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What follows is a brief statement of the core convictions that we gather around as we seek to guide a new generation of young people to celebrate and share the good news of God’s redemptive love.
The good news embraced by this curriculum is that the God we worship is the One who created the world, sustains it, and will bring it to completion. God’s love for the world was embodied in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, through whom we are reconciled to God as we confess our sin and self-centeredness. The Holy Spirit guides and strengthens us to fulfill God’s purposes for the world.
The biblical story teaches us that before we are conscious of God, we are known by God, who loves us and invites us into relationship. As we grow and experience God’s reconciling love and grace, we are led to respond in love and obedience. The Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom of the gathered faith community guide us in living faithfully as followers of Jesus. Our service, mission, and simple living are grateful responses to God’s generosity. God intends for us to participate in God’s way by embracing peace and nonviolence, and by seeking justice and wholeness for humanity and for all of creation.
God longs to be in relationship with all people: young and old, female and male, from every race, nation, and religion. Precious and valued in God’s family, children express their response to God’s love in age-appropriate ways. As they mature, young people accept God’s initiative of grace and respond through baptism and church membership. Accountable to the church community, they commit themselves to live in accordance with the life and teachings of Jesus.
Through teaching and example, adults in households and the congregation have the joy, privilege, and responsibility to nurture Christian faith in our children and youth. Gather ’Round: Hearing and Sharing God’s Good News is one tool our denominations offer for Christian formation in children, youth, and adults. This curriculum can help individuals and church communities to grow in love for God and others as we worship, learn, witness, and serve.
