FRIENDS.CHURCH

1. READ the Bible with your child everyday.

2. PRAY with and for your child everyday.

3. TALK with your child about God throughout the day (Deuteronomy 6).

4. Be INVOLVED with your child at church, don’t just bring them to church: 

   • Make every effort to attend the same service each weekend (so your child will have the opportunity to develop a strong relationship with their small group and small group leader)
   • Know what they are learning
   • Know who is teaching them
   • Volunteer in your child’s age group
   • Participate together in a community “reach” event or service project

12 – 23 Months:
Bible stories are taught each weekend, using a variety of age-appropriate methods aimed at helping young children understand God loves them and God made them.

2 – 3 Years:
Kids participate in Large group time which is a fun, interactive, multimedia-based curriculum that takes them on a Bible Adventure as they explore God’s Word through creatively taught Bible stories on DVD. Kids also sing, jump, shout, move and worship through song. The kids break up into small groups where they do Bible learning activities or crafts that reinforce the lesson objective.

4 Years – Kindergarten:
The Bible is taught over two years through a large group/small group format called Pt. Discovery. Kids start out in small groups doing an activity together, then transition to large group time for high-energy, engaging and age-appropriate Bible teaching and worship. Kids then have small groups where they participate in activities to reinforce the story.

TruStory is a biblically based curriculum, teaching children the Bible from beginning to end every year, repeating every 3 years, with each new year focusing on different parts of God’s Big Story. It is designed to reveal God’s redemptive plan for kids, allowing them to Anticipate, Celebrate, Respond, and be Blessed in an participatory environment. Kids participate in large group worship time then break into small groups. TruStory recognizes that the spiritual formation of children comes through the power of the Holy Spirit and allows space for children to respond to God. Best of all, spiritual learning begins in the home, equipping parents to be primary in spiritually nurturing their elementary child through a preteaching resource called “Homefront Weekly” (see below).

• Anticipate/Small Group:
  Check-In Anticipate is an energizing time for parents and kids to start engaging with the material that will be presented in the lesson. It is intentionally designed to spark curiosity about what they will be experiencing.
• Celebrate/Large Group:
  During the Celebrate portion of the lesson, kids get to be a part of the community of God’s family. They participate in celebratory worship, connect through fun and interaction, and experience The Big God Story through storytelling right out of the Bible.
• Respond/Large Group:
  During our large group Respond time, kids worship through silence, prayer, singing, giving, sharing, and gratitude.
• Respond/Small Group:
  The small group Respond time is a time to engage in relationships with other kids and their leader (this is why it is SO important for kids to attend the same service each weekend!), reflect on the lesson, and create a collaborative project or piece of art. During the time of reflection, kids are encouraged to explore personal responses to God and grow in their relationship with Christ.
• Bless/Small Group:
  The Bless portion of the lesson provides a time for leaders and parents to bless their students or children. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement.

All Ages – Home Front Monthly
HomeFront Monthly is for all ages. You can download by clicking on the link below for this month’s HomeFront. It includes: storytelling, God’s Word, new family traditions, fun games and recipes, family blessings, prayer, a marriage section and more!

There are four ways to get HomeFront Monthly:

• Download the HomeFront Monthly App for FREE on your iPhone. Key word search: “Tru Home”
• Have an issue of HomeFront sent to your inbox each month for free.