Powerful Choices > Series Three > Choose Friendship

Healthy friendships build you up by encouraging positive behavior.

CHARACTER TRAIT:

Friendship is vital when establishing a healthy relationship. A strong foundation of shared values, goals, and interests, can help a relationship—or close friendship—grow and stand the test of time. During the teenage years, it is important for youth to understand what is most important to them, and to look for friends who will support them and build them up in a positive manner.

LESSON:

Students will begin to identify what qualities are most important to them in a friendship, a romantic relationship, and in a marriage relationship. Students will understand that it is important to have a strong foundation built of trust and shared values in order to have a successful marriage. Students will briefly discuss divorce, while keeping the focus of the lesson on the positive attributes of a lasting marriage relationship.

Students will:

• Review the Choose Friendship Chart of levels relationships
• Discover what qualities are most important to them in a future spouse
• Understand the importance of establishing a strong foundation in relationships
• Briefly discuss divorce
• Understand why abstinence until marriage can help build a strong foundation

Activities:

• Review of Choose Wisdom and Choose Awareness lessons
• Re-introduce The Friendship Chart
• Group discussion: What does it take to have a healthy friendship?
• Individual worksheet: Qualities I Want in a Friend in Marriage
• Group discussion: First impression versus lasting qualities
• Group activity: Toothpick Tower
• Group discussion: Building a strong foundation
• Worksheet for homework