Scope and Sequence:

      150 Bible stories
        +   36 virtues
        +     3 basic truths
        =   252 Basics


3 Basic Truths
"Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52, NIV). So we want every kid to know and understand these three things: I need to make the wise choice (wisdom); I can trust God no matter what (faith); and I should treat others the way I want to be treated (friendship). All 252 Basics lessons focus on at least one of the three basic concept areas from this verse (wisdom, faith, and friendship) in addition to "traditional" concept areas (like God, Jesus, the Bible, the church, family, community, and self).

36 Virtues
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness ... For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:3,8, NIV). God loves us dearly and wants us to be imitators of Him (Ephesians 5:1). So He is at work in us to make us more like Him. As we become more like Him, He'll use those qualities, or virtues, in us to change the world around us. That's why 252 Basics content is organized into a different biblical virtue each month, a quality of God's nature that He instills in His followers. Twelve different virtues each year, rotating on a three-year cycle, for a total of 36 biblical virtues.

150 Bible Stories
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 16-17, NIV). All Scripture is equally inspired, but not equally applicable. (For example, you probably wouldn't tell first graders about David and Bathsheba!) Each lesson in 252 Basics revolves around one of about 150 Bible stories in the three-year cycle--what we consider the most relevant Bible stories for kindergarten through fifth grade.

About God's plan for our salvation
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NIV). A simple explanation of the salvation message, based on John 3:16, is included in 252 Basics about every other month. It is presented in a clear, non-threatening way that fits naturally with the lesson.

About Faith Skills
Every month that has a fifth week is a good opportunity to change gears, and so we do. Fifth weeks are typically dedicated to one of 5 Faith Skills we want every kid to master:

1. Navigate the Bible (survey and locate)
2. Personalize Scripture (memorize and apply)
3. Dialogue with God (public and private)
4. Articulate faith (share and defend)
5. Worship with your life (praise and give)

This is 252 Basics in a nutshell. Click on the PDFs below to see specific content for the current curriculum year.

3 Basic Truths

Scope & Sequence

2009-10 Overview

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