Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Many of us "oldsters" remember how as children we were taught scripture by hearing it read daily and by participating in Bible memorizing tasks.

Today we are begining to recognize that our faith is not being transmitted from generation to generation. How many children (or adults!) can tell us even five of the Ten Commandments or two of the Beatitudes Jesus gave to us as a guide for a way of living? And so a swing back to the old methods, with variations, is being sponsored by outstanding Christian educators across the country.

The Commission on Education of F.U.M.C. wholeheartedly approves of the benefits derived from a memorization program for Pre-school through Elementary age children. These suggestions are provided to buttress, not supplant, the Children's Curriculum of First United Methodist Church. The objective is to give children a spiritual basis on which to build their faith. The suggested materials to be memorized are presented by grade level. Encourage and work with your child/children through this material. Both you and your child will receive much reward.

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WORDS THAT BRING KINDERGARTEN AGE BOYS AND GIRLS CLOSER TO GOD
Doxology (Methodist Hymnal)
(Both the Doxology and Gloria Patri are songs thanking God. They are sung in worship services.)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Thanks to God for all your goodness and kindness;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Thanks to God from all things here on earth, that you have made;
Prasie him above, ye heavenly host;
Thanks to God from all the people in heaven;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Thanks to God, to Jesus, and to God's Holy Spirit

Gloria Patri (Methodist Hymnal)
(Both the Doxology and Gloria Patri are songs thanking God. They are sung in worship services.)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
We joyfully worship God and Jesus and God's Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be;
God was worshipped in the beginning of time, is worshipped noe and forever;
World without end, Amen, Amen.
The world worships God continually. Yes, it shall be so.

God is love. (John 4:8)
Love means to care for someone enough to want to be with them, to help them, to be kind to them.

Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . Love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)
When you love someone with all your heart that means you care what they think and want to please them by doing and thinking good things about them. Jesus tells us to please God as much as we possibly can and to care about others just as much as we care about ourselves.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
At first the earth had no shape and nothing was organized. God made everything, the stars and the planets including our earth.

Even a child makes himself known by his acts. (Proverbs 21:11)
God knows everything we do, and in this way, can tell if we love Him.

Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (Ephesians 6:1)
God wants us to love and obey our parents. We please both God and our parents when we are obedient.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord. (Psalm 92:1)
Because God is loving and caring, because there is nothing bad in God, and because he is so good to us, we need to thank him every single day.

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WORDS THAT BRING FIRST GRADE BOYS AND GIRLS CLOSER TO GOD
The Lord's Prayer (Mathew 6:9-13)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
0 loving, caring God, who lives wherever there is love and peace,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Your name is great and holy. .
Thy kingdom come,
May you rule in us and in all of life,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
May what you want be done everywhere.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Give us each day the things we need to live,
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Forgive us in the way that we forgive others.
And lead us not into temptation,
Do not let us give in to doing wrong,
But deliver us from evil,
Keep us from doing wrong,
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
The universe is yours, you are most powerful, most to be worshipped, forever. Yes, it shall be so.

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things, which you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)
This is God's phone number. When you call on God, he will answer you, he never has a busy signal. He is always willing to help you know great things. God knows all things and he wants to tell each of you.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. (II Timothy 1:7)
God never causes us to be afraid, but helps us to be wise, strong, loving, and to control ourselves.

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you? (I Corinthians 3:16)
You are the house of God. God lives inside you and wants you to be holy and clean. Take good care of his house.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Jesus was with God from the beginning of time. He was with God when he made the world, and his spirit lives forever. He never changes.

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WORDS THAT BRING THIRD GRADE BOYS AND GIRLS CLOSER TO GOD
Books of The Old Testament
Law
Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy
History
Joshua - Judges - Ruth - I Samuel - II Samuel - I Kings - II Kings - I Chronicles - II Chronicles - Ezra - Nehemiah - Esther
Poetry
Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon
Major Prophets
Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel
Minor Prophets
Hosea - Joel - Amos - Obadiah - Jonah - Micah - Nahum - Habakkuk - Zephaniah - Haggai - Zechariah - Malachi

Books of The New Testament
Gospels
Matthew - Mark - Luke - John
History of Church
Acts of the Apostles
Epistles
Romans - I Corinthians - II Corinthians - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - I Thessalonians - II Thessalonians - I Timothy - II Timothy - Titus - Philemon - Hebrews - James - I Peter - II Peter - I John - II John - III John - Jude
Prophecy
Revelation

The Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:14-19; Luke 6:13)
There were twelve men who were followers (disciples or students) of Jesus Christ who were chosen by him and called apostles. Their responsibilities were to continue and carry on the mission begun by Jesus Christ. After Jesus' death, Paul, Barnabas, and James, the brother of our Lord were designated by the original twelve to be apostles for Jesus Christ.
1. Simon, whom Jesus named Peter (The Rock)
2. Andrew, Peter's brother
3. James, son of Zebedee
4. John, brother of James
5. Philip
6. Bartholomew
7. Thomas
8. Matthew, the tax collector
9. James, the son of Alphaeus
10. Thaddeus
11. Simon the Zealot
12. Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus
13. Matthias (appointed after Judas' death)

The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.
Do for others what you would like them to do for you.

If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. (Romans 10:9-10)
lf you tell others that Jesus is your Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved! It will be just as if you had never sinned. This is what being justified means.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
You will receive great ability when God's Spirit comes upon you that will help you do what Jesus does. You will want to tell others what Jesus has done for you wherever you are, in Wichita or Dallas, Chicago or wherever you go.

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WORDS THAT BRING FOURTH GRADE BOYS AND GIRLS CLOSER TO GOD
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This psalm is one of the most popular of all scriptures and has been "sung" or repeated by good Christians over the centuries with pleasure and satisfaction. In it the psalmist thinks of God as a shepherd caring for us, his sheep. He tells of the kinds of good things God had done for him as a shepherd. He, therefore, believes he has no wants, that he should fear no evil, that God would never leave him, and therefore he, the psalmist, resolves never to leave or forsake God. The psalmist helps us remember the benefits of the care and tenderness of our great and good shepherd, God, our Spiritual Father.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. (II Corinthians 5:17)
When people become Christians they become completely new persons inside. They are not the same people anymore. A new life has begun that is evermore closely like the life Jesus lived.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7)
Jesus says if you stay very near to Me, and my words become a part of your life, ask and it shall be given to you.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Sometimes we can't do things with our own strength. But with the power of Jesus we can do all things. When we trust, him, He makes us strong.

Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-7)
1. You shall have no other gods before me.
We are to fear, love, and trust God above all else. And worship only him.
2. You shall not make yourself a graven image.
We are not to make things that we own or like to take the place of God or Jesus' Way. God must be first in every Christian's life.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
When we use God's name, it should be because we love him and want to honor him.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
Sunday is the Lord's Day and is our day to worship and praise God.
5. Honor your Father and Mother.
Respect, love, obey, and serve your parents.
6. You shall not kill. It is God's plan that all his children should live happily without fear that his neighbor will take away his life.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
Husbands and wives have a special relationship and commitment with each other — which they must not share with others.
8. You shall not steal.
Do not take another person's money or property or treat them dishonestly
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not betray, slander, or lie about anyone.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
Do not desire for your own self anyone else's possessions.