Curriculum Distinctives

Curriculum Distinctives

It’s all about God
We believe that the Bible has been given to us first and foremost to teach us about God.  God is the main character of every story and the focal point of all instruction.  “What does this teach us about God?” is the question by which God’s Word must be studied.  All other characters of the stories of Scripture are secondary to God.  Our curriculum is neither man-centered nor moralistic in its approach.

It covers all of God’s Word
ALL Scripture is inspired by God and ALL Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteous (2 Timothy 3:16).  Based on that truth, we believe our children should be taught the entirety of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.  Where other curricula teach the same 30-40 “major” stories of Scripture, our curriculum covers all of God’s Word over a period of seven years.  We believe that the same gospel truths repeat over and over again in the Bible, which frees us to investigate almost all of God’s Word rather than simply repeating the same stories each year.

It connects everything chronologically
When other curricula teach the Bible as a series of disconnected stories, we teach God’s Word as history.  Therefore, our curriculum presents God’s Word chronologically, demonstrating how all the stories and teaching of Scripture connect to one another historically.  Each year, the children typically study two quarters in the Old Testament and two quarters in the New Testament, moving in parallel from Genesis to Revelation (See scope and sequence).  Our curriculum, then, is not grouped by themes or subject matter like other materials, desiring to see children study through the Bible book by book.

It’s centered on Christ
We believe that all Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, has Christ as the central focal point.  With that in mind, we teach all the stories of Scripture to children with clear reference to Christ.  Each lesson should direct our minds to what we learn about who Christ is, why we need Christ, and what it means to be Christ’s disciple.  In other words, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is taught as the children study from Genesis to Revelation. 

Its method is conversational
The methodology of our curriculum is the verbal transmission of God’s Word.  Teachers converse in a highly interactive way with their students about God’s Word.  Scripture is read, questions are asked, discussion is engaged, and application is made.  Within this process, students learn to investigate God’s Word—observing, comprehending, interpreting and applying it.  It is our desire to see children learn God’s Word AND learn how to study it for themselves.

It teaches children to learn it, love it, and live it
We desire for teachers and their children to be captivated by God’s Word.  Therefore, we have minimized the “fluff” often found in children’s curricula in order to make the most of their time in God’s Word.  There are no worksheets or crossword puzzles, skits or word searches.  Teacher and student spend their time investigating the Bible, so the children learn God’s Word, love God’s Word and begin to live out God’s Word!

It’s easy to teach
Our curriculum is a clear and organized scripted lesson plan, making it easy to prepare and present.  The main preparation is of the heart!  Teachers are not given multiple options or extra activities to put together.  This allows the focus to truly be on God’s Word, as it has the power to change the hearts of our children.  Our teachers testify to learning along with the children as they investigate God’s Word together!