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01.  Introduction

My mom likes to tell about how, when I was little, I would try to get our guests to read to me. I’d bring them a stack of my favorite picture books, thinking that if they saw what I held, there would be no denying me. There’s something special about children’s books with beautiful illustrations and carefully crafted stories. As a grownup, I still love browsing the children’s section of my favorite local bookstore. It’s not just the books themselves, though. It’s how reading them slows us down, unleashes our imaginations, and, as author Katherine Rundell puts it, in those books, we “refind things we may not even know we have lost.”

 

I also enjoy reading children’s books to adults and watching them contemplate the profound and complex messages we often find within the pages. One of my favorite memories of doing this occurred while I was teaching a college course on Spiritual Formation. We had taken a break from our usual discussion for me to read You Are Special by Max Lucado. The story centers on a wooden boy named Punchinello who lives in a town where they mark one another with a sticker to indicate their perceived value. The beautiful and talented get gold stars, while the plain ones, like Punchinello, are covered with ugly gray dots. Beautifully told, by the end of the story, Eli, the Creator-Woodcarver, helped Punchinello understand that it isn’t the opinions of others that determine our value, but neither do we “earn” it. Instead, it’s the love of our Creator that gives us our worth. And we are loved far more than we can imagine.

 

As I read You Are Special to this room of college kids, holding the book up and showing the pictures just as you would at a preschool storytime, I noticed that one young woman was particularly captivated. As I turned the last page, her eyes were wet with tears. I knew something was happening within her, but it wasn’t until later that she revealed how this children’s story had finally convinced her of God’s love. This simple tale, read in the middle of a college classroom, was what the Holy Spirit used to open her heart to Christ.

 

Experiences like this affirm that learning and understanding don’t always come in traditional ways. We are more than a mind, and we best address the needs of children (and ultimately all people) when we engage their whole selves: heart, soul, mind, and strength. Sometimes, it is the pause to do something like reading a children’s story or gathering around for a lesson from Borgo’s Life with God for Children that can open a heart to hear God’s voice and help someone begin to imagine that maybe He really does love them far more than they believed.

 

So, while you may not automatically think of using Life with God for Children in a school setting, I hope you’ll consider it. It fits in a whole-person model of Christian education by allowing children to pause and engage in an unhurried wonder of their Savior. The boys and girls will be encouraged to contemplate, pray, listen, worship, and create in the company of their teacher and classmates without the pressure of earning a grade or performing. Life with God for Children can provide a mini-sabbath amid a school day, which is its own form of grace.

 

As you adapt Life with God for Children to a Christian school environment, consider the following:

• Sacred Space: If your school has a chapel, you could reserve that space for the Life with God for Children lessons. Regardless, an ideal location will be somewhere you can sit comfortably together on the floor, easily take shoes off and put them back on, and have access to the Response Center materials. You will also need to be able to post and view the Bible timeline on the wall.
• Bible Grades: If you must give a Bible class grade, find another time for those evaluations. Once the children realize you are evaluating them, they will not feel as free to meet with and experience God during the lessons.
• Habits and Rhythms: Decide how many times a week your class will have a Life with God for Children lesson. Most schools meet around thirty-six weeks a year, and this curriculum has fifty-eight lessons. Make a plan and remain consistent. Knowing when to expect this respite will help the children mentally and emotionally prepare for the break in routine (similar to how we subconsciously prepare for church on Sundays).

• Bibles: For the school setting, each child will need their own Bible or Beginner’s Bible (for children up through second grade). The school can provide these, or parents can purchase them as a part of their school supplies. It will be easiest for the older children to have identical Bibles or at least the same translation.

 

In the following section, I will use two lessons to provide examples of how to use this curriculum (one for younger children and one for older ones) in a Christian school setting.

 

In addition to the curriculum, you need The Life with God Bible (Zondervan) and, if you teach children ages PreK-2nd grade, a copy of The Beginner’s Bible (Zonderkidz). I also find having a dedicated journal for notes, thoughts, and prayers helpful. Finally, read Borgo’s complete Introduction at the beginning of your curriculum download. She lists materials you will frequently use there.

 

As you plan to teach the lesson, prepare yourself. Be ready to see these little ones as co-pilgrims and friends. It will help tremendously to go through these lessons as a learner before assuming the role of teacher. To do that, I recommend reviewing the first article in this series. Ask God what He has for you, recognizing that we cannot share with others what we do not have ourselves.

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02.  Sample Lesson for Grades PreK & K (Lesson 29: Jonah Didn’t Obey God)

Background Notes for Teachers: If this is your first time teaching this resource, read Lacy Finn Borgo’s curriculum Introduction. It will provide an overview of the unique characteristics.

• Read Lesson 29 on p. 137-140.
• Spend personal time with the suggested reading in The Background Notes for Teacher, which includes readings from Scripture and additional content in The Life with God Bible.
• Read through the lesson and create a list of the supplies needed.

 

Center Down 

• By “centering down,” you will help the children mark this time as holy or “set apart.” As a schoolteacher, you will need creative ways of separating this experience from the rest of the school day. Having the children remove their shoes, playing quiet instrumental music, sitting on a special rug, and relocating to a special space within the room or building are ways to note this time as distinct. It is important for the “centering down” to incorporate two or three physical markers. Children should not sit in their usual seats during the lesson.
• Be strategic about the time of day when you will pause and be with God together. Consider the class rhythm and the needs of the children. Because your group will engage in contemplative activities, avoid times when they are chatty, grumpy, or sleepy. Also, the lesson intentionally incorporates a time of eating together, so you may want to schedule the lesson to overlap with your class’ snack.
• Be consistent. Stick to it once you have determined the best day(s) and time(s) for your class community. Creating a habit for the group will increase the likelihood that the children will relax and concentrate on experiencing God’s presence and His Word.
• It may take a few days to decide how long the “center down” time should last. Be sensitive to the children’s need to mentally, emotionally, and physically transition from a “school mindset” by making this time special and providing a few minutes of active solitude (coloring, looking at books, etc.).

Prayer Time

• Gather the children into a circle and begin your prayer time.
• As you pray, simply talk with your heavenly Father together. Let the children see you relax, enjoy a conversation with God, and offer them the opportunity to do the same.
• Just like the lessons you teach, things will go more smoothly some days than others. On the days when the kids are wiggly or especially talkative, remind yourself that you are giving them a gift by allowing them to take a break and spend time with Jesus. You are helping them grow as whole people by teaching them to love God with their hearts, minds, souls, and spirits.
• With a large group of children, you may be unable to specifically invite each child to pray aloud. An alternative would be to offer an open invitation to speak their prayer, concluding when it seems everyone has finished. Or, you could have the children raise their hands when they want to contribute, and you could gently tap their shoulders when it is their turn.

Connect and Focus Verse

• Review the timeline to help the children remember the Bible stories you’ve already covered.
• By allowing the children to share what they remember about previous Bible lessons, they learn they have something valuable to contribute. Their peers will learn as they hear from their friends.

Listen and Learn 

• These sections will likely work just as they are. You will read this week’s story together from The Beginner’s Bible. Have the children follow along with you in their own copy of the Bible storybook.

Snack

• Snack time is intentional and a way to model feasting and celebrating together as the Body of Christ. As the children eat, keep the conversation going – the natural activity of eating may help them relax and more willingly share what they’re thinking about God’s Word.
• If you choose to utilize snacks the children brought from home, think ahead about how they will retrieve this food so that it does not break the lesson flow.

Do

• In each lesson, Borgo includes descriptions of Response Centers. Instead of preparing a game or craft, you will gather supplies for the three essential stations and whichever optional stations you decide to include. Even if you only have a few students in your class, always offer at least three centers. This method allows children to choose how to respond to God’s Word.
• Over time, you will build a robust supply of station materials. Most weeks include a reading station, and the others alternate. However, as the year progresses, pay attention to the ones your class enjoys most, and feel free to substitute those for ones that don’t go over as well.
• Because the children are in your classroom for most of the day, this time will be more meaningful if at least some of the stations are only accessed during your Life with God for Children lesson time.
• Borgo encourages you to play with the children. This is another way to show the children that this time differs from your regular instruction. Relax and enjoy your time with the kids. Look for where you see God and work, and model joyful engagement.

Sing/Conclusion

• Lacy Finn Borgo does a fantastic job selecting classic children’s songs you can enjoy together. If you aren’t familiar with the recommended weekly song, you may find it on YouTube or streaming services like Spotify. However, keep things simple in the classroom and sing acapella.
• In a school environment, you will benefit from consistent attendance (as opposed to a church setting where many families attend sporadically). Because of that, consider choosing a few class hymns that are simple but full of theological truth. Keith and Kristyn Getty have several kids’ hymnal albums with examples of this type of music.
• If you want to give the children something to do with their bodies as they sing, teach basic sign language for these classic children’s songs.

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03.  Sample Lesson Preparation for Grades 3-4 (Lesson 46: Jesus Loves Others)

Background Notes for Teachers: If this is your first time teaching this resource, read Lacy Finn Borgo’s curriculum Introduction. It will provide an overview of the unique characteristics.

• Read Lesson 46 on p. 237-239.
• Spend time on the suggested reading in The Background Notes for Teachers. You can also find a meditative exercise focused on the social justice stream provided by the Martin Institute and Conversatio here: Streams of Living Water 8: Six Streams In Our Lives | Conversatio Divina
• Read the verses mentioned in Learn. Answer the questions yourself.
• Read through the lesson and create a list of the supplies needed.
• Decide whether you will do the Extension on p. 239.

 

Center Down

• By “centering down,” you will help the children mark this time as holy or “set apart.” As a schoolteacher, you will need to find creative ways of separating this time from the rest of the school day. Having the children remove their shoes (and then put them back on after the lesson is complete), playing quiet instrumental music, sitting on a special rug, and relocating to a particular space within the room or building are ways to note this time as distinct. It is important for the “centering down” to incorporate two or three physical markers. Children should not sit in their usual seats during the lesson.
• Be strategic about the time of day when you will pause and be with God together. Consider the class rhythm and the needs of the children. Because your group will be engaging in contemplative activities, avoid times when they will likely be chatty, grumpy, or sleepy.
• Be consistent. Stick to it once you have determined the best day(s) and time(s) for your class community. Creating a habit for the group will increase the likelihood that the children can relax and concentrate on experiencing God’s presence and His Word.
• It may take a few days to decide how long the “Center Down” time should last. Be sensitive to the children’s need to mentally, emotionally, and physically transition from a school mindset to this time of corporate worship by making this time special and providing a few minutes of active solitude (coloring, looking at books, etc.).

Prayer Time

• Gather the children into a circle and begin your prayer time.
• As you pray, simply talk with your heavenly Father together. Let the children see you relax, enjoy a conversation with God, and offer them the opportunity to do the same.
• Just like the lessons you teach, things will go more smoothly some days than others. On the days when the kids are wiggly or especially talkative, remind yourself that you are giving them a gift by allowing them to take a break and spend time with Jesus. You are helping them grow as whole people by teaching them to love God with their hearts, minds, souls, and spirits.
• With a large group of children, you may be unable to specifically invite each child to pray aloud. An alternative would be to offer an open invitation to speak their prayer, concluding when it seems everyone has finished. Or, you could have the children raise their hands when they want to contribute, and you could gently tap their shoulders when it is their turn.

Connect and Focus Verse

• Follow the instructions as provided. Reviewing the timeline will help the children remember the Bible stories you’ve covered this year.
• By allowing the children to share what they remember about previous Bible lessons, they learn they have something valuable to contribute. Their peers will learn as they hear from their friends.
• If you must offer a Bible grade, the timeline can provide content for a quiz. However, refrain from taking grades during the actual lesson. For example, if you use the Life with God for Children curriculum on Tuesdays and Thursdays, do additional Bible teaching and timeline reviews on the alternate days and restrict grading activities to those times. The children should not perceive that you are evaluating them while they spend time with Jesus.

Listen and Learn

• Follow the provided instructions.
• Each child will need their own Bible unless your school provides a class set. It will be easiest for the kids to focus on the reading if they all use the same translation. If parents provide a Bible for their child, request the translation you want to use on the school supply list at the beginning of the year.

Do and Extension

• Lesson 46 is part of a series on the six Streams (traditions of the Church). These lessons can be used when encountered in the sequence of lessons or reserved for Eastertide. This lesson’s activity is the third week of a project that begins in Lesson 44. For a fuller understanding of what the children are creating, refer to the Extension activity on p. 229.
• Richard Foster’s book Streams of Living Water is an excellent resource to help you discuss the Compassionate Life/Social Justice stream with the children. In the Life with God for Children curriculum, Borgo explains the streams as “six things Jesus did over and over again. These six things gave people life and hope. These six things taught people how to live a life with God. We call these things streams, because they are like water that keeps us from being thirsty. We need them like trees need water. Jesus was excellent at them and he loved doing them.”
• Unless your class is extremely small, this activity must be adapted. One option is to make individual mini-posters on cardstock. The children can work on their own version each week while you discuss the questions corporately.
• The Extension activity can be completed as described. There are several newer children’s books about St. Francis, including Tomie dePaola’s Brother Francis of Assisi and The Prayer of St. Francis, illustrated by Guiliano Ferri. Additionally, I recommend having a copy of Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage in your classroom. It includes chapters on both Francis and Clare.

Sing/Conclusion

In this lesson, the children are invited to help you choose the songs they will sing based on what they’ve learned in the lesson. Seize this opportunity to discuss what the Holy Spirit is teaching them. By giving the kids ownership of the song choices, you’ll demonstrate confidence in them and help them learn how to use music to ponder the thoughts God is putting in their hearts.