Families can help their children grow in faith by participating in these Genesis programs:
- Children Sunday School. Offered on Sunday mornings during Christian Education hour. A three-year curriculum that studies the Bible chronologically in order to facilitate the understanding of God’s salvation plan for humanity.
- Genesis Christian Core Classes. Core classes are offered twice a year for the whole congregation. They are intergenerational curriculums that study the fundamentals of the Christian beliefs.
- “Rooted” Adult Christian Class for Young Families. Parents grow in faith with other parents in studies that focus on challenges of this life stage. They support each other and grow in fellowship.
Grow Faith in Elementary Age Kids
Our goal for Elementary age kids is that they learn about these concepts…
God is our Creator and King of everything. God created everything, the universe and things we cannot see, for His glory and our good. God created everything perfectly good. God loves and rules over His creation according to His perfect plan. God has always existed and will always exist. He knows everything about the past, present, and future. God is in control of everything in heaven and on earth. Nothing is outside of God’s good plan. God is perfect in every way, He cannot sin. God can do all things according to His character. No one and nothing compares to God. God is holy, good, and loving. God always keeps His promises because He is faithful. God, and only Him deserves worship. The Trinity is the one true God existing in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
God created people to worship Him, love Him, and show His glory. People are special because we are made in God’s image, as male and female, to know Him. God created Adam and Eve as the first man and woman. Adam and Eve did not trust God’s plan and they disobeyed God, they sinned by disobeying God. To sin is to think, say, or behave in any way that goes against God and His commands. After sin entered the world, God’s world was corrupted, and all people were born sinners. Because God is holy, sin has broken our relationship with God. The fair payment for sin is death. Before He created the world, God planned to send the Messiah to save sinners. We are only saved through faith in Jesus. People are saved by faith in God’s promise to send the Messiah. Anyone who repents of sin and trusts in Jesus will be saved. Repentance is turning away from sin and turning to Jesus.
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, who came to earth to save us. As the Son of God, Jesus is both fully God and fully human. Jesus became human to obey His Father’s plan and rescue sinners. Jesus was born of a virgin. Jesus never sinned. Jesus taught about God and His kingdom. He taught that all Scripture is about Him. Jesus performed miracles to glorify God, to show He is the Son of God, and to care for people. Jesus perfectly reveals God the Father and fulfills what the prophets spoke. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sin, and He speaks to God the Father for us today. Jesus perfectly rules over the universe as the King of kings. Jesus lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. Jesus ascended to heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. To trust in Jesus means believing that Jesus’ death and resurrection paid for our sin.
The Bible is God’s Word that tells us what is true about God and ourselves. The Holy Spirit inspired certain men throughout history to write the Bible. The Bible is true and has no error. The Bible is the story of God’s plan to save people through Jesus. The Ten Commandments teach us to love God and love people. God’s Law shows us God’s holy nature, our sinful nature, and our need for a Savior. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with your whole being. Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to love others as yourself. God’s commands show us how life works best. We cannot obey all of God’s commands because we are sinners.
The church is all Christians everywhere, who gather together in their communities to worship and serve God. Jesus is the head of the church. The church exists to glorify God by worshiping Him, showing His love, and telling others about Jesus. Baptism and Holy Communion or Eucharist, are the ordinances Jesus commanded His followers to do. Holy Communion is when Christians eat the bread and drink the cup to remember Jesus’ death and resurrection. Baptism is how Christians show others that Jesus has forgiven their sin and given them new life. Our mission is to make disciples of all nations by the power of the Holy Spirit. We tell others about Jesus so they will hear and believe the good news. The church looks forward to Jesus’ return when He will make all things new. One day all Christians will see Jesus in His glory and live with Him forever.
Christians should glorify God because of who He is and what He does. We can glorify God by loving Him and obeying Him. We should obey God because He made us, He loves us, and His plans are good. We can trust God because He is faithful and does everything for His glory and our good. Christians continue to sin because we still have a sin nature, but when Jesus returns, He will make us sinless like Him. Christians can say no to sin by asking the Holy Spirit for help, knowing God’s Word, and confessing our sin to other believers. The Holy Spirit comforts us, shows us our sin, and guides us as we live for God’s glory. Prayer is talking with God to praise Him, ask Him for help, and confess our sins to Him. We pray because we trust God, and we know He hears us. Worship is celebrating the greatness of God. The gospel is the good news that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to rescue sinners. Jesus will judge the world; and all who have trusted in Him will receive resurrection bodies, be fully free from sin, and live with God forever. Justification is when God declares that our sins are forgiven and we are righteous. Adoption is when God welcomes us into His family as His children. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Additional Resources for Growing Faith in Children…
Here are some suggestions for books, articles, apps and blogs to help you grow your family’s faith.
- The Character Corner
- Christian Parenting
- “Raising Tiny Disciples” by Phylicia Masonheimer
- Parenting for Faith
- “Mateo’s Choice: Basic Discipleship for Children 5-8” by Anne Marie Gosnell
- Books:
- “When Someone You Love Dies: An Explanation of Death for Children” by Robert Dodd.
- “When Someone You Love Dies: Helping a Child Cope with Death” by Cynthia Snyder (Coloring Book)
- “The Good Mourning: A Kid’s Support Guide for Grief and Mourning” by Seldon Peden II
- “Tell Me About Heaven” by Randy Alcorn
- Picture Books:
- “It Will Be Okay” by Lysa TerKeurst
- “Quinn’s Promise Rock” by Christie Thomas
- “Firebird” by Brent McCorkle
- Elementary Age Books:
- “Fear & Anxiety: Learning to Overcome with God’s Truth, For Kids” by Love God Greatly. Bible Study/ Journal
- “What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety” by Dawn Huebner
- Books:
- “My Breath Loves Me” by Claire Halligan
- “Find Your Calm: A Mindful Approach to Relieve Anxiety and Grow Your Bravery” by Gabi Garcia
- Books:
- “What God’s Word Says about Bullying” by Janice Thompson
- “What is Empathy? A Bullying Storybook for Kids” by Amanda Morin
- Books:
- “Created by God: Tweens, Faith, and Human Sexuality” by James Ritchie
- “Wonderfully Made” by Mark R. Huffman, Rev. Tanya M. Eustace Campen, and Leigh Meekins
- “The Talk: 7 lessons to Introduce Your Child to Biblical Sexuality” by Luke Gilkerson
- “Growing Up God’s Way for Girls” & “Growing Up God’s Way for Boys” by Chris Richards & Liz Jones
- “Unwrapping Your Child’s Spiritual Gifts” blog to discern your child’s spiritual gift. Includes a link to a Spiritual Gift’s survey for kids.