Did you know? CPH is seeking to fill a couple of editorial positions.
One is a director of curriculum, a management level position that would supervise nearly a dozen curriculum editors spanning products: Sunday School, VBS, day school, midweek school, confirmation, and adult Christian education.
Another is a curriculum editor: someone with interest, experience, and skills to editor material in one or more of the areas listed above.
The best candidates for both positions will have strong ability and interest in educational technology. Both positions are "working in the building" positions.
You can seek the specifics of these positions, and a few others available here at the LCMS publishing house, at www.cph.org; scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Careers," or browse straight to www.cph.org/careers.
Do you know of someone with talent who is too shy to apply? Contact me at tom.nummela@cph.org and I'll try to encourage. We truly want the best possible people in these positions.
Help us prepare the resources that will help you teach God's children His Word!
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Monday, June 30, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
The Best Material for Lutheran Congregations
The best Sunday School material for a congregation is
material that is aligned with the beliefs and practices that the congregation
confesses to be true and valuable. An LCMS congregation that
uses material from a different denominational publisher will encounter teachings that are contrary to our understanding of Scripture, teachings that are deeply embedded in the central premise of each lesson and supported in each of that lesson's elements. These
errors are not easily removed or covered over with a layer of correct language.
The best material is material in which such errors do not exist.
God bless you as you teach His children His Word!
God bless you as you teach His children His Word!
Monday, February 3, 2014
Bad Language?
Thanks to my friend, Ed Grube, for this helpful reminder (and clever title) to our colleagues on the Parish Educators Network of the Lutheran Education Association. Ed's weekly tips are available only to LEA members (LEA.org), but his reminder is a good one; it reads in part:
"If you’re using resources from various Christian publishers, you need to look out for bad language. One example is the inclusion of phrases like 'invite Jesus into your heart.' This may reflect 'decision theology,' popular in some circles but definitely not reflective of biblical Lutheran doctrine. . . . Don’t assume volunteer teachers will discern such things; help them to grow."
Bad language has its root in bad theology, at least when viewed from a Lutheran perspective. Decision theology, for example, flows from a flawed understanding of our fall into sin; it rejects the total depravity of mankind (see Romans 7:18). Instead it suggests that we only "fell partway," that we have, in and of ourselves, some ability to contribute to our salvation, to "work our way back toward God." This contradicts our Lutheran convictions of salvation "by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone." It's the child's mantra, "I can do it myself." It rejects our reliance on God.
Is it just a problem of language, though? No! If it were, we could fix a decision theology lesson by editing a few words or adding a couple of Lutheran sentences. The problem is not just with the language, but with the theological basis, with the heart and core of the lesson.
The bad language is a warning that the central premise and the resulting Bible discussion and lesson activities come from a unLutheran unstanding of Scripture. A little clean-up or even minor surgery may not be enough to save this lesson; major surgery or a whole-body transplant is required.
God bless you as you teach His children His Word.
"If you’re using resources from various Christian publishers, you need to look out for bad language. One example is the inclusion of phrases like 'invite Jesus into your heart.' This may reflect 'decision theology,' popular in some circles but definitely not reflective of biblical Lutheran doctrine. . . . Don’t assume volunteer teachers will discern such things; help them to grow."
Bad language has its root in bad theology, at least when viewed from a Lutheran perspective. Decision theology, for example, flows from a flawed understanding of our fall into sin; it rejects the total depravity of mankind (see Romans 7:18). Instead it suggests that we only "fell partway," that we have, in and of ourselves, some ability to contribute to our salvation, to "work our way back toward God." This contradicts our Lutheran convictions of salvation "by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone." It's the child's mantra, "I can do it myself." It rejects our reliance on God.
Is it just a problem of language, though? No! If it were, we could fix a decision theology lesson by editing a few words or adding a couple of Lutheran sentences. The problem is not just with the language, but with the theological basis, with the heart and core of the lesson.
The bad language is a warning that the central premise and the resulting Bible discussion and lesson activities come from a unLutheran unstanding of Scripture. A little clean-up or even minor surgery may not be enough to save this lesson; major surgery or a whole-body transplant is required.
God bless you as you teach His children His Word.
Monday, July 29, 2013
The Problem with Non-Lutheran Material
I'm sad at how frequently I hear leaders in Christian education---directors of Christian education, pastors, even synodical and district folks---freely admit to using or recommending non-Lutheran Sunday School material. Their admission is usually coupled with the assurance that they "correct the theology" in the material before allowing it to be used.
I wonder what that "correcting" looks like? Do they write a document pointing out the theological errors and suggesting ways the teacher could include the Gospel and teaching about God's Word and Sacraments? Do they hand-write clear Gospel statements onto each of the student leaflets? Do they use a black marker to cross out each activity that teaches moralism or points students to a source other than God's son as the answer for sin and the power for Christian living? Do they conduct training sessions with each of the teachers to show what is specifically wrong with the material? Do they re-write the teacher guide material so that the heterodox material is not available for the teacher to use?
I know from twenty-plus years of experience how difficult the task of correcting theology in curriculum material can be. I suspect that the assurances I hear about such correction is more wish than reality.
My advice? Don’t put non-Lutheran material into the hands of your volunteers and, for heaven’s sake, don’t send it home with children. You know the proverb that says, "One picture is more powerful than a thousand words." Non-Lutheran printed material (the picture) placed in the hands of teachers, children, and families will speak more loudly than any “theological correction” (the words) you give verbally or in other written material. It will actually teach them bad theology both in the classroom and afterward as the material finds its way into the home.
God bless you as you teach His Word, His clear Law-and-Gospel Word, to His children!
I wonder what that "correcting" looks like? Do they write a document pointing out the theological errors and suggesting ways the teacher could include the Gospel and teaching about God's Word and Sacraments? Do they hand-write clear Gospel statements onto each of the student leaflets? Do they use a black marker to cross out each activity that teaches moralism or points students to a source other than God's son as the answer for sin and the power for Christian living? Do they conduct training sessions with each of the teachers to show what is specifically wrong with the material? Do they re-write the teacher guide material so that the heterodox material is not available for the teacher to use?
I know from twenty-plus years of experience how difficult the task of correcting theology in curriculum material can be. I suspect that the assurances I hear about such correction is more wish than reality.
My advice? Don’t put non-Lutheran material into the hands of your volunteers and, for heaven’s sake, don’t send it home with children. You know the proverb that says, "One picture is more powerful than a thousand words." Non-Lutheran printed material (the picture) placed in the hands of teachers, children, and families will speak more loudly than any “theological correction” (the words) you give verbally or in other written material. It will actually teach them bad theology both in the classroom and afterward as the material finds its way into the home.
God bless you as you teach His Word, His clear Law-and-Gospel Word, to His children!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Going Digital
My Sunday School team is discussing how best to format the next revision of Sunday School material for Concordia Publishing House. This would be for material published for fall 2015 and following quarters. Among our observations are these points:
Digital material also presents several significant advantages. Customers could have some choice in designing their own scope and sequence. Distribution of material to teachers might also be possible electronically.
Do you have time to answer a couple of questions about this possibility?
Would you purchase Sunday School materials as a digital subscription?
What advantages would you look for?
Would you print student material locally in color or black and white?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this thorny issue. Leave me a comment or write me at tom.nummela@cph.org.
God's blessings as you teach His children His Word.
- Our scope and sequence is pretty solid; we might eliminate a bit of the annual repetition imposed by the Church Year.
- The biblical art created for Growing in Christ and reused in Cross Explorations is a winner.
- The demand for Sunday School material in general continues in a downward trend; many congregations are struggling to maintain their Sunday School in the face of a poor economy and fewer students.
- Advances in digital publishing suggest that we look seriously at how Sunday School material for teachers and students could be provided to congregations digitally.
Digital material also presents several significant advantages. Customers could have some choice in designing their own scope and sequence. Distribution of material to teachers might also be possible electronically.
Do you have time to answer a couple of questions about this possibility?
Would you purchase Sunday School materials as a digital subscription?
What advantages would you look for?
Would you print student material locally in color or black and white?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this thorny issue. Leave me a comment or write me at tom.nummela@cph.org.
God's blessings as you teach His children His Word.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Teacher, Resist the Temptation
Resist the temptation to cover everything in the teacher guide, lest you cover everything including the intended key point.
The publisher has probably delivered more than enough material to you, so that you have enough for that extended hour or small class that rips through the lesson in record time. This is good news! It gives you options.
But you are the one who decides. Keep the key point in mind, that kernel of Law and Gospel that will deliver the Good News of Jesus' love to your students. Choose the parts of the lesson that make the most sense for communicating that Gospel to the specific students you have in that specific classroom on Sunday. Adapt, review, invent, re-weave. Make the lesson your own. But don't try to teach it all! Teach the main thing in an engaging way.
Next week your students will be back to hear more!
God bless you as you teach God's children His Word!
The publisher has probably delivered more than enough material to you, so that you have enough for that extended hour or small class that rips through the lesson in record time. This is good news! It gives you options.
But you are the one who decides. Keep the key point in mind, that kernel of Law and Gospel that will deliver the Good News of Jesus' love to your students. Choose the parts of the lesson that make the most sense for communicating that Gospel to the specific students you have in that specific classroom on Sunday. Adapt, review, invent, re-weave. Make the lesson your own. But don't try to teach it all! Teach the main thing in an engaging way.
Next week your students will be back to hear more!
God bless you as you teach God's children His Word!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Covering Everything
I remember a line from a Christian education seminar I took many years ago (though I confess I don't remember the person who spoke it); it went something like this: "The teacher who insists on covering everything in a single session, usually covers up more than he or she reveals."
Is the point too subtle? Our task as Christian educators is to reveal the truth of God's Word to those we teach. We don't want to cover up, gloss over, or confuse. The teacher who tries to cram everything into the lesson, even if the teacher guide says it can be done, runs the risk of failing to teach the main points sufficiently.
It is for this reason that I always emphasize that the teacher is the final editor of any Sunday School lesson. It is a responsibility that you cannot ignore. Plowing blindly through every word of the teacher guide will leave little time to reflect on what the students are learning, or not learning. The publisher provides material for a long session with average students. You may have a much shorter session and you have very specific students for whom you can, and should, tailor that lesson.
The successful final edit identifies the main points, especially Law and Gospel, and the activities that will most be likely to teach these points to my class, while leaving enough time for the interaction that will tell me that the students got it.
Please, don't try to cover everything.
God's blessings as you teach His children His Word.
Is the point too subtle? Our task as Christian educators is to reveal the truth of God's Word to those we teach. We don't want to cover up, gloss over, or confuse. The teacher who tries to cram everything into the lesson, even if the teacher guide says it can be done, runs the risk of failing to teach the main points sufficiently.
It is for this reason that I always emphasize that the teacher is the final editor of any Sunday School lesson. It is a responsibility that you cannot ignore. Plowing blindly through every word of the teacher guide will leave little time to reflect on what the students are learning, or not learning. The publisher provides material for a long session with average students. You may have a much shorter session and you have very specific students for whom you can, and should, tailor that lesson.
The successful final edit identifies the main points, especially Law and Gospel, and the activities that will most be likely to teach these points to my class, while leaving enough time for the interaction that will tell me that the students got it.
Please, don't try to cover everything.
God's blessings as you teach His children His Word.
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