A Guest Blog from the Board of Discipleship

Choosing a curriculum for children’s ministry can be a challenge. There are so many factors when making a decision so how does a church make that decision. How does disciple making factor in? This month the Board of Discipleship shares about one option for children’s leaders.

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Dyan Vorster, our Conference Director of Children’s Ministries and Children’s Pastor at South Albany Community Church, writes about the process through which she ultimately selected Orange Kids. But the theories she used apply to all curriculum choices. Here are 3 key factors to consider when selecting curriculum:

1. It had to be Biblically sound 

If the curriculum were not consistent with Scripture, it was not an option. Of secondary importance to me was that the curriculum lined up with the church’s doctrine, vision, and mission statement. After all, the goal of every church is for all its members to be growing in the same direction, so it is important that your children’s ministry curriculum reinforces what is being taught to the rest of the church – or at least doesn’t undermine it! 

2. It had to be culturally relevant 

Jesus didn’t shy away from tackling challenging topics and neither should we. He also used teaching illustrations that the people of his day could relate to. We need to do the same if we want to engage our kids and make the Scripture relevant to them. Kids have a greater capacity for understanding than we give them credit for! Orange curriculum does not dumb down lessons, nor do they avoid controversial subjects. They do a great job of teaching deep Spiritual truths while still being culturally relevant and fun.

3. It had to fit our program

Service length, facility resources, budget, and volunteer numbers all play a role in determining curriculum choice. Orange curriculum is not cheap! However, it requires a minimal number of volunteers and very little preparation. If you want your volunteers to focus on small groups, relational ministry and not stress about being Bible teachers, the online videos are a fantastic resource!

Before You Go

Clearly curriculum choice is critical in the discipleship process. The right curriculum will have a huge impact on the energy and effectiveness of your children’s ministry program. When the lessons are Biblically sound, culturally relevant, and perfectly geared toward the kids in your program the results are amazing!