Please Note: This blog is
the second of a three part series that is intended to follow the viewing of the
introductory video “Embracing the Wesleyan Way” that may be found on YouTube at
CEF NGUMC, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P44OmNgpixg. Also,
please find links for resources included in the footnotes for this article.
As Christian educators,
we are constantly faced with the challenge of selecting a suitable curriculum
for a class or group. This task is often
a difficult one. When selecting curriculum
many variables must be considered: age
level and experience of the learners, skill level, knowledge, and/or personality
of the leader, learning goals for the class or group, as well as cost of
materials and logistical limitations.
Furthermore, curriculum decisions are frequently influenced by the
desires of participants to select a well-known author or ministry leaders to choose
what’s most popular or exciting.
Unfortunately, these decisions are often made with little or no serious regard
for the theological perspective that is presented within the curriculum
itself. Therefore, one of the most
important things to consider when selecting a curriculum—the image of God that
is put forth—is overlooked.
It is important that a
curriculum used within the United Methodist Church be selected or adapted to
include a Wesleyan theology of grace. I
will be the first to admit that resources published by United Methodist
authors, the United Methodist Publishing House, or Upper Room Ministries are not
the only resources worth using. United
Methodists are not the only people with something meaningful to say
about God! Books and curriculum from
other Christian traditions are often wonderful resources for faith
formation. Yet, I caution, such resources
should not be used indiscriminately in the United Methodist Church. Why is this?
Again, it is because a person’s image of God is formative. It is important to us in the United Methodist
tradition to focus on a theological perspective that emphasizes, in the words
of Will Willimon, that “God is actively, relentlessly, fully love.”[i] Therefore, when deciding on curriculum
resources that are not expressly Wesleyan one should ask, “What image of God is
this resource putting forth?” and “Is this image of God consistent with our
United Methodist perspective?”
Selecting curriculum
resources requires a thoughtful analysis of the materials (hence the need for a
basic theological understanding), as well as an understanding of the learning
environment and the learners. Here are
some suggestions when selecting a curriculum resource:
·
Use a Curriculum Evaluation Tool—Responsible
curriculum selection requires critical knowledge of the curriculum resource, as
well as knowledge of the learners, leader(s), learning environment, and
learning goals or purpose. Employ a Curriculum
Evaluation Tool that asks both practical and theological questions with regard
to these variables. (Please see footnote for FREE resource suggestions.)[ii]
·
Consult/Search Cokesbury—Please Note: Curriculum
resources sold by Cokesbury are not
exclusively United Methodist.
o
Look for resources approved by the Curriculum
Resources Committee of the United Methodist Church (CRC) or marked with the CRC logo.
o
Use Cokebury’s online curriculum search. Go to www.cokesbury.com , Quick Links (at the bottom of the page), Cokesbury
Curriculum Finder.
o
Call Curric-U-Phone at 800-251-8591 and talk
with a professional Christian educator.
o View
informational webinars. For details
about select curricula in the Cokesbury catalog go to webinars.cokesbury.com.
o
Contact a Cokesbury Community Resource
Consultant for a “hands on” overview of
resources offered by our United Methodist Publishing House.[iii]
·
Use General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) Online
Resources.[iv]
·
For those in the North Georgia Conference of the
UMC, schedule a Connectional Café curriculum workshop.[v]
Since there will be times when churches choose to use
curriculum resources that are not theologically Methodist, adaptation is
necessary in these situations. The first
obvious way to do this is to adapt the curriculum itself. This requires repurposing or rewriting those
aspects of the curriculum that are inconsistent with the ways that Methodists
would talk about God. [vi] You must, of course, have someone
knowledgeable enough about Wesleyan theology to do this. Such adjustments to the curriculum are
necessary in learning environments where participants are in early stages of
faith or when leaders are not comfortable or properly equipped to engage
participants in critical dialogue.[vii]
Another option for adaptation exists with adult learners, as
well as with some older youth. I call
this option adaptation through critical dialogue. Instead of adapting the curriculum itself, a
skilled leader takes on the responsibility of keeping the Wesleyan “voice”
alive in the learning environment. Such
an approach may be appropriate and preferred for some groups because it engages
learning through active critical thinking. For example, if a women’s group
chooses to use a favorite Bible study curriculum that is inconsistent with
Wesleyan theology, it becomes the role of the leader to point out the
inconsistencies. The leader could say something like, “You heard ‘So and So’
say _______, but in the United Methodist Church we would say_______. What do you think about this? What might be some of the positive outcomes
of each way of thinking about God? What
might be some of the negative outcomes?
What is more in line with the way you see God?” Such dialogue is healthy, especially for
adults who should be encouraged to think critically. Most importantly, this approach keeps the
Wesleyan voice present in an environment where it might otherwise be absent.
Our unique Wesleyan voice declares an understanding of God’s
love and grace above all else. As John
Wesley stated in his 1742 essay, “The Character of a Methodist,” “A Methodist
is one who has ‘the love of God shed abroad in [his/her] heart by the Holy Ghost.’” We understand that Christian thinking (our
thinking about God) is directly linked to Christian formation. For this reason it is important for
curriculum resources to be selected or adapted to reflect a theology that
places primary emphasis on the understanding that “God is love” (1 John 4:7-21). Without love, aspirations to holiness or
righteousness become perverted. Without
love, discussions of God’s power or sovereignty reflect control or coercion. Without love, the opportunity for human choice
and cooperation with grace is non-existent.
As Wesley stated, “All learning without love is but splendid ignorance.”[viii]
Possible Questions for Further Discussion:
1) What is
the most difficult part about selecting curriculum? Has theology been a major concern for
you? If so, how have you addressed this
concern?
2) What
suggestions or advice do you have to offer others within the United Methodist
Church who may be seeking to “Embrace the Wesleyan Way” with regard to
curriculum selection?
Article 2 of 3
Kim Reindl is a professional Christian Educator
who chairs the Discipleship Ministry Team for the North Georgia Conference of
the UMC and has served as the Program Chair for North Georgia CEF. Kim
creates curriculum resources and is available to lead retreats, workshops, and
seminars through Pomegranate Christian Education & Formation, www.pomegranatece.com. You can contact her at kim@mail.pomegranatece.com.
[i]
William H. Willimon, United Methodist
Beliefs: A Brief Introduction, (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2007), 114-118.
[ii]
For a FREE curriculum evaluation tool go to www.pomegranatece.com à “Curriculum
& Resources” and complete the order form for the “Implementation
Resource: Curriculum Evaluation Form.” You may also find information at the GBOD website http://www.gbod.org/content/uploads/legacy/kintera-files/christian-education-diy-training/ett-demo-workshop.pdf
.
[iii]
Go to https://www.cokesbury.com/forms/CRCLocator.aspx
to
identify a Community Resource Consultant near you . The North Georgia Community Resource
Consultant is Rashawn Clark, rclark@cokesbury.com. Churches in Georgia may also contact Flo Martin, Cokesbury Regional Curriculum
Representative, at flosappmartin@aol.com.
[v]
Go to http://www.ngumc.info/cafe.
Search for related workshops.
[vi]
Make sure that you obtain consent from the author or publisher when such is
required. At a minimum, you should be
sure to note the changes that have been made so that you do not falsely
attribute the changes to the original author.
[vii]
For more information on stages of faith, refer to James W. Fowler. Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human
Development and the Quest for Meaning, (New
York: HarperOne, 1981).
[viii]
From John Wesley’s preaching at St. Mary’s, the university church at Oxford, on
August 24, 1744.
