GOALS & MEMORY WORK
FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES

In each Christian Education Class there will be:

1. A happy learning situation so that each child will have an enjoyable experience and look forward to coming back to Sunday School week after week.
2. Various teaching practices so that all children will have an opportunity to participate fully.
3. Opportunities for each child's self-expression and participation-talking, singing, use of crafts, games, drama and role-playing.
4. Help children relate the Bible to their lives in concrete ways.
5. An invitation for parents to visit and assist in the classroom.
6. An emphasis on grace, God's love for each child, and the uniqueness and value of each child.
7. An age-appropriate human sexuality focus from a healthy Christian perspective.

GOALS BY GRADE LEVEL

Three & Four Year Olds

1. Come to know who Jesus is.
2. Begin learning simple Christian songs.
3. Recognize the child's emerging conscience and deal realistically with situations of wrong-doing and guilt, using Bible stories to introduce concepts of love, trust, right and wrong.
4. To learn about prayer in a simple way.
5. Memorize the Lord's Prayer and other short prayers for meal and bed times.

Five Year Olds & Kindergarten

1. Provide opportunities for children to demonstrate their emerging sense of responsibility.
2. Learn about prayer.
3. Memorize the Lord's Prayer, other meal and bedtime prayers, and create prayers with the help of teachers.

First Grade

1. Continued practice of the Lord's Prayer.
2. Short prayers appropriate for meal and bed times.
3. Prepare and write their own prayers that reflect their personal needs.
4. Memory Verse: Deuteronomy 6:5, help interpret meaning.

Second Grade

1. Continue to practice the earlier lessons.
2. Memorize the Ten Commandments and their meanings.
3. Memory Verses: John 3:16-17; Romans 8:28; Matthew 28:20, help interpret meanings.

Third Grade

1. Continue to practice earlier lessons.
2. Children are provided with a copy of Luther's Small Catechism.
3. Memorize the Apostles' Creed and the meaning of each article in Luther's Small Catechism.
4. Memory Verses: John 10:11; Luke 2:10-11; John 13:34, help interpret meanings.

Fourth Grade

1. Continue to practice earlier lessons.
2. In the Fourth Grade, children are given their Bibles.
3. Teach the children how to use their Bibles, showing them it is a valuable tool.
4. Require the children to bring their Bibles with them each Sunday to Sunday School.
5. Memorize the order of the books of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.
6. Continue to study the Apostles' Creed and explore its meaning.
7. Memory Verses: Matthew 4:4; Colossians 3:16; and Psalm 119:105, help interpret meanings.

Fifth Grade

1. Continue to practice and build on earlier lessons.
2. Prepare the students to receive the First Sacrament of Holy Communion.
3. Study the Lord's Supper; memorize the Holy Communion sections in Luther's Small Catechism.
4. Memory Verse: Review Matthew 28:19-20; John 3:16-17, help interpret meanings.

Sixth Grade

1. Continue to practice and build on earlier lessons.
2. Study Baptism; memorize the section of Holy Baptism in Luther's Small Catechism.
3. Memory Verse: Psalm 23: John 10:14-15.

Seventh Grade

1. Continue to practice and build on earlier lessons.
2. Review the Lord's Prayer and accompanying meanings in Luther's Small Catechism.
3. Study how to read and use the Bible, understand the history and origins of the Bible.
4. Memory Verses: John 15:9-10; John 15:11-13

Eighth Grade

1. Continue to practice and build on earlier lessons.
2. Review each of the Ten Commandments and explore their meaning as defined in Luther's Small Catechism.
3. Introduce youth to the Psalms; memorize Psalm 100; and Psalm 121.