First Presbyterian Church Children & Youth Ministry Faith Formation 2012 Faith Formation for children is the responsibility and privilege of church and family united. Together we can weave the thread of spiritual growth into a child s world. Our vision is to foster within each child the desire to discover God in a personal way as their Lord, Savior, and as their friend. This document is designed to help equip teachers and parents in this task. TWO & THREE YEAR OLDS God is love. God created all things. God is good. God takes care of me. God loves me. Jesus is my friend. I belong to God s family. I m a part of the church. The Bible is a special book. To say thank you to God we pray and share. Birth of Jesus. (Christmas) SONGS: Jesus Loves Me The B-I-B-L-E Away in a Manger 1st verse Dancing Feet If You re Happy and You Know It Jesus Loves the Little Children (new version! every child in every land comes from the Creator s Hand ) O Come, All Ye Faithful: refrain I Can Praise God We are the Church Zacchaeus PRAYER: God is great, God is good God our Father ABC, 123, Thank you God for Feeding Me Two to Three Year Olds: Create artwork for our TLC friends in nursing homes, hospital or sick at home. Participate in book or coat drives or supplies for church approved mission.
FOUR AND FIVE YEAR OLDS God is love. God created all things. God is good. God is always with me. God loves me. Jesus is my friend. I belong to God s family. I m a part of the church. The Bible has two parts: The Old Testament & the New Testament To say thank you to God we pray and share. The Creation Story Bringing offering is a way to say thank you to God & to serve God. Birth of Jesus. Story of Easter. SCRIPTURES: Genesis 1:31 (God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good) Genesis 12:3 ( Blessed to be a blessing ) Psalm 100 (Make a joyful noise to the Lord ) Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12) Psalm 118:24 ( This is the day ) I John 4:19 ( We love because he first loved us. ) Mark 10:14 ( Let the little children come to me ) SONGS: In addition to the songs in the earlier years, this is a sampling of what will be added: He s Got the Whole World in His Hands God Is So Good This Little Light of Mine Down in My Heart (I ve Got the Joy) Go Tell It On The Mountain Deep and Wide The Butterfly Song Love Never Fails Rise and Shine Rejoice in the Lord Always Silent Night, 1st verse We love Create artwork for our TLC friends in nursing homes, hospital or sick at home; participate in book or coat drives or supplies for church approved mission; increase involvement with family-centered projects, such as Grace Lunch prep; bring offering to Children s Church.
FIRST & SECOND GRADES The Kyrie Two Sacraments: Baptism The Lord s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13) Parts of the Worship Service (1st grade worship) The Names of the Four Gospels The Names of the 12 Disciples Familiar with the organization of the Bible (book, scripture) Familiar with the hymnal Participate in stewardship and regular giving of offering The Meaning of Jesus Birth The Resurrection (Story of Easter) SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning ) Ex. 34:6 (Lord God, merciful and gracious ) Deut. 6:4-5 (The Great Commandment) John 3:16-17 (For God so loved the world ) Romans 8:28 (We know that in everything God works for good ) Micah 6:8 (What does the Lord require of you ) SONGS & HYMNS: In addition to the songs in the earlier years, this is a sampling of what will be added: Come All Ye Faithful Joy to the World Wherever I may Wander Come, Christians, Join to Sing I have Decided to Follow Jesus I ve Got Peace Like a River When we are Living (we belong to God) Spirit of the Living God In Christ There is No East or West For the Beauty of the Earth Psalm 8 the Lord is Great! In addition to projects from the younger years, assist with various missions of the greater church through our LOGOS program, as well as through Sunday school.
Third & Fourth Grades The Ten Commandments The three persons in the Trinity The Creation Story order of creation The furniture in worship & specific places in worship (i.e. pulpit, pew, narthex, chancel, table, font) The Apostles Creed The Lord s Supper The Gloria Patri Basic knowledge of major events & some of Jesus teachings: (Birth, Teachings, Healings, Relationships with other people) Stories of Old Testament Characters Abraham Samuel Moses Isaac Saul Solomon Jacob David Joseph How to locate the Old and New Testament, Genesis, Psalms, all four gospels The books of the Bible in order How to read the Bible reference (book, chapter, verse) How to compose prayers and pray for others How our church uses the offering money at home and in the community Incorporating children into the Worship Service SCRIPTURE: Psalm 19:1, 23, 46 Matt. 25:40 (As you did it to one of the least of these ) Matthew 28:16-20 Great Commission Luke 12:48 ( For to whom much is given, much is required. ) 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (Words of Institution) SONGS & HYMNS: In addition to the songs learned in earlier years, here is a sampling of what will be added: Our God Our Help in Ages Past O Little Town of Bethlehem Jesus Christ is Risen Today Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus Now Thank We All Our God Angels We Have Heard on High Holy, Holy, Holy Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee Lord of the Dance Same as above AND local stewardship events such as Beach Sweeps.
FIFTH GRADE By the time children have completed the 5th grade they should know the following: The location of all books of the Bible. How to identify and locate key passages: Ten Commandments, Narratives about Jesus, Lord s Prayer, Beatitudes Give information about, including location in Old or New Testament: Abraham Adam David Gideon Isaac Isaiah Jacob Jeremiah Jesus John the Baptist Joseph Joshua Joshua Miriam Moses Nehemiah Noah Paul Samuel Saul Solomon 12 Apostles How to place the following on a timeline in chronological order: Creation, flood, wanderings of patriarchs, slavery in Egypt, Exodus, Giving of Ten Commandments, settlement in Canaan, rule of judges, time of kings, Exile, Return to Jerusalem, birth of Jesus, crucifixion and resurrection, Pentecost, Beginning of the Christian church. The stories, chronologically, of the Christmas events, life of Jesus, crucifixion-resurrection, Pentecost. Start to classify the major biblical characters as: Patriarch, judge, king, prophet, disciple How to use a Bible Dictionary and Atlas The Seasons of the Church Year About other styles of worship (Roman Catholic, Jewish, etc.) That God cares about what we do with our money. A percentage of the money we have should be given to the Church to be used for others. SCRIPTURE: Joshua 24:14-15 The Beatitudes Psalm 8, 103, 121, 22, 150 Acts 1:8 (You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit ) HYMNS: All Glory, Laud and Honor A Mighty Fortress is our God Here I am, Lord Praise the Lord, God s Glories Show Amazing Grace I Sing a Song of the Saints of God Continued building upon the above with more responsibility for creating programs to serve others and executing the programs with adult supervision. Play larger roles with smaller children in VBS, visit Street Reach; make projects for CASA
Faith Formation for Middle School Youth 8 th Graders are invited to Confirmation Class where the majority of this study takes place. Bible Knowledge Main leaders/stories in the Old Testament The relationship between the Old and New Testament The Major and Minor Prophets and their message The Gospels / The story of Jesus life The story of Acts Bible Skills Use a bible Concordance Locate scripture passages & categorize the writings (law, history, poetry, prophecy) Use maps in Bible Study Memorize the books of the Bible Use Personal devotional material to study the Bible Presbyterian Church/History knowledge The History of the Reformation/What does Protestant mean Marin Luther and John Calvin How the Bible was formed (Canon) The Creeds and Confessions / What are they and why are they important The form of government in the Presbyterian Church The sacraments in the Presbyterian Church The reformed and reforming church Stewardship Discerning and developing talents to serve God Being an active, faithful giver Tithing Prayer Life Develop a growing understanding of prayer through practice, journaling and study Concepts The Trinity What is means to claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior Grace The New Covenant and how are we Covenant People Your faith journey Worship It s about God The fundamental importance in our faith There are many ways to worship Mission What is mission and what does it have to do with your faith Be provided with mission opportunities within the community and beyond Learn ways to be active in service activities Participating in the church wide stewardship campaign beginning in the Confirmation year Church Connections & Relationship Skills The importance of church membership and the responsibilities of membership Group development through IMPACT, retreats, mission trips, Sunday school, choir, outings etc. Continued intergenerational relationship building looking at ways to support, assist and inspire others
High School Cross Training Faith Formation Bible Knowledge/ Discovery -History and structure of the Bible -Who were the authors and how do they fit into the greater story? Bible Skills -Commentaries -Concordances -How to use your study Bible -Understanding of different translations -Biblical Interpretation and Lectio Divina History of Christianity -Study of Acts Understanding Other Denominations -Roman and Orthodox churches, the Reformation, the other mainline denominations Understanding Other Faiths -World Religions: Who are they and what do they believe? Being Presbyterian -History of our denomination -What does it mean to be reformed? -What does the PC (USA) say about particular social issues? Life Application -How do we live as Christians? -How do we live a life of service? -How are we called? What is MY call? -Am I being a good steward? -Using our Spiritual Gifts, in theory and here and now! -What does scripture say about? -How does the way we live our life affect others? -How do I continue to live as a child of God AFTER High School?