Growing Up: God’s Good Story
Growing Up: God’s Good Story is a six week Sunday school resource which age-appropriately visits topics including being given a brilliant, growing body, being made male or female, understanding God’s good design for relationships and handling our big feelings.
We’ve written Growing Up after the popularity of our introductory resource, “Who am I?”, which taught about the identity our Creator God gives us and how that changes our sense of belonging and the value we have.
Growing Up: God’s Good Story goes further, providing age-appropriate teaching on issues such as bodies, being made male or female, handling our feelings and God’s good design for relationships.
Each of our 6 Sunday school sessions is accompanied by…
- A training video for the kids leader
- A supporting podcast and take-home sheet just for the parents
- A kids podcast for the whole family to enjoy together.
We can all find talking about these topics challenging – we want to start conversations and support parents to continue them. With parents and churches working in partnership, we hope our children will trust God’s good story for Growing Up. Let’s help each other out so our kids can win.
In this download you will also find some slides you can use in your church to show what lesson is being taught that week, including a QR code linking to the Growing Up podcasts.
What is Growing Up?
I am who God says I am
Where have you been this summer? To one of the 73 countries where people listen to Faith in Kids 4 Kids podcast? How do you get there? What’s the hardest country to sneak into? And which country has a flick book passport? And who doesn’t need one at all? We’re all about who we are and who says so in this episode called ‘I am who God says I am’. Who are we listening to? What are they saying? And how does Psalm 112:1 help us get it all straight?
I am male or female
Remember your creator in the days of your youth. Young bodies get older and strange things start happening. In times of change, we can trust what God says about us. Plus Fun facts about the less than obvious differences between men and woman – and cats and dogs! God Makes Messy Things Beautiful from Slugs and Bugs: Under Where?
I have a valuable body
What’s your favourite colour and favourite smell? Also, your feet are amazing – and do you know how many people could stand on your thigh without it breaking? Ed and Jam get excited about our incredible bodies, diggers and the very first train. We meet Don’t-care Dan, Please-like-me Lucy or Deeply-loved Luke? Join us! We’re in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. And there’s a sketch and song from Awesome Cutlery that you WILL want to dance to.
I know God’s plan for marriage
All kinds of precious metals and jewels feature in the fun facts celebrating some mighty marriages – in age, size and distance! Jam and Ed talk about marriage and what God has to say about it in Genesis 2 and Matthew 19. And stand by for a firm fan favourite who’s been hiding out in the woods returns: Action Tim! Plus music from Awesome Cutlery.
I have big feelings
We’re very excited to be back! And very excited – by football, sausages and landrovers. We are so excited we could jump up and down (unlike elephants which can’t). Jam has the sweetest fun fact of all time. And how can you tell a Koala bear has stolen Ed’s mum’s pudding? More importantly, how can we listen to God and take control? We look at 1 Corinthians 6:12.
I live what I believe
You might not feel shiny, but you are! You’re a star! No, not massive, full of gas and on fire. You are visible from a long way away, showing that your hope is Jesus and that you are living what you believe. More from Action Tim who gets hopelessly lost in the woods. And you can listen to Made, Loved and Known by Michael J Tinker.
Overview of Sessions
Growing Up: God’s Good Story looks at identity issues such as bodies, being made male or female, handling our feelings and God’s good design for relationships. These are important topics for us all to get to grips with so we have written a component for 11-14s, using the same session titles and Bible passages, to help the whole church family explore them together. There is also a plan to help with running a parent information session before you start. We can all find these topics challenging – we want to start conversations and support parents to continue them. Let’s help each other so our young people can trust God’s good story for growing up. We would love to hear your feedback about this resource as this is our first adventure into the 11-14s space.
The Training
Resource Showcase
This 42 minute video showcases the suite of resources on offer in the Growing Up series.
Partnering with Parents
Training on starting the conversation with parents on bodies, gender and marriage.
Training Videos
Use these to inspire and equip your team ahead of teaching the Sunday School sessions.
The Podcasts
Parents Podcast
This Book is Part of the Who Am I? Suite of Resources
Who Am I? Foundation Course
This 7-week resource for churches will help open up positive conversations with families. With study notes, all age talks, activities, visuals, questions and parents handouts you can take on their biggest questions.
Raising Confident Kids in a Confusing World
Full of biblical truth, practical wisdom and discussion questions, this book will inspire and equip parents to help their children find their identity in being made and loved by Jesus. The real-life stories it contains are drawn from every stage of family life, from birth through to the teenage years, making it a valuable resource for any parent. It can be read alone, as a couple or in a group with others from your church.
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