What Is A Joyful Path Year Two Like?

In A Joyful Path, Year Two, we focus on some of the main tenets of Progressive Christianity and Spirituality, giving our children the foundation they need to walk the path of Jesus in today’s world.  It has stories and affirmations written to help children clarify their own personal beliefs while staying open to the wisdom of other traditions.

Year Two will be similar to Year One, in that it will have 37 lessons, full color original artwork, a contemplative and introductory section for the teacher in each lesson, 37 original stories, incredible heart warming, feeling based activities, and tips to bring music and nature into each lesson.

Year Two will have be slightly different from Year One, in that we are going to focus more directly on our eight points, breaking them down into 3-5 lessons per point.

Unit 4 Lessons are:

 
• Lesson 1: Clara Barton — Comfort to Others
• Lesson 2: Desmond Tutu — Forgiving Others
• Lesson 3: Mary — Acting With Love
• Lesson 4: Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller — Compassion and Trust
• Lesson 5: Mother Teresa — Doing Something Beautiful for God
• Lesson 6: Young People — Giving Generously
 

Each Year Two Lesson Includes:

 
Teacher Introduction/Getting to the Heart of the Lesson
Teacher Reflection
Spiritual Affirmation with full color Art
Original Story, and Activities, Bible Verses,
Wisdom Quotes
 

Getting to the Heart of the Lesson

 
The Jesus of the scriptures was a man of action. He was someone who healed, demonstrated compassion, took a stand against injustices, loved unconditionally, and told his disciples to go and do likewise. As followers of Jesus, Progressive Christians are dedicated to treating
their fellow human beings with kindness, caring, and compassion.

Genuine compassion is acting in a manner that enhances another’s well-being. However, compassionate actions are often most needed when wellbeing has been taken away through sickness, war, poverty, or social injustice. Such negative situations are out of children’s control, and they could easily feel disturbed and overwhelmed by them. !e lessons in this unit
touch only brie”y on negative situations and serve as background for understanding the lives of people who have acted with love, support, respect, and forgiveness towards others.

The lessons in this unit focus on biographies of “spiritual heroes” whose actions demonstrate courage, compassion, faith, service, love, and forgiveness.These heroes come from different times in history, but their actions relate to our understanding of Jesus’ time as well. To emphasize this connection, lessons are paired with a biblical example.

• Clara Barton, whose compassion for others led her to start the American Red Cross, paired with the biblical story of Jesus healing.
• Desmond Tutu, who helped guide South Africans on a path of forgiveness and reconciliation, paired with the biblical story of Joseph.
• Mary of the Bible, who demonstrated her love by anointing Jesus’ feet.
• Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller, women who forged a special teacher-student bond through
compassion and trust, paired with the biblical story of Jesus teaching his disciples.
• Mother Teresa, who lovingly ministered to the poorest of the poor, whom she saw as “Jesus in disguise,” paired with the biblical story of Jesus eating with the outcasts.
• Young people, 5 to14 years old, who are currently expressing their compassion for others through creative actions.

These people are truly heroes for compassion in action. The stories presented in these lessons are just snapshots of their lives as a whole. To give you a broader understanding of each person, additional background information is included at the end of each lesson.

Click here for more information on using this curriculum, Year Two

Click Here to download FREE copy of Year Two Introduction and Instructions “How to Use Curriculum”.

Click Here to see additional Year Two Single Units

Click Here to see Year One Single Lessons