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About the Curriculum

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW –
Year 2: KINGDOM LIFE

(See FAQ section for more information)

The Kingdom Life Sunday school curriculum from Saint Matthew’s Anglican Church is Year 2 of a two-year curriculum. The Kingdom Life curriculum seeks to cover all the main themes in the ACNA catechism, placing each Bible lesson into the larger context of God’s Kingdom to help the children understand the big picture and give them a Biblical world view. They will learn about who God is, who we are, and about God’s big plan to bring his life to the world.

Ages and Size of Group

5 to 10 years or Kindergarten to Grade 5.  Lesson plans can accommodate a small class of 2 children up to a group of 20 students.

Time

Approximately 45 minutes.  There is supplemental material to extend the time, if needed.

Anglicanism

The curriculum has liturgical components, and the lessons are based on the new ACNA Catechism and align with the sacramental theology of the Anglican Church.  However, the curriculum can be used by any Christian denomination that seeks to give the children the “bigger picture” of Scripture and God’s eternal plan in Christ.

Resources

Anglican Church in North America, To Be A Christian, An Anglican Catechism

COMPONENTS OF THE CURRICULUM

The lessons are structured into 10 teaching units:

  1. Entering the Kingdom
  2. Knowing God
  3. Made in God’s Image
  4. Kingdom Food
  5. Kingdom Family
  6. Kingdom Behaviour
  7. Kingdom Faith
  8. Serving God
  9. Spreading the Kingdom
  10. The Forever Kingdom.

There are also 8 lessons on prayer interspersed throughout the curriculum. 

Each of the 28 lessons and 8 prayer lessons have the following components:

Option 1 – Full Lesson Plan (recommended)

This is the preferred teaching option, using a storyboard which is divided into sections for the different teaching units. In each lesson, a new symbol is placed on the storyboard, which gradually builds up to be a visual representation of the catechism. This helps the children see the big picture of how God is at the centre, and how all life and love flows out from him, through the Church, and into the world.

Option 1 – Props Document

This contains instructions on how to make or print the props for the full lesson plan.

Option 2 – Condensed Lesson Plan & Poster

This is a condensed format, where the lessons can be taught using just a poster or two as props. This is a good option if your church has few resources, and you need something very simple.  However, Option 2 will not give the children the same “big picture” overview as Option 1.

Option 1 & 2 – Kingdom News

A take-home paper called the Kingdom News is available for each child to share with their family and to communicate the lesson.

Option 1 & 2 – Colouring Supplement

Colouring pages that relate to the lesson theme.

Curriculum Resources

This includes liturgical and prayer elements referred to in the Lesson Outline section of the Lesson Plan.

The Curriculum

Scroll down this page to find all the free download links to the Curriculum documents as well as the Supplementary documents!

CLICK HERE to download a sample schedule with a synopsis of each lesson.

FAQs

How do I decide whether to use Option 1 or Option 2 lesson documents?

Option 1 lesson documents use the storyboard to help the children get the “big picture” of life in God’s Kingdom. A new symbol is added to the storyboard each week, and the storyboard functions as a visual representation of the catechism. This is helpful in giving the children a Biblical worldview, where God is at the centre, and everything flows out from him. The storyboard also clearly depicts and reminds the children that the way into God’s Kingdom is through Jesus and his sacrifice for our sin on the cross. We recommend using the Option 1 documents if your church has the resources to do so.

Option 2 is a condensed format, where the lessons can be taught using just a poster or two as props. This is a good option if your church has few resources, and you need something very simple. However, Option 2 will not give the children the same ‘big picture’ overview as Option 1.

What is the difference between Year 1 and Year 2 in your curriculum?

In the Kingdom Story curriculum (Year 1) the Bible stories are taught chronologically, as we move through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It aims to give the children the grand narrative of the Bible rather than disconnected Bible stories. This curriculum is inspired by The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm. The visual focus of this year is our story posters.

In the Kingdom Life curriculum (Year 2), the lessons are taught in themed units that cover all the main points in the ACNA catechism. The focus is on developing a Biblical worldview, where God is at the centre and all life and love flows out from him, through the Church, and into the world. The Kingdom Life curriculum contains more complex theological concepts than the Kingdom Story. The visual focus of this year is our storyboard.

Do all the Kingdom Life lessons have a short drama where the children act out the story?

In some of the Kingdom Life lessons the children will act out the Bible story, but other lessons are based around one or more Bible verses rather than a Bible story. In these lessons we use more direct teaching, using various interactive ways to communicate the lesson material, including an abundance of visual aids.

Do I need a colour printer for the Kingdom Life curriculum?

Yes, all the documents except the Kingdom News must be printed in colour. If you don’t have a colour printer available, the printing can be done at your local print centre. The Option 1 Full Lesson Plan should also be printed in colour because it features ‘actions’ highlighted in red font. The red font makes it easier for the teacher to see at a glance how to use the lesson props.

What is the best way to use and print the Condensed Lesson Plan and Poster, and the Kingdom News?

The Condensed Lesson Plan and Poster should be printed together as a double-sided teaching aid. This allows the teacher to hold the poster and read the lesson summary at the same time. The poster is best printed on 11×17 card stock. When printing the Condensed Lesson Plan and Poster, choose the double-sided short edge and landscape format options. Please note: Some of the condensed lessons contain more than two pages. If you would like to print all the condensed lessons in one go, you can find them all in one document under the Supplementary Resource Documents section.

The Kingdom News is a take-home paper that can also be used during the lesson time. It includes the story summary for parents and a space for children to make a response drawing. On the back side of the Kingdom News is a word search puzzle that develops the vocabulary that was introduced in the story. This is a double-sided document which folds in half (booklet style) with print on all four sides. When printing the Kingdom News, choose the double-sided short edge and landscape format options.

When is the best time of year to start using the Kingdom Life curriculum?

We recommend starting the curriculum in September. There are no season-specific lessons in the Year 2 curriculum, but the Year 1 Christmas and Easter lessons can be added in if desired.

How are the four Foundation documents taught in the Kingdom Life curriculum?

In Year 2, we have three lessons that give more in-depth teaching on the foundation documents. The Apostle’s Creed is taught in lesson 8, The Ten Commandments and the Greatest Commandments are taught in lesson 16, and Spotlight on Prayer Lesson 7 covers the Lord’s Prayer. These lessons can also be used for Year 1.

Do you have videos of the Kingdom Life curriculum?

We only have a few videos available in order to give you an idea of how to use the storyboard and the props. There were no children present in the videos, so the interaction with the children will make the real-life lessons look quite different from what you see in the videos.

What age group is your curriculum written for?

Our curriculum is specifically designed to work for a K – 5 group, but it can also be used in a multi-class setting.

If you have an all-in-one class with grades K – 5, we recommend teaching Year 1 and Year 2 in alternate years. Even though Year 2 is more advanced in content, the delivery method is designed to keep the attention of the younger kids, with lots of visual aids for the non-readers. The younger kids may not yet fully grasp some of the content in the Kingdom Life curriculum but will gradually grow into these big truths as they hear them again every other year.

If you have classes with different age groups, we recommend teaching the Kingdom Story to grades K – 2, and Kingdom Life to grades 3 – 5.

Is there a cost for the curriculum?

No, the lesson plans and materials are free of cost for use in your Sunday School, Children’s Ministry, Home-schooling etc. If copying the materials for other uses, please acknowledge Saint Matthews Anglican Church.

Is the Kingdom Life curriculum for Anglicans, or can other church denominations use it?

The lessons are based on the new ACNA Catechism and align with the sacramental theology of the Anglican Church. However, the curriculum can be used by any Christian denomination that seeks to give the children the “bigger picture” of Scripture and God’s eternal plan in Christ.

VIDEOS

CURRICULUM DOCUMENTS

For more information about Teaching Units and Option 1 vs Option 2 documents, see the “About the Curriculum” and “FAQ” sections at the top of this page.

Lesson 1 – Unit 1 – The Good Shepherd and the Gate
Lesson 2 – Unit 1 – The Lost Son
Lesson 3 – Unit 1 – Jesus and Zacchaeus
Lesson 4 – Unit 1 – The Lifegiving Water of Baptism
Lesson 5 – Unit 2 – The God Who Reveals Himself
Lesson 6 – Unit 2 – The Image of the Invisible God
Lesson 7 – Unit 2 – The Helper
Lesson 8 – Unit 2 – The Apostles' Creed
Lesson 9 – Unit 3 – Made in God's Image
Lesson 10 – Unit 3 – Made to Love God
Lesson 11 – Unit 3 – Being Changed into God's Image
Lesson 12 – Unit 4 – God's Words Feed Us
Lesson 13 – Unit 4 – The Bread of Life
Lesson 14 – Unit 5 – The Body of Christ
Lesson 15 – Unit 5 – God's Family Gathering
Lesson 16 – Unit 6 – God's Good Rules
Lesson 17 – Unit 6 – The Fruit of the Spirit
Lesson 18 – Unit 6 – The Good Samaritan
Lesson 19 – Unit 7 – Jesus Calms the Storm
Lesson 20 – Unit 7 – The Fiery Furnace
Lesson 21 – Unit 7 – The Wheat and the Weeds
Lesson 22 – Unit 8 – The Servant King
Lesson 23 – Unit 8 – 5 Loaves and 2 Fish
Lesson 24 – Unit 8 – Serving God
Lesson 25 – Unit 9 – Jonah and the Big Fish
Lesson 26 – Unit 9 – A Light to Our Path
Lesson 27 – Unit 10 – The Return of the King
Lesson 28 – Unit 10 – The Never-Ending Story

PRAYER LESSONS

Spotlight on Prayer 1 – Unit 1 – Prayer of Confession
Spotlight on Prayer 2 – Unit 2 – Knowing God
Spotlight on Prayer 3 – Unit 3 – Worship
Spotlight on Prayer 4 – Unit is flexible – The Man Who Gave Thanks
Spotlight on Prayer 5 – Unit 4 – The Woman Who Listened
Spotlight on Prayer 6 – Unit is flexible – Asking God
Spotlight on Prayer 7 – Unit is flexible – The Lord's Prayer
Spotlight on Prayer 8 – Unit 9 – The Acts Acronym

SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCE DOCUMENTS

Click on the links to open the .pdfs. Once the .pdfs have been opened, the documents can then be saved.