The God and Family curriculum is designed to help
youth understand the importance of family and God’s role in a
healthy family. The God and Family Program provides an
opportunity for young people and their families to explore their
faith together. Children will read about different families in
the Bible, which can teach them about God’s plan for
strengthening families. To remember these lessons, children will
compare families and “pizza.” The six steps for making pizza
will give students a concrete, “hands-on” model on which to
build their understanding of God’s love for their families. They
will make a pizza as they study how families can grow together
in God’s love, and they will choose “family projects” to be done
with their family at home.
Outline:
Introduction
Joshua’s Family Will Serve God – Joshua 24:14-15
Step 1: Crust-Foundation – We
are God’s Family
Every pizza
needs a crust or foundation. Families need foundations, too.
Students will read passages from Deuteronomy and Matthew to
learn how families need to build their foundations on God and on
God’s love.
Step 2: Sauce – Family Heritage, Spiritual
Heritage
Every pizza
has sauce (which has simmered over time). Like the sauce, a
family’s heritage grows over time. A family’s heritage,
especially its Christian heritage, is an important part of its
identity. Students will learn about Ruth (how she came to faith
through marriage) and Jesus (how he was brought up in the faith
from infancy on) and realize that even though our faith journeys
may differ, our faith in Christ is the same.
Step 3: Toppings – Our Talents and Gifts
Strengthen Our Families
The toppings
on a pizza make each pizza unique. Like the toppings, the
individual members of a family bring unique gifts and talents
that strengthen and make their family special. Students will
read about Moses and Aaron, two brothers with very different
gifts, and Timothy, a young man with the gift of faith. Students
will be challenged to name their own gifts and the special gifts
in each member of their family.
Step 4: Cheese – In God’s Family We’re Loved No
Matter What! Because We’re Loved, We Follow Rules
The cheese on
a pizza covers everything and holds it together. Families need
to be held together, too. Christian rules and guidelines can
help families relate to each other and live together as God’s
family. Students will study Jesus lost in the temple and the
parable of the prodigal son and discuss WHY we need rules. They
will then be required to memorize the Ten Commandments.
Step 5: Bake – Being in God’s Family Helps Us
When Things Are Tough
When pizza
comes out of a hot oven, it’s better than ever! Families can be
like pizza: by relying on God, families can come through the
heat of tough times and be even stronger. Students will study
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and Paul
and Silas in prison, and be challenged to name the “faith tools”
that can help their families in tough times.
Step 6: Eat, Share, Enjoy! – In God’s Family, We
Share as a Response to God’s Love
Pizza tastes
good: it nourishes our bodies and satisfies our hunger. Pizza is
fun to share: everybody loves a pizza party. Families are like
pizza: they need to provide spiritual nourishment for family
members, and they need to share the good news of Jesus Christ
with those around them. Students will read about the feeding of
the five thousand and the Great Commission to learn the
importance of sharing God’s love with other people.
-
Boy who shared his
lunch – John 6:1-15
- Apostles – Matthew
28:16-20
A typical schedule for completing the God and
Family curriculum might include seven different sessions (an
introductory meeting plus six sessions to complete the six
lessons).
Eligibility Guidelines
Girls and boys in grades 4 & 5 are eligible to
participate in the God and Family program even if they do not
belong to a Girl Scout, Boy Scout or Camp Fire group (church
youth and Sunday School members are eligible to participate in
this program). Each participant must have his or her own copy of
the student workbook. A pastor's signature is required on the
application/order form.
Parents have the option of enrolling in the God
and Family Adult Mentor Program. In this program, the parent is
an active learning participant alongside the child. The parent
would have lessons and projects to complete in the Mentor
Workbook just like the child, and then both parent and child
would work on the student curriculum together. The mentor
program is designed to provide the adult with additional
opportunities to model his or her Christian faith and to help a
young child talk about his or her belief in God.
#33597 - God and Family Student Workbook - required booklet for
each child
#33598 - God and Family Counselor Manual - resource guide for
the pastor/counselor
#33595 - God and Family Adult Mentor - optional program for
parents if they want to participate in the program alongside
their children
#001FC – God and Family Counselor Patch
#002F8 – God
and Family Counselor Pin