When most children hear the word “church,” the first thing that usually comes to mind is a particular place—a building. Church is a place where they go for a weekly worship service, Sunday school classes, and more. However, as the Bible defines it, the church is something much more beautiful, wonderful, and profound.

The church is God’s chosen, blessed, redeemed, and holy people, who are called to worship God, to love and build up one another into Christlikeness, and to proclaim the gospel to the lost. The lessons develop these themes as the study progresses and build up to the glorious triumph of Jesus’ church for all eternity.

Throughout this curriculum, children will be taught different aspects of Jesus’ church—what the church truly is, when and how it began, who it includes, how it functions, and its ultimate purpose. Many of the lessons are very practical in that they explain the various elements of regular church life that we often take for granted: gathering for a weekly worship service, the preaching of the Word, corporate prayer, participating in the Lord’s Supper, living out the one-another commands, missions, etc. Throughout the lessons, there are various activities that have been designed to introduce children to your local church’s history, leadership, ministries, and practices.

By helping children understand these basic realities of the body of Christ, our hope and prayer is that they will see and experience the church with a growing sense of awe, love, and appreciation. Furthermore, and especially for children who are already trusting in Christ, this study is also designed to encourage and equip them for greater participation in the life of the church.

Curriculum Sample and Scope & Sequence