Topics Covered in Level I Atrium (3-5yr old)
The Trinitarian God
In the 3-6 atrium, the child comes to know a God who is deeply relational, who reaches out to be in relationship with humanity, who is Life in Abundance and invites us to share in that life. While the doctrine of Trinity is not explicitly explored with the 3-6 yr. old child, the foundations for this doctrine are laid and the child is introduced to the traditional prayer language of the Church in which God is addressed as Father, Son, & Spirit.
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The Economy of Salvation (Salvation History)
Because the 3-6 year old child does not yet possess a sense of the expansiveness of time, we do not look yet at the history of salvation. However, we do lay the foundations for further work in this area in our exploration of the theme of Incarnation. We look at the person of Jesus Christ as the greatest gift of God – the gift of God’s very own Light & Life. We look at how God prepared humanity for this gift through the prophets. We also look at how the Light & Life of Christ began to be shared throughout the world with the coming of the Spirit.
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The Life of Jesus Christ (Incarnation and Paschal Mystery)
Jesus Christ is the greatest gift of God. To humanity, however, he is also the greatest paradox. The greatest of kings born in the smallest and most humble of places. A mighty God who chooses the small and hidden. The Lord who embraces human death. In Jesus, we see the clearest revelation of how God works in history. With the 3-6 yr. old child, we enter into the mystery of who Jesus is by looking at the land in which he lived and by pondering core events surrounding his birth, death, and resurrection.
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The Teaching of Jesus Christ
The Gospels reveal that the primary, overarching theme in Jesus’ preaching and teaching was the Kingdom of God. With the 3-6 yr. old child, we ponder several of Jesus’ “Kingdom parables” in an attempt to grasp the true nature of this Kingdom as 1) that which is most precious and valuable and 2) that which reveals the great mystery of growth & transformation in all creation. We also examine with the 3-6 yr. old child images that Jesus offers in his teaching to help his followers understand his own true nature / his own role in the Kingdom. With the young child, we will particularly focus on the image of Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” – who calls each of us by name and invites us into an intimate personal and communal relationship to him that we might enjoy “fullness
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Click here for a more comprehensive list of works covered in the Level I atrium