Evaluating Curricula

Last week, a colleague asked me about an instrument for evaluating Sunday School curricula. I was happy to point him to the documents that are my point of reference on this question (Sunday School Basic, 2005 CPH, www.cph.org; "How Good Is Your Curriculum?" Teachers Interaction, pp. 14-17, Summer 2012; the TI article is a redaction of a chapter in the book).
Some who choose to use these resources will quickly see, and perhaps object, that the evaluation questions have to do with theology and church practice, not with appearance and instructional methods. Here's why!

How NOT to Evaluate Religious Education Material
A common method for reviewing curriculum uses a series of characteristics, criteria, such as theology, appearance, active learning, cultural diversity, out-standing features. Each criteria is evaluated separately and equally, often with some kind of grading or points system. The curriculum receiving the highest number of points or the highest grade is assumed to be the best curriculum, the one you should purchase.

The problem with this method is that all criteria are not of equal importance in Christian education. (Note the emphasis! I'm not saying that some things may not be important; I'm saying they are not equally important.) In fact, when teaching theology, a curriculum's ability to teach the requisite theology is the first and foremost thing to judge. Imagine the "largest pumpkin" competition as the state fair. No matter how large, attractive, and tasty, the winning pumpkin cannot be a watermelon. You should not even enter a watermelon in the pumpkin contest.

Choosing Materials for a Lutheran Sunday School
Just so, when choosing curricula for your Lutheran Sunday School, you really first need to determine that the curriculum is in fact Lutheran, that it will teach Lutheran theology. There are some very attractive materials on the market from non-Lutheran and non-denominational publishers. And, in order to sell you their watermelons (non-Lutheran materials), they will argue that they should be considered in your pumpkin (Lutheran materials) contest. But they will not teach Lutheran theology. They will teach decision theology, moralism, salvation through works. They will not teach about Law and Gospel or the means of grace. Does it make a difference? You bet! An eternal one! (If you are still thinking that a watermelon might work, review my recent post "Theology Added?")

My argument is that the curriculum needs to meet these minimum standards. If you are able to find several curricula that teach Lutheran theology for Lutheran children, then by all means, choose the one that best fits your needs or most excites your volunteers.

You know that I work for a publishing house that strives to prepare the best possible resources for Lutheran Christian education. I am not without bias. But I am passionate about teaching God's children His Word.

The Fear Factor

Now is the time to start thinking about staffing for Sunday School in September (if you haven't already). Since your teachers are the most important variable in providing a quality experience for your children, it is good to get the best teachers you can find. Go for the very best candidates.

Fear is the biggest problem you will face when enlisting new volunteer teachers.

• Fear of Over-committing. Everyone is busy. We want to use our time efficiently. Our lives are scheduled full. Yes, we will make time for tasks that we deem to be worthwhile, even self-less ones like teaching other peoples' children. But to get on my schedule, I need to know the time-frame. What am I really committing to? Share an honest estimate of the commitment your are seeking with your candidates: the time they need to spend on Sunday morning, the time they need to spend training and preparing, and the duration of the assignment. (If you want to get a yes, you might consider starting small: a three-week assignment or a stint as a helper.)
• Fear of Being Stuck. What if I really don't like it or can't do it well? Starting with short durations will help here. You might also consider installing a "quick release lever" in your volunteer enlistment "contract." Make sure your candidate knows that you don't want them to feel stuck. If they want out, they can pull the lever, talk to you, and be assured of a guilt-free release.
• Fear of Failing. Nobody likes to fail. Consider every possible means to help each candidate be successful in their teaching task. Orient them carefully to your Sunday School curriculum and procedures. Train them well. Provide mentors, partners, and assistants. Promise them, and then give them, your full support. Check in, but don't hover. 

"Love casts out fear"? Love your teachers enough to overcome their fears.

What do you fear most about the teaching experience? About starting a new endeavor?

How do you overcome the fears of your teaching prospects?

Thanks for all you do to support those who teach God's children His Word!

Veggie Tales This Summer?

Those who know me will be able to predict my thoughts on any plan to use videos of talking vegetables as a substitute for teaching the Gospel in summer Sunday School classes.

My advice? Don't.

I'm not alone in my low opinion of the theology that underlies these videos. Check out Gene Veith's recent blog on the subject; it shares a "change of heart" from the VeggieTales creator himself.
http://www.geneveith.com/2012/06/06/veggietales-creator-repents-of-moralism/

Children do not need the Church to provide them entertainment on Sunday morning. If it is entertainment they are seeking, there are dozens of other activities they can choose from, and they often do.

How much better to invest that precious hour in teaching God's children His Word!

Teaching a Class of One

You've heard about "an army of one." How about a class of one?

In many Sunday Schools, especially as summer takes its toll, a class of a single student is a common experience. How do you teach a class of one? Let me start the list of things to consider.

• Leave the door open. This is an invitation for others to join, including late-arrivers or students who might be shy. It also is an alternative to the best practice of staffing two-deep. (One child and one teacher in a closed room will run counter to most child-safety policies.)
• Don't fret. Give your class of one the clear impression that it is "business as usual"; don't make your one student feel bad or odd for having come to hear God's Word.
• Make conversation, Part 1. You've talked to children one-on-one before (your own, a niece or nephew, the child of a visiting friend, and many others). Take the opportunity you've been given to get to know this child as a friend. Ask the student about his or her week, family, pets, favorite activities, plans for later in the day.
• Make conversation, Part 2. Work to make your class discussion an extension of this conversation. "I like to start each Sunday School lesson with prayer. Will you pray with me? Do you have anything we can pray about?" "This is the leaflet that goes with today's Bible lesson. What event from the Bible do you think this picture is capturing?"
• Watch for opportunities to extend the lesson. The lesson will fly with only one student to teach. Discussion will be brief; sharing will take place quickly. You will have extra time. Plan ways to use the extra time profitably.
• Take a field trip. Visit the sanctuary to see the baptismal font up close. Talk about the vocation of pastor and visit the church office area (where many students never get to go). Be sure to let your Sunday School director know where you and the child are going. Don't leave the building without a parent's permission.
• Don't ignore opportunities to use music. If you or your student are shy about singing, you will be tempted to skip using the songs or hymns that are associated with the lesson. Don't. Use the recordings as listening opportunities. Read the words together. Listen to the music as you do written activities.
• Solicit feedback. If your "class of one" is a talker, you have a tremendous boost. He or she will likely answer your questions willingly and perhaps even volunteer contributions to the conversation. If he or she is more reticent, find other ways to learn whether the student is assimilating the information you are sharing. Watch for non-verbal cues: nods, puzzled expressions, the light of understanding. Utilize non-verbal methods for feedback. "Point to the words in the Bible text/lesson leaflet that tell us why Jesus did this." "Let's draw a picture of how this event in Jesus' life ended."

What tips do you have for teaching a class of one?

God will bless your efforts to teach even just one of His children His Word!

Why Have Summer Sunday School?

I don't have hard data, but based on our experience here at Concordia Publishing House, it seems that substantial numbers of congregations "take a break" from Sunday School during the summer months. The reasoning for this generally invokes things like "families are always gone," "kids disappear during the summer," or "we can't find enough people to teach." These can be serious challenges. They will require work to overcome, perhaps hard work. Why bother? I can think of three reasons!

1. Children (and adults) still need to hear the Gospel.
God's Word is His promised source of life and strength for His people. We don't "take a break" from eating, or drinking, or breathing during the summer. What would we take a break from God's Word?

2. It is easier to maintain inertia.
Eighty percent of our effort often goes into getting something moving (especially my wheelbarrow full of dirt). Taking the summer off kills Christian education inertia. It speaks loudly about a relatively low priority for Sunday School, as opposed to trips to the lake. It lets families "get out of the habit" of spending two hours at church each weekend.

3. Visitors are plentiful.
Large numbers of families relocate during the summer while their children are out of school. These families are looking for new church homes and making decisions about where to re-establish roots. They are looking for churches that will meet the whole families' spiritual needs. They are looking for churches with great Sunday Schools. "Well, we don't have that right now, but if you come back in a couple of months . . ." won't impress them.

Will you have Sunday School this summer? Why? (or why not?)

How will you sell your choice?

Theology Added?

I hear it all the time from Christian education leaders in LCMS congregations: "I use [insert the name of a non-Lutheran publisher] material and add the Lutheran theology." Do they? Really?

Forget for a moment that LCMS congregations pledge as members of the snyod to use only doctrinally approved worship and education resources. How do you add Lutheran theology to heterodox material? A non-Lutheran lesson begins with a non-Lutheran premise, sets non-Lutheran goals and weaves them tightly into the lesson plan, and is designed from start to finish to teach something that is not Lutheran. A heterodox lesson with Lutheran theology added will still be a heterodox lesson.

Lay leaders in our congregations might be forgiven for not realizing this and should be instructed. Pastors, DCEs, and other professional church workers should know better.

Editing Christian education materials for theological content is very hard work. I know. I also admit that I am biased. I am not objective on this point. But it seems far easier to me to add the kind of creative activities you think a lesson lacks than to "add the Lutheran theology."

Am I missing something? Does what we teach on Sunday morning really matter?

Planning Can Combat Summer Slump

The Sunday School Revolutionary, Darryl Wilson, writes an interesting post about this subject. You can read it here, but let me share some of his thoughts and some of my own.

Why a Slump?
The Sunday School Revolutionary suggests these:

vacations

family visits

children's summer sports leagues

recreational outings, such as a weekend at the lake

late Saturday evening activities

Add to that all the normal reasons that families have difficulty making it to Sunday School consistently (the lure of the mattress, going out for breakfast, split custody of children, and more) and the problem magnifies.

What Can You Do?
Mr. Wilson offers a great list of ideas for combating the slump:

Invite your absentees each week.

Implement Saturday night calling of every member, guest, and prospect.

Focus on inviting guests every week.

Have a class or Sunday School-wide photo Sunday and work to have the whole class present.

Conduct a contact contest during one month or the entire summer between two halves of your Sunday School.

Plan a meal and fellowship immediately after Sunday School and worship.

Have a teacher/worker appreciation Sunday and encourage members to bring appreciation gifts to teachers/workers.

Provide breakfast; food is a guaranteed attraction. 

What Should You Avoid?

Skipping the lesson is a no-no; teaching the Gospel is the reason for Sunday School, so don't fail to provide substance.

Pass on videos of talking vegetables who teach moralism instead of salvation.

Don't leave the parents without an attractive study alternative; if the parents come to Sunday School, so will the kids.

Don't focus on unsustainable activities; water games will be fun, but unless you are going to do it every week, you will wind up disappointing your attendees somewhere down the line (also see the first item in this category).

Here's the point in a nutshell: you know that summer will present challenges for your Sunday School. Plan now (okay, it's almost too late) to combat the forces of attrition by creating reasons for families, students, and staff to be excited about Sunday School all summer long. Whatever investment you make is bound to pay off in more opportunities to teach God's children His Word.

What are the most common reasons your members will miss Sunday School this summer?

How will you combat Sunday School slump this summer?