“We will… tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done” Psalm 78 : 4
The whole handbook at a glance
Why we teach, and what we are aiming for
Sunday school exists to help the church and parents raise children who know, love and follow Jesus Christ. We believe children are a precious gift from God and can learn the truths of Scripture from an early age.
Our desire is not simply to entertain children during the service, but to faithfully teach God’s Word in a way they can understand. Everything we do is centred on the Bible, points to Christ and aims to help children grow in their knowledge and love of God.
To partner with parents and the church in making disciples of Jesus Christ. We seek to do this by:
What shapes our teaching
Every lesson begins with God’s Word. The Bible is God’s living Word, and everything we teach comes from Scripture. We want children to know what the Bible says and what it teaches about God. Stories are never taught as merely moral examples — they reveal who God is and His plan of salvation.
Every lesson points children towards Jesus. Whether we are teaching from Genesis or the Gospels, we want children to understand God’s unfolding plan of redemption fulfilled in Christ.
Every lesson teaches one clear biblical truth. Young children remember simple truths that are repeated throughout the lesson — God keeps His promises · Jesus is God’s Son · God hears our prayers.
Faith is nurtured throughout the week, not only on Sunday. We encourage parents to read the Bible, pray and talk about Jesus at home.
We depend entirely upon God. We pray before lessons, with the children during the lessons, and for families throughout the year.
Children learn by hearing, seeing and doing. Alongside Bible teaching, each lesson includes songs, discussion, Scripture memory and a craft that reinforces the lesson’s main truth. These activities are not separate from the teaching — they help God’s Word take root in children’s hearts and minds.
Teaching the unfolding story of Scripture across our first year
Rather than a collection of random stories, the curriculum walks children through the Bible’s single unfolding story. This is our first year, so our focus is on teaching that story well across this academic year — nine units in which children will discover:
By the end of this year, we pray children will know:
Every session follows a consistent pattern, so children know what to expect
Preparing, teaching and leading with grace
Thank you for serving in our Sunday School ministry. Teaching children is a privilege and a responsibility. Our prayer is that God will use His Word to help our children know, love and follow Jesus Christ.
God is at work through His Word (Isaiah 55:10–11). Our role is to teach it faithfully, love the children well, and depend on Him in prayer.
Our aim is not to rush through the plan, but to teach God’s Word clearly. The lesson plan is there as a guide — adapt your pace to the children in front of you. Encourage participation by:
Keep bringing the children back to the Big Truth. Rather than trying to explain every detail, focus on helping the children understand the main point of the passage.
Children learn best in a calm and loving environment:
Pray before the children arrive.
Pray with the children during the lesson.
Pray for them and their families after they leave.
Our confidence is not in our teaching ability, but in God’s power to work through His Word.
To keep our teaching consistent, a lesson plan is provided for each session. These plans are a tool to support you — they are there to make leading Sunday School easier. Every teacher has their own style, personality and way of engaging with children; use the plans in whatever way best supports your teaching, while keeping the focus on the Bible passage and the Big Truth.
If you’d prefer to prepare your own lesson, you’re welcome to use the lesson template on the lesson planner at editor.hopeabide.com and build your lesson around the agreed passage and theme.
Everyone on the team has an important part to play
Our aim is for Sunday School to be a welcoming, safe and Bible-centred place where children can learn about God and His Word.
Everyone on the team has an important part to play. Roles can be shared and rotated depending on the needs of the team each week.
The person leading the lesson will:
The lesson plan is provided as a tool, not a script.
The support leader will:
The support leader can also step in to lead part of the lesson if appropriate.
The team will work together to:
At the beginning and end of Sunday School:
We all share responsibility for:
We want Sunday School to be a place where the whole team can serve together, build relationships and encourage one another.
The roles above are intended to give us a clear structure while allowing us to work flexibly as a team. We don’t all need to do everything every week — roles can be shared and rotated so that everyone has opportunities to teach, support and contribute.
Where possible, we will vary who serves together rather than always having the same people leading and supporting. This gives everyone the opportunity to work with different members of the team and helps us build a strong, united team.
We should be willing to serve wherever we are needed, support one another and make space for everyone to contribute. The person leading will be responsible for printing and bringing the lesson plan, craft instructions and any resources needed for that week’s lesson.
The team member leading should:
The team should:
Nine units through the unfolding story of the Bible · ages 3–10
Our Sunday School curriculum is designed to help children build a strong foundation in God’s Word. Rather than teaching isolated Bible stories, we teach through themed units that follow the unfolding story of the Bible and point children to Jesus Christ. Each unit has a Big Truth, with every lesson reinforcing that truth through a different Bible passage. This helps children make connections across Scripture and remember the main teaching.
| Unit | Big Truth | Learning Aim | Lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1God Made Everything | God is our Creator | Children will learn that God is the Creator, that sin has affected His good creation and that God remains faithful to His purposes. |
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| 2God Keeps His Promises | God always keeps His promises | Children will learn that God is faithful, keeps His promises and works out His purposes even when His people have to wait or cannot see what He is doing. |
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| 3God Sent Jesus | Jesus is God’s promised Saviour | Children will learn that Jesus’ birth fulfils God’s promises and that He came to save His people. |
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| 4God Rescues His People | God rescues His people | Children will learn how God rescued Israel from slavery and faithfully led His people. |
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| 5God Shows Us How to Live | God’s ways are good | Children will learn that God’s commands are good and teach His people how to love and worship Him. |
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| Unit | Big Truth | Learning Aim | Lessons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6God Uses His People | God works through those who trust Him | Children will learn that God works through ordinary people and calls His people to trust and obey Him. |
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| 7Meet Jesus | Jesus is the Son of God | Children will learn who Jesus is through His teaching, miracles and interactions with people. |
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| 8Jesus Teaches Us | Jesus teaches us how to live | Children will learn what Jesus teaches His followers about living in relationship with God and others, and be encouraged to put His teaching into practice. |
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| 9Jesus Saves | Jesus died and rose again to save us | Children will learn why Jesus came, how His death and resurrection accomplished God’s plan of salvation, and why we can trust and follow Him. |
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The same curriculum is used for the whole class, with the depth of teaching adapted for different ages.
The younger children need help understanding the story; the older children need help understanding what the story means.
Unit 1 · Five lessons from Genesis 1–12
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1God created the World | Genesis 1:1–2:3 | God created everything |
| 2Adam and Eve | Genesis 2–3 | Sin entered God’s good creation |
| 3Noah and the Ark | Genesis 6–9 | God judges sin and keeps His promises |
| 4The Tower of Babel | Genesis 11:1–9 | God is greater than our plans |
| 5God calls Abraham | Genesis 12:1–9 | We can trust and follow God |
Unit 2 · Five lessons from Genesis 15–50
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1God’s promise to Abraham | Genesis 15; 17 | God always keeps His promises |
| 2Isaac is born | Genesis 21:1–7 | God does what He promises |
| 3Jacob’s ladder | Genesis 28:10–22 | God is always with His people |
| 4Joseph’s dreams | Genesis 37 | God is working out His plan |
| 5Joseph forgives his brothers | Genesis 45; 50:15–21 | God can use difficult circumstances for His purposes |
Unit 3 · Four lessons from Luke & Matthew
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1The Angel visits Mary | Luke 1:26–38 | God keeps His promises |
| 2Jesus is born | Luke 2:1–20 | Jesus is the promised Saviour |
| 3The Shepherds | Luke 2:8–20 | Jesus came for all people |
| 4The Wise Men | Matthew 2:1–12 | Jesus is the King who deserves our worship |
Unit 4 · Five lessons from Exodus
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1Baby Moses | Exodus 1:8–2:10 | God has a plan for His people |
| 2The Burning Bush | Exodus 3:1–15 | God is with His people |
| 3The Passover | Exodus 12:1–32 | God provides a way to rescue His people |
| 4Crossing the Red Sea | Exodus 14 | God is powerful and rescues His people |
| 5God provides Manna | Exodus 16 | God provides for His people |
Unit 5 · Five lessons from Exodus, Joshua, Ruth & 1 Samuel
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1The Ten Commandments | Exodus 20:1–17 | God gives us good rules to help us love Him and others |
| 2The Golden Calf | Exodus 32 | God alone deserves our worship |
| 3Joshua and Jericho | Joshua 6 | We can trust and obey God |
| 4Ruth chooses to stay | Ruth 1:1–18 | God is faithful and cares for His people |
| 5Samuel listens to God | 1 Samuel 3:1–21 | We should listen when God speaks |
Unit 6 · Five lessons from 1 Samuel to Esther
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1David and Goliath | 1 Samuel 17 | God is greater than our fears |
| 2David becomes King | 1 Samuel 16; 2 Samuel 5 | God looks at the heart |
| 3Elijah and the prophets of Baal | 1 Kings 18:16–39 | The Lord alone is God |
| 4Daniel in the lion’s den | Daniel 6 | We can trust God and remain faithful to Him |
| 5Esther is brave | Esther 4–7 | God works through His people to accomplish His purposes |
Unit 7 · Five lessons from the Gospels
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1Jesus is baptised | Matthew 3:13–17 | Jesus is God’s beloved Son |
| 2Jesus calls His disciples | Mark 1:16–20 | Jesus calls us to follow Him |
| 3Jesus calms the storm | Mark 4:35–41 | Jesus has power over creation |
| 4Jesus feeds the 5,000 | John 6:1–15 | Jesus provides for His people |
| 5Jesus walks on water | Matthew 14:22–33 | Jesus is worthy of our trust |
Unit 8 · Five lessons from Matthew & Mark
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1The Lord’s Prayer | Matthew 6:5–13 | Jesus teaches us how to pray |
| 2Love your enemies | Matthew 5:38–48 | Jesus teaches us to love even those who hurt us |
| 3Do not worry | Matthew 6:25–34 | We can trust God to care for us |
| 4The unforgiving servant | Matthew 18:21–35 | Because God forgives us, we should forgive others |
| 5The rich young ruler | Mark 10:17–27 | Jesus must come before everything else |
Unit 9 · Six lessons from the Gospels & Acts
| Lesson | Bible Story | Lesson Big Truth |
|---|---|---|
| 1Palm Sunday | Matthew 21:1–11 | Jesus is the promised King |
| 2The Last Supper | Luke 22:14–20 | Jesus gave Himself for His people |
| 3Jesus dies on the cross | Luke 23:26–49 | Jesus died to save us from our sins |
| 4Jesus is alive | Luke 24:1–12 | Jesus rose from the dead |
| 5The Ascension | Acts 1:1–11 | Jesus is King and reigns in heaven |
| 6Pentecost | Acts 2:1–41 | Jesus sends His Spirit to His people |
Kept up to date by the Sunday school leader — add what your class uses
Nine units · forty-four lessons · roughly one unit per half-term
Plan the year’s teaching by allocating units to each half-term below. Unit 3 (God Sent Jesus) sits naturally in the weeks before Christmas, and Unit 9 (Jesus Saves) around Easter; shorter half-terms can carry part of a unit, and some will carry two.
| Half-Term | Dates | Units Covered | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn 1September – October | |||
| Autumn 2November – December · Christmas | |||
| Spring 1January – February | |||
| Spring 2March – April · Easter | |||
| Summer 1April – May | |||
| Summer 2June – July |
“We are planting and watering seeds.
God alone gives the growth.”