The new “Alive in Jesus”Sabbath School curriculum is soon to reach the hands and hearts of the children around the world and across the South Pacific Division (SPD). Families with new babies and toddlers will be the first to experience the new curriculum, which is being developed by the General Conference Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Department.

The Babies (birth-12 months) and Beginner (1-3 years) lesson guides are set to launch globally in January 2025, with other levels to follow. The beautifully illustrated and highly engaging Sabbath School study guides will be available for kids, parents, and Sabbath School teachers through local Adventist Book Centers. All resources will also be available online. GraceLink will be phased out and no longer produced or resourced as the new Alive in Jesus curriculum is rolled out.

Children’s ministry directors from across the SPD are thrilled and very motivated to enable families and churches to effectively utilize these new resources. Seventeen church leaders met at the Australian Union Conference (AUC) office in Melbourne March 7–8 to be trained by Nina Atcheson, the curriculum manager. 

The Alive in Jesus curriculum incorporates best educational practices and a deep understanding of faith development to enable parents and Sabbath School teachers to lead children into a dynamic, mission-focused, and lifelong relationship with Jesus. The Bible is the foundation of the new curriculum, with three key pillars of grace, character development, and mission. 

Colleen Savage, from the Northern New South Wales Conference, said she is impressed with the new curriculum. “They have really thought about everyone’s needs, cultures, and backgrounds,” she said. “The best thing is that it keeps pointing our kids to Jesus’ love and grace through exploring Bible stories and service to others. It couldn’t have come at a better time for our churches.” 

Sylvia Mendez, from the AUC, observed, “We are excited by what we saw and can’t wait to be part of the rollout starting in 2025 for Babies and Beginners.”

“Kids in New Zealand today need hope, direction and a purpose,” South New Zealand Conference president Ben Martin said. “The Alive in Jesus curriculum offers all three as pillars of lessons, which excites my ministerial team.”

Ruthy Batu, from Central Papua Conference, added, “Alive in Jesus is a rich curriculum that makes the Bible stories come alive. It enhances biblical literacy and provides a pathway for children to make appropriate decisions for baptism.” 

“We were challenged to consider what our churches would be like without children’s Sabbath schools,” Agnes Kola, from the Papua New Guinea Union Mission, shared. “It struck me that Alive in Jesus is an essential key to the future of our church.”

“For us in the Trans-Pacific Union Mission [TPUM],” Loleth Worwor said, “our children will be led to become vibrant disciples of Jesus through the Alive in Jesus curriculum with the help of the Holy Spirit.” Tafonga Pita, from the TPUM, added, “Nina’s training presentations gave us powerful insight into why we have Sabbath School and how we can bring about growth in grace, character, and mission.”

Feedback from parents has already been overwhelmingly positive. In January 2023, five churches in the SPD were included in a global pilot of the curriculum. Data was gathered from around the world to help shape the resources. More than 95 percent of the 826 global respondents indicated that they really appreciated Alive in Jesus. One parent from the SPD stated, “This new curriculum is beautifully written and illustrated. I love that there is something to read every day.” Another reflected, “There’s so much variety in the activities. The object lessons were fantastic! Having the craft laid out for us was awesome.”

Uili Mauga, a pastor from the Victoria Conference, said, “I love that this curriculum encourages parents to be involved in their children’s spiritual growth.” Daron Pratt, a pastor in the Greater Sydney Conference, added, “Alive in Jesus will be a game changer for our kids. We all need to invest in this resource.” And Andrew Olsen, a pastor in Western Australia, agreed. “I love the practical, hands-on elements that are included in the Alive in Jesus curriculum.”

People can check out Alive in Jesus for a brochure, video, and lesson samples.

The original version of this story was posted by Adventist Record.