Looking specifically at Grades 1 & 2 for instance:

As you see, the lesson we have on Easter Sunday is titled "Follow God." We chose this lesson for Easter Sunday, because it's the account of Philip telling the Ethiopian eunuch about the entire prophecy of Jesus and its fulfillment. It speaks specifically about how the Ethiopian can find eternal life in a relationship with Jesus (and how children can do the same), an appropriate message for Easter weekend. Our hope is that churches would spend time before the celebration of Easter preparing kids' hearts and minds for the meaning of Easter. Week 1 introduces the concept of a relationship with Jesus with the point "Jesus knows us." In week two, kids learn about Jesus' perfection, setting up the idea of a perfect sacrificial lamb. In week three, kids explore Jesus' death, making his sacrifice personal. In week four, kids discover how they can celebrate Jesus being alive after paying the price for them. Week five is when Jesus gives the Holy Spirit as a gift to help people follow him the way he called us to. Week six, then, is Easter weekend, where everything related to Easter culminates into one important life-changing experience. From that point on, kids learn how to take their relationship deeper.

Great thought and prayer were taken into consideration as we developed this quarter. First, the change gives kids an opportunity to learn about Easter in different ways. Second, many kids have heard the Easter story several times and this gives them a new way to own the story and grow in a relationship with Jesus. Finally, we know that most churches have Easter celebrations during Easter weekend and classes, canceling regular class time. We knew most churches would want to prepare children for that celebration. Offering the Easter lessons in this format helps churches prepare children for a true celebration from the heart.

Since all Hands-On Bible Curriculum lessons are stand-alone, if you do not want to follow the lessons as is, you can very easily switch them around so that you teach the lesson on Easter that teaches on the resurrection of Jesus for each age level.

In the future, we plan to go back to a sequence where the resurrection is taught on the Sunday that falls on Easter. Churches that have preferred this years teaching sequence can start the Easter lessons a few weeks early and use skipped lessons for a later time in the quarter.

Angela DeWispelaere

Curriculum Marketing Manager

I would like to comment on the Easter curriculum that was taught leading up to Easter and not Easter morning.

I think that a very important fact was overlooked by Group.  Easter is a Sunday that should be used for outreach as so many unchurched, first-time visitors will attend along with their families. We filled our church with many families coming for the first time and many of these kids had no idea of the Easter story or even who Jesus is and what He did for us.  

My suggestion for next year, if you choose this format again to at least use Easter Sunday as a recap.  Better yet, supply an alternative seeker-kid friendly curriculum filled with all the wonderful ideas that makes Groups curriculum so wonderful.  We want them to walk away knowing Jesus’ love, as well as knowing the ultimate sacrifice He made for each one of them.  

 Thanks for allowing my imput   

       

Kim

Thank you for your input. Actually, we have already made the decision that in all future Hands-On Bible Curriculum spring quarters we will have the resurrection lesson coincide with Easter programming. We appreciate hearing from you on this topic!

Angela DeWispelaere

Curriculum Marketing Manager