Why I Am Working on Lessons

(besides the fact that I am creating them to use at work)

In trying to teach progressive Christian lessons to children, I have found a few problems:

1. Many Sunday School lessons are designed for specific age groups, but many Sunday School classes are K-5 (or higher). This means that practically, lessons may be too difficult for some children or uninteresting to others.  
2. Many Sunday School curricula are expensive, while many churches have limited financial resources.  
3. Many Sunday School lessons are heavily theological in their interpretations of the stories told. While many of us whom have grown up in the church may not notice this, I believe this removes much of the creative thinking and mystery that can be engaging and wonder-provoking for children.  It also makes them less usable for the diverse settings of our congregations.
4. Many lesson plans require significant training and/or preparation, while many churches lack the resources or staff to accommodate such requirements.  
5. There are few progressive curriculum, in general, let alone that can accommodate churches with fewer than 200 members (a small number of children, spanning the elementary school age brackets), a small budget, and a limited staff, which is many (if not most) mainline protestant churches and many non-denominational churches.  
6. Many progressive, value-driven families aren’t even going to church.  

Of course none of us can solve all of the world’s problems, but I think I have found a space in which many churches are under-serving our children and youth, not for lack of care, but for lack of resources.

Additionally, many parents desire ways to talk to their children about God and spiritual themes and stories, but feel ill-equipped to do so and reluctant to bring their child to church, whether due to their own unfortunate experiences in church, the lack of a good fit for their family nearby, or simple scheduling difficulties. The typical American family no longer has a stay-at-home parent, standard 9-5 hours, or easy commutes, yet our churches are still designed for this world.

I’m not here to convince you to go to church. Don’t get me wrong-- I love church, but I know how boring and lame so many are, even when they aren’t horrifyingly offensive in the kinds of things they teach.

TL;DR: WTF is this?

I’ve aimed to create “lessons,” which is to say: a story and activity you can do with your children at home or in a classroom. Each lesson is designed around a Bible story, includes a modern picture book story which can help explain and elevate the moral themes of the Bible story, and a craft that also explores the theme.

These are designed to be useful: many correlate to particular times of year-- not just religious holidays, but cultural moments like “Black History Month” and LGBTQ+ Pride.

They are designed to be inclusive: Most lessons do not require children to be able to read, though their experience is often elevated when they are literate.

The crafts are also designed to be accessible for children who aren’t yet masterful artists (and for teachers and parents that may not be, either!).

The lessons are progressive. I aim to use inclusive language that does not shame or degrade your child’s identity. I do not use gendered language for God (I don’t call God “He.”). While some of the materials and books do use such language, I encourage you to replace “he” with other pronouns to expand your child’s understanding of divinity and the inherent worth of different genders.

The lessons are also progressive in their theology. Bible stories are weird. I do not intend to “fix” texts that are uncomfortable, nor do I aim to tell anyone “how” to think about God. I try to approach these stories with a scholarly background, a firsthand experience of many holy land sites, a respect for the text and its authors and subjects, and an open way of understanding these stories.  That said, not every subject or scholarly explanation is understandable to children.  I aim to tell the choose and tell stories in ways that help your children learn and grow in the spirit without shaming or boring them.

Story

The picture books that correlate with each lesson are not necessarily “biblical.” We don’t live in a world of burning bushes and temples and our biblical figures didn’t live in a world with cars or the internet. The picture books lift up biblical themes in ways that I hope can help young people think about Bible stories differently-- in ways that lift them out of the dust and sand they seem to live in within our imaginations.

I want there to be room for differences in the ways we understand God and experience God’s presence, not to dictate anyone’s understanding. I hope that the lessons, stories, and crafts can help you and your child/ren explore God’s presence and role in your lives.

Craft

Each lesson has a craft designed to help your children enjoy learning about the material, use different skill sets and media to engage various learning processes, and create something to remind them of their own divine spark. The crafts vary slightly in their complexity and cost, but are designed to be affordable, easy, and fun. We know not everyone can afford a $25-per-child curated craft each week. Most of my supplies are from the dollar store, second hand store, or a closet.


So Maybe Try It?

I don't know if these are right for you and your family, but the kids I work with have fun and the families are pleased with the material.

Also:  the picture books are pretty awesome.  I have found some amazing authors and illustrators whose work will hopefully encourage a love of reading in your kids while telling stories of value.