We will be using the curriculum Witness - a curriculum distributed by the publishing division of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Augsburg Fortress Press www.augsburgfortress.org.
Witness Sunday School Curriculum is a great way for the children of Messiah Church to “Learn from the Bible to Live the Good News.” What is the good news? God promises, provides, and is present throughout human history; God is there for us as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifying Spirit; that God is for us and with us, wherever we are and whatever we do. God is also for others — in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our churches, and all around the world. That is news worth sharing!
Why is Witness right for us? A two-year, undated semester structure makes Witness attractive for our Sunday School. Since Sunday school is the only place where many children hear Bible stories, repeating key themes and stories every two years is critical for biblical literacy. Over several years even children who attend inconsistently have a good chance of experiencing the richness of the whole salvation story, adding a layer of depth with each encounter. In addition, Witness provides the flexibility to break from the curriculum occasionally for special gatherings such as our annual celebration to kick off the year, as well as our Christmas Pageant and Sacramental preparations.
Witness Is Easy for Messiah’s Teachers
Today’s Witness is designed for our adult leaders who are committed to nurturing faith but have limited preparation time. The Teacher Guide includes a helpful planning chart at the beginning of each session, plenty of background information, easy-to-follow session pages, and lots of tips throughout. Bible backgrounds help teachers quickly understand the Bible story and its application for kids today.
Witness Is Engaging for our children!
Witness is designed with kids in mind. Colorful learner resources to use in class and share at home make learning about God’s love fun. Hearing the salvation story told with a different age-appropriate Bible story each of 40 weeks a year gives children a rich survey of God’s word. The know, grow, and show goals for each session are realistic and kid-friendly. And conversations about Faith Traits in Bible times and today help guide learners’ explorations of what it means to be Jesus’ disciples.
If you would like more information on Witness or you would like to see some sample lessons, please visit their website, www.augsburgfortress.org/witness
