{"id":6449,"date":"2024-01-10T11:03:14","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T18:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/?p=6449"},"modified":"2024-01-10T11:03:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T18:03:16","slug":"how-to-choose-curriculum-for-childrens-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/how-to-choose-curriculum-for-childrens-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose Curriculum for Children’s Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a children\u2019s ministry leader, one of the most important ways of keeping your ministry running smoothly every week is a solid and strong curriculum<\/a>\u2014one that\u2019s easy to use, Bible-focused, fun and engaging for kids, easy for volunteers to prep and teach, and age appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important that your curriculum is a right fit for the kids and leaders in your ministry, and choosing, evaluating, and tweaking the right curriculum will bring great value to your children\u2019s ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curriculum provides a foundation, framework, and strategy for teaching kids to know God and know His big story. It helps ensure your lessons are comprehensive, strategic, and age appropriate. It allows leaders to invest time in people rather than preparation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curriculum allows for fun, creative, and engaging lessons to be taught. It allows us to fulfill the Great Commission of making disciples: offering kids opportunities to discover their identity as a child of God and know that they are known by God, loved by Jesus, and led by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Choose the Right Curriculum for Children’s Ministry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Should you write your own curriculum? You could! As a children\u2019s pastor, I wanted to write my own and I spent a long time doing this and running myself ragged every week when I realized, as soon as I finished one Sunday\u2019s lesson \u2026 the next Sunday was almost here, and it was scramble time again! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After years of feeling worn down coming up with my own lessons, I realized my time as a children\u2019s ministry leader is best spend investing in the most valuable ministry, doing something only I could do in my ministry: investing in people<\/em>. I discovered freedom and joy in purchasing an already-done curriculum that is customizable and includes way more than I could ever have created on my own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offer kids opportunities to discover their identity as a child of God and know that they are known by God, loved by Jesus, and led by the Holy Spirit.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I started spending my time pouring into my leaders and building my teams and loving the kids and families in my ministry. And my children\u2019s ministry began to thrive<\/em>! Every time you spend writing is time not<\/em> spent in relationship with people\u2014which is discipleship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re using a curriculum you already love or are looking for a new one, or writing your own, these six steps can help you determine the best curriculum fit for your ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Determine your needs and what you want.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Consider and evaluate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Get input from leaders and volunteers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Choose and implement your curriculum.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Customize to make it work for your church.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Gather feedback.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Keep in mind: there is no perfect curriculum. Every curriculum will need to be tweaked at least a little to fit your<\/em> kids and your context<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Wonder Ink\u2019s 3-year, 52-week children\u2019s ministry curriculum offers kids space to fully find their place in God\u2019s Big Story. Children discover they are Known by God, Loved by Jesus, and Led by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

    1. Determine Your Needs and What You Want in a Curriculum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Why use curriculum? Why not just wing it<\/em>? Curriculum gives you a framework and strategy to be intentional with what and how you teach and allows you the freedom to spend your time focusing on ministry and discipleship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Curriculum should take the pressure off of you and your leaders and give you a foundation of helping your kids grow in their faith, making connections with God, and align their minds and hearts with biblical truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your curriculum should allow kids to encounter and experience God, help kids worship and respond to Him, and help them discover biblical truth. Lessons and takeaways should focus on God and His character, not on us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We tell Bible stories so that kids of all ages can know God better. As they come to know God through His stories<\/a>, they will know better how to be in relationship with Him. Our primary goal when teaching any story from the Bible is to explain what the story teaches us about God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The most important part of the process is asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you throughout the process of choosing and implementing the new curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What’s Important to Your Ministry?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Think about what is important to you and your church.<\/strong> Look at samples of several curriculum lines and compare. You can invite some of your teachers to evaluate them too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When you\u2019re evaluating, consider your demographic and target? Do you have mostly unchurched kids in your ministry? Are the kids biblically literate? Are your teachers consistent, or rotating? Do you have a Sunday School model or classroom model, rotating model, large group model, all the ages together in one room? Do you need a curriculum that works with kids with special needs? Do you need a curriculum that is light on supplies required for each lesson?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Determine whether you want a curriculum that focuses on behavior and morals or a connecting with God. Do you want a curriculum that teaches kids facts about God or offers opportunities to encounter God and be put in the path of the divine? A solid curriculum will allow kids to have space for curiosity and big questions, without leaving a doubt about who they are in Christ. It should help kids discover their identity in Christ and know God\u2019s big story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Consider and Evaluate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Gather samples and research curriculum. Compare the samples and scope and sequence. If possible, visit churches who are using different curriculum lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When you evaluate<\/a>, don\u2019t just read about the lessons. Dig into the sample lessons and scope and sequence and look thoroughly to see if the content aligns with what the curriculum says it is about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As you evaluate, think critically and try not to make assumptions that everything you read is biblically and theologically sound and accurate. Don\u2019t just look at what is<\/em> included in lessons; look at what isn\u2019t<\/em> included as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example: Does the curriculum include the full gospel? Does it mention sin? Does it miss any major Bible stories or theological foundations? Does it teach Bible stories accurately and within the context of the whole Bible?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We should always teach Bible stories contextualized within the big picture of God\u2019s plan as it is revealed in the Bible. The Bible is God\u2019s self-revelation, enabling the readers to know God more; it is God telling His own story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It should help kids discover their identity in Christ and know God\u2019s big story.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    We have a responsibility when teaching the Word of God, to not abuse it by appropriating it for our own purposes. If we pull things out of context to make the Bible say something it does not and teach with our own behavior, we teach the stories wrongly. A Bible story is told rightly when we can confidently claim that it represents the intention of the author and authority of the text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Curriculum serves as a bridge between the Scriptures and the kids by illuminating the meaning of the biblical text and helping kids discern its implications for life. Teachers and a solid, biblical curriculum must inform kids\u2019 perspectives in age-appropriate ways but they still must allow Scripture to speak rather than twisting it to say what they want it to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Credit:Getty Images\/E+\/pixelfit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Questions to Ask When Evaluating Curriculum for Children’s Ministry<\/h4>\n\n\n\n