An update: Why PFR Endorses the Walk With Me Curriculum

Written by PFR

Thursday, 06 April 2006 00:00

When the PFR board members first took a look at Walk With Me, the new Sunday school curriculum was still in development. “Nothing had been printed yet,” recalls Dr. Meri MacLeod, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Western Theological Seminary and former PFR board member. “It was exciting to have PFR involved in the earliest stages.”

Since its launch last year, Walk With Me has become the curriculum of choice for many Presbyterian churches. “We’ve never had a curriculum get such a positive response in such a short time,” says Gary Mulder, executive director of Faith Alive, “and our biggest area of growth was in the PC(USA).”

Mulder says the success of Walk With Me shows that churches want a curriculum that fits their theology. But they also want one that has solid pedagogy, top-notch design, and is easy to teach. “They don’t want to sacrifice quality for theology. They want both.”

In the case of Walk With Me, that meant developing a curriculum that was engaging—yet stayed true to its Reformed/Presbyterian roots. “We’ve added colorful leader guides and flashy student pieces,” says Ruth VanderHart, managing editor, “but the belief system presented in the curriculum is still by far the most important thing.”

That belief system, Mulder argues, is unique to each curriculum on the market. “There’s a false notion that all Sunday school curriculums teach the same thing. Yes, they all teach the gospel message and for that we’re thankful. But in 10 years of Sunday school, children also learn how to interpret and apply that message to their lives and to their world. That’s where huge differences can exist and why Walk With Me’s Reformed worldview makes it distinct.”

And that is, after all, why PFR chose to endorse Walk With Me. “We looked at everything on the market and nothing came close to Walk With Me,” says Meri MacLeod. “From both theological and educational perspectives, it’s outstanding.”

Faith Alive is finding that many churches agree with that assessment. “The growth is strong,” says Mulder, “but when you look at the total number of Reformed and Presbyterian churches, the potential is even greater. As the word gets out, we hope this trend will continue.”

More information about Walk With Me can be found at www.WalkWithMeOnline.org or by calling (800) 333-8300. Please be sure to mention PFR when you place your order.

Reprinted from reNEWS, Winter 2006, the publication of Presbyterians For Renewal, www.pfrenewal.org