dealing with a team member who refuses to use the curriculum
Your Question:
“How do I deal with a CM team member who wants to ‘follow the spirit’ instead of using the curriculum?”
The Issues:
Some may believe that an organized curriculum limits the Holy Spirit. The Spirit can accomplish His will with or without a curriculum plan. The value of an organized curriculum is that it provides the CM leader with a “big picture” of what is being taught. CM team members may need to be challenged to use the curriculum or leave the team.
Scripture Foundation:
“That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus…And as they talked and deliberated, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them…And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself…They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” Luke 24: 13-32
Short Answer:
The early disciples followed Jesus’ example as they spread the Gospel message: they told the story in an organized process. They also placed the Gospel message into the everyday lives of the listeners. They, like Jesus, used object lessons, stories, and common sayings to inspire their audiences to follow Jesus. It is very true that the Holy Spirit can lead children to follow Jesus without any printed “curriculum.” All He needs is a willing teacher who shares the biblical account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. A printed, organized curriculum is a tool that is used by the CM team and the CM leadership to create a process that confirms that the children are being taught the “whole story.” Without an organized curriculum, the children may only get portions of the story that appeal to the individual CM teachers. Without an organized curriculum, the parents cannot be supplied with a satisfying answer to their question, “What are you teaching my child?” The use of an organized curriculum plan gives new or unconfident CM team members a starting point for each lesson. With this starting point, the Holy Spirit is more than capable to give the CM team member creative ideas that enhance the children’s attraction and interest in the lesson. Building a vibrant, interactive, memorable CM curriculum takes many hours of praying and creating. The process is never finished because the children’s needs and interests are always changing. For more help, click on the links below.
Click here to read more about how to deal with human nature in the “image of God.”
