5 Ways NOT to Choose Your Next Curriculum

Choosing curriculum is a privilege for children’s ministers. Doing so means they get to determine a path of study that’ll ultimately help the kids in their ministry not only know about Jesus but also engage in a personal friendship with Jesus.

This task is an awesome one—and one that comes with common pitfalls. Being aware of these pitfalls and avoiding them will help prevent future struggles and conflicts that may bog down your ministry.

5 Ways NOT to Choose Your Next Curriculum

Pitfall #1: I’ll take the “choose from the cover” approach.

“I just love this theme.”

“I think the art they used on that curriculum is the best.”

“That curriculum looks so inviting and cool.”

These are common statements I’ve heard children’s ministers make when discussing curriculum options. But making a decision on the outward appearance of a curriculum is a big mistake.

Here’s the truth: Publishers have a responsibility to create resources that look hip, cool, fun, clever, and inviting. But the attractiveness of a product simply can’t be your only deciding factor when choosing curriculum.

Look inside! Open covers. Read through the resource. Yes, it’s going to take time, but schedule the time it takes to determine if the curriculum lives up to the cover.

Pitfall #2: A church in my network chose this curriculum—it must be good!

If you’ve ever been around a group of children’s ministers, then you’ve probably noticed it doesn’t take long for the conversation to turn to curriculum. We’re all interested in what the other guy’s doing. But don’t allow that external influence (and sometimes pressure) to determine which curriculum you use in your ministry.

While the recommendation of trusted friends and colleagues can be valuable, remember that every ministry is unique. You know your ministry better than anyone. Just because it works for another ministry doesn’t mean it will work for yours.

Pitfall #3: “Easy” must equal best—right?

One of the most common pitfalls of choosing a curriculum is equating easy to best. Ease of use is important. After all, it’s frustrating to have invested in resources your volunteers won’t or can’t use. So easy has its appeal. But easy doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. When you dig deeper, you may find that easy actually equates with poor teaching practices.

It’s easy to sit and read the story word for word. But will kids truly understand what they’re hearing? It’s easy to quiz facts, but are kids understanding how Bible truth impacts everyday life?

So apart from the curriculum you select, ensure you train your team on the best practices of teaching. Help them understand kids’ developmental characteristics and how God created children to learn. Knowledge feeds understanding, and understanding feeds better teaching. Once you have this as a foundation, the need for “ease of use” isn’t as urgent and won’t drive a faulty curriculum decision.

Pitfall #4: I’m the Lone Ranger.

The problem: A choice must be made.

Your response: “I’m the children’s minister! Done!”

All too often, we fail to include others in decisions that affect many. As the children’s minister, you likely know better than anyone the dynamics of your ministry and church: The needs of the kids you lead, the realities your families face, your budget and size constraints, volunteer realities, and the spiritual growth that needs to happen. So why should you bother getting input when you might know best?

Because input from others will reaffirm your great judgment or make you pause before making a giant misstep when it comes to curriculum.

Gather a small group of trusted, seasoned teachers, volunteers, and even parents who can speak into this important decision. Listen to the insight of representatives from your ministry, and you’ll make a wise and beneficial choice—and have stronger support for your decision already built in.

Pitfall #5: Free is fine.

Budgets are tight and curriculum can be costly, but there’s some wisdom in the saying, “You get what you pay for.” Sure, there may be some good free resources available, but there are also some free options that will leave you wishing you’d invested in something better. If curriculum matters to your ministry and you want to see sustained spiritual growth, a published curriculum is worth every cent.

Don’t let cost be your deciding factor. The curriculum you choose is an investment that pays off for eternity. So don’t rely on sampler packs to piece together a curriculum. Don’t forfeit kids’ spiritual development to save a few bucks. It’s just not worth it. Build a plan for your ministry by choosing a solid curriculum that serves as the foundation.

Bill Emeott has over 30 years of experience in kidmin. He serves as the children’s minister at Houston’s First Baptist Church in Texas. 

Still stuck on choosing a curriculum?

This quick (and free!) quiz is an easy way to see which Group curriculum matches your ministry best. Paired with free samples, taking the quiz will give you a fast track to finding the perfect Sunday school curriculum for you.

Interested in finding a variety of Sunday school curriculum to choose from? Check out Group’s curriculum options here. Want more articles for children’s ministry leaders? Check these out.