1. There are various models for Christian Education ministry that can be used, each with pros and cons.
    
2. There are many variables from church to church that could make certain models fit better at one church from the other.  Just as teachers must consider the group factors when determining the most appropriate method for a lesson, so must ministry leaders look at a variety of factors to determine what approach is best.
    
3. There are varying results God might want to accomplish through different churches.  Decisions on what approach to use must therefore be born out of prayer.  Weighing the pros and cons for your situation won’t always bring you to God’s desires.  Sometimes God wants us to stretch outside of our comfort zones, doing what doesn’t always make sense to us humans, because of what He wants to do through our particular church body.

When asked what is the best approach for your church’s Christian Education program, I must therefore say, “I don’t know.”  Even if I were to do an assessment of your church, though I could probably let you know what would best fit your situation, I would still guard against telling you that it is what you must do.  What I would strongly urge you to do, is to pray over it.  What direction does God want you to go? 

If we arrive at our methodology purely based on logic or analytical thinking, then the Church may as well be any other kind of organization.  The Church, however, is different.  The Church is a living organism whose head is the Lord Jesus Christ.  We must always remember that it is HIS church, not ours, so we must get of final decision from Him.

Some teachers wouldn’t leave home without it. 

These were teachers who were overly reliant on the curriculum.  They followed it to the letter, exercising little creative thought, making curriculum their all in all.  Some even taught with the teacher’s manual in hand, reading word for word.  If teaching didn’t go well, then they blamed the curriculum.

Other teachers would rather leave it at home. 

These were teachers who used the curriculum begrudgingly, viewing curriculum as a noose around their necks.  They would rather completely do their own thing but since the curriculum was required, they did just enough to make it appear like they were using the curriculum.  If teaching didn’t go well, then they blamed it on being confined by the curriculum.

What the Christian Education ministry skipped in the process, was training teachers on how to use the curriculum.

First, they needed to communicate why curriculum was necessary.  It was a means of keeping students on track to potentially receive a well-rounded Biblical education.  If teaching was not coordinated through the use of curriculum, it was possible content could be duplicated or overlapped within a short period of time and some important truths missed altogether.  Curriculum was not a substitute for the Bible but rather a tool to teach the Bible.

Second, they needed to present the curriculum as a a guide.  While it was important to use the curriculum, it was not expected that teachers had to teach it word for word.  At the same time, it did serve to keep everyone on track and so it was important to use it.

Third, they needed to emphasize that teachers held a critical part in making sure the lesson went well.  They couldn’t always blame the curriculum when teaching didn’t go well.  They needed to make any adjustments necessary to insure that the lesson plan fit their students.

Spiritual Gifts: 

1. Recruit people who are gifted to do the job.  Don’t just seek to fill positions.
2. Utilize a variety of spiritual gifts.  Don’t just look for people with the gifts of teaching and administration.  There is more to do in Christian education than teach and direct programs. 
3. Specialize the way you utilize people according to their gifting.  Don’t expect them to do that for which they are not gifted, at least not on a regular basis or as their primary ministry.

When you do this, you will discover that everybody can have a part regardless of gifting.  Rather than overworking the faithful few, making them do anything and everything, you can get a variety of people involved in ways that suit them, freeing up your teachers and administrators to do what they are gifted to do.

Heart Passions:

1. Recruit people who have a heart for Christian nurture or discipleship.  Don’t minimize the importance of people being motivated by more than a love for God.
2. Find a place for people who are impassioned for this kind of ministry or the various people groups regardless of their gifting.  Don’t turn people away or neglect to look at certain people because they lack typical gifting used in this kind of ministry.

When you do this, you will tend to have people serving who want to be there.  These are the people who will tend to give it their all, no matter how big or small of a task they do.

Commitments:

1. Make sure people know what you are asking them to do and what is expected of them.  Don’t deceive them into thinking they are capable if they are not or that it will take less time or energy than it will.
2. Limit their time commitments to what they agree to do.  Don’t make them feel guilty for failing to do that for which they were not recruited.

When you do this, you will be demonstrating a respect for people.  They will then be more likely to stick with their commitment and maybe even volunteer to go the extra mile.

Resources:

1. Provide training, feedback, and encouragement.  Don’t abandon people once they start serving.
2. Provide materials and finances needed to do the job.  Don’t expect them to invest what they don’t have or weren’t expecting to put out.

When you do this, you will be letting people know that just as you asked them for a commitment, so you are committed to them.  You will also be letting them know that you see them and what they are doing as important enough to invest into.  They too will begin to view their contribution as important and needed, no matter how big or small of a responsibility it may be.

Recruiting people to serve in the Christian Education Ministries of the church can be a challenge.  If you sow the above factors into your recruiting process, you will reap the reward of a more effective ministry.  It will have been worth the time and effort.