Introduction
What is the Narrative Lectionary?
What’s in a Teacher’s Guide?
Scope & Sequence
Other Resources
Ordering & Download Information
Introduction
Engage your PK through 6th-grade students in the amazing story of God’s love found in Scripture! These Narrative Lectionary Mini Lessons are based on our popular Living the Word: Kids (PK-2nd) and Living the Word: Kids (3rd-6th), and shortened to fit within a 15 to 30-minute teaching time (Sunday school, children’s church, etc.). Just like our other Kids products, the Mini Lessons are:
- Easy-to-use, theologically sound, and effective
- Designed to engage multiple intelligences and provide age-appropriate activities
- Fun for teachers and students
- Inclusive
- Developed by seasoned Christian education professionals
Each lesson plan provides all the information you and your teachers need to teach the weekly lesson, including necessary supplies, step-by-step instructions, and scripts for those who want them. The lessons contain three activities to balance simplicity and flexibility.
The Living the Word: Kids Mini Lessons (NL Year 3) curriculum is a high-quality, low-cost option for congregations and ministries of all sizes. Pricing is based on your estimated attendance range, and the purchase of a single license covers the entire congregation. You and your teachers can download the materials from your Customer Account as soon as each quarter is released (See the current Release Dates page for details). You can then print whichever pages you would like, or access the PDF files through your mobile devices!
What is the Narrative Lectionary?
The Narrative Lectionary is a nine-month calendar of Scripture readings which focuses on one story or passage each Sunday or festival day. It starts in September with a story about creation and touches on the major stories, characters, and plot points in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) until mid-December. At that point, the lectionary picks up one of the four Gospels (one Gospel each year for a four-year cycle) and moves through many of the main stories or passages of that Gospel sequentially until just after Easter. From the second Sunday of Easter through Pentecost Sunday, the readings are pulled from Acts and the Letters. Read more about this on our What Is the Narrative Lectionary? webpage.
What’s in a Teacher’s Guide?
Each downloadable lesson includes:
- Overview and Background: A big idea for the day (The Point) and a brief summary of the lesson make it easy for teachers to prepare for their own short class.
- Learning the Story– Students engage in the week’s Bible passage in a variety of engaging ways!
- Additional Activities– Each lesson includes two games, crafts, or other fun activities to reinforce the day’s themes.
Scope & Sequence
Check out the Living the Word Scope and Sequence (2024-2025) for the complete list of lessons!
Other Resources
Our Living the Word: Kids Mini Lessons (NL Year 3) curriculum complements our other Narrative Lectionary products:
- Living the Word: Singing God’s Story (PK-6th) – Original children’s music following the Narrative Lectionary.
- Living the Word: Kids (PK-2nd) – Full-size curriculum for lower elementary students.
- Living the Word: Kids (3rd-6th) – Full-size curriculum for upper elementary students.
- Living the Word: Youth – For confirmation or youth groups.
- Living the Word: Small Groups – For young adult or adult small group discussions.
- Living the Word: Contexts & Connections – Bible background notes for faith formation leaders.
- Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education – For leading interactive, intergenerational learning experiences in a classroom setting.
- Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship – For creating interactive, intergenerational worship experiences.
- Living the Word: Sharing God’s Story @ Home – Bulletin insert bringing faith formation home with a weekly devotional tool.
Ordering & Download Information
To order, go to the Living the Word: Kids Mini Lessons (NL Year 3) curriculum product page and select your best estimate of the attendance range of your class(es). You will also select the season you would like to order, the Full Year, or the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. After you add the product to your cart and complete the rest of your shopping, you can proceed to checkout. There, complete the form and select your payment type.
All resource materials are available as digital downloads (PDF files) for printing or using electronically. The end user licensing agreement (EULA) allows congregations to download, print, and use the curriculum lessons as often as they would like if the use remains within the purchasing congregation.
After your payment is processed, you can download the materials from your Customer Account as soon as each quarter is released (See the current Release Dates page for details). Each quarter purchased comes in a single compressed (ZIP) file, which your operating system should be able to open and extract the folders and PDF files, at which point you can print or share with your leaders as you please!
For more detailed information on ordering, downloading, and other topics, please go to our Customer Service FAQ page.