The Present Word Bible studies are developed using the lesson outlines produced by the Committee on the Uniform Series (CUS). The editor of The Present Word, Tammy Wiens, serves on this ecumenical committee alongside representatives from many other denominations nationwide. Generally the CUS committee designs the lesson outlines in six-year cycles that represent all the books of the Old and New Testaments. The fall 2004 quarter is the first in a new cycle. It is also the first quarter, in a 132-year tradition, in which the CUS has enlarged the scope of the lesson outlines to include theological themes.

The Committee’s decision to include theological themes is rooted in its desire to provide a more comprehensive tool for those whose work it is to address the spiritual and educational needs of church school programs. The 2004–2010 cycle is organized around six themes: creation, call, covenant, Christ, community, and commitment.

While the CUS retains its commitment to cover all the books of the Bible in every cycle, it also attempts to organize all of the biblical texts together around theological themes. This means that in some quarters, rather than studying one or two books of the Bible, we will also implement a Bible survey approach.

You will experience the first of these survey approaches in the fall 2004 quarter of The Present Word. Drawing on texts from Old and New Testaments, the thirteen lessons of the fall quarter trace the theme of creation beginning with God’s first creative act in the garden to the ongoing acts of re-creation within the community of faith, to the new creation God offers in Jesus Christ.

(Both the Adult Student’s Book and the Leader’s Guide are available in Braille or on cassette, for people who are blind or visually impaired. The Student’s Book is also available in large print. For more information about The Present Word and the various offerings available, go to the curriculum Web site.)