FAQ's Growing In Christ
What is Growing in Christ
What are the benefits of Growing in Christ?
What are the Growing in Christ age levels?
What are the new and exciting tools offered with Growing in Christ?
What specific products will be offered at each level?
What kind of scope and sequence does Growing in Christ follow?
How were stories chosen for inclusion in the scope and sequence?
Will the lesson topic be the same at every level each week?
How will the High School and Adult levels be handled?
How is the summer quarter handled?
What about free shipping and product prices?
When will products be available for sampling?
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What is Growing in Christ?
Jesus says, "Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches." John 15:3–5
Growing in Christ is the life of the child of God! Through the Word and Sacraments, we live and grow in Christ.
Growing in Christ is a Sunday School curriculum rich in God’s holy Word. Students learn all the major stories of the Old and New Testament and see how God weaves His plan of salvation in Christ through the lives of ordinary men, women, and children.
Growing in Christ puts the focus squarely on the heart and center of the entire Bible: Jesus Christ, our Savior from sin, death, and the devil. Each lesson reveals our sin and God’s forgiving mercy in Christ.
Growing in Christ lessons connect the Word of God to the daily life of the student, nurturing faith in our loving, forgiving Savior.
Growing in Christ strengthens Christ-centered grateful response in lives marked by thanks and praise and service and obedience.
Growing in Christ teaches the language and shape of Christian faith and life in the Lutheran Church, grounding students in the Bible, Small Catechism, and hymnal.
Growing in Christ is filled with age-appropriate activities and teaching tools that engage children in meaningful, relevant interaction with God’s Word.
Growing in Christ provides flexible teaching options, adaptable for local circumstances, giving teachers the choice to use what works best for them. In your classroom, you are the expert. You know the children and their abilities, so you choose what works best.
Growing in Christ is the life of the child of God!
What are the benefits of Growing in Christ?
Growing in Christ is filled with age-appropriate activities and teaching tools that engage children in meaningful, relevant interaction with God’s Word.
Lessons are interactive and age appropriate. Related materials are easy and fun to use with lots of resources and options to enrich the Sunday School classroom. Options for teachers with various class sizes and configurations, and students with special needs, will also be offered.
Does your church use the site-rotation format for Sunday School? Don’t worry; Growing in Christ can be used in your church as well! The Director Guide contains ideas for using the curriculum in your site-rotation format.
What are the Growing in Christ age levels?
Growing in Christ age levels are adaptable and flexible! We know that every child is not the same. The materials are designed to accommodate the varying levels of child development and your needs for grouping students.
Early Childhood – Designed for use with pre-readers ranging from 3-5 years old. (Preschool and Kindergarten)
Lower Grades – This level is developed for the early reader; ages may range from 5-7 years old, and could include students from kindergarten to the 1st and 2nd grade levels.
Middle Grades – This level is written primarily for children ages 8-10 years old, in 3rd and 4th grade, but might include advanced 2nd graders and some 5th graders.
Upper Grades – This level generally targets children in grades 5 and 6, ranging in age from 10-12 years old, but could include advanced 4th graders and possibly some 7th graders.
Junior High – Written for students in 7th and 8th grades, this level is appropriate for children ranging from 12-14 years old, but could also include 6th graders.
High School – For freshman through seniors, this level is written especially for the 14-18 year olds, grades 9 to 12.
Adult – For the 18+ group, the same Bible stories are offered for adult Bible study.
What are the new and exciting tools offered with Growing in Christ?
Original, Realistic Bible Paintings help the children in your Sunday School to more clearly see the truth and reality of God’s Word! Our research indicates that children often equate cartoon illustrations with fictional stories. In addition, our research shows that children prefer art that portrays a Bible story in a realistic style. Therefore, Concordia Publishing House has commissioned realistic paintings to depict each Bible story in the Growing in Christ curriculum – this includes more than one hundred original, realistic, beautiful paintings! These masterpieces are used throughout the curriculum.
Storytelling Figures and Backgrounds make the Bible stories come to life at the Early Childhood and Lower Grade levels. Students understand the story more clearly when they see it unfold through these colorful storytelling resources!
Bible Review Games and Review Cards help to build excitement and get the students in your Middle and Upper Grades involved in the lesson. Students exercise their memorization skills and become engaged in the story without even realizing it!
Bible Research Books: Grab your gear – we’re going on an exploration! Students dig deeper into each Bible story with their handy Bible Discovery Guides (Middle Grades) and Bible Exploration Guides (Upper Grades) – these resources are indispensable! Students explore what life was like in Bible times and learn more about the culture, tools, and lifestyles depicted in each story. This resource further emphasizes the truth of Scripture and is included in every Middle Grade and Upper Grade student packet!
W5online – Current Event Openings: “What does this Bible story mean for me today?” We know this is a common question in the minds of your Junior High and High School students. So we’ve given you the tools to effectively answer that question while generating spirited class discussion. Each week the Junior High and High School Teacher Guides direct you to a special section of the Growing in Christ Web site featuring a current event article with discussion questions related to that week’s lesson. It’s the: who, what, where, why, and when (W5) of the Bible story connection to today’s current events, and it is available to you each week (online). It’s W5online!
Bible Timeline Poster: “If these events really happened, how come we don’t hear about them in History class?” Help your students to see and understand how this week’s Bible story fits into the historical events they are learning about in school with the Bible Timeline Poster! Biblical events are interwoven with ancient civilizations and developments to show students that these Bible stories are no less real than Mesopotamia, the Pyramids, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon! Included in the Middle Grade, Upper Grade and Junior High Teacher Tools packet, as well as in the Director Guide.
4WORD gets your Junior High and High School students into the Word throughout the week with this pack of devotionals written especially for them. Each weekly devotional bears a connection to the upcoming lesson – it keeps them looking ‘forward’ and its purpose is ‘for the Word!’ All devotionals are formatted on pages that slide easily into the student’s Bible.
Memory Word Puzzle Books give your Upper Grade and Junior High students a chance to learn more about the lesson while exercising their puzzle skills! This student-friendly resource is available in the Upper Grade and Junior High Teacher Tools packet and includes reproducible pages.
And So Much More… These exciting resources are only the beginning… the list goes on! See the following section for a complete listing of products and resources available at each level.
What specific products will be offered at each level?
Early Childhood
| Teacher Guide (Extra activity suggestions and reproducible pages included) |
Teacher Tools
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Realistic Bible Art Posters |
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Storytelling Figures and Background Table Tent |
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Attendance Chart |
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Multipurpose Posters |
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Teacher CD (with Bible memory and Catechism songs, hymns, files of reproducible pages, and more) |
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Student Stuff
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Student Book (includes leaflets and craft pages together and in lesson order) |
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Sticker Pages (segmented by lesson) |
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Student CD (with songs, hymns, and stories) |
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Lower Grades
| Teacher Guide (Extra activity suggestions and reproducible pages included) |
Teacher Tools
| |
Realistic Bible Art Posters |
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Storytelling Figures and Background Table Tent |
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Attendance Chart |
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Multipurpose Posters |
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Teacher CD (with Bible memory and Catechism songs, hymns, files of reproducible pages, and more) |
|
Student Stuff
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Student Book (includes leaflets and craft pages together and in lesson order) |
| |
Sticker Pages (segmented by lesson) |
| |
Student CD (with songs, hymns, and stories) |
|
Middle Grades
| Teacher Guide (Extra activity suggestions and reproducible pages included) |
Teacher Tools
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Faith Word Cards |
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Bible Review Cards and Games |
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Bible Timeline Poster |
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Classroom Posters |
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Teacher CD (with Bible memory and Catechism songs, hymns, files of reproducible pages, and more) |
|
Student Stuff
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Lesson Leaflets |
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Bible Discovery Guide |
|
Upper Grades
| Teacher Guide (Extra activity suggestions and reproducible pages included) |
Teacher Tools
| |
Bible Words Puzzle Book (reproducible) |
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Bible Review Cards |
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Bible Timeline poster |
| |
Classroom Posters |
| |
Teacher CD (with Bible memory and Catechism songs, hymns, files of reproducible pages, and more) |
|
Student Stuff
| |
Lesson Leaflets |
| |
Bible Exploration Guide |
|
Junior High
| Teacher Guide (Includes reference to and instructions for W5online) |
Teacher Tools
| |
Bible Words Puzzle Book (reproducible) |
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Bible Review Cards |
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Bible Timeline poster |
| |
Classroom Posters |
|
Student Stuff
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Junior High Folio (Lesson Leaflets) |
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4WORD devotional packet |
|
High School
| Teacher Guide (offered quarterly) includes reference to and instructions for W5online and reproducible student pages |
| Optional for the students: 4WORD |
Adult
| Participant Bible Study books (offered quarterly) |
Director Guide Kit
| Director Guide book |
| Publicity Posters |
| Bible Timeline Poster |
| Director CD (with FREE rally day service) |
|
Other Products
| Puppets: Sprout and Lily |
| Bible Story Poster Sets |
| New Sunday School Pins |
| View-Master® with Bible Story Art |
| Student Promotion Certificates |
| Teacher Appreciation Certificates |
| Concordia Attendance Program |
What kind of scope and sequence does Growing in Christ follow?
The Bible stories in Growing in Christ give a comprehensive presentation of God's plan of salvation as He revealed it in the lives of the Old Testament saints and fulfilled it in His Son. From Early Childhood through the Adult level, every student focuses on the same Bible story topic and key point. This encourages discussions between children and parents in the home, helping them to grow in faith as a family. Lessons at each level include specific age-appropriate teaching tools, techniques, and story-telling components.
The Growing in Christ curriculum includes three, full years of Bible stories with an additional fall quarter following the third, full year of the curriculum. In the Fall of each year, the curriculum focuses on Old Testament stories for four years, providing students a rich walk through the entire Old Testament. In the Winter and Spring Quarters of each year, the curriculum focuses on the New Testament, walking the students through the life of Christ as the church year unfolds.
View the complete scope and sequence:
Link
How were stories chosen for inclusion in the scope and sequence?
The Bible stories were selected to give a comprehensive presentation of God’s plan of salvation as He revealed it in the lives of the Old Testament saints and fulfilled it in His Son.
Will the lesson topic be the same at every level each week?
Yes! From Early Childhood through the Adult level, every student focuses on the same Bible story topic and key point. This encourages discussions between children and parents in the home—helping them to grow in faith as a family. Lessons at each level include specific age-appropriate teaching tools, techniques, and storytelling components. Student materials are tailored for the unique needs of the various levels, making them interactive and engaging for each child!
How will the High School and Adult levels be handled?
Both High School and Adult resources are offered quarterly along with the other levels. The High School Teacher Guide contains reproducible pages for participants within each lesson; purchasers of this level also have the option of buying 4WORD—the set of weekly devotionals—for their students.
The Adult Bible Study books contain discussion questions with room for participants’ notes. The format of this resource follows the standard for all Adult Bible Study series, with each participant working from their own book in their preparation time and in-class discussion.
How is the summer quarter handled?
Rarely (if ever) in life do you receive something absolutely FREE…
Churches that sign up to purchase Growing in Christ for the fall, winter, and spring quarters will receive the summer quarter ABSOLUTELY free of charge!
That’s right. Absolutely free!
We know that your summer Sunday School attendance can sometimes be sporadic – so we made the summer materials reproducible. And to ensure that children who’ve missed out on summer Sunday School do not confuse the unfolding of God’s plan of salvation, the summer Sunday School Bible stories are more thematic than chronological.
What about free shipping and product prices?
As always, free shipping will continue to be available to all customers . Just mention Code SS77 when ordering, you also receive free shipping if you are included in our automatic ordering system. Call a customer service rep for details. Every attempt is made to keep the curriculum cost affordable, call with any questions about pricing.
When will products be available for sampling?
The samples of Growing in Christ are available now! View samples now!