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!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
Who Is Your Sunday School For?
Don't just blow past the title of this post. It is a serious question! For whom do you conduct your Sunday School on a week by week basis?
The student, right? Sunday School is all about delivering the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to the students in each class. That's not as easy as it might sound. It gets complicated because we must balance delivering the best content with making sure that the students and, in the case of most of our students under the age of 16, their parents desire to have this Sunday School experience of themselves or their children.
Then, assuming that you buy into the "it's for the students" mindset . . .
Sunday School is not for volunteer teacher. ("What is the easiest material to prepare and teach? I want something I can pick up and teach without spending my time studying the lesson and getting ready for class.")
Sunday School is not for the church finance board or treasurer. ("What is the cheapest alternative out there? Can we find something with reproducible student material? What about this stuff that is available free online?")
Sunday School is for the spiritual health of the student. ("Well, yeah, the theology is a little off, but the activities are really fun. And the material is cheap. And the teachers don't have to prepare.")
Forgive me if I sound harsh, but it seems to me that some congregations get off track on this at times.
Teaching Sunday School is a high calling with a vitally important goal. It truly is worth giving it our best!
God bless you as you teach God's children His Word!
The student, right? Sunday School is all about delivering the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to the students in each class. That's not as easy as it might sound. It gets complicated because we must balance delivering the best content with making sure that the students and, in the case of most of our students under the age of 16, their parents desire to have this Sunday School experience of themselves or their children.
Then, assuming that you buy into the "it's for the students" mindset . . .
Sunday School is not for volunteer teacher. ("What is the easiest material to prepare and teach? I want something I can pick up and teach without spending my time studying the lesson and getting ready for class.")
Sunday School is not for the church finance board or treasurer. ("What is the cheapest alternative out there? Can we find something with reproducible student material? What about this stuff that is available free online?")
Sunday School is for the spiritual health of the student. ("Well, yeah, the theology is a little off, but the activities are really fun. And the material is cheap. And the teachers don't have to prepare.")
Forgive me if I sound harsh, but it seems to me that some congregations get off track on this at times.
Teaching Sunday School is a high calling with a vitally important goal. It truly is worth giving it our best!
God bless you as you teach God's children His Word!
Monday, June 16, 2014
Help! Share Your Thoughts!
CPH is conducting a Sunday School materials survey. It is a multi-path survey for anyone interested in or using any Sunday School curriculum. It is designed to help us measure which components of our curriculum are most used and what new features Sunday School leaders and teachers are seeking.
You can help in two ways!
First, take the survey! Your thoughts will be extremely helpful as we craft the next generation of Sunday School resources her at Concordia Publishing House.
Second, encourage others (your Sunday School teachers, and colleagues and their teachers in other churches) to take the survey as well.
You can access the survey by following the link below. It will be live through June 30.
Please take our Sunday School survey to share how you use Growing in Christ or Cross Explorations, what you like about the curriculum, and what you think could be improved.
God bless you as you teach His children His Word!
You can help in two ways!
First, take the survey! Your thoughts will be extremely helpful as we craft the next generation of Sunday School resources her at Concordia Publishing House.
Second, encourage others (your Sunday School teachers, and colleagues and their teachers in other churches) to take the survey as well.
You can access the survey by following the link below. It will be live through June 30.
Please take our Sunday School survey to share how you use Growing in Christ or Cross Explorations, what you like about the curriculum, and what you think could be improved.
God bless you as you teach His children His Word!
Monday, June 9, 2014
Training Your Volunteer Teachers
So, how do you train your volunteer teachers?
It used to be that congregations had annual, semi-annual, or even quarterly volunteer training courses. Sunday School teachers came together weekly for several weeks to study and share.
CPH over the years has published many different types of teacher training resources, including video products like the Teaching the Faith series. Two of our latest books are God at Work and Discipline in Christian Classrooms.
It seems to me that teachers still need training, be it orientation, one-on-one mentoring, workshops, or training meetings.
What kind of training does your congregation provide?
What kind of resources would be most helpful for training your teachers?
God bless you as you train those who teach God's children His Word.
It used to be that congregations had annual, semi-annual, or even quarterly volunteer training courses. Sunday School teachers came together weekly for several weeks to study and share.
CPH over the years has published many different types of teacher training resources, including video products like the Teaching the Faith series. Two of our latest books are God at Work and Discipline in Christian Classrooms.
It seems to me that teachers still need training, be it orientation, one-on-one mentoring, workshops, or training meetings.
What kind of training does your congregation provide?
What kind of resources would be most helpful for training your teachers?
God bless you as you train those who teach God's children His Word.
Monday, June 2, 2014
I Love to Tell the Story
I just read a blog post that advocates that we abandon the term story in connection with our teaching of the Bible's truths. I share the author's concern that the word story has a strong connotation for fictional writing, material that is not intended to be taken literally. Those of us on the conservative end of the spectrum regarding biblical inerrancy do not desire, and certainly do not intend, that our students doubt the truth of Scripture or the authentic nature of the events the Bible describes.
For that reason, I generally avoid the term Bible story in favor of less ambiguous terms like narrative or account. And the readers' version of the Bible called The Story and the curriculum marketed by that name make me uneasy (though not just because of their titles).
But, let's not go overboard. We can use the term story and still communicate truth rather than fiction. We might ask a person to tell us their story. We listen daily to the news stories that are broadcast on radio, television, and Web news services, expecting that they are not fiction. There are a dozen other ways we use the word in an obviously nonfiction sense. It makes sense, however, to pay attention to how our listeners or readers might be understanding that word when we use it.
We don't need to banish the word from our vocabularies. We just need to use it with awareness.
God's blessing as you teach God's children His Story!
For that reason, I generally avoid the term Bible story in favor of less ambiguous terms like narrative or account. And the readers' version of the Bible called The Story and the curriculum marketed by that name make me uneasy (though not just because of their titles).
But, let's not go overboard. We can use the term story and still communicate truth rather than fiction. We might ask a person to tell us their story. We listen daily to the news stories that are broadcast on radio, television, and Web news services, expecting that they are not fiction. There are a dozen other ways we use the word in an obviously nonfiction sense. It makes sense, however, to pay attention to how our listeners or readers might be understanding that word when we use it.
We don't need to banish the word from our vocabularies. We just need to use it with awareness.
God's blessing as you teach God's children His Story!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
The Third Secret to Successful Teacher Enlistment
Imagine a continuum, with "personal" at one end and "impersonal" at the other.
PERSONAL------------------------------------------IMPERSONAL
The third truth about enlisting teachers (Secret is perhaps not an accurate term this time around) is that the more personal the approach, the more likely the "Yes."
Consider these possible recruiting approaches:
It is of great importance that we know those whom we ask to teach. Let's be honest. No matter how dire the need, there are some people who should probably not teach Sunday School.
My preferred steps for teacher enlistment are these:
1. Prepare a list of positions to be filled.
2. Pray.
3. List as many candidates as come to mind (reviewing the church directory can help).
4. Consult with the pastor about his recommendations and evaluation of those I've listed.
5. Select one name for each postion to be filled.
6. Send a letter to that candidate, including a brief job description and mentioning a day and time I will try to call them with more information.
7. Make that call and offer or request to meet them face to face.
8. Describe the need, the skills that person has to meet the need, the training and support the church will offer, and offer to answer any questions.
9. Allow a week for them to consider the opportunity to teach; arrange a visit to the Sunday School class if they desire.
10. Meet again, or follow up by phone, to hear the conadidate's response.
11. Thanks them for saying "Yes," or thank them for prayerfully considering and go back to step 5.
God bless you as you enlist those who will teach God's children His Word.
PERSONAL------------------------------------------IMPERSONAL
The third truth about enlisting teachers (Secret is perhaps not an accurate term this time around) is that the more personal the approach, the more likely the "Yes."
Consider these possible recruiting approaches:
- bulletin announcements
- pleas from the pulpit
- form letters signed by the pastor
- personal notes from the Sunday School director
- personal notes from children
- phone calls
- chatting in the parking lot after church
- visiting in the home
It is of great importance that we know those whom we ask to teach. Let's be honest. No matter how dire the need, there are some people who should probably not teach Sunday School.
My preferred steps for teacher enlistment are these:
1. Prepare a list of positions to be filled.
2. Pray.
3. List as many candidates as come to mind (reviewing the church directory can help).
4. Consult with the pastor about his recommendations and evaluation of those I've listed.
5. Select one name for each postion to be filled.
6. Send a letter to that candidate, including a brief job description and mentioning a day and time I will try to call them with more information.
7. Make that call and offer or request to meet them face to face.
8. Describe the need, the skills that person has to meet the need, the training and support the church will offer, and offer to answer any questions.
9. Allow a week for them to consider the opportunity to teach; arrange a visit to the Sunday School class if they desire.
10. Meet again, or follow up by phone, to hear the conadidate's response.
11. Thanks them for saying "Yes," or thank them for prayerfully considering and go back to step 5.
God bless you as you enlist those who will teach God's children His Word.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
The Second Secret to Enlisting Volunteer Teachers
It flies in the face of logic for some people, but it is easier to enlist two people to teach a Sunday School class than to enlist just one. And, of course, it is easier to enlist a second teacher to work with a teacher you already have on board.
Filling your teaching positions two deep addresses a number of issues and concerns.
What other advantages can you think of for enlisting two teachers for each class?
God bless you as you teach His children His Word!
Filling your teaching positions two deep addresses a number of issues and concerns.
- As mentioned last week, it eases concerns about the time commitment involved; each teacher has some guaranteed backup if an absence is required.
- It reduces discipline issues by lowering the student-to-teacher ratio. It also provides the option of one teacher removing a child from the room (maybe because of behavior, but maybe for a medical concern or restroom break) without leaving any child unsupervised.
- It allows a bit of specialization; one teacher might be good at crafts, another may really enjoy dialog with the students.
- It provides a sense of fellowship and partnership that most teachers enjoy.
- It provides for the "two deep" staffing that many churches strive for (and some insurance companies require) to avoid an adult being isolated with a child or group of children.
- A husband and wife
- A mother or father and a daughter or son
- Two teachers who are close friends
What other advantages can you think of for enlisting two teachers for each class?
God bless you as you teach His children His Word!
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