CHARLOTTE, N.C. (ANS-September 11, 2016) -- Many young people today are broken-hearted and face painful challenges in life.

According to a news release, in response to this need, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has placed a focus on equipping youth to share hope with their friends and peers who are suffering through a personal crisis.

To reach as many students as possible, the BGEA has released special discounted group rates for the online Sharing Hope in Crisis Student Training course.

The training includes four lessons with videos, readings, exercises and quizzes that cover content such as knowing what to say - or not to say - to someone who is going through a crisis.

“For many years we have held seminars around the world, equipping Christians to appropriately share the hope of Jesus in difficult times,” said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, a crisis-chaplaincy ministry, speaking in the news release.

He added, “We realized that teenagers - particularly high-schoolers - are not immune to tragedy. From broken homes and difficult relationships, to alcohol and car accidents, there's a great need for our young people to be prepared.”

The group registration is specialized for students who may struggle to afford their own registration, or lack the time to take a course by themselves. The group training is a means for students to learn alongside each other in their already-formed youth groups or Sunday school classes.

“High School students would benefit greatly from the information available in Sharing Hope in Crisis, but we also understand that there are challenges when it comes to time and money. We've done our best to overcome those obstacles by making this as flexible as possible to fit around their home and school life,” said B.J. Rogers, assistant dean of Online Evangelism Training for the BGEA, also speaking in the news release.

He added, ‘Additionally, we've incorporated the ability to have a group-designated mentor to help engage members, maintain a study schedule, and maximize learning, as well as a private discussion forum, which encourages communication and interaction between the mentor and members.”

Pricing for the Sharing Hope in Crisis Student Training begins at $40 for an individual student, but can be reduced to as little as $20 per student using the discounted group rate.