Category: DiscipleLand

While the word “curriculum” may solicit yawns from many people, don’t underestimate the importance of curriculum on your ministry! The foundation of your educational ministry is your curriculum. Everything else hinges from and is built upon the foundation laid by your educational hour teaching material. How high and how deep and how broad your educational ministry will be is greatly determined by curriculum. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE CURRICULUM? THE WRONG WAY: Use what you have always used Let your teachers each pick their own Look at tons of samples and pickone based on what appeals to you Depend on curriculum promotions Use what some other great church uses THE RIGHT WAY: Determine what YOU would like to accomplish in your Sunday School educational program. List your educational goals List weaknesses with current material. Make a list of what you are looking for. THEN look at published materials that match your criteria. I remember when I started my previous ministry, our curriculum situation was a mess! Here was what we were facing: Every teacher used what they liked, over five published curriculums were in use, some taught without any published material. Repetition and Omission of Bible stories was not only likely,…

Continue reading

Here is an excellent post from the DiscipleLand newsletter: Many kids have lost interest in spiritual matters. They are discouraged about trying to please God. From their perspective, it is not “cool” to be godly. So they focus on their own desires and let the world guide them. The number one challenge in churches today is to overcome mediocrity. Christian kids are satisfied with lukewarm-ness. To counteract this trend, some churches have replaced content-rich children’s ministries with high-energy programs. This may keep kids from being bored and it may eliminate the need to recruit volunteers, but it also severs teacher-learner relationships that foster discipleship. If we routinely motivate kids with flashy events, we are doomed to the “bigger and better” cycle. Each new program must offer more energy, excitement, and “wow” than the previous one. Instead, we must move kids from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation. Throughout the Bible, God uses a variety of cause-effect techniques to motivate His people. Some are positive and some are punitive; some are earthly and some are eternal. Some are fascinating and some are frightening. Remind children that every human being will someday meet the Creator face-to-face-and give an account to Him. Every child can…

Continue reading