Syllabus for Light 2017/18Scripture Union has created this Bible-based syllabus with the help of Bible scholars, education experts and children’s and youth leaders.

Syllabus and cycleThe Light syllabus is on a rolling cycle. If group members keep on learning with Light for four years, they will gain a good grasp of all the key events and teachings of the Bible. This is a syllabus outline for the part of the cycle that Light will be following from October 2017.

You can learn more about the whole syllabus at www.scriptureunion.org.uk/light.

Aim of the syllabusLight is very clearly Bible-focused. It enables children, young people and adults to develop a personal relationship with Christ as well as helping them to understand the Bible and the Christian faith, and to live for God as light in a dark world.

It also addresses contemporary issues from a strong biblical perspective, so young people can see the Bible’s relevance in today’s world. It enables churches of all denominations and traditions to integrate the programme with teaching of their own emphases, practices, history and mission.

Selection of Bible passagesThe Bible passages offer a balanced view of who God is, what he is like, what he has done, is doing and will do. Everyone will be able to follow the story of salvation that runs though the Bible with its focus clearly on Jesus.

At the beginning of each cycle Light begins with Genesis and starts going through the Old Testament. The New Testament, running concurrently, follows the church year, with Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost sessions coming at the appropriate times. Between Pentecost and October there are stories about the young church, and various gospel series are interspersed throughout the year. Each quarter has a balance of Old and New Testament passages.

SeriesEach series explores a big theme about God, so leaders are able to drop some sessions from a series if they need to, and group members will still grasp the Bible’s message. Scripture Union also recognises that attendance at groups or services may be sporadic, so this approach also helps with this kind of situation.

Syllabus for different age groupsSplash! and Xstream follow the core Light syllabus. Children aged 5 and under usually follow the same syllabus, but diverge from it occasionally to use a Bible passage more appropriate to the age group or when they need to spend more time on a particular subject, such as Christmas.

The syllabus for theGRID (11 to 14s) relates to the core Light syllabus, but has a strong link with young people’s issues.

To help you plan ahead, this detailed syllabus shows the similarities and variations between the age groups.

For small groups of children with a wide age range, the online resource Mosaic on LightLive supplies a session for each week, preselecting material suitable for 3 to 14s. Mosaic is also available in printed form, with sessions to be used on any date.

All-age and Lectionary resourcesLight provides resources for all-age worship, with an all-age service linked to each series in the Light syllabus and short ‘service starters’ for every week. There are all-age services for festivals and special days too such as Harvest, Christmas, Mothering Sunday and Good Friday. Even though these events are not celebrated at the same time around the world, churches can use the services whenever appropriate.

Light for the Lectionary provides all-age worship material for churches using the Revised Common (or Common Worship) Lectionary. This is available in seperate volumes for Years A, B and C. LectionaryLive provides corresponding children’s sessions online, wherever they match with the Light syllabus.

Bible versionsBubbles, Splash!, Xstream and theGRID work with any Bible version. However, the writers have in mind the Contemporary English Version (CEV) and Good News Bible (GNB) as they write for Bubbles, Splash! and Xstream, the New Century Version (Youth Bible) for theGRID and Today’s New International Version (TNIV) for the All-Age Service Annual. Bubbles recommends using The Big Bible Storybook (published by SU), which has been created especially for use with under-5s.

www.scriptureunion.org.uk/lightwww.lightlive.org

Bubbles (5s and under)October–December 2017 January–March 2018

April–June 2018

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 December 31 Explore Together Acts 18:1-3; Col 3:12-17In all you say or do

2 January 7

People Jesus metMeet three people who met Jesus – and see what adifference he made to theirlives

Matthew 9:9–13A man at work

3 January 14

Matthew 15:21–28A woman in need

4 January 21 Mark 10:17–31A rich young man

5 January 28 Psalm 119:9–16,105Light to live by

6 February 5 Isaac and his family Abraham experiences God’sfaithfulness, as his familygrows with the birth of Isaac

Genesis 18:1–15; 21:1–8Isaac is born

7 February 12 Genesis 24Isaac and Rebekah

8 February 19 Genesis 25:19–34; 27:1–45Jacob and Esau

9 February 26 Jacob Discover, with Jacob, that God is with his people wherever they go

Genesis 28:10–22God speaks to Jacob

10 March 04 Genesis 29:1–35Jacob’s family

11 March 11 Genesis 32,33Jacob goes home

12 March 18 Genesis 35:1–15God blesses Jacob

13 March 26 Genesis 42:1–13Joseph helps his family

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 April 1 Explore Together

Jesus caresJohn’s Gospel gives a unique portrait of Jesus, helping us encounter and understand his care for each of us

Luke 24:1–12Explore the story of Easter

2 April 8 John 2:1–12Jesus helps

3 April 15 John 6:1-15Jesus feeds

4 April 22 John 10:1-15Jesus protects

5 April 29 John 11:17–44Jesus gives life

6 May 6 PentecostThe disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped for God’s service

Acts 1Jesus goes back to heaven

7 May 13 Acts 2Wind and fire

8 May 20 Acts 3 Walking, leaping and praising

9 May 27 Acts 4Talking about Jesus

10 June 3 God is everywhereJoshua discovers that, with God’s help, anything is possible because God is powerful enough to do anything

Joshua 1:1–9 Joshua leads the way

11 June 10 Joshua 2 Joshua makes plans

12 June 17 Joshua 3:1 – 4:9 Over the river

13 June 24 Joshua 6The walls of Jericho

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 October 1 Moses the leader Follow Moses and the people of God as they journey in the desert, experiencing God’s help and guidance in all they do

Exodus 16:1 – 17:7Living in the desert

2 October 8 Exodus 19:16 – 20:17Ten rules from God

3 October 15 Exodus 33:7–23; 34:1–9,29–35Moses meets God

4 October 22

5 October 29

Exodus 35:20 – 36:7; 39:32 – 40:38A place to worship God

Psalm 136:1–9God’s love goes on & on & on

6 November 5 Stories of JesusJesus takes time to teach and train his followers and friends, through stories and by his example

Christmas peopleMeet the people who were there at the very first Christmas and discover how God came to them as a baby, Jesus

Matthew 13:1–23The story of the seeds

7 November 12 Matthew 13:24–30,36–43The story of the weeds

8 November 19

9 November 26

Matthew 13:31–33A tiny seed

Matthew 19:13–15Jesus and the children

10 December 3

11 December 10

12 December 17

13 December 24

Luke 1:26–56Mary

Luke 2:1–7Joseph

Luke 2:8–21The shepherds

Matthew 2:1–12The wise men

April–June 2018

Splash! (5–8s), Xstream (8–11s)October–December 2017 January–March 2018

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 October 2 Life in the desert Follow Moses and the people of God as they journey in the desert, experiencing God’sgenerous provision in all they do

Exodus 16:1 – 17:7 Bread and water

2 October 9 Exodus 19:16 – 20:17Laws for life

3 October 16 Exodus 33:7–23; 34:1–9,29–35Moses meets God

4 October 23

5 October 30

Exodus 35:20 – 36:7; 39:32 – 40:38Giving to God

Psalm 136:1–9Everlasting love

6 November 6 Story seedsWe look at a series of parables Jesus told and discover how God teaches and trains his people

God comes to his peopleWe explore the differentpeople God came to in thefirst Christmas

Matthew 13:1–23The story of the farmer

7 November 13 Matthew 13:24–30,36–43The wheat and weeds story

8 November 20

9 November 27

Matthew 13:31–33The mustard seed and yeast stories

Matthew 19:13–15Jesus blesses the children

10 December 4

11 December 11

12 December 18

13 December 25

Luke 1:26–56God comes to Mary

Luke 2:1–7God comes to Bethlehem

Luke 2:8–21God comes to the shepherds

Matthew 2:1–23God comes to the wise men

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 April 1 Explore Together

Jesus shows God’s loveJohn’s Gospel gives a unique portrait of Jesus, helping us encounter and understand his care for each of us

Luke 24:1–12Explore the story of Easter

2 April 8 John 2:1–11Water into wine

3 April 15 John 6:1-15,22–40Bread for life

4 April 22 John 10:1-15Good shepherd

5 April 29 John 11:1–44Death to life

6 May 6 Power in the SpiritThe disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped for God’s service

Acts 1Disciples

7 May 13 Acts 2Spirit-power

8 May 20 Acts 3 Beautiful miracle

9 May 27 Acts 4God-talk

10 June 3 JoshuaJoshua discovers that, with God’s help, anything is possible because God is powerful

Joshua 1 Power with you

11 June 10 Joshua 2 Help for the spies

12 June 17 Joshua 3:1 – 4:9 Across obstacles

13 June 24 Joshua 6Breaking the walls

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 December 31 Explore Together Acts 18:1-3; Col 3:12-17In all you say or do

2 January 7

Meeting JesusThrough Jesus’ meetingwith different people, wesee how God loves andoffers forgiveness to eachone of us

Matthew 9:9–13Being accepted

3 January 14

Matthew 15:21–28Being included

4 January 21 Mark 10:17–31Given the choice

5 January 28 Psalm 119:9–16, Proverbs 10Time to be wise

6 February 5 Isaac and his family We see how faithful God isthrough the experiences ofIsaac

Genesis 18:1–15; 21:1–8Isaac is born

7 February 12 Genesis 22Abraham passes the test

8 February 19 Genesis 25:19–34; 27:1–45Isaac’s children

9 February 26 God is with Jacob A series about our God who lives with his people

Genesis 28:10–22God’s promises to Jacob

10 March 04 Genesis 29–31Jacob gets married

11 March 11 Genesis 32,33Jacob goes home

12 March 18 Genesis 35:1–15God blesses Jacob

13 March 26 Genesis 45:1–13God at work

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theGRID (11–14s)October–December 2017 January–March 2018

April–June 2018

www.scriptureunion.org.uk/light

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 October 1 Journey of life Looking at discipleship through the story of Moses after he led the Israelites out of Egypt

Exodus 16:1 – 17:7 The wilderness years

2 October 8 Exodus 19:16 – 20:17The top ten dos and don’ts

3 October 15 Exodus 33:7–23; 34:1–9,29–35Face to face

4 October 22

5 October 29

Exodus 35:20 – 36:7;39:32 – 40:38Multidimensional worship

Psalm 136Everlasting love

6 November 5 Jesus speaksExamining Jesus’ teaching and behaviour

God comes to hispeopleExploring belonging to a Christian community and the start of God’s rescue plan

Matthew 13:1–23There was a farmer…

7 November 12 Matthew 13:24–30,36–43There were some weeds…

8 November 19

9 November 26

Matthew 13:31–33There was a seed…

Matthew 19:13–15There were some children…

10 December 3

11 December 10

12 December 17

13 December 24

Philippians 1Only the lonely

Philippians 2Humility

Luke 2:1–21God in the flesh

Matthew 2Stars in their eyes

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 April 1 Explore Together

Jesus, the compassionate KingJohn’s Gospel gives a unique portrait of Jesus, helping us encounter and understand his care for each of us

Luke 24:1–12Explore the story of Easter

2 April 8 John 2:1–12The miracle maker

3 April 15 John 6:1-15,25-40The bread of life

4 April 22 John 10:1-15; Psalm 80:1The good Shepherd

5 April 29 John 11:1–44The crying Saviour

6 May 6 Let’s do church!The church begins as the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped for God’s service

Acts 1Disciples

7 May 13 Acts 2I’ve got the power

8 May 20 Acts 3 Doctor, doctor

9 May 27 Acts 4Talk to the hand

10 June 3 Becoming the people of GodHow the Israelites became God’s nation under Joshua and God’s leadership

Joshua 1 Be big

11 June 10 Joshua 2 Red or dead

12 June 17 Joshua 3:1 – 4:9 Making a mark

13 June 24 Joshua 6The bigger they are…

Session and date Series title and description

Main Bible passage(s) and session title

1 December 31 Explore Together Acts 18:1-3; Col 3:12-17In all you say or do

2 January 7

Forgiveness andacceptanceMeet three people whomet Jesus – and see what adifference he made to theirlives

Matthew 9:9–13Could terrorists go to heaven?

3 January 14

Matthew 15:21–28Accepted, whoever you are

4 January 21 Mark 10:17–31What’s important?

5 January 28 Psalm 119:9–16,105Light the way

6 February 5 Faithful Abraham experiences God’sfaithfulness, as his familygrows with the birth of Isaac

Genesis 18:1–15; 21:1–8At long last!

7 February 12 Genesis 24Matchmaking

8 February 19 Genesis 25:19–34; 27:1–45Family rivalries

9 February 26 Jacob Discovering more about Jacob’s life and how God is always with him

Genesis 28:10–22Jacob’s ladder

10 March 04 Genesis 29–31Chat-show Jacob

11 March 11 Genesis 32,33Brothers reunited

12 March 18 Genesis 35:1–15Jacob’s timeout

13 March 26 Genesis 45:1–15Forgiven and forgotten

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