Foundations in Worship (Homeschool Bible Curriculum Review)

We believe in an eclectic, purposeful, delight-directed approach to learning in our family. We include lots of great literature (aka living books) and discussion time mixed with hands-on projects. It has worked well for us for many years.

Because of this approach, I often piece together our own varied and individualized curriculum rather than purchasing one big package of curriculum from a company. Master Books is a favorite publisher I have turned to over and over again during our 15+ years of homeschooling to find quality resources that we can use in a flexible way that works best for us.

Master Books has a wide variety of curriculum choices for the early years through high school. They cover science, math, language arts, apologetics, and more, with high-interest books and activities — all from a Christian perspective.

We recently had a chance to review their Foundations in Worship, a Bible based homeschool curriculum for ages 12-18.

Foundations in Worship: Homeschool Bible Curriculum

Foundations in Worship by Master Books is an engaging homeschool Bible curriculum designed for junior high and high school students. This one-year elective course explores the history and meaning of traditional hymns, their writers, and the scriptural truths they convey. Suitable for students in grades 7-12, this course provides a deep, reflective, and educational experience that enhances understanding and appreciation of worship through hymnology.

We enjoy listening to music very much in our family. We usually have contemporary Christian music playing almost every day in our home, but I also think it’s important to study the traditional hymns because so many are based directly on Bible verses. I’ve found it’s a wonderful way to memorize scripture as well as gain an appreciation for classical music and instruments.

That’s why I wanted to use Foundations in Worship with my daughters in our morning time studies. It’s a great study for them to do together (ages 14 and 16). I love the idea of counting this as an elective credit for their high school years.

How it Works

The curriculum consists of lessons that can be completed in 20-40 minutes over five days a week. It covers a wide array of hymns, including “How Firm a Foundation,” “It is Well with My Soul,” and “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Each lesson is designed to help students recognize the connections between hymns and Scripture, understand the hymn writers’ faith journeys, and apply biblical concepts to their own lives. It’s an excellent mix of Bible study and Christian history.

Foundations in Worship is in a workbook format. It begins with a lesson on worship — the what, why, and how. It includes questions for discussion and comprehension, too.

Each lesson contains some reading material, the lyrics to the hymn, followed by discussion questions. There are Bible verses to look up that correlate to the hymns as well. There are vocabulary words since some of the hymns contain more archaic language. The workbook includes an answer key at the end.

There are crossword puzzles and word searches interspersed throughout the workbook. This is a plus for us because my daughters love word games of all kinds.

There is also a section on Biblical worldview designed to help teens learn to speak about and defend their faith as they mature. This is where connections are made that apply to everyday life, which I think is so important.

After they complete each lesson, students prepare a presentation for the family to speak about what they’ve learned based on the notes they’ve taken and verses they’ve memorized. It gives them practice with writing and giving speeches. I thought this was a nice extra activity to include to really cement the learning.

Key Concepts

Biblical Exploration: Students learn to worship God in word and song using doctrinally sound hymns.
Personal Faith: The curriculum encourages students to articulate their faith clearly. It’s apologetics through music.
Creative Engagement: Lessons are interactive, involving hymn presentations and public speaking, which develop both confidence and communication skills.
Music Appreciation: Beyond biblical study, the course also serves as a music appreciation class, enriching students’ understanding of Christian musical heritage.

Benefits

Enhanced Worship Understanding: Tweens and teens gain a deeper understanding of worship and its significance in Christian life. These years have been shown to be very pivotal in the faith lives of our children — times that they are deciding whether to follow the faith or follow the world. Foundations of Worship is a beautiful and gentle way to reinforce our faith teachings without being preachy.
Faith Development: The curriculum fosters spiritual growth, helping students connect more personally with their faith.
Flexibility: The course can be used in a way that fits easily into your schedule with little to no prep time. It can also be used with multiple children in that age range as we’re doing in our family. It could also be used by the whole family for devotional time if you choose.

Our Experience

We’ve been taking a relaxed approach to this study, taking our time and enjoying the lessons. We’ll continue that over the summer and into the fall.

My daughters have enjoyed learning about hymns. Some have been familiar favorites for us while others are new to us. Having grown up going to fairly traditional church services myself, there are still a few that I hadn’t sung before. That was a surprise for me!

Foundations in Worship offers an interesting way to study Christian history as well. We liked learning a little bit about the men and women who wrote some of these famous hymns, too.

There are a few Christmas carols included so it could also be used seasonally in a Christmas themed morning basket. We always like to have holiday-themed learning in our homeschool, so we’re saving those lessons for later.

Foundations in Worship is a comprehensive and enriching curriculum that not only educates but also inspires students to deepen their faith through the study of hymns. Its blend of biblical exploration, music appreciation, and personal faith development makes it a valuable resource for Christian homeschool families.

Christian Based Homeschooling Curriculum

If you’re looking for affordable Christian curriculum, I recommend taking a look at Master Books. Whether you need core subjects or electives, their eclectic resources could be just what you need to round out your homeschool studies.

For more information and to purchase, visit Master Books.

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Sara

Author/Speaker/Consultant at Heart and Soul Homeschooling

Sara is a homeschool mom to 3 creative girls. She holds a degree in Social Work specializing in early childhood development, which led to her interest in individualized educational options like homeschooling. She believes that learning should be a lifelong adventure, not just a checklist to get through. She is a writer, avid reader, introvert (INFJ), and dreamer of dreams.