Evaluating Church Bible Study or Curricula

Last year, we looked at different types of Bible studies, especially for individuals and small groups. This year, I thought we could consider a few broader topics about Bible study. I am also part of a committee at church that is responsible for discipleship and wanted to understand better the various considerations in such activities. If you have had such experience, I’d be delighted to hear about it!

There seemed to be three main points to consider about a church-wide curriculum decision: Identity of the Group, Theological Presentation, and Practical Issues. Let’s look at each one more specifically.

Identity of the Group

The identity of the group considers the vision, mission and purpose of the church or organization. What are the stated objectives and priorities that the group holds? This may include a stated and public mission statement and values; it may instead be part of the character of the group. For example, if your church holds a monthly charitable bazaar or a daily soup kitchen, this may be part of the picture the local community has of you, and therefore carry over into the decision of curriculum in how highly these activities are reflected in church values.

The second part of this point is the theology or beliefs of the group. This may align with a specific denomination, or it may be a statement of beliefs that the church has adopted. These will be guiderails in the evaluation of any study or curricula. It also leads directly into the second point to consider – the focus of curriculum.

Curriculum

In a thorough evaluation of curricula for a church, several publishers are usually contacted, and preview materials are sent, usually a few sets for the evaluation committee to review. It can take time for publishers to be identified and more still for the materials to arrive. Then, the review committee will also want to take time to thoroughly study the materials. Before the evaluation can begin, the committee needs to agree the priorities in the selection.

The priorities of the selection will be driven by the identity of the church, how aligned the church wants all-ages in curriculum (scope and sequence), the key messages and beliefs presented, as well as any final opinions or uncategorized issues.

o   The identity of the church discussion should offer the main point or even style issues to consider in the evaluation of curricula. A list should be made for those ideas which are non-negotiable and those which are preferred for the church.

o   The scope and sequence of church curricula may be separated by age, or their may be a coordinated effort to have the church study similar issues, topics or books of the Bible at all ages, from varying depths. Church’s may evaluate if a coordinated curriculum is desired or evaluate on the age-based need. The group may also consider if the denominal reading plans should be prioritized.

o   The key messages of a curriculum are not only the chapter headings, but the way that God is presented, how God interacts with man, how closely aligned the messages are with church beliefs. The implied portions of the resources may be key here. Several resources may address the curriculum by Bible book, but the presentation of the material will vary; that presentation may or may not align with the church values or member expectations of delivery.

o   There should be a general evaluation of high-points and pitfalls of each curriculum evaluated as well. Sometimes these are not easily categorized, such as the way scripture is presented or even distorted in meaning, or how inspiring the material is.

Working through these points may take several months, up to 6 or 8, for a thorough evaluation. The final considerations are more practical, but no less important in the evaluation.

Practical Issues

Space, people, leaders, delivery method and cost are also key points to consider in the evaluation of church curricula. Space considerations may mean that materials need to be easy adapted for online or in-person use, as well as the appropriate sized space. A group of three could be lost in an auditorium, while large groups may lose the personalized touched your church is known for. What is important about space will be reflected in the personality and identity of the church, and so varies. Some will be happy to have larger classes, others will desire small groups only.

People are key to the success of any program. This should include the consideration of how often people will be interested or willing to attend classes as well as how accessible they are. This may mean accessible for handicaps or for the distance travelled. This will also mean considering online or in-person options as well as the frequency of classes.

Finding the right curriculum only to note that the congregation doesn’t have teachers who deliver in that style or who can commit to the time required would seriously hamper the implementation of any project. It’s important to consider the strengths of the leaders of the church, the time to prepare for each lesson as well as the training available and the time in completing the training in relation to any of the selected curricula.

The final practical issue is the budget. It may be easy to consider a per person amount the church is willing to spend, however that may or may not allow for leader guides and class kits, personal guides or photocopied materials, and any supplemental materials. This may also need to be compared to the current budget and the most recent price changes in similar materials. It is also worth noting if the material is reusable for multiple groups or if the material will have to be reordered for each group. All these materials may add up in the end.

Evaluation Best Practice

This is just a quick overview of the process of selecting a curriculum for a church. I’m only skimming the high points here. For the evaluation and to keep things focused, it would be best practice to develop a comparison chart or guide so that all options are evaluated in a fair and equitable manner. The development of such a tool will also ensure that the committee members who are doing this evaluation are on the same page and have in mind  the same or similar elements to look for and guidelines to follow.

Have you been involved in selecting church-wide curriculum? How was your experience?