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300th Anniversary
Curriculum Resources
Piecing Together the Brethren Way
An Anniversary Curriculum Resource for use with children, kindergarten through 5th grade
Piecing Together the Brethren Way is designed to help children explore the marks and practices of our faith that make us distinctively Brethren. While rooted in history and theology, the goal is to help children internalize these marks and practices so that they give shape to the faith of these children--as individuals and as members of a church that is moving into the future with purpose.
Designed with flexibility in mind, the fourteen sessions can be used in Sunday school for a quarter, they can be used in an after school or mid-week program, they can provide a foundation for monthly intergenerational events, they can be used for a day camp program in the summer, or congregations can pick and choose selected sessions for use in Vacation Bible School.
Each lesson will provide class participants with opportunities to explore the theme through a variety of multi-sensory activities. A "Discussion Quilt" will give children a tool to engage in continued conversation with people in their family and with other members of the congregation. And suggestions will be made for how to draw youth into the educational process by engaging them in special projects to enhance the lessons.
All lesson materials will be available on a CD Rom and can be printed as needed for congregational use. Andy and Terry Murray have written a theme song for the curriculum. River Still Running, a new music CD featuring the theme song and the heritage music of Andy and Terry Murray is included with the curriculum.
The shape of each lesson is designed around two foundational elements:
- Simply Stated (a statement with that kernel of truth we want children to integrate into their life of faith)
- Key Question (a question a child might ask as they begin exploring the topic)
Click here to view a sample lesson.
| Topic | Key Question | Simply Stated |
| Church/Believers Church | What is church? | Grounded in Word, prayer, and love, believers walk together in the way of Jesus. |
| Seeking the Mind of Christ/Rooted in Scripture | How do we learn to know the living Christ? | Encountering the Word together shapes our experience of the living Christ. |
| Counting the Cost/Discipleship | Why is following Jesus sometimes so hard? | Choosing to follow Jesus has consequences. |
| Baptism | Why do we practice Believers Baptism? | Believers Baptism is a commitment to live out our Christ-centered faith in the context of community. |
| Worship | Why do we worship God in community? | God is at the center when we gather for worship. |
| Love Feast | What makes this meal different from all others? | Through the Love Feast we remember our love for God and neighbor. |
| Reconciliation/Forgiveness/Church Discipline | What do we do when things go wrong? | Empowered by the Spirit we work in community to move toward harmony. |
| Non-Conformity/Simple Living | What makes Brethren a peculiar people? | As transformed persons in Christ, we follow a distinctive way. |
| Peace & Non-Resistance | What does peace look like? | Jesus calls us to be peacemakers. |
| Peace & Justice | What does justice have to do with peace? | Peacemakers are called to work for justice to help bring about peace for all people. |
| Mission | How can we help all peoples learn to know and follow Jesus? | We share the Gospel by the manner of our living: making disciples through our words and deeds. |
| Service | What does serving others have to do with Jesus? | As a reflection of God's love we serve others. |
| Health and Wholeness | What does taking care of my body, mind, and spirit have to do with God? | Wholeness of body, mind, and spirit brings us closer to God. |
| Call and Vocation/Priesthood of all Believers | How can I use my gifts to build up the body of Christ? | God gives all of us gifts and calls us to use them for ministry. |
Writers
Jean Moyer
Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Elizabethtown, PA (ANE)
Joanne Thurston-Griswold
Stone Church of the Brethren, Huntingdon, PA (MPA)
Editor
Vicky Goplin
Open Circle Church of the Brethren, Burnsville, MN (NPL)
Project Coordinator
Rhonda Pittman Gingrich
Open Circle Church of the Brethren, Burnsville, MN (NPL)
Member of the Anniversary Committee
Available: Summer 2007 from Brethren Press
Cost: A Special Launch Price of $42.95 at Annual Conference 2007 or $49.95 after Annual Conference
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