These Are Our Bodies: Preschool & Elementary Leader Guide

Abbi Long, Jenny Beaumont

Description

Faith formation resource for children on human sexuality.

This sexuality education resource from a mainline/progressive denominational prospective aids the leader, child (participant), and parent in learning about their body and using skills that enable them to embrace and affirm the wholeness of sexuality as part of who they are. Session plans will address facts about sexuality, vocabulary, decision making, faith and daily life, respect, growth and change, behavior, responsibility, values, prayer, and intentionality in an age appropriate manner for children and their parents. One Leader Guide will cover all ages, with three Parent Books (Preschool: 3- to 5-yearolds, Primary: 6- to 8-year-olds, and Intermediate: 9- to 11-year-olds), and two Participant Books (Primary and Intermediate ages).

Session topics include: • We are Wonderfully Made • We are Complex • We are Changing • We are Knowledgeable • We are Equipped • We are Called • We are Growing Up

Preface
Introduction

PRESCHOOL
Introduction
Session 1: God CREATED ME Parent and Child Session
Session 2: We are ACCEPTED Parent Session
Session 3: We are ENTRUSTED Parent Session
Session 4: We are BEGINNING the CONVERSATION Parent Session
Session 5: We are SHAPING and MOLDING Parent Session
Session 6: God HELPS ME GROW Parent and Child Session

PRIMARY
Introduction
Session 1: God KNOWS ME Parent and Child Session
Session 2: I am LOVED Parent and Child Session
Session 3: God MADE ME Parent and Child Session
Session 4: We are EMPOWERED Parent Session
Session 5: We CONTINUE the CONVERSATION Parent Session
Session 6: We are SELF-AWARE Parent Session
Session 7: We are LOVING Parent Session
Session 8: We are CONSIDERATE Parent Session

INTERMEDIATE
Introduction
Session 1: We are WONDERFULLY MADE Tween Session
Session 2: We are UNIQUE Tween Session
Session 3: We are a MIRACLE Tween Session
Session 4: We are CHANGING Tween Session
Session 5: We are KNOWLEDGEABLE Tween Session
Session 6: We are COMPLEX Tween Session
Session 7: We are EQUIPPED Parent Session
Session 8: We are CALLED Parent Session
Session 9: We are BUILDING the CONTAINER Parent Session
Session 10: We are MATURING Parent and Tween Session

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Education
• Philosophie et théologie
• Children
• Youth

Informations

• Publié par: Church Publishing Incorporated
• Date de parution: 01 août 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780898690125
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Copyright © 2017 Jenny Beaumont and Abbi Long
All rights reserved. No part of the book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
Scripture quotations from the CEB used with permission. All rights reserved. Common English Bible, Copyright 2011.
Scripture from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV) © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.
A catalog record of this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Church Publishing Incorporated 19 East 34th Street New York, NY 10016
Cover design by: Jennifer Kopec, 2 Pug Design Typeset by: Progressive Publishing Services
ISBN-13: 978-0-89869-011-8 (pbk.) ISBN-13: 978-0-89869-012-5 (ebook)
Printed in the United States of America
Preface Introduction PRESCHOOL Introduction SESSION 1: God CREATED ME Parent and Child Session SESSION 2: We are ACCEPTED Parent Session SESSION 3: We are ENTRUSTED Parent Session SESSION 4: We are BEGINNING the CONVERSATION Parent Session SESSION 5: We are SHAPING and MOLDING Parent Session SESSION 6: God HELPS ME GROW Parent and Child Session PRIMARY Introduction SESSION 1: God KNOWS ME Parent and Child Session SESSION 2: I am LOVED Parent and Child Session SESSION 3: God MADE ME Parent and Child Session SESSION 4: We are EMPOWERED Parent Session SESSION 5: We CONTINUE the CONVERSATION Parent Session SESSION 6: We are SELF-AWARE Parent Session SESSION 7: We are LOVING Parent Session SESSION 8: We are CONSIDERATE Parent Session SESSION 9: We teach CONSENT Parent Session INTERMEDIATE Introduction SESSION 1: We are WONDERFULLY MADE Tween Session SESSION 2: We are UNIQUE Tween Session SESSION 3: We are a MIRACLE Tween Session SESSION 4: We are CHANGING Tween Session SESSION 5: We are KNOWLEDGEABLE Tween Session SESSION 6: We are COMPLEX Tween Session SESSION 7: We are EQUIPPED Parent Session SESSION 8: We are CALLED Parent Session SESSION 9: We are BUILDING the CONTAINER Parent Session SESSION 10: We are MATURING Parent and Tween Session
The only way I know how to teach anyone to love God, and how I myself can love God, is to love what God loves, which is everything and everyone, including you and including me! 1
—Richard Rohr
We love because [God] first loved us.
—1 John 4:19
If we love each other, God remains in us and [God’s] love is made perfect in us.
—1 John 4:12 (CEB)
As parents, leaders, or clergy, you recognize the imperative to teach and lead young people in connecting their faith and their sexuality. The Christian Church has something to say to our children and young people. It is a message of empowerment and acceptance. The Church is called to assist people to grow in their faith and lead the life to which they are called. Considering anew what God is calling us toward—fostering respect, wholeness, and love—will lift up the Body of Christ. Just as there are seasons to our faith (such as birth, baptism, and reaffirmation), there are seasons to our sexuality (birth, awareness, growth, change, and transformation). Sexuality: A Divine Gift explores the interplay of the physical experience of sex, love, and the gift of sexuality:
The Episcopal Church is a sacramental church. Anglicans claim a union of physical experience and inward grace both in the sacraments of the church and in our daily lives.
The Church increasingly understands that our sexuality is an important (though not the only) means by which we learn to be lovers. Our awareness of each other, our acceptance of our affection for each other as God’s creations, and our delight in the special gifts that each of us brings to a relationship because of our sexuality—all these are evidence of the blessings that God intends for us in our dealings with each other. 2
With all this in mind, These Are Our Bodies offers practical information and developmentally appropriate lessons in the context of our faith as Christians, particularly as Episcopalians. These Are Our Bodies was created in response to the need of The Episcopal Church for program resources to help people of multiple ages explore sexuality in the context of a faith community.
The full program consists of a These Are Our Bodies: Talking Faith & Sexuality at Church & Home Foundation Book and a series of books for different ages. This Preschool & Elementary Leader Guide for children joins already published materials:
• Middle School Leader Guide , Parent Book , and Participant Book
• High School Leader Guide , Parent Book , and Participant Book
A young adult module (ages 18–30) will be published later in 2017, and an adult module is also forthcoming.
These Are Our Bodies materials (age-based modules) are designed to teach concepts around our faith in ways that connect with children and parents. 3 The program hopes to provide opportunities to strengthen participants’ faith, while making strong connections to sexuality. Within this Leader Guide you will find three kinds of sessions:
• “Joint” sessions for parents and participant
• Parent only sessions
• Participant only sessions
THE FOUNDATION BOOK
The These Are Our Bodies: Talking Faith & Sexuality at Church & Home Foundation Book is the companion text to the These Are Our Bodies program, including this Preschool and Elementary module for children and parents. Parents and leaders are encouraged to read the Foundation Book as well. Grounded in the Episcopal faith tradition, the Foundation Book provides theological background and practical guidance about the complexities of sexuality in today’s world. The book is a supportive addition to the Preschool and Elementary program, and it is relevant for other ages as well. The Foundation Book includes essays about the role of sexuality and practical guides to inform church educators, parents, leaders, or anyone who seeks to broaden their knowledge on this subject.
The Foundation Book is organized into four parts: The Theological, The Ethical, The Biological, and The Practical. Each of these sections explores the complexity of sexuality and is written both to be read on its own and as part of the unified book. An extensive annotated resource section and glossary round out the book to give readers the information they need for further exploration on topics of sexuality.
Part I: The Theological includes chapters that explore the dynamics of sexuality and its connection to our faith. Richard Rohr reminds us, “The Christian religion was the only one that believed God became a human body, and yet we have had such deficient and frankly negative attitudes toward embodiment.” 4 Humans are embodied people seeking to live lives that are worthy of our deep calling. How, then, do we understand the mystery of sexuality in the content of a biblical framework? Through the lens of the Baptismal Covenant, we will look at the creative nature of sexuality, the goodness of desire, and the concept of honoring the body. This section concludes with a discussion of the role of the church in the area of sexuality.
Part II: The Ethical explores new vocabulary necessary to expand our view of sexuality. The binary concepts of sexuality as male or female, married or single, and heterosexual or homosexual are expanding. Readers will come to understand sexuality in a new way, learning new language that seeks to honor and respect the dignity of all people. Our hope is to provide a catalyst for conversations that will challenge and expand thinking about the ethical demands that call us to love our neighbor as ourselves. In light of the evolving view of sexuality, we reflect on the role of responsible behavior and models of decision-making, including consent and shaming. The section finishes with chapters that focus on the changing culture of sexuality and our call to examine stereotypes, bullying, and the inherent pain they cause.
Part III: The Biological expands on the role of parenting in healthy development and provides a review of developmental theories, moral development psychology, and faith development across the lifespan. The research and theories of leading psychologists underpin our understanding of the needs of children, including the healthy growth of their bodies and their moral development. We conclude this section with a discussion of faith development and its implications in understanding the complexity of human sexuality.
Part IV: The Practical gives adults the tools needed to understand the stages of child development that inform our life and ministry with children and teens. This section also gives parents the background knowledge and information they need to be the primary sexuality educators for their children. This review of development (physical, emotional and social, spiritual and moral) will benefit anyone working with or raising children and teens.

1 Richard Rohr. Franciscan Mysticism: I AM That Which I Am Seeking (Albuquerque, NM: Center for Action and Contemplation: 2012), disc 2; https://cac.org/love-god-in-what-is-right-in-front-of-you-2016-01-17/ (accessed January 23, 2016).
2 Education for Mission & Ministry Unit. Sexuality: A Divine Gift (New York: Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, 1987), 4.
3 We recognize and celebrate that families are unique! We use the term “parents” to refer to anyone who is raising children. These resources and the parent sessions are designed for use by grandparents, relatives, teachers, or friends who are raising children.
4 Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation “How to Stay Open” Friday, August 8, 2014, http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Richard-Rohr-s-Meditation–How-to-Stay-Open.html?soid=1103098668616&aid=jc5Q93T6Yu8 .
Welcome to These Are Our Bodies !
These Are Our Bodies is a comprehensive faith and sexuality program, based on the universal needs of children and their parents. Children rely on par