Our Curriculum, Helpful Links and Suggested Reading
A Special Word from Cathy Clasper-Torch about our Church School curriculum, Seasons of the Spirit:
Our Church School curriculum is a wonderful guide through all the “Seasons of the Spirit,” or the ‘church seasons.’ Seasons of the Spirit is written by a wide variety of church educators, teachers, ministers, and published by Lake Wood Publishing in Canada.
The scripture focus each week is LECTIONARY BASED, which means that what we read in Church School is chosen from the same Bible selections that you read in worship, and that churches worldwide are reading together. This reading is based on a 3-year cycle, in which most of the Bible is read. Our curriculum uses INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE, which provides fresh images of God, rather than relying on gender-based images. Our curriculum is ECUMENICAL, which means a variety of churches use and write this curriculum, from the United Church of Christ (that’s us!) to Lutheran and Episcopal churches in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia. It also includes fabulous artwork (posters), music and creative ideas that you can learn more about on-line: http://www.spiritseasons.com.
Helpful links for parents:
The national UCC website is full of interesting resources, including a link (above) specifically for youth issues. Anti-bullying resources, information about youth violence and suicide, an interesting bibliography, etc.
http://www.ricucc.org/index.html
Find out what’s happening at other RI UCC churches. Sign up for their weekly email.
http://www.macucc.org/pages/detail/2106
The Massachusetts Conference of the UCC has an excellent website, including a resource page that lists such topics as Children and Youth, Growing In Faith, and Inspiring Generosity.
http://www.macucc.org/pages/detail/2390
Resource ideas for celebrating Advent, Christmas and Epiphany at church and in the home.
http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/pages/FCM-Bibliography
Disciples of Christ and the UCC have an ecumenical partnership. Their website contains extensive bibliographies in the following categories: Advocacy, Christian Education and Faith Formation, Family and Children, and Family and Prayer. We have tried to list some key resources below.
Christian Parenting Book Recommendations:
Berends, Polly Berrien, Whole Child/Whole Parent. New York: Harper, 1997. This fourth edition includes new material for parents on anger, children’s dreams, maintaining individual and family life, and marital as well as parental life..
Caldwell, Elizabeth, Making a Home for Faith: Nurturing the Spiritual Life of Your Children. Pilgrim Press, Revised 2007.
Great for parents of younger children.
Coles, Robert, The Spiritual Life of Children. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991. Pulitzer-prize winning psychiatrist Coles interviews hundreds of children of all faiths about what God means to them. A classic.
Heller, David, Talking to Your Child About God: A Book for Families of All Faiths. New York: Bantam Books, 1988.
How to nurture your child’s spiritual development even if you have little or no formal religious education. Contains sections on the basic tenets of various religious faiths and a chapter about the unique issues that arise in interfaith marriages.
Jones, Jeffrey, Parenting with Love & Laughter: Finding God in Family Life. Jossey-Bass, 2002. Helps parents think about their own spiritual lives and the quality of their family relationships.
Kushner, Harold S., When Children Ask About God: A Guide for Parents Who Don’t Always Have All the Answers. New York, NY: Schocken, Revised 1995. Answers all kinds of questions about religion, the Bible, illness and bereavement.
Stickney, Doris, Waterbugs & Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children. Pilgrim Press, 2010. A bestseller for the UCC’s Pilgrim Press. A simple but beautiful explanation of death.
Westerhoff, John. Will Our Children Have Faith? Morehouse Publishing, Revised 2000. A classic book about Christian education and the need to build faith not just within the church, but also at home and in the community.
Prayer Books and Bibles:
Campbell, Alexander, Pilgrim Prayers for Mealtime. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, 2003.
Hastings, Selina and Eric Thomas. The Children’s Illustrated Bible. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1994.
