We are often asked by churches, "What do we need to look for in a curriculum? What are the questions we should be asking when we are deciding which of  the many curriculums available to us we should use?" We think "Which Curriculum?" is one of the most important questions that a church can ask. Assisting children, youth, and adults in the life-long task of becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus is one of the most important ministries of the local church. The right choice will help persons and churches grow and grow; the wrong choice will produce curriculum chaos and confused disciples.

The following set of questions and answers was developed for the church by Ken Hall, long-time curriculum writer, editor, and Christian educator. We think these will help you make a wise choice.

Who chooses a curriculum?

• The Local Board of Christian Education. This board or committee usually takes the lead in achieving a strong discipleship program at the heart of the Sunday school. They need to consult widely to help see that a consistent, balanced, and comprehensive curriculum study is carried out.
• Pastor, Teachers, Students. All of these have a concern in this process and should be involved so that there can be a sense of ownership and needed input.

What is curriculum chaos and what are the problems with it?

• Curriculum chaos happens when teachers and classes choose their own courses in a haphazard and piecemeal way and the Bible is studied in scattered bits and pieces.
• Little sharing and support takes place across age level lines, in the family, and in connection with various church activities.
• The approach to the Bible may be scattered and hard to understand.
  Pet themes and personal biases may be overemphasized and important doctrinal and other emphases skipped.

What should be the place of the Bible in curriculum?

• The Bible should be the foundation of our study in Sunday school.
• The Bible should be used in ways that are relevant to students.
• The Bible should be studied in as complete and whole a way as possible.
• The story of the Bible should be related to the stories of our lives as students.

How focused on life should the curriculum be?

• The Bible is a timeless resource of truth about God and human life. It is relevant for our time.
• Emerging life issues, not yet fully evident, may need to be dealt with.
• Current hot issues may come up that need to be put in focus.
• Persistent lifelong issues of life need to be worked at within a biblical framework.

What is the place of curriculum in reaching persons for Christ?

• Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is a central function of God's people.
• Curriculum should provide opportunities for persons to make commitments to Jesus Christ.
• Curriculum should teach persons how to lead others to Christ.
• Curriculum should foster growth in the Christian life as we share in God's story.

What should the curriculum contribute to Christian discipleship?

• We are called to live faithfully and well for Jesus Christ across the years.
• A careful, thoughtful, planned curriculum supports living a life of worship and service as we develop the gifts Christ has given us.
• How-tos are important as we are trained in the life of discipleship.

How should the curriculum relate to the Christian community?

• Being a part of the Christian community is an important part of our Christian lives.
• The Christian community has a history rooting across history back to Bible times, stretching through the present, and on into the future. This story needs to be told.
• We need to feel a part of the widely inclusive Christian community and of its mission reaching around the world.
• Our immediate Christian community is expressed by the Church of God fellowship, local, national, and world-wide, of which we are a part.

How should curriculum relate to Church of God teachings, heritage, mission, and ministries?

• Students should understand who they are as persons associated with the Church of God.
• Curriculum should be consistent with teachings of the Church of God. A church without a formal creed or strong hierarchy is particularly dependent upon its curriculum for its unity.
• Doctrinal assumptions appear in most curriculum materials, obvious or not. It is well for those assumptions to be in tune with the sponsoring church. If teachers are unclear about those assumptions, choice of curriculum becomes all the more important.

How much emphasis should be put on fitting into the age level of students?

• A student can learn only what she or he is ready to learn. It is important for teachers to understand the readiness of the age levels they work with. Good curriculum will be sensitive to this.
• Take into account the developmental needs, concerns, and teaming abilities of various age levels in a good curriculum plan.
• "Strike while the iron is hot" is a good motto for teachers who would be sensitive to their students and foster the teaming of their students.

What kinds of intergenerational opportunities should the curriculum provide?

• Persons in Sunday school should not be totally segregated from each other by age. We all learn from each other. Elementary children, for instance, may learn some things best from youth.
• Family members learn from each other.
• A curriculum that encourages learning across age lines is to be prized.

What should be the balance between easy teaching and challenge to improve?

• Teachers have limited time.  These are busy days, often with both fathers and mothers working, abounding church and community activities, and heavy family responsibilities.
• It is often hard to recruit teachers and keep them on the job.
• Teacher guidance should be clear, varied, and interesting.
• The work of teaching is tremendously important and calls for our best preparation and skillful teaching.
• Teachers should expect to work hard, bring their own creative touch and enhancing personal relationships to this calling.

What help is offered to support and train teachers?

• Teachers need to feel the interest and support of others in the congregation.
• Teachers need to grow in their teaching skills and their spiritual lives.
• The best curriculum offers teacher training as a part of the regular curriculum and a teaching course system beyond that.

Which should materials be—attractive or inexpensive?

• It would be great for material to be both extremely attractive and extremely inexpensive, but that is not reality.
• Cheap material sends a message to students that what is being studied is unimportant.
• Even the most attractive material gets to be commonplace and unnoticed after routine use over a period of time.
• A good balance here seems most effective. Save money for other evangelizing, educational, and mission uses where possible. But do not short-change your educational ministry.

What should be the place of relational teaching in curriculum?

• Relational teaching understands that persons learn as they are active in their own teaming process. Students interact with their teachers and fellow students.
• Traditional teaching involves "presenting" or "getting across" information. Relational teaching goes well beyond that.
• A relational lesson plan provides room for students to explore, to grow, to have an understanding relationship with their teacher, and under guidance to come to their own wise conclusions.
• A teacher is expected to be some wonderful combination of guide, inspirer, coach, scholar, example, and entertainer. The teacher as guide and gentle encourager is central.

Did you know? Bridges Curriculum is designed to be the Church of God answer to each of the questions asked in this article? If you haven't looked at Bridges Curriculum in a while, you need to take another look. For a free sample of one quarter—all age levels—of Bridges Curriculum e-mail Peg Ingram or call her at 800-848-2464, ext. 3086.

 

For more information, contact:

Christian Education 765-648-2116 800-848-2464, ext. 2116