youth and adult curriculum as well as congregational guide)
Summary: This curriculum offers thirty-six units with components for young children, multiage children, youth, adults, and ways to connect the curriculum of worship to other areas of church life. The curriculum emphasizes the life of Jesus and bringing faith practices into daily life.

Generation Why
Publisher & Date: co-published by Brethren Press (Church of the Brethren) and MennoMedia, (Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada), 2014
Age Group: Grades 6th-12th
Summary: This curriculum offers Bible-based exploration of issues relating to the lives of youth. Each session includes Bible study, discussion questions, and multiple games and activities from which to choose. Each unit also includes reproducible handouts and an extender session. There are 15 units available (purchased separately) and each unit contains 6 sessions).

Groove
Publisher & Date: Cokesbury (United Methodist), 2015
Age Group: Grades 6th-12th
Summary: This is a Bible study based curriculum for teens that offers topical studies. Each topic includes four sessions with a total of 48 sessions available. There is a focus on connecting scripture to the daily life of young people.

Journey to Adulthood
Publisher & Date: Church Publishing (Episcopal), 2021
Age Group: Grades 5th-12th (three groups: Rite 13 for grades 6th-7th or 7th-8th, J2A for grades 8th-9th or 9th-10th, and 4Ward for grades 10th-11th or 11th-12th)
Summary: This is a downloadable spiritual formation curriculum for youth. It is relational, inclusive, and scripture based. Core components include prayer, rites of passage, outreach work, and playful activities. Lessons are divided into three categories: self, society, and spirituality.

Lesson Plans that Work
Publisher & Date: The Episcopal Church, 2021
Age Group: Grades 6th-12th (curriculum for children also available)
Summary: This curriculum offers new lesson plans this year for youth and young adults. These lessons are thematic and focus on topics of the day such as racial justice and healing, creation care, and equality.
*This curriculum is a free, downloadable resource.

LinC: Living in Christ
Publisher & Date: Cokesbury (United Methodist), 2019-2021
Age Group: Grades 6th-12th
Summary: This curriculum offers Bible-based teaching connected to current events and culture (music, movies, etc.). It includes reproducible student pages and can be downloaded individually or delivered to your email weekly.

Living Compass
Publisher & Date: The Samaritan Family Wellness Foundation
Age Group: Teens (curriculum for adults and parents also available)
Summary: The Teen Wellness Circle is designed for a small group of teens to meet together with a facilitator for six sessions to discuss eight areas of wellness, faith, balance, and change.
*This curriculum is a free, downloadable resource.

Shine: Living in God’s Light
Publisher & Date: co-published by Brethren Press (Church of the Brethren) and MennoMedia, (Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada), 2020
Age Group: Grades 6th-8th (children’s curriculum also available)
Summary: This curriculum has a focus on mission, peace, and justice. The curriculum is offered both as a multi-age program or as an age-segregated program. Some digital products are available in addition to a corresponding story Bible.

t.b.d. think. believe. do.
Publisher & Date: Sparkhouse (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), 2018
Age Group: Grades 9th-12th
Summary: This curriculum offers five topics of study: prayer, sin, mission, salvation, and Bible. Each topic includes multiple sessions. The curriculum is small group oriented and offers video content in DVD form.
*Digital materials available through Sparkhouse Digital.

The Thoughtful Christian (Downloadable Studies for Youth)
Publisher & Date: The Thoughtful Christian.com is maintained by The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)) that publishes ecumenical resources for academics and the trade under the Westminster John Knox Press imprint, 2008-2014
Age Group: Grades 6th-12th (some topics are most appropriate for 9th-12th grade youth)
Summary: The downloadable studies for youth from The Thoughtful Christian are topical studies that generally include 1-3 sessions each. Topics include Bible, theology, liturgical seasons, and spirituality as well as popular culture and contemporary moral issues. Example include: Does Science Conflict with Religion?, Forming a Healthy Relationship , and How to Pray.

Weaving God’s Promises
Publisher & Date: Morehouse Education Resources, a division of Church Publishing (Episcopal), 2016
Age Group: Ages 12-14 years (children’s curriculum also available)
Summary: An online, downloadable, three-year Episcopal curriculum that can (mostly) align with the lectionary. It offers lessons on the prayerbook and sacraments.

Special thanks to Meg Jones & Mary Whitmire Bordley for consulting with the Building Faith editors for this article.

Meg Jones (she/her/hers) is currently the Director of Christian Formation at Christ Church in New Bern, NC. She is a life-long Episcopalian, raised in the Diocese of Atlanta. After graduating from Appalachian State University, she spent two years at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta in their youth ministry internship program and a year at St. Teresa’s Episcopal Church in Acworth, GA as the Director of Children’s and Youth Ministry. Meg brings experience in churches of varying sizes as well as Diocesan, Provincial, and National church connections.

Mary Whitmire Bordley (she/her/hers) is the Coordinator of Children’s and Youth Ministry at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Knoxville, Tennessee.  She is a life-long Episcopalian, raised in her faith primarily in the Diocese of Atlanta and as an undergraduate at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.  Mary holds a teaching license and M.Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education and taught for over ten years in public and private preschools for children with and without disabilities before transitioning to working with children, youth, and their families in the Episcopal Church.

Photo by Zaini Izzuddin on Unsplash.