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2009-01-20 issue:

Survey: 'Gather ’Round' usage is strong

Many small denominations unable to continue similar curriculum publishing.

by Mennonite Publishing Network

Print Article

As the Gather ’Round curriculum moved into its third year of use (and fifth year of writing), staff and denominational representatives met to evaluate the materials and make plans for the future. A key resource for a November 2008 “summit” was data collected through a major curriculum survey conducted in Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Church Canada and Church of the Brethren congregations across North America.

“We dealt practically with challenging issues such as declining denominational identification and tightening budgets,” says project director Anna Speicher, “by coming up with improvements in our products and creatively developing new ways to reach congregations and members.”

Gather ’Round is a cooperative publishing project of Brethren Press and Mennonite Publishing Network (MPN).

Participants affirmed the importance of faith formation and Christian education in the life of the church and grappled with the difficulty today in training and equipping teachers. Teachers tend to serve for shorter periods of time and are less available for training events. Though the curriculum from the outset was developed with a special emphasis on “embedding” teacher training into the teacher’s guides, the group recognized a need to build even more teaching assistance into the curriculum.

The group learned how sessions in the teacher’s guides are being redesigned to streamline the flow and make it easier to follow. Editors are also giving extra attention to
age-appropriateness, particularly at the preschool level. In addition, more teacher assistance is being provided through the quarterly Roundabout newsletter, an expanded Roundabout Online e-newsletter, and recent upgrades to the Gather ’Round Web site.

In a wide-ranging conversation about Christian education in a postmodern era, participants reflected on the trend toward small group gatherings outside the traditional Sunday school setting. The Gather ’Round team brainstormed ways the curriculum can be adapted for midweek use, church retreats and other alternate settings.

The team was heartened by survey data that showed a high percentage of congregations using denominational curricula. Seventy-five percent of survey respondents said they use Gather ’Round. According to MPN sales statistics from the December 2007 to February 2008 quarter, 37 percent of Mennonite Church USA churches and 52 percent of Mennonite Church Canada churches used Gather ’Round curriculum. Churches reported placing a higher priority on theological orientation and denominational values than on price.

The Gather ’Round project is small compared with other available Sunday school materials, as most small denominations have found it impossible to continue this sort of publishing.

The group also explored ways to keep broadening the base for Gather ’Round. This curriculum already appeals to other denominations, and orders on the Web site have increased.