Engaging this module
You are invited to explore this module by reading the content, watching the presentations and videos and responding to the suggested exercises and activities. You are encouraged to have a Bible and journaling materials nearby to take notes.
Evaluating Curriculum
Welcome to the Evaluating Curriculum module. Nearly every church purchases curriculum of some kind: Adult Bible studies, children’s Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, confirmation curriculum, and so forth. If you start with google, the options you encounter will be a wide range! You need a way to determine which curriculum is right for your program, one that aligns with your theology, is engaging for your participants, and gives your leaders what they need to facilitate. This module will help you with all of these tasks.
Narrowing Down Your Options
In the video below, you will learn from Tori Smit how to eliminate and narrow things down to a manageable list of options based on your church’s individual context and needs.
Along with the video there are a few handouts/links below that will help you. The first two are referenced in the video:
Curriculum Evaluation Tools
Buildfaith, a ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary, maintains a large chart of children’s ministry curriculum, including foundational statement, cost, format, teacher support, ages, etc. The latest chart can be found here.
Other Buildfaith resources on choosing curriculum are updated regularly and can be found here.
Choosing a Children’s Ministry Curriculum Toolkit, from the CRCNA. This includes a several page downloadable evaluation guide that can be printed and used with a committee.
Closing
God of wisdom, give us your insight as we choose curriculum for our congregation. Help us to make good choices that will support leaders and help participants to grow closer to you and to one another. Give us discernment as we seek to narrow down the many options to the ones that are right for us, right now. Amen.