Brite Monthly – Elementary: January 2026

This Month’s Attribute of God Is: Jesus is the Son of God 

At Jesus’ baptism, God declared Jesus His beloved Son. Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations and proved His divine authority. People recognized Jesus’ power and chose to follow Him. Jesus calmed creation and cast out demons with only His words. His words and miracles showed that Jesus was not just a teacher, but truly the Son of God.

Monthly Memory Verse: But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:31)

John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1–12; Luke 3:1–18)

John preached repentance and baptized people. He rebuked religious leaders for relying on tradition instead of true repentance. When people wondered if John was the Messiah, he said the true Messiah was coming.

Brite Idea: Jesus is greater than any person. 

Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation (Matthew 3:13–17, 4:1–17; John 1:29–34) 

John the Baptist baptized Jesus. After Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit of God descended on Him, and a voice from heaven declared Him as God’s beloved Son. Jesus then resisted temptation in the wilderness before starting His ministry.

Brite Idea: Jesus is God’s Son. 

The Disciples Follow Jesus (John 1:35–51) 

People started to follow Jesus as disciples, including Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael. Jesus continued to gather 12 disciples from diverse backgrounds. These men witnessed His teachings, miracles and ministry.

Brite Idea: Jesus invites us to follow Him.

Jesus Demonstrates His Power (Mark 4:35–5:20) 

Jesus miraculously demonstrated His power by calming a terrible storm and casting a demon out of a man and into a herd of pigs. The people in the town asked Jesus to leave.

Brite Idea: Jesus has power over everything.

This Month’s Unit Title Is: Wonder

Discover your wonder for God’s Son—Jesus! As we continue to grow in our faith and learn more about Jesus, our wonder and awe for Him can grow too! Get ready to ask questions, discover truths about who Jesus is and continue to have a heart of wonder for God! Check out our Pinterest page for decorating ideas: https://pin.it/4dXcEXzl8.

This Month’s Leader Training Topic Is: Behavior is Communication

Psychologist and behaviorist B.F. Skinner developed the theory of the four functions of behavior (sensory needs, escape, attention and tangible items). These four categories do not cover every single need, but they provide a good starting place. If a kid is having a hard time, consider if their need might be driven by one of these categories.

Throughout the month, we’ll explore the following:

Week 1 – When a Kid Has Sensory Needs

Week 2 – When a Kid Wants to Escape

Week 3 – When a Kid is Seeking Attention

Week 4 – When a Kid Needs Tangible Items

Teaching Kids about the Gospel:

The Gospel is the good news. God wants everyone to know this good news and not miss out on this invitation!

Here’s the Gospel in four main words: God, Us, Jesus, Trust.

God

God is a loving God who is all-powerful and holy. He knows and sees everything and rules over everything. God created all people in His image, and we are valuable to Him.

Us

But we have sinned, and our sin separates us from God. What is sin? Sin is anything we think, say or do that disobeys God. The penalty for sin is death and separation from God forever.

Jesus

But because God loves us so much, He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus died in our place. But He did not stay dead—He rose again three days later. Because of Jesus, we no longer have to be separated from God, and we are offered the free gift of eternal life!

Trust

God gives salvation— rescuing us from our sin, to everyone who places their trust in Jesus as their Savior. What is trust? It means that we rely on what Jesus did. You cannot be saved from sin by doing good things, but only through what Jesus did for you.