Jim Britts says the film To Save a Life never was intended to be a Christian film.

“We said we wanted to make a film for teenagers who never would set foot in a church but would go to the movies—something that would reach them,” said Britts, a California youth pastor who produced and wrote the screenplay for the movie.

Britts has succeeded in his mission. The film, which is about a popular high school athlete whose priorities radically shift after his one-time best friend commits suicide, found an audience as well as a measure of critical praise—much of it from secular critics who declared it was a high-water mark in the world of Christian filmmaking.

Now after a successful run in theaters, To Save a Life could be coming to a youth group near you—on DVD—and it’s not coming alone.

Outreach magazine and the makers of To Save a Life have developed books, audio products and curricula to go along with the film, much of it new for the DVD release. Among the new products:

Life Choices Curriculum Kit is a five-week Bible study that uses the film to teach teens some important, practical lessons. The packet includes guides for leaders, students, small group leaders and a resource booklet, along with a DVD featuring clips from the film and short talks by Jim Britts himself.

Life Saver: The Ultimate Devotional Handbook for Teens is an eye-catching, fun and thought-provoking book. It’s stuffed with devotionals related to 50 topics important to today’s youth from being real to peer pressure to dealing with the temptation of sex.

Another devotional book titled To Save a Life: Dare to Make Your Life Count was written by best-selling authors Todd Hafer and Vicki Kuyper. It challenges readers to develop friendships that matter, illustrates how it truly is more blessed to give than to receive, and shows that how you live your life can transform the lives of those around you.

That’s all in addition to the products already in existence, including the Devo2Go—a downloadable audio devotional much like the one Jake downloads in the movie. The Devo2Go designed for the film features Britts and other youth worker luminaries, including David Hasz (executive director for Teen Mania) Miles McPherson (a senior pastor and former NFL player) and Leeland and Jack Mooring (members of the band Leeland). The devotional runs for 36 days and incorporates a small workbook, which encourages listeners to think about what they’ve heard, crack open their Bibles and act on what they’ve learned.

Also still available is the official To Save a Life Youth Curriculum Kit, a full-blown seven-week series designed to help teach youth how to be the hands and feet of God. It includes: a leader’s guide filled with messages, activities and group questions; a resource CD loaded with PowerPoint slides, printable handouts and more; a DVD featuring clips from the film to go along with each lesson plan, a Devo2Go and some other special features to help youth get excited about the lessons. “You can’t go a page in the gospels without Jesus talking about the hurting or lonely or actually reaching out to them,” Britts says. “We did the series based on (our experience of) 10 and a half years of youth ministry. It’s the best series we have ever done. We saw more kids get saved and get baptized and get connected. It’s really just living out the themes of the film, how to save a life.”

To Save a Life, the novel, written by Jim and Rachel Britts and based on the movie also is available.

For more information on these products or to order, visit ToSaveaLifeLeaders.com and click the “Free Resources” button.

Info about National To Save a Life Week

More YWJ info about To Save a Life.

Click here for a blog by Jasper Rains, “How to Save a Life.”

Movie review by Jeremy Berg.