Introduction

Curriculum is a term with a variety of related but nuanced meanings. Some associate it with a specific course of study in a particular school, such as a plan or a document outlining a set of required classes. Many colleges and universities have a core curriculum, which includes a specific set of courses that all students will experience as part of their education. Major and minor courses of study have a separate curriculum with another layer of classes designed to prepare students within a specific discipline. Curriculum can also be understood as the totality of a student’s teaching and learning experiences within a particular educational setting. This includes such components as prescribed classes and coursework, learning environments, teachers, students, interpersonal relationships, institutional values, and available resources. One of the most common ways to think of curriculum is the specific books or publications that serve as the content resources for a particular small group or individual class. When leaders purchase materials for a discipleship small group or recommend texts for a ministry class, they refer to them as the curriculum.

Understanding the origin of a word can bring clarity and continuity to the various ways we use the term. The English word curriculum comes from the Latin verb currere, which means “to run,” and the noun curriculum can be verbally translated to mean “a racecourse.”^[1] The characteristics of a race or a racecourse are reflected in how we envision an educational curriculum or a curriculum plan. A formal race is set up with a start and finish line and boundaries that limit where the participants may run. It might circle a track or stretch across city blocks and run parallel to landmarks along the route. Sometimes races are open only to those who qualify. Others are for participants of a particular age, and some races welcome anyone and everyone to join their event. A race may include pitstops or sag wagons along the way. They may be timed or open-ended.

While races are planned and racecourses carefully constructed, not everyone who participates has the same experience or achieves the same outcome. Runners may be faster or slower; they may enjoy the community atmosphere or simply endure the event for the sake of exercise. The same is true for curriculum. It is purposely designed with consideration given to teaching and learning for a specified target audience. A curriculum plan attempts to include everything a person will intentionally encounter on a particular path that leads toward a defined educational destination. However, unplanned experiences are also part of the journey; not everyone learns the same things or in the same ways, even when participating in the same curriculum.

Curriculum design is given a lot of attention in education but is often overlooked in planning for Christian ministry. Strategic planning is often emphasized by ministry leadership, and while it has much in common with curriculum planning, it doesn’t have the same precise meaning or intent. A strategy may include some of the same components as a curriculum plan, such as mission and vision statements, but it often has a broader focus, and a curriculum plan is typically one piece of an overall ministry strategy. It might be helpful to think of the curriculum plan as the road map a ministry should follow as it seeks to accomplish the overall strategy. The goal or mission of the curriculum plan and strategy should be identical.

The process of designing a curriculum is similar for education and ministry, but there are often outside governing agencies that mandate certain components to be included in a school’s curriculum plan. These typically include the standards necessary for an institution’s accreditation. The process of curriculum planning as described in this book relates most specifically to Christian education, though the principles are the same.

Historically, the importance of curricular planning for Christian education has experienced cycles of emphasis and neglect. Curriculum resources are widely available and more accessible today than ever before due to technological advances. An internet search can yield a multitude of options that can be downloaded immediately, sometimes without a charge. However, an alarming number of these resources have no foundational design, and neither do many of the ministries that appropriate them for their discipleship efforts. This book is a response to these concerns, written to help ministry students and leaders understand the importance of curriculum planning and equip them to begin the process. It includes both theory and practice, building on biblical, philosophical, and theological foundations, and suggests a sound approach to developing a curriculum plan for a church or Christian ministry. Based on years of experience developing curriculum, writing curriculum resources, and teaching curriculum design, this book is written as a practical introductory text that provides a procedure for curriculum development. It isn’t a theoretical textbook, and it isn’t exhaustive or intended to be prescriptive in its use of terms. Each construct and concept should be considered integral to an effective plan, while the terminology and specific structure are open to contextualization. Consider it a guide, not a rulebook.