Children's Ministries
Fellowship Group Childcare
What is the role of children in fellowship groups?
Our desire is that our Fellowship Groups be family experiences that seek to incorporate children into the fabric of our Body Life together whenever possible. We will thus encourage each Fellowship Group to integrate children into those aspects of our Fellowship Group times that are appropriate, such as meals and worship.
What is the church's commitment to providing fellowship group childcare?
While the church will not be able to assume ultimate responsibility and to pay for childcare in homes away from church facilities, we will work closely with Fellowship Group leaders to make available Childcare Resources for each group. This includes a recommended list of trained childcare workers, children’s curriculum, and age-appropriate activities for children to do during Fellowship Group time. Fellowship Groups may want to consider having various people in the group lead these age-appropriate activities on a rotating basis.
Suggested Children's Curriculum
To go along with The Treasure Principle study this fall, we encourage fellowship groups to consider using the stewardship children’s curriculum listed below.
Crown Financial Ministries
The ABC's Of Handling Money God's Way Study and The Secret of Handling Money God's Way Children's Study are Bible-based money management curricula for children. Using a fictional story and fun activities, children are taught 12 lessons about the basics of money from God’s perspective. The teacher’s guide provides discussion questions, activities, work sheets, and teaching helps for each lesson. The student workbook includes full-color illustrations, simple Bible studies, and a guided prayer journal. Click here for a sample schedule on how to lead the study each week.
Teacher’s Guide (ages 3-7 or ages 8-12)--$10
Student Workbook (ages 5-7 or ages 8-12)--$13 or $14
Additional curriculum options:
Children Desiring God Curriculum
Developed at Bethlehem Baptist Church, the goal of this curriculum is to fuel spiritual desire in children by exalting the greatness and worth of God and His glorious work through Christ. There are various curricula, focusing on different age groups (nursery, preschool, elementary) and settings (Sunday School, Backyard Bible Club). Children Desiring God also has intergenerational curriculum, which are intended to be used in small group settings with Kindergartners through adults. Our children’s ministry uses this curriculum in Sunday School and highly recommends it.
Typical Price for a Teacher’s Kit (lesson guide & resource packet)--$125
Typical Price for a Leader Guide (40 lessons)--$75
Typical Price for a Children’s Workbook (1 activity page per lesson)--$9
Generations of Grace Curriculum
Developed at Grace Community Church, this curriculum for children age three through sixth grade provide age-appropriate Bible lessons and learning activities that teach the character of God, the work of Christ, and the means of living in right relationship to Him. Each curriculum has three teacher books, focusing on different age groups (preschool, younger elementary, older elementary).
Prices vary from $20 (5 lessons) to $90 (26 lessons) per Teacher Kit (lesson guide & resources)
DiscipleLand Bible Curriculum
Developed at Through the Bible Publishers, DiscipleLand Bible curriculum is designed to help children reach their full potential by transforming them into dynamic disciples of Jesus Christ—kids who know God intimately, who love Him passionately, and who serve Him selflessly. This curriculum offers a family of resources that form a comprehensive discipleship system: Preschool curriculum (ages 2-5) surveys the Old Testament and New Testament and has seasonal lessons. Kindergarten curriculum (ages 5&6) teaches children about 48 Bible characters. Elementary curriculum (grades 1-6) is a precept-upon-precept curriculum in which one foundational truth builds upon another for six years of sequential Bible curriculum. Adventure curriculum (grades 1-6) focuses on special topics (such as missions, Bible translation, etc.). The children’s ministry has used one Adventure curriculum, in which children watch a movie clip of the Jesus Film for Children, study the life of Christ, and pray for a country for the Jesus film is being shown.
Typical Price for Resource Kit (guide & resources)--$20
Typical Price for a Teacher’s Guide (12 lessons)--$10
Typical Price for Student Workbook--$4
Great Commission Publishing Curriculum
GCP's mission is to produce resources for the church's work of nurturing the people of God and doing so with a focus on building Christ's kingdom and preparing believers to "glorify God and enjoy him forever." This curriculum is reformed in nature, is God-centered, and has a covenantal perspective. Each set of curriculum has a different theme and is available for preschool through adults. However, each set of curriculum changes quarterly and is not offered once the quarter is over.
Typical Price for Teacher’s Kit (manual & resources)--$20
Typical Price for Teacher’s Manual (12 lessons)--$13
Typical Price for Student Packet (activity sheets for classroom and at home)--$10
Peacemaker Curriculum
Developed by Ken Sande, The Young Peacemaker is a powerful curriculum that teaches children how to prevent and resolve conflict in a constructive and biblically faithful manner. The system emphasizes principles of confession, forgiveness, communication, and character development, and uses realistic stories, practical applications, role plays, and stimulating activities. Although the material is designed for 3rd through 7th grades, it has been successfully used with preschool and high school students. The curriculum is 12 lessons, but can be split in half to stretch to 24 weeks.
Price for Teacher’s Manual (12 lessons)--$20
Price for Student Activity Booklet--$13
David C. Cook Bible-in-Life Curriculum
The David C. Cook curriculum is Bible-based and is intended to be used each quarter, alternating between the Old Testament and New Testament. Of all the curriculum, David C. Cook requires less preperation time than most curricula, and is easy to use.
Typical Price for Teacher’s Guide (12 lessons)--$20
Gospel Light Curriculum
Established by Henrietta C. Mears, the mission of Gospel Light is to know Christ and make Him known; and to provide His Church with effective Bible teaching and learning resources for use in making disciples, empowering them for godly living, equipping them for ministry and the evangelization of the world. The curriculum is gospel-centered and relatively easy-to-use, and the teacher guides, music, and visual resources are all reusable. The curriculum uses music, games, art projects, skits and other activities to help children understand and apply the Bible lessons. This curriculum is written for nursery-age all the way through sixth grade, so that the children will read and study through the entire Bible four times.
Typical Price for Teacher’s Kit (guide & resources)--$25
Typical Price for Teacher’s Guide--$7
Typical Price for Student Book--$4