What's It Worth?

What is a solid, Lutheran Sunday School worth to your congregation?

Sadly, for too many Lutheran congregations, the answer seems to be, "Not very much." They run what Seth Godin calls "the race to the bottom," choosing just-barely-good-enough material for the lowest possible cost.

Color printing? Never mind that realistic biblical and life-application art contributes significantly to student engagement and the message that the stories in the Bible are not just stories, but historical events. Color printing is too expensive.

Sound doctrine? That's nice, but theologically trained editors and careful publication processes add measurably to the cost of material. I'm not sure that the children, parents, educational leaders, or pastors care all that much.

There are a few things for which people are still willing to pay more for the quality of a known brand over the lower-priced generic. A cell phone. An engagement ring. Coffee. Is Sunday School among them? It depends on what you value.

God bless you as you teach God's children His Word.

Have You Considered "Cross Explorations"?

Cross Explorations is a site rotation, large group/small group hybrid curriculum now in its third year of publication. It's a great alternative to our traditional Sunday School material.

• It is designed for first through sixth graders.
• It follows the same sequence of lessons as Growing in Christ (so your preschoolers and junior high students can use that material for a unified weekly experience).
• Up to 30 students could be taught by just two volunteers (but the activities are so varied, you'll probably find lots of eager volunteers).
• In addition to the Engage opening and Explore Bible studies, student can enjoy a variety of Express sessions of lesson related activities: music, drama, crafts, snacks, games, and service projects! Offer the same kinds of activities each week, or alternate among them. Your choice!
• The perfect alternative for congregations looking for something "a little different"!
• Buy the "Starter Kit" and leaflets for each student, or order individual components a la carte!

You can view an explanatory video, explore the starter kit contents, and download samples at cph.org/sundayschool.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Which Sunday School Would You Choose?

• Unified (all classes study the same Bible account)? OR
• Topical (different material at each age level)?

• Closely graded (one or two grades of children in a classroom)? OR
• Several grades (or all grades) in a single classroom?

• Self-contained classrooms? OR
• Children rotate to different locations for different activities during the hour?

• Lessons tied to the Church's lectionary? OR
• Chronological study of the biblical narrative?

• High tech? OR
• As simple as possible?

Sunday School can be about a lot of choices. As I look to the future, I have the opportunity to make some of these choices to benefit our customers. We will be asking our customers about their preferences in several ways. Maybe this blog can be one of them.

Given the five choices above, which would you choose and why? Which would benefit most the children you serve? I'd love to hear from you at tom.nummela@cph.org.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!