It's the Curriculum, Part 1

In my years as a youth pastor and education/disicpleship pastor, a recurring complaint from teachers in all age groups has to do with the curriculum choices our ministry teams have made. No matter what "material" we were using--and I've had experience with a vast array--at least one teacher did not like what was being employed.

Teachers usually have a Goldilocks mentality to Sunday School material - this one's too hard, this one's too soft... and which one is usually just right?

"Curriculum" gets a bad rap. The word really gets misused by leaders and students alike. The popular usage of the the word "curriculum" today is a synonym for "literature" or the lesson plans or study guide. But all these are really part of the curriculum. The word comes from the latin route that means "path" or "course." The curriculum, then is all the inputs that go into getting someone where you want them to go. It's the content AND the experiences provided by a teacher to students.

I will explore my ideas about curriculum planning in the coming posts. Today, think about the path your church has disciples on? Where are you taking them? Where do you want to take them? Are they the same?