What this Curriculum is all about and how to tailor it for your Church
By Donna Phillips Munson
Belonging to Christ has been designed to fill
a gap that many congregations have experienced in their
educational programs for children and youth. From kindergarten
through fifth grade, most curricula typically focus on major
Bible characters, Bible stories and moral precepts. In Junior
High and High School, youth ministry often adopts a relational
approach, with programs designed to cultivate strong Christian
friendships that help young people deal with peer pressures as
they begin to face adult issues. Sometimes neglected during
these years is a vital foundation of sound doctrine, which
teaches the major biblical truths that give structure to our
Christian faith.
Belonging to Christ helps meet this
need. It enables young people to appropriate basic Christian
doctrine, and receive a firm foundation on which to build in
the years to come. Many churches find it ideally suited for
confirmation classes.
Belonging to Christ consists of seventeen lessons
(more if expanded lessons are used) developed around a
sequential and thematic division of
The Catechism for
Young Children (1804), which was written as an
introduction to
The Westminster Shorter Catechism (
The
Westminster Confession of Faith and
Catechisms
were completed in England by 1648). While every effort has
been made to remain faithful to the meaning in the original
text of the catechism, the language has been updated to
reflect current usage.
The Catechism for Young Children
is a digest of essential Christian teachings in the form of
questions and answers. Although there are more extensive
catechisms, the brevity of this one lends itself to
introductory instruction. The curriculum content is designed
for sixth-grade students but it is adaptable to older
students, even adults, as explained below under Structuring
the Course.
Author Donna Munson with students
Learning
Truths of the Christian Faith
A key feature of
Belonging to Christ is the
memorization of catechism questions and answers. The catechism
is divided into easily digestible units of five to ten
questions for each lesson. As students arrive for class, they
may recite what they have learned with teachers and parent
volunteers. Class presentations and homework assignments
enable students to learn the meaning of the words they are
memorizing. In our pilot programs, memory success rates of
more than 90 percent were achieved. When students in
confirmation classes were received into church membership,
those who had memorized the entire catechism were given a
special certificate, a copy of which has been included in the
Appendix of this book.
Sharing
Expressions of the Christian Faith
Another key aspect of
Belonging to Christ is the use
of full-color reproductions of great works of art to introduce
the theme of each lesson. While memory work is primarily a
verbal, cognitive activity, essential for mastering the basic
truths that underlie the Christian faith, the art has been
included to awaken in each student the nonverbal, affective
dimension of learning. By viewing and discussing a
work of art together,
students, teachers and parents can experience the artist’s
expression of a Christian truth as a springboard for deepening
their own understanding.
Experiencing
the Fellowship of the Christian Faith
In our pilot programs, an especially important feature was an
invitation to parents to be class participants with their
children, allowing the class to become a family endeavor. This
promoted an opportunity for spiritual bonding between parent
and child before the challenge of teen-age years. Drawing on
the talents of students and parents gave the class a depth and
creativity level otherwise unattainable. Activities were
designed to foster interaction, create fellowship and apply
the concepts taught. Home family devotions and discussions of
the catechism questions were encouraged. A church elder was
assigned as mentor to each student during the year. The
resulting partnership of home and church strengthened the
outcome.
Because of this partnership, we recommend that each family
purchase a copy of
Belonging to Christ for home
reference. We suggest that a picture be taken of the class and
a print be given to each member. A space has been designed on
the inside front cover of this book for mounting the class
photograph.
Near the conclusion of the original pilot program, preceding
the Palm Sunday reception of students into adult church
membership, our pastor interviewed students to be certain that
they understood the meaning of committing their lives to
Christ. The time together was for spiritual encouragement and
assessment. It included an opportunity for questions and a
discussion of the importance of daily quiet time spent in
Bible reading, prayer and reflection. The interview helped
each student determine his or her own readiness to accept the
responsibility of church membership.
On Palm Sunday, the congregation was invited to view a
display prepared by the teachers and parent volunteers. It
included the curriculum, class games, pictures, the “Hall
of Faith” (described in Lesson 11), the catechism and
other historic documents of the Reformed Tradition. This was
not only informative but visibly expressed the continuity of
the Christian faith through each generation. For parents
nurtured in the church, the class provided a helpful review.
For those new to Christianity, the class delineated the
foundational tenets of our faith. Most important,
Belonging
to Christ provided a format in which all participants
could grow in their relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ and
to each other.
Learning
from One Another
After you select the components you wish to accompany the
core curriculum and establish a schedule that best fits your
congregation’s educational program, we encourage you to
review the many creative and insightful suggestions that have
been given to us by the teachers of pilot programs. You will
find those suggestions in Appendix A. We encourage you to send
us your ideas as the course unfolds in your church. We plan to
incorporate suggestions from teachers and parents in future
editions of
Belonging to Christ.
Goals
for Class Participants
·
Make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
·
Become familiar with the Bible and realize that it is God’s
Word for salvation, nurture and guidance for daily living in
relationship to Him and to each other.
·
Grasp the basic tenets of the Christian faith as presented in
a catechism format, thus laying a foundation for lifelong
Christian commitment and a Christian world view.
·
Gain a sense of responsibility for one’s own spiritual
growth by establishing a daily quiet time for Bible reading,
prayer and reflection.
·
Pray for one another and keep a prayer journal.
·
Memorize catechism questions and answers.
·
Encourage family devotions and enjoy the fellowship and love
of other Christians.
·
Become fruitful members of the Body of Christ.
Structuring
the Course – A Variety of Options
Belonging to Christ offers a flexible design that can
be tailored for each congregation’s educational program.
Although its content has been designed with sixth grade
students in mind, it can be adapted for use with older
students and adults by drawing on the background reading
listed in each lesson and by suitably altering the suggested
activities. For example, a 20-lesson adult Bible study could
be taught using the art page and commentary that introduces
each chapter.
In our pilot programs, the 17 to 20 basic lessons fit easily
into a “confirmation year” schedule. If more time is
available, the lessons can be readily expanded. The curriculum
text anticipates that possibility and provides appropriate
lesson plans for these expansions (see Lessons 4, 13, and 15).
But there are numerous additional possibilities. For example,
each of the Ten Commandments could be the focus of a single
lesson.
The chart on the facing page shows how the text of
Belonging
to Christ can be combined with additional pilot-tested
components to create a tailor-made study for each
congregation.
A
Final Word to Teachers
When we discuss theological concepts, truth is often best
conveyed in story form, as Jesus modeled for us in his
ministry. Therefore, when an appropriate situation presents
itself use your creativity to share stories that illustrate
the truths taught in these lessons. Activity suggestions that
have been included in this curriculum are to enhance your
resources, not bind you as a teacher.
As you prepare to teach a lesson in
Belonging to Christ,
you will note that the outline sequence is different from what
you will find in standard curriculum materials that place
their emphasis on methodology. We move immediately into the
biblical content, and only later include sections on time
frame, suggested activities and supplies. This sequence is
intentional, for we believe that biblical preparation is
primary. Only after the teacher has gained a full grasp of the
lesson’s spiritual truth should attention be paid to
methodology. This sequencing, placing emphasis on content
rather than method, has yielded exceptionally rich lesson
depth.
The composition of each class will be different. Draw on the
talent available and you may find some wonderfully surprising
activities that will be edifying to all. In one of our pilot
classes a mother and daughter knew sign language and taught us
to sign “Amazing Grace.”
Enjoy the opportunity God is giving you and your students. As
you embark on this spiritual pilgrimage may God ground you in
truth, strengthen you in courage, and mold you in love.
Confirmation
of our young people is about helping them discover the
deep love of Christ. There is no other material that I
have seen that does that as effectively as Belonging
to Christ.
Russ
Stevenson, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
In
my youth conference ministry around the United States
young people who have taken Belonging to Christ
stand out as leaders. You can tell that they're more
grounded in Scripture and excited about God's love.
Mac
McCoy, Director of Youth Ministry, Highland Park
Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas.
“The
gospel is presented so simply. It’s allowed a new way
of communicating with the young people. Across the board,
we are having more young people who have a relationship
with Christ and a real understanding of who Christ is.”
Jane
Cooper, Youth Committee Moderator, First Presbyterian
Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
To
Order
Belonging to Christ: Basic Biblical Truths for
Discipleship call 1-800-368-0110
Works of art
featured in
Belonging to Christ