Adventist Leaders Preview ‘Alive in Jesus’ Curriculum for Implementation Across Inter-America

The new Sabbath school curriculum for ages 0-3 is scheduled to start in 2025.

March 21, 2024 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Dozens of Sabbath school children and adolescent ministries directors from throughout the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Inter-American Division (IAD) recently met to study and review the ‘Alive in Jesus’ Sabbath school curriculum produced by the General Conference. The new curriculum, designed for ages 0-14 will first launch for infants up to three years old in 2025.

“Our goal is to attract and attach children to the love of Jesus as we prepare to launch this new curriculum in our territory soon,” said Pastor Samuel Telemaque, Sabbath school director of the IAD and main organizer of the training event. He challenged leaders from all 24 unions to commit to implementing the new curriculum.

The new curriculum features comprehensive bible study lessons with beautiful illustrations that will touch the lives of so many children and their parents across the territory and around the world, said Edith Ruiz, children, and adolescent ministries director of the IAD. “We are so excited and ready to mobilize local leaders, resources, effect changes, instruct it thoroughly and work united to transition into the new curriculum,” she said.

Alive in Jesus is scheduled to launch in 2026 for Kindergarten and Primary, in 2027 for Juniors and Teens, and in 2028 for Youth. GraceLink, the current children’s Sabbath School curriculum, will be phased out.

Philosophy and pillars of the new curriculum

Nina Atcheson, curriculum manager and senior editor of the new ‘Alive in Jesus’ curriculum, spoke to the leaders gathered in Miami, Florida, United States, Mar. 11-13, 2024, on the philosophy and pillars of the curriculum and the role of Sabbath school teachers.

“We have been given a high calling not only to grow little ones but to equip many teachers and parents throughout the Inter-American Division,” said Atcheson. The calling includes teaching children with different needs about today’s reality factors affecting the home, including anxiety, depression, divorce, the impact of screen time, gender dysphoria, nature deficit disorder and more.

“God’s truth is at the very heart of the Adventist message, but people in parts of the world don’t feel comfortable about talking about the truth, so the bible is the foundation of this new curriculum,” she explained. Pillars of the curriculum includes the grace that Jesus offers, character development, and mission.

Alive in Jesus seeks to equip and empower parents, caregivers, Sabbath school teachers, Sabbath school leaders and others to model and foster a thriving relationship with Jesus and the children in the spheres of influence, Atcheson said.

First lessons to launch

Baby Steps (birth to 12 months) will include one story per quarter. Resources for parents include weekly parent time handouts with practical tips, parenting strategies, and spiritual encouragement.

Beginner (ages 1-3) will feature a weekly story to teach every day as part of a quarterly theme. Activity ideas each day will enhance the message of the bible story and a spiritual message for parents will also be included.

The new curriculum has been designed to help Sabbath school teachers meet the needs of diverse learners and settings, including accommodating children with special needs, church leaders said.

General Conference Children’s Ministries Associate Director Nilde Itin praised IAD leaders for bringing together both departments to effect positive change in the implementation of the new curriculum.  “We are not alone because this work is for God and it is a work that brings about the entire church,” she said. “Sometimes we like changes and other times its hard, but the grace of God allows us to change.”

Benefits of the integration of two departments

Bringing the two department was historic said Ruiz. “Very rarely had we come together as departments. Each one moving forward in their own rhythm and ways of working,” said Ruiz. “But in order to be successful in implementing the new curriculum, we must work together as part of a chain of links that grew stronger so we can reach the local church in this endeavor.”

Sabbath school department directors have been tasked to oversee, manage, lead, collaborate and ensure that the structure of the department runs appropriately throughout the different division levels followed by the Sabbath School Council, said Telemaque. The Sabbath school department ensures that printing and orders of the materials are made available for the classes and works with children ministries leaders or directors in training teachers who teach children from 0-18, he explained.  “Children and adolescent ministries leaders will be key in implementing the ‘Alive in Jesus’ curriculum training in each union, conference and local churches before 2025.”

The aim of the new curriculum training, said Telemaque “was to equip you with new skills, new knowledge and new attitudes to communicate religious education to children 0-14 and we want you to also model this meeting in your union territory.”

Part of the three-day training sessions included presentations on advanced training in teaching religious education, character development in children, teaching and learning methods in different age groups, teaching children with special needs, the art of storytelling, teaching religious education, demonstrations on teaching methods, as well as group interaction sessions and moments of prayer.

Inter-American Division President Pastor Elie Henry thanked Sabbath school and children and adolescent ministries leaders for strengthening the children in the IAD. “I think we have to leave this place with a commitment to help children and people to feel Jesus’ love and kindness, and let them know that the door of heaven is not closed yet,” said Pastor Henry.

Strengthening children in the IAD

The Alive in Jesus training was an eye-opener for Edwin Valiente, personal ministries and Sabbath school director in the Belize Union. Valiente, who has more than 32 years in denominal service, also pastors five churches in Belize City. “For years, my wife has taught classes in Sabbath school and I sometimes would greet the children but I didn’t realize how important it is to be part of planting in their lives too,” said Valiente. “We must be intentional, engaging with children and their parents,” he said.

“I absolutely love the content and the focus,” said Rosalinda de Gracia, children and adolescent ministries director of the Panama Union. It will be crucial to ensure that pastors and their spouses—who oversee children’s divisions in Sabbath school each week—understand the integrated vision of the new curriculum. “We have over 12,000 children who will be taught in the new curriculum in the coming years and we want to be ready to transition,” she said. “We must have all the leaders on the same page understanding the new curriculum with a renewed commitment to leading children to salvation in Jesus,” de Gracia said

Seeking to know physical, emotional and spiritual needs

Reaching the more than 50,000 children across the church in Jamaica with the new curriculum will be no small task, said Lorraine Vernal, children and adolescent ministries director of the Jamaican Union. “I love it [the new curriculum]” she said. She was reminded how character development starts during the first three years. The inclusivity and sensitivity to children with special needs will get to the heart of parents and be an opportunity to find out the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the children and their families, she added.

For Sandra Pinto, who leads as children and adolescent ministries in the South Colombia Union, the training has highlighted the importance of the needs of children and their families. “Sometimes we focus on the spiritual side, but we should ensure that we can also help with the mental and emotional needs that we see as Sabbath school teachers,” said Pinto. She oversees hundreds of Sabbath school teachers who teach more than 7,000 children each Sabbath.  “I got really excited to see the beautiful sequence in the lessons and how it will help teachers be better grounded in the overall program in order to plant bible principles.”

Pastor Moises Prieto, personal ministries and Sabbath school director of the South Colombia Union said: “If we motivate, inspire and equip our Sabbath school teachers and small group leaders with this curriculum this will strengthen the discipleship even more throughout all the local churches.”

For Martin Olvera, personal ministries and Sabbath school director of the Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union, the new curriculum “reaffirms the overall conviction of our union to have a vibrant Sabbath school that can stand out for being close to study of the bible and prayer and closer to the community,” said Olvera. There are over 29,000 children ages 0-14 that make up the church in the territory and to get the new curriculum on schedule, harmony from both ministries is essential, he said.

The training session led conference Sabbath school and children and adolescent ministries from across the Caribbean Union to not miss the new curriculum training, said Debra Henry, children and adolescent ministries leader of the Caribbean Union. With more than 10,000 children in the 13 conferences and missions spread out in dozens of islands, it was key to have each leader understand the vision of the new curriculum so they can better contextualize it for their respective islands, said Mrs. Henry.

IAD Publishing Association and GEMA Editors will both work together to keep the costs of the quarterlies as affordable as possible in the coming years, church leaders said. The English and Spanish quarterlies will be available in 2025, and the French versions will be available in 2026, said Saul Ortiz, IADPA president.

To find out more about the Alive in Jesus Sabbath School curriculum by visiting sabbathschoolpersonalministries.org

To view a photo gallery of the curriculum training session, click HERE