Five years ago when I arrived at Berean, a group of us embarked on a search for a different kids' ministry curriculum. It wasn't that the curriculum at that time was bad, but rather we wanted to bring simplicity and continuity to the program. We also needed more engaging tools and methods.
Needless to say, this was a bit of a daunting task. There were so many different curricula to evaluate, plus different learning methods, different theological leanings, and different agendas. The marketing for each offering tried to explain why it was the newest, best, and different from any other. Promises abounded for transforming churches and lives in ways that had never been seen before. Thankfully we didn't choose a curriculum based on marketing promises.
So what was important for us? There were practical things:
- Adaptable
- User-friendly
- Digital delivering
- Engaging
- Video elements
- Kid-friendly
- Solid application
- Solid connection to the home
Content Is King
While we felt that each of these things were important and would provide us the tools to help us excel in kids ministry, there was one factor that trumped them all: content. This may seem like a no-brainer, but we quickly learned that this wasn't the case. Flashy graphics and marketing along with engaging user-friendly tools were pushed to the front. We had to look past these things and make sure that it was going to help us provide the proper diet for teaching children God's Word.
We don't like to promote which curriculum we use because we do a lot of work to adapt it and make it fit our vision and values. In fact, we have a staff member on our team that is designated almost solely for the intake, adaptation, and preparation of our weekend curriculum. (We appreciate you, Becky Hawkinson!)
There is a key reason why this curriculum rose to the top of the pile for us: the scope and sequence of how it teaches the Bible and the way it handles Scripture.
What's the Focus?
It amazed me when looking at different curriculum that the content didn't vary much, just the packaging and resources changed. This was discouraging. It seemed that so much effort was being put into the vehicle but not much thought was being put into what needed to be taught and making sure it was taught the right way.
There was one curriculum that we immediately reviewed because it was well known and used by a number of different churches. It definitely engaged the whole family throughout the week, but I was sorely disappointed as I began to look at it.
This resource was hands-down the best at helping to create a fun and engaging environment. It provided incredibly high-quality resources for learning and was easy to use. It knocked the creativity out of the park and was light-years beyond other curricula in this area. I just couldn't get past what it lacked: solid content.
Don't get me wrong - it taught good truth - but it was missing so much. It failed to teach the breadth of the Bible and that it is a grand-narrative. The Bible is one big story, God's story. It is how we know who God is, what he has done, and what he promises he will do. This curriculum focused on character traits and how we should live.
I have no problem with teaching about love, compassion, how to be a good friend, and what it looks like to be generous. You will find all of these things in the Bible. The problem is that when this is all we teach, it not only leaves out so much that is critically important, but it also leads kids to believe that their behavior matters more than what God did. It can lead to the idea that salvation can be earned. It makes us worry that God is always watching us, waiting to point out what we have done wrong and show us where we have messed up.
I know that this is not the intention of this particular curriculum and others, but I believe that if this is all we talk about with kids, this is what they will grow up to learn.
Our Spiritual Diet
The diet we take in matters. It matters for us physically and it matters spiritually. Spiritual education is not the end-all-be-all, but it is what fuels our faith. God has given us his Word, exactly as it is, for a purpose. It is exactly what we need. Why would we want to teach it any differently? We can't just pick and choose the parts we want to look at.
Teaching the Bible to Kids at Berean
I'm excited by the way that we teach kids God's Word at Berean. We go from Genesis to Revelation in a three-year span. All along the way, through each lesson, we show how it points to Jesus and the gospel. Yes, there are some difficult things to study and some content that lends itself to a more mature audience, but we are not going to shy away from what is in it. We do our best to teach it so that kids can understand it. We want them to have a full picture of who God is and what he has done. They need this. Without it, we have lost hope at seeing disciples with a firmly-rooted authentic faith.
What we teach our kids matters. Sure, I want them to learn how to love, how to be generous, and what it looks like to be kind. But if that is the fullness of the diet that we provide, we are negligently withholding the very nourishment that they need. I'm thankful for God's Word. It is the sustenance that my soul requires.