Summer Curriculum Options

'Round About the Church!
Kids Stuff


    Summer is a unique time of year for the children's ministry at many churches.  Families come and go over the summer so our regular volunteers may not be available to teach.  Some churches, such as mine, give their regular volunteers the summer off so they can participate in an adult Sunday School class and have a time to rest and be fed before they return in the Fall.  Since families are much more mobile over the Summer, you never know which kids will be in class on a given Sunday, so, what do you do for curriculum?  We will take a look at a number of excellent curriculum options that provide sound Bible teaching in a flexible and engaging format!

    For years people have asked me to write a curriculum for both preschool and elementary age children utilizing the large group/small group teaching model, but with a focus on meeting the needs of the small to average size church.  I am pleased to make available a new curriculum, kidz CONNECTION - it's all about the GROWTH!  I can not "review" this curriculum for you since I'm writing it - it would be a tad bit difficult to maintain my non-biased review policy, but I would like to encourage you to take a look at the six year scope and sequence, director's tips, sample preschool and sample elementary lessons as well as the sample small group flyers.  If you have any questions, feel free to let me know!  All churches that order kidz CONNECTION - it's all about the GROWTH! for the 2005 Fall quarter will receive a 20% discount on their order.   www.roundaboutthechurch.com/KidsConnection


 
Live the Adventure!
Publisher - Promiseland/ZonderKidz
Ages - Kindergarten - 5th grade
    Once again, I absolutely love the Promiseland 10-week curriculum resources!  Live the Adventure! is an excellent choice for churches to utilize over the summer and is very flexible allowing you to adapt it to fit your church's unique needs.  My church has found Promiseland 10-week curriculum works extremely well for us for both sunday school and children's church - we use the large group drama and break into small groups to work through what the lesson means and how the kids lived it the week before and can do so again in the coming week for our sunday school hour and then use the game and review the lesson for children's church.  Live the Adventure!  works tremendously well for the summer as you can get your drama people to film the Elijah, Elisha and Daniel lessons before the summer begins and then that video with the Joseph video that comes with the curriculum would allow you to be able to present consistent, effective large group time all summer and not have to recruit large group drama people for the summer.  Kids who arrive to sunday school and find Live the Adventure!  will be truly engaged, enjoy sunday school and most importantly will be able to learn how God wants to be part of their everyday lives!  Tremendously well done Promiseland and ZonderKidz!

 
What's
Bugging
You
Rescue 911
Produced/Written by - Craig Jutila and Empowering Kids
Grades - 1-6
    This is one of the most unique, effective and engaging curriculum resources I have reviewed!  I really like the emphasis on living out what they learned.  The video/dvd teaching portion allows you to use consistent, kid targeted teaching every week with extra features - great for the summer as you don't have to have people teaching the Bible lesson who may not be comfortable with teaching.  I highly recommend all of the curriculum resources from Empowering Kids/Saddleback Church - you may want to consider utilizing this curriculum year around.  Tremendously well done Craig and Empowering Kids!

***This curriculum is only available from Empowering Kids - www.empoweringkids.net


 
Journeys with Jesus
Publisher - God Prints/
Cook Communications
Age - preschool & elementary
    Extremely well written with options and designed to engage students so they will understand and live out - show the Godprint in their life!  You may consider getting a group of drama people together and then film them presenting each week's drama so the volunteers will just show the video each week - making it easier to recruit enough people to make the lessons work.  Tremendously well done Cook!

 
Little Kid's Time
My Great Big God
Publisher - Gospel Light
Ages - 2 - 5
    Little Kid's Time is a truly flexible resource that allows you to pick and choose what you want to use to best engage your preschoolers in the Bible lesson so they will be able to understand and remember God's Word.  Tremendously well done Gospel Light!

Kids Stuff
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Copyright © Lynda Freeman
Last Updated May 4, 2004
Web Page by Lynda Freeman
Send an e-mail to Lynda at LyndaFreeman@roundaboutthechurch.com
 

 

kidz Connection

kidz Connection