About Our Upcoming TO SAVE A LIFE Movie Event

Hey Parents and Students,

I want to let you know about an upcoming event for our students which I believe is going to be life-changing for
those involved. On April 6th – 14th at Cornerstone and Kairos, we’ll be showing the movie TO SAVE A LIFE.
I not only highly recommend that your son or daughter come and see the movie with us, but I also recommend
that you see it as well.

Unfortunately, teens today are hurting and facing challenges like never before—I see it in our youth group and
in our local schools. TO SAVE A LIFE is rated PG-13 because it doesn’t shy away from tough topics. It deals
with social divisions, school violence, cutting, suicide, teen pregnancy and divorce—not in a graphic way, but in
a way that is authentic to many teens’ lives. And it points to a way out of these problems through faith and
reaching out to others. Ultimately, it asks the question ―What’s my life going to be about?‖ and dares teens to
answer with boldness and honesty.

Parents, I hope that by seeing this movie, your son or daughter will be inspired to reach out to the hurting and
lonely on their campus and truly make a difference in their world. After they see the movie, I encourage you to
talk with your teen about the issues it presents. Here are some discussion questions you can use to help begin
a conversation with your student:

1. Which character are you most like? Why? How
are you different from that character? Which
character are you the least like? Why?
2. Think about all the heartache and pain that the
film’s characters experienced. How does it move your
heart with compassion to know that others face these
issues on a daily basis?
3. Jake describes Jonny’s Wizard Wars humiliation
by saying, ―How messed up is that?! He wasn’t cool
enough?...and I never said a word.‖ Share a moment
when you were disappointed by your LACK of action
toward an injustice.
4. Jake realizes after the first party that his friends
―ditched him‖ and his ―parents would freak out.‖ Who
would you call in a similar situation?
5. Roger’s final thoughts in his life included the
following: ―No one knows how to listen – maybe this
will show them.‖ Check out James 1:19. How would
you rate your listening skills (on a scale of 1-10)? Are
you quick or slow to speak? To become angry?
What kind of friends do you have? As followers of
Jesus, when we see someone hurting, we are called
to do something about it, even if we aren’t ―that kind‖
of friend. Do you know of a current situation you feel
is important to speak up about? What is it?
7. In one conversation, Chris told Jake, ―At some
point, I guess you just have to ask yourself what you
want your life to be about.‖ God created each of our
lives for a purpose. What do you want your life to be
about?
8. At one point, Jake asks the youth group, ―What’s
the point of doing all this if you’re not going to let this
change you?‖ What do you think he meant by that?
What are some changes you will make as a result of
watching this movie?
9. Check out Ephesians 4:32. Jake made a Web
page to help students who are feeling alone and
depressed. Jake and the youth group started eating
lunch together and forming a community. What is
something you and/or your youth group could do to
reach out to the hurting and lonely?

6. Johnny described his friendship with Roger as 10. What’s your biggest take-away from the movie?
―kind of friends – but not in person – just online.‖

Thanks,
Nate Korpi
Director of Youth Ministries at Grace Point
You can check out PluggedInOnline.com, MovieGuide.org, Dove.org and ToSaveALifeLeaders.com to read
reviews and get additional resources.
 Handling the Tough Stuff

Life as a teenager can be difficult. Every day, your teen does their best to be liked, do well in school,
get along with their family, and make important decisions that could affect their whole lives.
Teenagers can't avoid pressures, and it’s natural for you to worry about them. No one knows your son
or daughter better than you, so the first step in supporting your teen through their troubles is
differentiating between normal growing pains and a crisis situation.

Did you know…

Depression strikes about one out of eight teenagers [TeenSuicide.us].
14%-39% of teens have had at least one incident of deliberate self-injury [Journal of
Abnormal Psychology].
Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 10- to 19-year-olds [National Institute of
Mental Health].
Read through the following list and remember these warning signs as you interact with your teenager.
You might also be in a position to help one of their friends. A teen might need special help if they:
Feel or act very angry most of the time, cry a lot, or often overreact
Display obvious and abrupt behavioral changes
Are repeatedly involved in high-risk behaviors
Complain of medically undiagnosed physical problems
Start doing much worse in school, or lose interest in activities or other things they usually enjoy
Change their sleep or eating habits, have persistent nightmares, or use alcohol or drugs
Avoid friends or family and want to be alone all the time
Say they can’t concentrate, make decisions, or pay attention to anything
Use suicidal language, such as ―I’d be better off dead,‖ ―You won’t have to worry about me
much longer,‖ or ―No one cares if I’m around; I’ll just end it all.‖
Talk about hurting others or lash out at people or property.

If you observe one or more of these signs in your student, you might need to find experienced or even
professional help for them. These are difficult but very real issues. Below are some Web sites, books,
and phone numbers where you can find help.

Suicidology.org 1-800-Suicide 1-877-Youthline

TeenSuicide.us 1-800-273-Talk
National Institute of Mental Health (nimh.nih.gov and search under children and adolescents)
Boys and Girls Town 24-hour Hotline: 1-800-448-3000
A Parent’s Guide to Helping Teenagers in Crisis by Rich Van Pelt and Jim Hancock
Hope and Healing For Kids Who Cut by Marv Penner

You can check out PluggedInOnline.com, MovieGuide.org, Dove.org and ToSaveALifeLeaders.com to read
reviews and get additional resources.