Home > Church Products and Services > Educational Resources
Your Church, Sep/Oct 1999
New Lessons for Christian
Education
Some of the latest videos, CDs, books, and programs
Christian education
is no longer limited to Sunday mornings at most churches. Increasingly,
it's spilling into afternoon and evening programs to reach adults with
special interests or children who cannot attend Sunday morning programs.
To accommodate the variety of needs, there are a multitude of offerings that
make use of new and old technology. A sampling of them:
For Kids Only
Standard Publishing (800-543-1353) has changed its "Middler" curriculum for
3rd and 4th grade Sunday school from a four-year program to a two-year cycle
with weekly lessons. The lessons move from the Old Testament through the
New Testament but focus on different stories each year. The program includes
a teacher book, student book, and weekly take-home sheets for students. The
audiovisual packet includes posters, Scripture-memorization drills, and a
song cassette.
The weekly lesson plan is especially helpful because each week is divided
into four 15-minute segments. The three options in each segment are designed
to meet the needs of visual and tactile learners. Extra material is available
if class time lasts more than an hour.
Elaine Meyers, a 3rd and 4th grade Sunday school teacher, edited the series.
An introductory kit is $20, or you can order items separately.
• Gospel Light's three-year "KidsTime" program has a theme for
each year and includes 52 lessons per year. This year's theme is God's
Big Picture. The kit can be used for grades 1-6 and includes a Bible time
line, a leader's guide, and an 18-song cassette.
"KidsTime" can be used as an entire Sunday school program in a small church
or for special programs in a larger one. Each year's kit is $130, but
you can order parts separately from Gospel Light/Regal Books (800-446-7735).
• "Bible Time Anytime" from Curriculum Publishing (800-524-2612) of
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is for children ages 3-11. This two-level
program includes leaflets for teacher and students. It come in three volumes,
each with 13 lessons.
You can use this material for a weekly miniseries during the summer when
Sunday school is in recess or during evening sessions when Mom and Dad are
in adult programs. This program also works well for a small church with
multigrade classes. The teacher pack is about $6. Each student pack, which
includes a four-page leaflet suggesting activities to accompany the theme,
is also about $6.
Teen Challenge
Lifeway Press (800-458-2772) recently introduced its "Tm 4-1-2" program for
teens, which is built on the principles of 1 Timothy 4:12. The Leader's
Guide is $50, and each student book, $6. The materials can be used for 60-90
minute sessions with large or small groups for 36 weeks.
Adult Ed
"The Bethel Series," from Adult Christian Education Foundation (608-849-5933),
has been updated. Used by 44 different denominations, this Bible-based program
includes 20 lessons, each on the Old and New Testament, and is designed to
cover a period of two years. A church buys the right to use this program
and sends a pastor to a training seminar. The pastor trains a few members
of the congregation who then teach the classes.
This year, "The Bethel Series" includes new visual aids and language, but
the focus on the Bible remains clear. The fee for a church's lifetime
membership in this program is $1,075.
• "Combining the Bible with Challenges of Modern Life," or First Place,
offered by Lifeway Press (800-458-2772), starts with a thirteen-week session
to which additional topics can be added. Many churches offer this program
to young adults to help them apply biblical principles to the problems of
modern life. The studies also stress healthy living and personal fitness.
Each member's notebook costs $45 and includes a recipe book. Most members
also purchase supplemental study packs for $15 apiece. Lifeway suggests beginning
with the "Giving Christ First Place" study pack. The leader guide is $30.
A two-hour video ($30) explains the "First Place" program.
For Men Only
Curriculum Publishing (800-524-2612) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
offers an introductory Bible study for men that includes seven workbook lessons
for 40-60 minute sessions. Each workbook is priced at $4 (volume discounts
apply) on lessons such as "Hosea: The Prophecy of a Husband and a Father"
by William Ramsay and "The Gospel of Mark: A Man's Study of Christian
Discipleship" by Ronald Edward Peters.
For Teacher Training
Preparing your teachers is one way to ensure a good experience for teachers
and students. So offer your teachers an in-house training program, using
a video series such as the Seven Laws of the Teacher program offered by Walk
Thru the Bible Ministries (800-763-5433). The $195 fee for the series includes
seven videotapes, a leader's guide, a workbook, and a textbook. Extra
workbooks and textbooks can be ordered.
• Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta uses Richard Robert Osmer's
book Teaching for Faith, A Guide for Teachers of Adult Classes (Westminster
John Knox Press: 800-227-2872) to train teachers. Zeta Lamerson, director
of Christian education at the church, says the book provides a good review
of methodology.
• Spirit Windows: A Handbook of Spiritual Growth Resources for Leaders
by Ann Kelp is also helpful for teacher training (Bridge Resources,
800-524-2612). The book gives clear instructions on how to organize and lead
a group of people who are searching for a closer relationship with God through
prayer and spirituality.
The Church Library
The church library can be an integral part of a church's Christian education
program, especially if it is stocked with books that adults can't find
in their local libraries and with Christian videos and CD-ROMs for children.
Some suggestions for your shelves:
New Books. Raising Kids to Love Jesus by Norm Wright helps
parents with the spiritual development of their children (Regal, 800-4-GOSPEL).
• Sisters and Brothers Forever by Norm Wright reviews sibling
relationships from a Christian perspective (Regal).
• Church Quake by Peter Wagner discusses the church of the future
(Regal).
• Easter Programs for the Church and Programs for Special
Days offer creative ideas that aren't usually covered in a standard
Sunday school curriculum (Standard, 800-543-1353).
Videos. Dancing and singing vegetables from VeggieTales (Big Idea
Productions, 615-298-2227) introduce your children to nonviolent and Christian
themes. Archibald Opposites and Are You My Neighbor, both available
for less than $10 at Christian bookstores, can also be ordered via
www.familychristian.com.
CD-ROMs. Standard Publishing offers several Interactive Bible-based
CD-ROMs for less than $10, such as Noah's Ark, Time Travelers
Explore the Bible, and Heroes of the Bible. They're available
for IBM-compatible or Macintosh systems.
Katherine B. Crosett is a technical writer
from North Andover, Massachusetts.
Case Study: How to Make Adult Ed Work
The Christian education program for adults at Frazer United Methodist Church
in Montgomery, Alabama, includes enough students to fill a small university.
About 2,000 adults regularly attend Sunday classes, and 1,000 more participate
in classes during the week.
About ten years ago, Loette Lee, director of the program, realized that so
many adults were bored by the traditional Sunday school classes that enrollment
was slipping. Today, the classes are bursting with people. The key to that
turnaround, Lee says, is choice. "When you have so many members, you need
lots of options for people with different needs," she says.
Drop by the church on a Sunday afternoon, and you'll find the place
humming with activity. People who are interested in traditional Bible study
are involved with the Bethel Bible series. Others are studying Scripture
within the framework of total health and fitness with the help of The First
Place program from Lifeway Press. Still others are taking custom-designed
courses on individual books of the Bible or on building a Bible-based marriage.
When people join Frazer church, they make a commitment to serve where needed
in the church. Christian education is a popular service option, but willingness
isn't enough to teach. Lee had to make sure that volunteers received
adequate training.
Because training needs vary, Lee sometimes brings in an outside consultant
or local leaders to help prepare teachers. Other times she uses the Seven
Laws of the Teacher video series offered by Walk Thru the Bible ministries.
People with different needs and work schedules attend Frazer church. But
it is possible to satisfy such a congregation with a Bible-based program,
Lee says. It takes hard work, flexibility, listening skills, prayer, and
a lot of curriculum options, but it can be done. Frazer church is proving
it.
Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today International/Your
Church Magazine. Click here
for reprint information on Your Church.
September/October 1999, Vol. 45, No. 5, Page 38
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