One Story: 32 lessons from Genesis to Revelation

“After a decade in youth ministry, I realized how little my teens knew about Scripture, despite my best efforts to the contrary,” writes Jen Bradbury. “Most of my teens lacked a basic understanding of Scripture’s arc. They knew there was an Old and New Testament, but with few exceptions, most couldn’t tell you what stories were found where. What’s more, many of my teens believed that God’s character changed somewhere between the pages of the Old and New Testament.”

Bradbury saw what many youth workers know only too well: teens hear the stories of the Bible, but either don’t understand them, don’t know if they should believe them, or don’t see how they connect with one another. And, certainly, teenagers often don’t recognize the defining, overarching story of redemption that threads its way through all of Scripture.

One Story is yearlong curriculum created to address all of that. Covering Genesis through Revelation, these interactive lessons are designed to engage each teen in better understanding the stories that drive and define our faith. Every lesson includes practical, hands-on activities, large and small group questions proven to prompt honest conversation, and step-by-step teaching points to help youth workers walk teens through each passage. Developed to work across an array of Christian traditions, One Story will help you find something we all want: a way to help our teens become more biblically literate, more engaged in the full story of Scripture, and more aware of who Jesus is.

NEW: a timeline of the lessons is now included in the download to help students see the “big picture” of how these stories fit together.

About the Author

Jen Bradbury serves as the minister of youth and family at Atonement Lutheran Church in Barrington, Illinois. A veteran youth worker, Jen is the author of The Jesus Gap: What Teens Actually Believe about Jesus and The Real Jesus (The Youth Cartel), and Unleashing the Hidden Potential of Your Student Leaders and A Mission That Matters (Abingdon). Jen is also the Assistant Director of Arbor Research Group, where she has led many national studies. When not doing ministry or research, she and her husband, Doug, and daughter, Hope, can be found traveling and enjoying life together.