Hope and Dreams

Explore stories of Jacob, Leah, Rachel, and Hannah from the Old Testament. Wonder about how dreams can sometimes communicate meaning or messages from God. Learn about a special dream Jacob had and the promise it represents. Explore how God faithfully keeps promises made in the Bible. Share about our own families and the families of the Bible and how they are beautifully different. Think about ways families can help each other to work together, even when they don’t always agree. Experience the big emotions found in Hannah’s story and learn ways to process bigger emotions as Hannah has. Hopes and Dreams is a unit that looks at some very human stories and helps us consider how we relate to those stories.

Stories included in this unit:

• Dreams and Promises (Genesis 28:10–22)
• Two Sisters: Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:1–30; 30:22–24)
• Hannah’s Prayer to God (1 Samuel 1:1–28)

Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible Curriculum invites children and their leaders to wonder, play, and connect with one another as they develop a better relationship with God. By exploring the stories in Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible, children and their leaders learn more about who God is and what their relationship is with God. This curriculum has 35 units filled with 148 stories from the story Bible that dive deep into characters and themes in the Bible. Children and their leader will read the story together from the story Bible, pause to allow the story to resonate, and then engage with the story and wrestle with their place in that story.

Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible Curriculum is written for ages 5–10 and is intentionally multiage, meaning that children are all grouped together. Grouping children this way brings a relational focus to the sessions and fosters a collaborative spirit. The curriculum also includes an intergenerational component with four suggestions for intergenerational and home ideas for each session within a unit. Those ideas include suggestions for things to do in worship, more education-focused ideas, ways to connect with one another, and mission ideas. This adds another dimension to learning and helps the children connect to the congregation, creating a holistic approach to children’s ministry.