Have you ever asked a middle-school kid you know what's up with "the gospel"? Can they explain what it is and why it matters to a kid? Or do they suspect that being good, listening to parents, and obeying rules is ultimately what God expects?
What's Up is a flexible middle-school curriculum workbook using illustrations, stories, and interactive activities to help kids understand why the gospel really is good news. What's Up answers the real questions of identity and purpose that begin to unfold in middle-school hearts and minds. Revealing God's love, forgiveness, and power to change, What's Up helps fourth through eighth-grade students understand that the gospel is all about God making us into who he meant us to be all along. As they learn how to lean wholly (and happily) on Jesus through these formative years, their lives are changed from the inside out.
The curriculum guides middle-school age students in discovering Jesus through fifteen 90-minute lessons that can be expanded to cover twenty-six weeks. The student guide offers age-appropriate activities, fun illustrations, questions to think about, and personal application activities for home. Teachers will find easy-to understand instructions and notes, helps and directions to make teaching the gospel to children clear and simple in the corresponding teacher guide. What's Up is easily adapted to a wide variety of group settings, including Sunday school, youth group, Christian school, and homeschool. The corresponding Teacher Guide offers easy-to-understand instructions and notes, helps, and directions to make teaching the gospel to children clear and simple. Requires little work outside of the classroom or teaching setting.
"Words can't express how thankful I am for this curriculum. As a former middle school Bible teacher, I know how impossible it is to find truly gospel-centered material presented in a format that young people can process . . . and will find interesting at the same time. In a church youth culture awash with moralistic messages and frilly silliness, What's Up? sets the standard of good news written for young minds. Seriously . . . I can't recommend it too highly."
Elyse Fitzpatrick, Author of Good News for Weary Women and coauthor of Give Them Grace
"What an amazing gift What's Up? is going to be for middle-school and junior-high ministry and for parents of fifth- through eighth-graders. Debbie Harrell and Jack Klumpenhower have done an outstanding job of contextualizing the gospel of God's grace for kids in one of the most vulnerable and formative seasons of life. I get excited just thinking about how this curriculum, in the hands of grace-loving leaders, will help disciple a new generation of gospel-equipped, Jesus-loving students. And let me add, the teachers are going to benefit just as much as the students. Great job, Debbie and Jack. More, more, more!"
Dr. Scotty Ward Smith, Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church; Teacher in Residence at West End Community Church; author of Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith
"Have you ever wondered how you could explain the great truths of the gospel to your children? What's Up? takes you step by step with solid teaching, thoughtful questions, insights, and practical application always leading you to Christ. It is a must-read for parents and for teachers, young and old."
Rose Marie Miller, Author of From Fear to Freedom and Nothing Is Impossible with God
"If you read Jack Klumpenhower's book, Show Them Jesus, but didn't think you could teach as well as Jack does don't worry. The What's Up? curriculum and teacher's guide give you everything you need to teach your middle school students the same amazing gospel lessons Jack presented in his book. You'll have parents thanking you for the amazing way their kids are learning deep gospel truths like justification, adoption, how to recognize false repentance, and how to offer true forgiveness. It doesn't matter what curriculum you are currently using with your middle school, put it on hold and get your kids through this material that is what I am going to do at my church."
Marty Machowski, Family Life Pastor and author of Long Story Short and Old Story New, The Gospel Story Bible, the Gospel Story for Kids curriculum and Prepare Him Room
"Preteens can be critics. It's just part of how we grow at that age. Deborah and Jack know the best way to fight a critical spirit a clear vision of Jesus, an honest assessment of our hearts, and a faithful commitment to working out the implications of the gospel in our relationships. What's Up? is a clear and engaging tool for applying these truths to middle school kids."
Jared Kennedy, Pastor of Families, Sojourn Community Church', Louisville, KY
"I love this study! Deborah Harrell and Jack Klumpenhower have done a fine job at communicating gospel-saturated truth for students and have given teachers a reliable and easy-to-use guide. What's Up? is a helpful tool to faithfully plant and water the gospel of Jesus Christ in the hearts of students. If you are looking for a biblical, Christ-centered, and holistic study for teenagers, look no further!"
Brian H. Cosby, Author of Giving Up Gimmicks: Reclaiming Youth Ministry from an Entertainment Culture and Rebels Rescued: A Student's Guide to Reformed Theology; pastor and visiting professor at Reformed Theological Seminary
"Congratulations to Deborah and Jack for taking on the most challenging group of all our kids. In What's Up? they attempt to teach young people both the gospel and how to live out of the gospel. Why wait until we get locked into a pattern of performing or pretending? Why not be discipled in the gospel from the beginning? That is what these creative and engaging lessons do and do well."
Stephen Smallman, Assistant Pastor, New Life Presbyterian Church, Glenside, PA; author of The Walk: Steps for New and Renewed Followers of Jesus
"Harrell and Klumpenhower's What's Up? middle school curriculum beautifully lives up to its subtitle: Discovering the Gospel, Jesus, and Who You REALLY Are. I love its thoroughness, flexibility, and teaching style. More importantly, its model of student discipleship (believe don't just try harder) coupled with the practical 'make-it-stick' section packs a powerful gospel-driven one-two punch. It should be required curriculum for all youth ministries!"
John C. Kwasny, Director, One Story Ministries
"What's Up? is a curriculum that will challenge both students and teachers to delve deep into the definition, meaning, and significance of Christianity. It encourages students to look squarely into their hearts and discover whether or not they are truly living for themselves or for their Creator."
Susan Wall, Children's Ministry Curriculum Coordinator, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC
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Hands down the best kids' Bible curriculum I've seen. Its a slow and careful gospel presentation that encourages kids to examine their hearts and understand their need for Christ. It does a very good job of getting to the concerns and issues that middle schoolers think about. I used it in 1:1 studies with a middle school girl and found it to be very effective. The only change I would make is to add some type of call to respond to the gospel, which is an easy modification.
Hands down the best kids' Bible curriculum I've seen. Its a slow and careful gospel presentation that encourages kids to examine their hearts and understand their need for Christ. It does a very good job of getting to the concerns and issues that middle schoolers think about. I used it in 1:1 studies with a middle school girl and found it to be very effective. The only change I would make is to add some type of call to respond to the gospel, which is an easy modification.
I went through this book/study with my middle school daughter, and it was very helpful for both of us. She used the student version, and It provoked many excellent conversations between us. I have done a lot of studies with my children and this ranks at the top of the list for effectiveness and accessibility. I will be going through this with all of my children.
I went through this book/study with my middle school daughter, and it was very helpful for both of us. She used the student version, and It provoked many excellent conversations between us. I have done a lot of studies with my children and this ranks at the top of the list for effectiveness and accessibility. I will be going through this with all of my children.
This 15 week program has been the BEST program I have used thus far and, trust me, I have tried out a lot. The program clearly and systemically goes through the basics of Christianity and how our main focus should always be on Jesus and why we should choose to abide in Him. My kids responded very well to it and also loved it. We will probably review every year. The activities were very helpful.
This 15 week program has been the BEST program I have used thus far and, trust me, I have tried out a lot. The program clearly and systemically goes through the basics of Christianity and how our main focus should always be on Jesus and why we should choose to abide in Him. My kids responded very well to it and also loved it. We will probably review every year. The activities were very helpful.
Jack Klumpenhower’s Show Them Jesus was my dark horse favorite book of 2014. I had never heard of Klumpenhower and had heard nothing about the book. But man did it blow me away—the deftness with which Klumpenhower revealed Jesus was refreshing. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to receive this new project he partnered with Deborah Harrell to write. I received a teacher’s guide and student’s guide for What’s Up: Discovering the Gospel, Jesus, and Who You Really Are. I trialed this with my two oldest daughters. I took bits from each lesson and used it in family worship. They loved it. It’s fresh, engaging, and aimed for the heart. Harrell & Klumpenhower tackle issues, insecurities, and sins that kids deal with daily.
Jack Klumpenhower’s Show Them Jesus was my dark horse favorite book of 2014. I had never heard of Klumpenhower and had heard nothing about the book. But man did it blow me away—the deftness with which Klumpenhower revealed Jesus was refreshing. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to receive this new project he partnered with Deborah Harrell to write. I received a teacher’s guide and student’s guide for What’s Up: Discovering the Gospel, Jesus, and Who You Really Are. I trialed this with my two oldest daughters. I took bits from each lesson and used it in family worship. They loved it. It’s fresh, engaging, and aimed for the heart. Harrell & Klumpenhower tackle issues, insecurities, and sins that kids deal with daily.
The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing for all of humanity to hear and for Christians to build their faith around. For a few years now a lot of books have been published on defining the gospel and its implications for our lives. In addition to writing books on a more adult level, there are a number of books out that aim to explain the message of the gospel to children. Last year Jack Klumpenhower released his book, Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids, through New Growth Press. This book is great tool for helping teachers of Sunday School aged kids the teach the gospel through the stories of the Bible and not merely moral lessons. Following this book, Jack has teamed up with Deborah Harrell, author and educator, to write What’s Up?: Discovering the Gospel, Jesus, and Who You REALLY Are. What’s Up? is a workbook curriculum designed for 5th-8th to teach them the basics of the gospel and its implications for their lives. The book uses various interactive teaching methods such as lecture, hands on activities, question and answer time, and projects for the students to do in class and at home. While written by Deborah and Jack, many of the lessons are heavily influenced by material produced by Serge in their Sonship and Gospel Transformation courses. There are fifteen lessons that are designed for 90 minutes of class time. Most of the lessons have two parts to them so the book can be expanded into twenty -seven lessons. The Teachers Guide In this curriculum, the role of the teacher is to guide the students through the material. All of the material that is in the Student Guide is also in the Teacher Guide but the Teacher Guide has additional material to help guide them on teaching the lesson. The lessons are divided into a beginning review of the previous week, the lesson for the current week and then it closes with an activity to make the lesson stick throughout the week as the student works on it at home. While each lesson is written to be done in a week, most of the lessons have two sections in case the teacher wants to expand the material into two weeks making it twenty-seven lessons. The Teacher Guide has a lesson summary outlining where the lesson is going along with a preparation section guiding the teacher on how to prepare for the lesson. Inserted throughout the lesson are short boxes with helps for the teacher to further explain the purpose of the material and how to walk the students through it. The Student Guide Like the Teacher Guide, the Student Guide has the entirety of each lesson in the book. Each lesson has well-done graphics that are sure to draw Whats Up by Harrell and Klumpenhowerstudents into the lesson and that they can identify with. While the teacher will be guiding the student through the lesson, the lesson explanations are clear enough that the students can easily understand the content and what is being asked of them. One of the primary uses of the graphics is to articulate for the student, in the language they would most likely use to say it, things they, or others, might say or think about the lesson content. Whether it is answering a question or asking one, the pictorials of kids their age will greatly aid the learning process for the student. Lesson Content The main objective of the What’s Up? workbook is to drive home the gospel message. The lessons follow a three-fold outline. First, the gospel message itself is presented to the students. This focuses on Jesus, the gospel, sin, our hearts, justification, and holiness. What teachers and students will see is a natural progression of the gospel message as it is presented in Scripture. Following the presentation of the gospel are five lessons that deal with heart issues. These tackle things like moralism, idolatry, and unbelief. These lessons help to take the truth of the gospel and root out false thinking about ourselves and God that keep us from the truth. Finally, the last five lessons address applying the gospel to the students lives. These lessons address repentance, forgiveness and living the Christian life in faith. These lessons really take the message of the gospel and make it the driving force in the believers life. Everything in the lesson is built around the gospel shaping the students daily life Conclusion What’s Up? is the perfect example of what Jack Klumpenhower was driving at in Show Them Jesus. This material is gospel-saturated, Biblically grounded, age appropriate, engaging, easy to follow, and easily adaptable. This is a model for how to teach the gospel and its implications to kids. I hope to see more of this material made for kids younger than 5th grade and older than 8th grade. If you are looking for new material for Sunday School, homeschooling, or even a Wednesday night program then this is for you!
The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing for all of humanity to hear and for Christians to build their faith around. For a few years now a lot of books have been published on defining the gospel and its implications for our lives. In addition to writing books on a more adult level, there are a number of books out that aim to explain the message of the gospel to children. Last year Jack Klumpenhower released his book, Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids, through New Growth Press. This book is great tool for helping teachers of Sunday School aged kids the teach the gospel through the stories of the Bible and not merely moral lessons. Following this book, Jack has teamed up with Deborah Harrell, author and educator, to write What’s Up?: Discovering the Gospel, Jesus, and Who You REALLY Are. What’s Up? is a workbook curriculum designed for 5th-8th to teach them the basics of the gospel and its implications for their lives. The book uses various interactive teaching methods such as lecture, hands on activities, question and answer time, and projects for the students to do in class and at home. While written by Deborah and Jack, many of the lessons are heavily influenced by material produced by Serge in their Sonship and Gospel Transformation courses. There are fifteen lessons that are designed for 90 minutes of class time. Most of the lessons have two parts to them so the book can be expanded into twenty -seven lessons. The Teachers Guide In this curriculum, the role of the teacher is to guide the students through the material. All of the material that is in the Student Guide is also in the Teacher Guide but the Teacher Guide has additional material to help guide them on teaching the lesson. The lessons are divided into a beginning review of the previous week, the lesson for the current week and then it closes with an activity to make the lesson stick throughout the week as the student works on it at home. While each lesson is written to be done in a week, most of the lessons have two sections in case the teacher wants to expand the material into two weeks making it twenty-seven lessons. The Teacher Guide has a lesson summary outlining where the lesson is going along with a preparation section guiding the teacher on how to prepare for the lesson. Inserted throughout the lesson are short boxes with helps for the teacher to further explain the purpose of the material and how to walk the students through it. The Student Guide Like the Teacher Guide, the Student Guide has the entirety of each lesson in the book. Each lesson has well-done graphics that are sure to draw Whats Up by Harrell and Klumpenhowerstudents into the lesson and that they can identify with. While the teacher will be guiding the student through the lesson, the lesson explanations are clear enough that the students can easily understand the content and what is being asked of them. One of the primary uses of the graphics is to articulate for the student, in the language they would most likely use to say it, things they, or others, might say or think about the lesson content. Whether it is answering a question or asking one, the pictorials of kids their age will greatly aid the learning process for the student. Lesson Content The main objective of the What’s Up? workbook is to drive home the gospel message. The lessons follow a three-fold outline. First, the gospel message itself is presented to the students. This focuses on Jesus, the gospel, sin, our hearts, justification, and holiness. What teachers and students will see is a natural progression of the gospel message as it is presented in Scripture. Following the presentation of the gospel are five lessons that deal with heart issues. These tackle things like moralism, idolatry, and unbelief. These lessons help to take the truth of the gospel and root out false thinking about ourselves and God that keep us from the truth. Finally, the last five lessons address applying the gospel to the students lives. These lessons address repentance, forgiveness and living the Christian life in faith. These lessons really take the message of the gospel and make it the driving force in the believers life. Everything in the lesson is built around the gospel shaping the students daily life Conclusion What’s Up? is the perfect example of what Jack Klumpenhower was driving at in Show Them Jesus. This material is gospel-saturated, Biblically grounded, age appropriate, engaging, easy to follow, and easily adaptable. This is a model for how to teach the gospel and its implications to kids. I hope to see more of this material made for kids younger than 5th grade and older than 8th grade. If you are looking for new material for Sunday School, homeschooling, or even a Wednesday night program then this is for you!