Successful companies aren’t immune from making branding mistakes that cost them customers and a loss in revenue. Coca-Cola changed its formula in 1985 to compete with Pepsi, a growing competitor. Customers rejected the new formula and thought Coca-Cola was abandoning its values and its heritage. The company immediately began receiving five thousand phone calls a day from furious customers, and eventually, the number of calls went up to eight thousand a day, causing Coca-Cola to hire more operators. Protest groups formed, such as the “Old Cola Drinkers of America.” Coca-Cola eventually decided to return to the original formula.^[1]

Right or wrong, consumers have opinions, and their views impact the success or failure of businesses. For restaurant owners, it isn’t always about the food. People choose restaurants based on ten key factors. The number-one factor is the customer experience. They could buy food at a grocery store, but when they go to a restaurant, they are most often paying for an experience. They want to have fun with their friends, spend time with family, and feel special and respected. They want to be able to ask questions without feeling like they’re stupid or being a burden. If the servers are approachable and smile, customers are likely to return.^[2]

Cultural expectations can also determine whether a company succeeds. Walmart was successful not only in the United States but also in China and other foreign countries. That reality prompted its expansion to Germany. However, it eventually had to pay a competitor to take over its real estate and employee liabilities so it could leave Germany before losing any more money. Why did this happen? While there isn’t one simple answer, a lot of it had to do with Walmart’s failure to understand German culture. Having greeters at the door bothered Germans, who aren’t fans of very friendly customer service. Employees smiling at customers was strange, and some of the male customers thought the friendly female employees were flirting with them. Walmart team members do morning chants to motivate them for the day, but German employees would sometimes hide out in the bathroom to avoid this ritual. For Germans, chanting is something you do at a soccer game, not at your place of business. Having the cashiers bag their groceries was also a cultural no-no since Germans customarily bag their own.^[3]

Judgment and evaluation are part of life, even if the standards are sometimes hard to decipher or may seem unfair. For Olympic athletes, there are strict rules that determine whether they are eligible to compete or retain a medal. Drug violations are an automatic disqualifier. Chinese swimmer Sun Yang was banned for three months in 2014 after testing positive for the stimulant trimetazidine. In 2018, Yang, a three-time Olympic champion, wouldn’t allow the antidoping officials to leave his home with his blood sample. One of his companions smashed the vial with a hammer so it couldn’t be tested. Yang was then banned from competing in the Tokyo Olympics. The Russian bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva was disqualified from the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics after also testing positive for trimetazidine. She was given the banned drug by her mother, a doctor. One of the most infamous Olympic drug scandals was when Ben Johnson, a Canadian sprinter, won the hundred-meter dash in record time at the Seoul Olympics. After testing positive for an anabolic steroid, his gold medal was taken away and given to the American sprinter Carl Lewis.^[4]

Standards of evaluation are necessary in many life situations for a number of reasons. They can ensure fairness in business practices or athletic competitions. They can protect public health when they take the form of inspections for disease or when medicines are evaluated for safety and effectiveness. They are used in determining whether a student has sufficiently accomplished what is required for a promotion or a degree. This is especially significant for medical personnel and other professions whose actions can result in life and death for others. Evaluation, as it relates to curriculum, doesn’t seem to rise to the level of life and death, at least not physically. However, when you consider the purpose of curriculum for spiritual transformation, the importance of evaluation should take on greater significance. That’s not to suggest that a poorly designed plan or hastily chosen resource will keep someone from knowing Christ or growing in spiritual maturity. God’s sovereignty is greater than that. However, it is possible that dull and ineffective lessons or inaccurate teaching can turn people away from the Church or quench their desire for growth.

Faith maturity is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of an individual; God initiates this faith relationship:

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

John 6:44, NIV

God also invites us into the process. Our partnership with God in the discipleship project is significant. God didn’t just give us busywork to make us feel useful. Spiritual growth is dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit, but we have a role to play in the spiritual development of others:

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:5–9, NIV

Selecting and Evaluating Resources

As described in chapter 7, bringing a curriculum plan to life involves planning learning experiences and selecting resources to accomplish the goals that were established for the scope. Sometimes, the resources are created, but much of the time, they will be selected from those that have already been published. Choosing the right resources will impact whether the intended goals are achieved and ultimately determine whether the overall purpose or mission of the plan is realized. All too often, ministry leaders select curricular resources without carefully evaluating their effectiveness. They may opt for those that are the least expensive, have the most visual appeal, or have been recommended on a blog or by a friend. While this doesn’t necessarily diminish the value of the resource, it also doesn’t guarantee their appropriateness. Any resource considered for use should be evaluated for both its orthodoxy and its orthopraxy.

Orthodoxy refers to sound or correct doctrine. As it relates to Christianity, orthodox teaching should align with biblical teaching. Chapter 2 included the Nicene Creed, which is an overview of the central tenets of Christian belief. Most Christian publishers include an explanation of their doctrinal beliefs on their website, or they identify an affiliation with a particular denomination. Denominations clearly identify with particular doctrines, and an internet search of an authorized denominational site will describe those beliefs. While most Christian denominations would affirm the teaching of the Nicene Creed, it cannot be assumed. Some groups have drifted from biblical teaching to embrace cultural changes that have not traditionally been accepted.

One of the most important doctrinal considerations is related to salvation. What does it mean to be a Christian? Can one grow up in a Christian home and identify as a Christian, or is a personal commitment and decision to follow Christ necessary? There may be additional doctrines or beliefs valued by your ministry that you want to evaluate. They may be central in your ministry but of lesser importance to some publishers. Sometimes core beliefs are shared, but the interpretation may vary. This is true for Church ordinances such as baptism or communion. When selecting resources for use within a ministry, it is important that their views on such key issues align with acceptable teachings within your church or ministry.

While orthodoxy refers to right belief, orthopraxy refers to right practice. It encompasses the idea of both ethical and liturgical practice. How Christians are expected to live in accordance with their faith and how the Church is expected to function are examples of orthopraxy. Denominations and individual churches hold standards related to orthopraxy. Some of these are represented by their core values, but not everything will be addressed in such a short list. Orthopraxy has undergone more changes throughout the last several decades than orthodoxy, so it is important to understand a publisher’s view on orthodox practice. If issues of ethical and liturgical conduct matter, then it is imperative to make sure that the resources you select align with those standards. A review of curriculum materials by a particular publisher related to key areas of concern will provide clarity on their views.

It might seem daunting to evaluate the orthodoxy and views on orthopraxy of any particular resource you’re considering, but following some guidelines will help you make wise decisions. If the publisher doesn’t clearly state its position, then create a checklist of foundational truths and practices and use the list as you evaluate a resource. You may also use existing resources that have been developed for evaluating the curriculum.

Correct belief and practice are central to the evaluation process, but there are other considerations that should be included in the process. For example:

• Are the materials available online for download, or are they only in print?
• Are there resources for students or only for the teacher?
• If there are resources for individual learners, are they visually appealing? Is the layout clear and easy to follow?
• What is the intended target audience for the resource, new Christians or mature believers? (Published resources often state the intended target audience if applicable.)
• Are the examples and illustrations inclusive, or are they focused on one ethnicity or people group? (This is more significant when artwork is included, but even names can reflect a bias. While often unintentional, if learners receive the impression that the resources are focused on a people group to which they don’t belong, they are less likely to see the relevance.)
• What is the reading level or educational expectations for the learner? (Your ethnographic or cultural study of your ministry will help you determine if the resource will be too difficult or underchallenging.)
• How clear are the guidelines for the teacher? How much preparation time is needed? (While you want to look for enough details and depth in the plan, you also need to consider how much time your volunteer leaders will have to prepare during the week.)
• Is there a good representation of learning techniques, or is the approach mostly focused on lectures or other verbal methods?
• What would it cost to purchase these resources for use within your ministry? (Some downloadable resources include pricing based on the size of the group. Others allow multiple downloads. Some resources have both digital and print options.)

Terry Linhart’s book Teaching the Next Generations includes a basic but helpful checklist in chapter 12 that includes additional evaluative questions. You can also find more extensive evaluation guides online.

Evaluating Resources You Created

Chapter 7 provided guidelines for creating units of study and individual lesson plans. Evaluation of this created work is also important, even if you’re confident that the guidelines were carefully followed when the units of study were created. As you review your plans, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the goal clearly stated?
• Is the indicator appropriate? Is it focused on the same primary learning outcome (PLO) as the goal? Does it reflect an observable behavior that would prove the accomplishment of the goal? Does it state how well and under what conditions the indicator should be achieved?
• Will the hook motivate the learners? Is it appropriate in length and subject matter as a means of stimulating learning and introducing the content?
• Is there an introductory transition between the hook and the book?
• Is the book of sufficient substance and quality to allow for significant learning opportunities?
• Does the look focus on life application, creating a bridge from the biblical content to contemporary life?
• Does the took require learners to consider how the session’s content connects to their own lives?
• Is one of the activities a test of the indicator, and does it reflect the same level of learning, type of indicator, and content as the indicator?
• Which of the appropriate learning principles have been followed when creating the learning activities?
• What learning preferences are represented by the activities?
• Do the learning activities reflect a variety of techniques or methods?
• Are the learning activities age-appropriate? Will they foster genuine learning? Do they help learners go beyond comprehension and application in their understanding? Do they set the groundwork for organization or characterization if they are focused on affective outcomes?
• Is there a natural flow to the session from the hook through the took?
• Is the session closing an appropriate way to end the lesson?

After the plans have been used in an actual discipleship session, they should be reviewed again to assess how well they accomplished their purpose. Using the same checklist, make note of areas that could benefit from a revision. Make those changes and review the revised plan when it is used in the future. Creating lesson plans and evaluating their effectiveness will not only benefit the learners, but it will also provide the ministry with curriculum resources that can be reused or confidently shared with other ministries.

Evaluating Your Curriculum Plan

A curriculum plan is a blueprint for a discipleship ministry. Each part of the plan serves a unique purpose in the design of a comprehensive racecourse for spiritual transformation. Review each part of your plan to make sure it is constructed appropriately, that it is comprehensive, and that it is current.

Construction

Review each of the following required elements for a curriculum plan. Are they clearly stated? Are they accurate? Do they represent the overall purpose of your ministry?

Mission: Does it reflect the biblical purposes for ministry? Is it written succinctly?

Vision: Does your vision describe what you’re trying to achieve in your ministry? Will the vision inspire others to see the overall purpose of the ministry and why it is important? Does it add clarity and significance to your mission?

Core Values: Do each of the values represent the most significant biblical truths that shape your ministry? Are they clearly articulated? Is each one supported by a biblical foundation?

Curriculum Context / Target Audience: Does your plan include an ethnographic description of the community you are trying to reach? Are both demographics and psychographics included? Is the information clearly interpreted in ways that suggest ministry implications that should be considered? Have you provided a clear and concise description of the developmental characteristics of the target population for your ministry? Does the description include holistic information about the age group, considering all aspects of development and how these should inform the practice of ministry?

Organizing Principle: Is this written in one or two sentences, and does it describe the strategy you will use to organize the various areas of your scope?

Scope: Is your scope both comprehensive and clearly defined with themes, relevant topics, and associated subtopics? Have you omitted important truths? Have you allowed for the most significant biblical concepts to be addressed from various perspectives on multiple themes or topics?

Goals and Indicators: Are each of your subtopics clarified with both cognitive and affective goals? Are the goals realistic and written in proper form? Are they achievable and significant? Will the stated indicators provide demonstrable proof that the goals have been achieved?

Comprehensive

Take time to review your curriculum plan again. The first evaluation was a check to make sure each element was included and that it was written clearly. For your second evaluation, focus on the scope. Review each of the themes and associated topics and subtopics. As you consider what it means to be a disciple and experience spiritual growth, evaluate whether your plan is designed to lead toward that end. What is the likelihood that the mission of your curricular journey will actually be accomplished if your plan is fully implemented? Look for gaps that may exist in terms of both cognitive and affective outcomes. While spiritual growth is a lifelong endeavor, a well-constructed plan should facilitate the discipleship journey. Change should be evident in the lives of believers who follow the racecourse you have designed.

Current

Once a curriculum plan has been developed and thoroughly evaluated, it should not require any regular changes. If it is designed for one particular age group or developmental phase, it should be implemented and not require further evaluation until the cycle is complete. As the sequence of learning progresses, it will be important to assess whether the intended growth is taking place in the lives of the learners. If you notice deficiencies, it may be necessary to modify the scope of your plan to strengthen what is taught. As culture continues to change, there may be additional topics or subtopics you wish to include. Perhaps your resources need to be updated to reflect the shifts taking place in your community. Case studies, illustrations, or even methods should be revised to allow for greater relevance in the lives of the learners. Always remember the purpose of your plan, which is to help disciples grow toward greater Christlikeness:

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Ephesians 4:14–15, NIV

No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are easy prey for predators. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.

Ephesians 4:15–16, MSG