Unit 1: God’s Good Story: God’s Words (6 Lessons)

To kick off the year, learners will ponder what the Bible is and why it is so important. They will think about how the Bible is one big story about God’s love for God’s people. This foundational unit will also include lessons on the Shema and context characters which will be built upon throughout the year. 

Unit 2: God’s Invitation (6 Lessons)

Learners will build on their knowledge of what the Bible is by recognizing that they have the opportunity to be active participants in God’s story. Through the stories of creation and Adam and Eve, learners will practice creation care and experience how the biblical authors structured the creation story to communicate that God is a God of order through hands-on learning opportunities. 

Unit 3: A New Beginning - (12 Lessons)

The story will continue with a promise God makes to Abraham and his descendents. Learners will notice that God shows love to God’s people in how God gives gifts of life, hope, and grace. Through stories of Leah and Joseph, learners will contemplate God’s faithfulness and love for unlikely people. 

Unit 4: God To The Rescue (12 Lessons)

Through exploring stories like the exile of Israel, wandering through the desert, and David and Goliath, learners will discover that God rescues God’s people. This will also give learners an opportunity to explore the countryside and desert of Israel and ponder what it may have been like to wander for 40 years. 

Unit 5: Kings and Prophets (12 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will explore God’s love and faithfulness through stories of King David, Isaiah, Daniel, and Jonah. They will have opportunities to explore what it means to follow God, the Good Shepherd, and what it might have been like for the Israelites to be in exile. 

Unit 6: Follow Me (9 Lessons)

Learners begin following the story of the Rabbi Jesus in this unit. Learners will wonder about what it might have been like to be a disciple of Jesus and uncover layers of who Jesus was and is to us today. Jesus is one who seeks out, who loves, who serves. To end the unit, learners will interact with the Lord’s Prayer and reflect on what it means to pray. 

Unit 7: Jesus and His Amazing Teachings (9 Lessons)

As learners continue to follow Jesus in his ministry, they will pause and wonder at his miracles, teachings, and love. The unit will conclude with a project focused on how much God loves them, and what it means to be loved by God. 

Unit 8: Our Friend Jesus (9 Lessons)

In the spirit of 1 Timothy 4:12, learners will discover that Jesus did not look down on children because they were young. He welcomed and was friends with children, tax collectors, and others who might have felt overlooked. 

Unit 9: The Psalms (6 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will pause to read and explore biblical poetry in the Psalms. Children experience a wide variety of emotions each day, and these emotions and feelings are represented in the Psalms. There are sad, angry, joyful, and thankful Psalms which can give language to felt experiences and help learners talk with God about them. 

Unit 10: Our Helper (6 Lessons)

The story picks back up with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Learners will study more about God as Father, Son, and Spirit, and what it means to be changed by the Spirit through the story of Paul’s transformation. 

Unit 11: Intro to Spiritual Disciplines (6 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will consider different ways of apprenticing with Jesus. If followers of Jesus want to be like him, they have to try to do what he did. Learners will get a chance to experience practicing what Jesus did through community building, service, and generosity. 

Unit 12: The Spirit on the Move (6 Lessons)

The Spirit of God didn’t just stay in ancient Israel, God’s Spirit grew and flourished even in the most difficult of times. Learners will get a window into the early church by learning about the lives of Paul, Timothy, and others who were dedicated to following Jesus and living the gospel. 

Christmas Unit: God With Us (3 Lessons)

God’s people had waited for a very, very long time for a messiah to come. Learners will celebrate the Advent season together by thinking about how God’s people waited for the Messiah and about the hope and light God brought with the birth of Jesus. 

Easter Unit: God’s Wonderful Surprise (9 Lessons)

To prepare for Easter, learners will remember the events of the life of Jesus leading to the cross and then celebrate His resurrection. The story of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples will encourage learners to think about Jesus as a Servant King. They will have the opportunity to embody this idea by serving their classroom and home communities.