Group Publishing has seen healthy sales with two curriculum programs built around the best-selling book Heaven Is for Real for Kids (Thomas Nelson). The book and curricula are based on young Colton Burpo’s trip-to-heaven story.

The aim of the material was “to get the story about Colton in front of these kids and talk to them on their level and get them to see what he experienced,” said Jennifer Hooks, managing editor at Group. “It actually is really built on the Bible. It’s all scripturally sound.”

The curriculum was released in December 2012 and comprises either 13 Sunday school lessons for ages 4-8 or four DVD-based Sunday school lessons for ages 9-12 ($29.99 each) or the set combining both options ($49.99).

Colton’s father, Todd Burpo, is a pastor, and his mother, Sonja, is a Sunday school teacher in their Nebraska church. Having used Group materials with their own congregation, the Burpos were interested in seeing the lessons created based on their son’s story, and had a significant role in shaping the content.

Producing curriculum tied to a book for kids is unusual and a first for Group.

“We’ve never incorporated a kid leading,” Hooks said. “It’s the kid who’s telling and narrating and backing up the Scripture.”

Sales have been “good,” Hooks said, and there were “a lot of pre-orders” as well as national media attention.

Some churches have been hesitant to accept the curriculum because they didn’t know whether to believe Colton’s story, but Group has reassured them.

“This is all biblically based, and his story is kind of the background music that backs everything up,” Hooks explained.

Most of all, she emphasizes the importance of talking to kids about eternity.

“The time to talk to kids is really now,” she said. “It’s not waiting until they’re adults and we think they’re ready for it because, really, in the world they live in, they need that, and it’s so comforting to them.”

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