River Community Church's 6 Year Rotation Scope and Sequence

How we chose these stories:
Our scope was selected using the process detailed here. I printed the names of each rotation story on slips of paper -- different colors for Old Testament, New Testatment, and Christmas/Easter. (I am a visual person, and that helped me -- and the others) to see at a glance that we were more or less "balanced" each year.

Then we started "dealing out" the slips in six rows (the years) with 13 columns in each row (we do four-week rotations, so we can do 13 in a year). Since we were launching the program in a new church, we chose especially attractive and familiar stories. We remembered Neil MacQueen's suggestion about placing "less important" stories in the summer (see his excellent article here). "Wet" stories also were put in the hot summer months (in case we decide to get crazy and plan an outside splashy lesson...). Each year we do a Christmas/Advent-themed rotation in December and a Holy Week related rotation around Easter.

We also tried to link things together thematically and to have the "big" stories that won't fit in one rotation (such as Exodus and Joseph) together. As we arranged the stories, some loose (very loose!) themes connecting the lessons in a year emerged. They are noted on the following list.

Year 1: Fall-Summer
Themes: Friends, prophecy

Creation - Gen. 1/Gen. 2
David and Goliath - 1 Sam 17
Jesus heals a paralyzed man (faithful friends) - Mark 2:1-12
Saul on the Road to Damascus - Acts 9
Christmas through the eyes of Isaiah
John baptizes Jesus
Jesus calls the disciples - various
Jesus teaches (Sermon on the Mount) & Beatitudes
Easter through the eyes of Isaiah
Nicodemus - John 3
Parable of the sower/four soils - Mark 4:3-8
Noah/Flood/Covenant - Gen 6-9
Ruth

* Christmas is always in the Christmas rotation; Easter Sunday is always one Sunday during the Easter Rotation.

Year 2: Fall-Summer
Themes: Law, prayer

Exodus I: Miriam saves her brother - Ex 1-2 and Moses returns to Egypt (incl burning bush) - Ex 3-4 and Moses, Pharaoh and 10 Plagues - Ex 5-12 and Crossing the Red Sea - Ex 14-15
Exodus II: Wandering in Wilderness/manna and water - Ex 16-17 and Ten Commandments - Ex 19-20 (combine w/ Golden calf - Ex 32)
Great Commission - Matt 28:16-20
Peter and Cornelius - Acts 10:1-11:18
Christmas through the eyes of Mary
Boy Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2:41-52)
Jesus teaches us to pray (Lords' Prayer)
Passover - Ex 12
Last Supper/foot washing *
Parable of the talents - Luke 19:11-27
Parable of two men who prayed (Pharisee and tax collector) - Luke 18:9-14
Paul's shipwreck and voyage to Rome - Acts 27-28
Jacob's dream (ladder) - Gen 28

note: one extra Sunday this year for a 5 week rotation or a one day program/event – anytime during the year (just adjust so Easter Sunday falls in the Easter rotation).

Year 3: Fall-Summer
Themes: Forgiveness

Adam and Eve/Fall - Gen. 3
Jesus and the children - Mark 10:13-16
Jacob's favorite son (coat of many colors) - Gen 37
Joseph: Joseph in Egypt/interpreting dreams - Gen 40-41; Joseph helps his brothers - Gen 42-45
Christmas through the eyes of Joseph
Jesus heals a man w/ leprosy - Mark 1: 40-45
Parable of the Good Samaritan/who is my neighbor? - Luke 10 (Great Commandment?)
Mary and Martha
trial/Peter's denial *
Parable of the unforgiving servant - Luke 18:21-35
Jonah
Isaac blesses Jacob - Gen 27 (possibly combine w/ other Jacob stories — selling birthright & Esau forgives Jacob)
Saul is afraid/Saul is jealous - 1 Sam 13, 15, 18 and David and Jonathan - 1 Sam 18-20


Year 4: Fall-Summer
Themes: Shepherd

Jesus calms the sea
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - Daniel 3
Samuel anoints David - 1 Sam 16
Psalm 23
Christmas through the eyes of the shepherds
Parable of the Lost Son (Prodigal) - Luke 15 (possibly with Lost Sheep and Lost Coin)
feeding the 5000
Jesus in the wilderness/temptation (Lent)
Easter through the eyes of Mary, mother of Jesus
Zacchaeus
Gideon
Tower of Babel - Gen 11
the Temple, a house for God - 2 Sam 5: 1-7, 1 Kings 5-8, 2 Chron 6 (combine with Solomon's wisdom - 1 Kings 3, 4?)

Year 5: Fall-Summer
Themes: God calls us

ABRAHAM: God makes a promise - Gen 15 & Abraham/Sarah/Isaac/Covenant - Gen 17-21
ISAAC: Sacrificing Isaac - Gen 22; Rebecca and Isaac - Gen 24
Philip and the Ethiopian - Acts 8:26-40
Peter's escape from prison - Acts 12 or Paul and Silas in prison - Acts 16:16-40
three kings/Epiphany
Rich Young Man
Vine and Branches
Easter through the eyes of Peter
Jesus appears to Peter and others/"Feed my Sheep" - John 21
Acts 2 community - Acts 2:42
Paul's letters/fruit of the spirit - Galatians 5:22-23
Parable of the Great Banquet
Jesus/Peter walk on water - Matt 14:22-33

Year 6: Fall-Summer
Themes: we can count on God to keep His promises

Entering promised land (crossing the Jordan) - Joshua 1-4
Walls of Jericho - Joshua 2, 5-6
Prophet Elijah and priests of Baal contest - 1 Kings 18
Hannah prays for a baby - 1 Sam 1-2; God calls Samuel - 1 Sam 3
Christmas through the eyes of Simeon and Anna (presentation in the Temple) - Luke 2
Daniel and the Lions - Daniel 6
Jesus and blind Bartimaeus
Lazarus is alive! - John 11:1-53
Crucifixion; Resurrection *
Ascension + Pentecost - Acts 2
Elisha and Namaan
Exile and Return - Ezra 1-6
Esther