This month, after a year of concentrated effort, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) introduces the only curriculum available that is specifically created to meet the needs of the PC(USA). Titled We Believe: God’s Word for God’s People, the new curriculum has a three-year scope and sequence designed to help members of all ages develop a common understanding of Reformed theology and how we, as Presbyterians, understand the Word of God and apply that understanding in our daily lives. For lifelong Presbyterians, We Believe continues the process of building common ground, weaving together the cords that are the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). For those who have come to PC(USA) from other traditions, the curriculum serves as a basis for understanding who we are and what Presbyterians believe.

In the following pages you will get a brief overview of this important new resource. For a more detailed look, you will be able to visit our future site of www.pcusa.org/webelieve.

We Believe for Children

Preschool: Ages 3–4 (5)
Younger Elementary: Grades (K) 1–2
Older Elementary: Grades 3–4 (5)
Multi-Age: Grades K–5

Teacher’s Book ($18.95/quarter/teacher)

Planning is easier due to the inclusion in each lesson plan of biblical, historical, and theological content; Something to Remember—a key Scripture verse or line from our confessions or catechisms; and a brief statement of the main idea or focus of the session. Also included is a list of supplies and materials organized by section.

Each lesson plan is divided into six sections. The first four follow the liturgical movement of a worship service. The fifth will aid writers and editors in the production of materials for future quarters, and the sixth is a teacher’s tool:

• Assemble: A gathering time with a welcoming activity
  
• Bible Study: Age-appropriate interaction with the biblical text
  
• Claim: Activities to assist children in understanding and making the biblical story their own
  
• Depart: A closing activity and prayer
  
• Evaluate: Teacher evaluation of the lesson and its impact
  
• Future: Plans and preparation tips for the next session
  

In addition to the handy Take-Home sheets, each Teacher’s Book includes easily reproducible pages for use in the session.

Take-Home Sheets ($2.50/quarter/student)

Each sheet is designed as a reinforcement tool for parents, grandparents, or caregivers that includes the Something
to Remember verse, Main Idea, and information about the session’s biblical story. This Side’s for ME is a fun and engaging activity for the child to do at home.

Class Resource Pack ($10.95/quarter/class)

The Resource Pack contains sheet music, games, art, teaching pictures, and activities: a teacher’s toolbox for enhancing the session and reaching a child’s creative spirit.

Educational Design

• Scope and sequence traces the salvation story from creation to Jesus Christ and beyond.
  
• Curriculum is grounded in the Reformed tradition through use of the new catechism and Reformed themes such as the sovereignty of God and the importance of the sacraments.
  
• The core of every session is the biblical story presented in creative ways appropriate for each age level.
  
• Each session includes a variety of activities that address the different strengths and intelligences found in a classroom setting.
  
• Cooperative learning is stressed, many activities may be done in pairs or small groups.
  
• Sessions are designed for easy use and will be
  of interest to both novice and experienced educators.
  
• Sessions replicate the movement of worship from assembling to Bible study, to claiming our faith in response to the Word, to departing rituals. The scope and sequence follows the flow of the church year to make connections between the classroom and the larger church.
  
• Music and the arts are an integral part of each session. Teachers and students will enjoy using the We Believe: Songs for All God’s Children CD, and other creative materials.
  Session plans are undated so that the curriculum can be used in a variety of Christian educational settings.

Younger Youth: Grades (5) 6–8 ($79.95)

With the addition of the new Church History survey course, A Cloud of Witnesses, the popular survey courses remain as the recommended curricula for younger youth.

The four courses are permanent resources. Each contains a nine-month study with thirty-five sessions, including Christmas and Easter material, and reproducible pages to form a notebook for participants.

• Both the Old and New Testament surveys help participants make connections and see the whole picture through a sequential, systematic approach to Bible study.
• I Know My Bible is designed to help participants know where the major Bible stories are and see how the Bible flows from book to book. Each section is followed with a review.
• A Cloud of Witnesses focuses on the stories of Christians as they tried to be faithful to God’s call.

The survey courses are appropriate for younger youth but have also been used intergenerationally, as an older youth or adult study, and in new member classes. Educationally, the courses contain activities that address multiple intelligences and cooperative learning.

The seed for the church history survey course, A Cloud of Witnesses, came as I prepared for a Reformation tour of Europe with a group from my church. Caught up in the historical people and events as we traveled and knowing how many people were using the Bible survey courses, I realized that middle school or a bit older (as in adult) was a good time to survey the history of the Christian church. When Mark Hinds called to ask about the Bible survey courses and how they came to be, he also asked, “Is there another survey course that we ought to offer?” I barely let him finish the question before I answered, “Yes, church history.” From then on, as they say, the rest is history—church history.

Dr. James Deming from Princeton Theological Seminary helped me develop an outline. I began to read more church history than I thought possible, searching for stories of people to make those long-ago dates and events come to life. Hopscotching across 2000+ years of history in thirty-three sessions keeps one moving, but even such broad sweeps when viewed through people who lived them and wrote about them become personal stories . . . stories that influence the church even to this day.

—Carol Wehrheim
Christian educator, author, and editor
Princeton, New Jersey

Older Youth: Grades 9–12
Teacher’s Book
Teacher’s Book ($18.95/quarter/teacher)
A quarterly, self-contained book

Like all of the leadership materials for We Believe, this resource was designed to make planning easier. Each lesson plan includes biblical, historical, and theological content; Something to Remember—a key Scripture verse or line from our confessions or catechisms, and a brief statement of the Main Idea or focus of the session. Also included is a list of supplies and materials organized by section. Each Teacher’s Book includes easily reproducible pages for use in the session.

The PC(USA)’s new curriculum provides teachers with important tools for helping students connect with Christ and his church. Lessons focus on study of the Bible, charting the big stories of the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is studied in the context of the significant texts of the Reformed faith, such as confessions, creeds, catechisms, hymns, and prayers. Ideas for service and spiritual formation are offered throughout. Each quarterly teacher’s book offers everything the teacher needs to lead older youth in intentional educational settings, such as church school or midweek Bible studies. We Believe acknowledges the crucial role of teachers in a teenager’s growth in faith. We feel certain that teachers will find this new resource beneficial for their ministry in their churches.

—Mark Hinds
Associate Pastor
Covenant Presbyterian Church
San Antonio, Texas

Discerning God’s Call

This addition to the Real Faith, Real Life Bible study series is a six-session study guide providing young adults with a biblical and theological understanding of vocation, and practical exercises to help them discern their own calling.

Discerning God’s Call invites young adults to hear the stories of biblical men and women who have responded faithfully to God’s call and to develop a deeper understanding of the dynamics and elements of calling in their own lives. Each session’s discussion is an opportunity to develop skill and practice in spiritual discernment.

Real Faith, Real Life Bible Study Series

These studies can help men and women in their twenties and thirties to explore life issues within the context of an authentic faith. The themes reflect contemporary issues facing young adults and offer questions for reflection rooted in Scripture and the Reformed tradition. These studies are designed for small group meetings and are flexible enough to use in traditional and nontraditional Christian educational settings. The discussions seek to enrich the spiritual journey of young adults.

Currently Available ($7.95/participant)
The following six-session studies are currently available in the Real Faith, Real Life Bible study series:

• Personal Resources and Faithfulness to God
• Life in the Balance
• Wake Up and Live Your Life!

Adults ($10.95/participant for book and study guide, $2.50 study guide only)
Foundation of Christian Faith series

The adult option included in We Believe offers discussion guides to the highly regarded Foundations of Christian Faith series. This guide is especially geared for group discussion and reflection and can be used in adult Sunday school classes, college groups, weeknight Bible study groups, new-member classes, circle meetings, Lenten studies, and session retreats. The discussion guide suggests an eight-week format but offers four supplemental studies for groups preferring a twelve-week format. The recommended reading for fall 2003 is The Christian Life: A Geography of God by the Rev. Michael L. Lindvall.