Objective:
The middle school youth will take a deeper look into the serious topic of depression and how this is manifested in their lives. The sessions will also help the middle school youth to seek Jesus Christ to help them, as well as their friends and family when they experience depression.
Overview:
The middle school years is a difficult time for the majority of adolescents. Their bodies are changing, their friends are exploring different crowds, school tends to get more difficult and they are desperately searching to define who they are as a person. Life is in this constant state of transition, and that inconsistency makes it difficult for them to know where they can find help. One issue commonly experienced during this transition into the teenage years is depression. Whether it is brought on by something internal, such as a chemical imbalance or external factors such as the death of a loved one, a divorce in the family or the end of a friendship or relationship, depression is a serious problem that not only affects the mind of a child, but also affects his or her physical and spiritual health. The book of Lamentations gives us an insight into darkness of depression:
My soul is deprived of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is; I tell myself my future is lost, all that I hoped for from the LORD. The thought of my homeless poverty is wormwood and gall; Remembering it over and over leaves my soul downcast within me. But I will call this to mind, as my reason to have hope: The favors of the LORD are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent; They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness. My portion is the LORD, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Good is the LORD to one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him; It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:16-26)