Preview of Hearts Alive Sunday School Curriculum Winter C: Advent & Beyond

September 04, 2019

By Lindsey Goetz, Curriculum Specialist, Writer, and Children's Director at First Presbyterian Church of Aurora, IL

The Hearts Alive Year C Winter curriculum takes us from the beginning of December all the way to the beginning of March. During that time we will celebrate the season of Advent, the season of Christmas, Epiphany, and the Baptism and Transfiguration of Jesus. The curriculum follows the lectionary readings from Year C, with many of the lessons being based on the Gospel of Luke.

Children will have the opportunity to experience the anticipation of Christmas with beautiful lessons that repeatedly illustrate the theme of waiting for Christ's coming in interesting and fun ways. Additionally, they will walk with Jesus as he performs his first miracle at a wedding, as he preaches words of hope and encouragement and hard words of warning.

The season wraps up by reminding children of the call Jesus issues to them to live as his disciples, loving our enemies, and turning to the cross. As always, the same passages and Big Ideas are studied across all three age levels, providing an excellent opportunity for churches to encourage and equip families to follow up with their children throughout the week at home.

Each lesson combines solid, Christ-centered teaching with creative and interesting discussion topics, games, activities, and crafts. This season also includes many colorful illustrations to ignite children's imaginations and opportunities for children to consider and experience some more contemplative moments in well considered, age-appropriate responses to the text.

As I have looked through each age level of the Year C Winter curriculum, I am so excited to take this journey with the children in our church. I was reminded of all the reasons we chose Hearts Alive-- in addition to things I have already named, you will find more of the solid, Gospel-centered orientation, the creative, hands-on activities, and the child-friendly, colorful illustrations that we, have come to expect and treasure about this curriculum.

If you are a Children's Minister or Sunday school teacher who uses Hearts Alive, we would love to invite you to follow our Facebook page where you can get visual aids and inspiration, video tutorials on selected crafts, and a community of people who will benefit from the wisdom you have to share about how Hearts Alive works in your context.