We
Believe Workshop is written by Presbyterians for Presbyterians.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations can be confident
that this Workshop Rotation ModelTM (a trademark of www.rotation.org)
curriculum is based on the tenets of Reformed faith.
One of the strengths of We Believe Workshop is the Leader
to Leader section. This is the place where biblical background,
theological connections, educational emphases, and ways to welcome
all children are presented. Lists of suggested supplemental
resources, videos for the audiovisual workshop, computer software
used in the computer workshop, and any unusual supplies are
included. Each workshop in each unit includes a Leader to Leader
section. The We Believe Workshop writers start with the Leader
to Leader section and develop their workshops after Bible study
and study of its contents. A good leader training event could
start the same way. Read the Scripture passage, study it together,
pray, and review the Leader to Leader section.
We Believe Workshop offers the following workshops in every
unit: Art, Audiovisual, Computer, Drama/ Storytelling, Games
and Puzzles, and Music and Worship. A seventh Bonus workshop
varies in type according to the theme of the unit and the strengths
of the writers. This fall, we begin the second year of We Believe
Workshop. Stories in this year have the theme “Providence:
God’s Creating Word” and include “Creation,”
“David as a Boy,” “Advent: The Angels Announce
God’s Message,” “Jesus’ Big Words,”
“Feeding the 5,000,” “And One Said, ‘Thank
You!,’” “Palm Sunday,” “Women
at the Tomb,” and “The Great Commission.”
For those who do not already use We Believe Workshop, we would
like to suggest a way for you to get a taste of the curriculum.
As winter approaches and you prepare for the season of Advent,
reserve one Sunday morning for an all-church multigenerational
event. The unit “Advent: The Angels Announce God’s
Message” can be used for this event by setting up seven
stations corresponding to the seven workshops. Begin the event
with the whole group gathered together and tell the Bible story.
After the story has been shared, divide the group among the
seven stations. Participants may engage in one or more of the
workshops by traveling between the areas. You can divide the
event into equal time periods to allow participants to experience
more than one workshop. Because the workshops are written for
an hour session, participants will not be able to experience
all of the workshops, although experiencing more than one workshop
is sure to broaden their understanding of the story.
As you prepare to teach the Christmas story, chances are that
the mere mention of the word “Christmas” calls to
mind a variety of images: the shepherds in the field, a heavenly
host of angels, the newborn babe lying in a manger. “Advent:
The Angels Announce God’s Word” looks at Matthew’s
Gospel, which offers the story from Joseph’s perspective,
and Luke’s account, which tells what happens from Mary’s
point of view. Their stories are surprisingly similar. Both
Joseph and Mary are visited by an angel who announces to them
God’s intent to act in the world and in their lives. It’s
one story told from two perspectives. Critical to each story
is the messenger, the message, and the human response to the
message. The message the angels brought is full of clues that
reveal who God is and how God relates to us and begins with
the angels’ opening words to both Mary and Joseph, “Do
not be afraid.” God calls us to difficult tasks, but with
the call we are offered the comfort and assurance of God’s
presence with us.
In the unit “Advent: The Angels Announce God’s
Word,” we learn about imagining, creating, and discussing
who God’s messengers are—in the Bible and in our
world today. God uses all sorts of messengers to convey God’s
wishes to the world, and playing with angel imagery invites
us to look for God’s messengers in our own lives.
One of the strengths of We Believe Workshop is the ability
to use resources from previous years and to mix them up. There
is a thematic connection between the units in a given year,
but they need not be taught together, or in the order that they
are published. You determine the sequence in which you teach
the stories. We provide an overarching yearly theme that coordinates
with other We Believe curriculum materials.
For more information about We Believe Workshop, please visit
the Web site
or e-mail. |
