Spiritual Characteristics of this age group:

4th Grade

• ​have a very real spiritual nature, a strong sense of who God is, and often relate to Jesus as their friend
• are aware of right and wrong and begin to experience guilt and understand forgiveness.
• understand God’s love and our response within the context of everyday experiences. By and​ large they are still concrete thinkers
• can be delighted and awed by Bible stories and often use their imagination to ask questions can express their love for Jesus in words and actions​

5th Grade

• are developing a conscience: a personal sense of right and wrong that often expresses itself in judgments of what’s unfair or unjust. 
• may be able to deal with moral questions in terms of motives and consequences, love, loyalty, promises, and so on. 
• may show an increasing concern for people who are hungry, homeless, or poor. 
• are open to learning about other cultures and accepting differences in others. 
• understand why we pray and are often able to make up spontaneous prayers. 
• are more inclined to look inward than younger children are, and may ask questions and wonder about making a commitment to Christ

Concepts with this age group:

Connecting our Faith - 4th Grade/5th Grade - “Justice Seekers” Stewards in the World 

• Stewardship and service. The primary purpose is to help the children see the connection between what we learn in church and our actions. Sharing and making a difference in people’s lives are hallmarks of living a Christian life. What we learn about God and Jesus are important foundations, but there is more to being a Christian than just showing up on Sunday morning. Sunday morning is our “practice”; we play the game when we walk out of the church and into the rest of our week. We talk about being cheerful givers and the ways we can serve through our offerings and special gifts. 
  
• Each child is given a list of possible ways to serve others. Each possibility must be age appropriate.   If the service project is one that will involve adults, it is clearly noted. Contact information (who one calls to get involved) is provided. The children are given two months to complete their projects.On a specific Sunday, the children and what they have experienced are listed in the bulletin. They are recognized for their service, and the congregation is challenged to “go and do likewise.” The intent of the Kids and Stewardship Milestone is also to help children and their caregivers escape a lifestyle of hyper-consumption by learning good money management early in life. Learning about money isn’t just about what we do with it. It is also about our attitudes toward money and recognizing it all belongs to God.

Discovering God’s Gift – 4th Grade/5th Grade (“Wonderfully Made” Human Sexuality Discovery Weekend)

• Help preteens learn they are wonderfully made with this faith and sexuality education program.
• The Participant Book is a resource that will help children ages 10-12 understand their bodies, the changes they are going through, and how God loves them now and always. As children mature physically, this is a time to partner home and congregation to make sure that the children we love have good information, clear and consistent values, and support.
• This session will explain sexual anatomy as well as the different aspects of puberty. Additionally, the book will discuss the influence of social media on sexual desire and decision making. Parents experience portions of the weekend together.​

Participating in Worship – 5th Grade - “We Know and Can Lead Worship”

• So many times, adults are uncomfortable having children, even their own children, in worship. Children often complain that worship is “boring” and that they do not know what is happening. This Milestone is designed to help counter some of this. In class we use the Sunday morning bulletin to get a sense of the liturgy. People are often surprised to discover that there is a predictable pattern and flow to the liturgy, and that there is a purpose to that pattern.​
• We learn the definitions of words, such as Doxology and Introit. We talk about the lectionary and how Scriptures are chosen. We also explore the hymnal and note that everything flows and fits together. Then the parents and their fifth-graders are invited to read the New Testament lesson for the day and decide what one thing they would tell others about that part of God’s Word on that day. We talk about the role of the preacher and how her job is to help the people think about God’s message to God’s people through the sermon. 
• ​The next part of this Milestone is to have the children and their teachers attend a worship service that is very different from our own. This is a wonderful time, and the children come away with great insights. The final piece is that the fifth-graders create their own worship service and lead it for a group of children and parents. They plan the prayers, the music, and the message.

Scripture

• ​The Bible has two parts: Old and New Testaments
• Hear Bible stories about people who tried to live as God wanted
• Practice holding a Bible 
• Say and sing Bible verses
• Associate Bible stories read with reading out of the same book that is at home, worship, and Sunday school. 
• Observe adults reading from the Bible/Bible story book.
• Age appropriate goals for learning - grades 4-6
  • Learn to use a children’s Bible dictionary and concordance
    
  • Frequently practice skills of locating scripture passages
    
  • Use maps with Bible study
    
  • Develop a growing understanding of prayer as an important way we can relate to God
    
  • Encourage the use of personal devotional material
    
  • Study prayers for special occasions that are in the hymnal
    
  • Recognize that there are many ways to worship
    
  • As understanding of geography develops, recognize how Christians round the world tell and showing others what God has done. Be introduced to the word witness
    
  • Develop understanding of the early church
    
  • Explore worship, sacraments, and the life of the congregation 
    
  • Who is the Body of Christ – Apostles Creed, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant
• 5th Graders 
  
  • The location of all the books of the Bible
    
  • The Old and New Testament books of the Bible
    
  • The location of key passages (Ten Commandments, Lord’s Prayer, Beatitudes, Great Commandment, Great Commission)
    
  • Have basic understanding chronologically of Biblical events
    
  • How to classify the major biblical characters as patriarch, judge, king, prophet, or disciple
    
  • Know Seasons of the church year
    
  • Intermediate understanding of stewardship-that it is using your time, talents, money, and life to the glory of God and in service to others
    
  • Basic knowledge of World Religions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism

What stories are appropriate?

Age appropriate Bible stories for older elementary children:

• Genesis 1:31 (God saw what God created and it was good)
• Psalm 100:1-2 (Make a joyful noise to the Lord)

• Matthew 7:12 (Love your neighbor as we love ourselves)
  
• 1 John 4:19 (We love because God first loves us)

Stewardship

• Grow in time management and in stewards of their time, learning to use time wisely
  
• Learn that money is of God’s creation and belongs to God
  
• Learn to recognize money as a result of the way we use our talents
  
• Grow in appreciation of the way that our money functions in the church, including financial necessities to maintain the church
  
• Develop an understanding of tithing 
  
• Experience standing in other’s shoes
  
• Develop appreciation of God’s concern for all people
  
• Become aware of ways Christians respond to God’s love through service 
  
• Expand understanding of service for others through the church by acting in service as a group and individually
  
• ​Begin to be involved in regular responsibilities of the church

Prayer

• ​Prayer
  • Encourage personal and private worship 
  • Learn to appreciate prayers in formal worship
  • Study prayers in hymnal for special occasions 
  • Learn prayer as a having a close relationship with God
  • Encourage growth so that this relationship with God is there when child is more independent 
• Worship Practices
  • Jesus is with us in communion, Lamb of God, Fed by the Good Shepherd​​

Music

Bible Reccomendations

Ages 7-12

3rd and UP

Suggested Ages 3rd Grade and UP

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