Comments on: Essentials for High School Bible Curriculum

By: Bentley

Bentley — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:30:56 +0000

Lee,

I am helping a friend develop a Bible curriculum for high school sophomores—would you be able to send me some of your curriculum? We could really use the help!!

Thanks for whatever you can do!!

By: Kreitsauce

Kreitsauce — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:16:08 +0000

This post resonates with my heart completely! I’m a Bible teacher facing similar complaints and this is precisely my perspective. Thank you for your post. It reminds me that there are people out there fighting the same battle and winning. Thank you.

By: RMGIBBS

RMGIBBS — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:15:26 +0000

I do have the immense privilege of being a full-time Bible teach at a Christian high school, and I get to teach OT and NT Survey courses to 9th and 10th grades, respectively. The teacher who preceded me (and who currently teaches 11th/12th grade – Doctrine/Apologetics) came up with some pretty good notes, based largely on Fee & Stuart’s How to Study the Bible Book By Book, but I really would love a dedicated, high-school level curriculum that will actually get across the Biblical metanarrative, expose the students to each book, and help them study more in-depth and properly.

It seems like there is almost nothing out there that will do this while written at a high-school level. The closest I’ve seen is the Encountering the Old/New Testament works, but I believe those are designed for college freshmen. I am very tempted to ask if we can get Norm Geisler’s Popular Survey of the Old/New Testament. Anyone have any other suggestions?

By: Kingdom Educator

Kingdom Educator — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:22:50 +0000

I’m not aware of any networks or conferences exclusively for high school Bible teachers. I’m guessing that’s a small constituency, since most Christian schools with whom I have contact, or for whom I have done conferences, do not have full time Bible teachers. Perhaps 10% of Christian schools have teachers for whom the bulk of their day is devoted to teaching Bible. While I understand the economics of school operation, teaching the Bible, and basing our core foundational principles on its teachings, are the reason for our existence, and to hand those classes off as extra periods for teachers in core subject areas, most of whom have no formal training in teaching Bible at all, is appalling to me.

The Kingdom Educator is available for inservice and conference settings, and offers training for Bible teachers. If your school would like to host an event for Bible teachers in your area, contact me at kingdomeducator@yahoo.com.

By: Kingdom Educator

Kingdom Educator — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:05:47 +0000

Joe, though we are not in existence to sell Bible curriculum, through conferences and workshops I’ve done in recent years, I would say that the “Quest” series from Lifeway is becoming a more preferred product among many Bible teachers. It has its “cut and paste” elements, but overall offers a more comprehensive study that you can supplement easily according to the needs of your students.

I also recommend “Understanding the Times” from Summit Ministries, for your senior class.

By: Sarah Sherick

Sarah Sherick — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:20:31 +0000

I am a high school Bible teacher at an international school where we provide a rigorous Bible curriculum. One of my biggest frustrations is that I have not been able to find any Bible teacher networks, conferences, or professional magazines. There are many of these things for “Christian educators” and many secular organizations for science, math, or English teachers, but my searches for high school Bible teacher support has come up empty. Do you happen to know of any organizations, magazines, websites, or conferences? I would greatly appreciate any you could recommend! Thanks so much! Sarah

By: Joe Levesque

Joe Levesque — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:47:48 +0000

Everything I have read on this blog has come out of my mouth at one time or another. I am a bible teacher that is a pastor. I get frustrated at the cut and paste curriculum coming out of ACSI. How can you teach an Old Testament class with a 12 week curriculum with one lesson a week. It is a very sad commentary on Christian education. I want to give my kids depth but not overload them. At the same time a curriculum should be enjoyable but not dumbed down. I am constantly searching the internet for ideas.

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:18:29 +0000

Cindy, I’ve discovered that when Bible is a “tack on” class to a regular teacher’s schedule, rather than taught by someone who does it full time, it usually does not get the attention or preparation time it deserves. I’m appalled at how many schools do this.

I have no objection to a school considering the Bible a textbook but simply having a textbook does not mean you have a curriculum. Having curriculum doesn’t mean the Bible isn’t the textbook. If you want to have an effective Bible teaching program in your Christian school, it has to be a priority, and you have to put someone in charge of it who knows what they are doing.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:00:17 +0000

I stumbled across this website today in my search for Bible study curriculum for Christian high schools. I, too, have been appalled by the lack of quality, in-depth Bible curricula. I am also deeply saddened that other Christian school Bible programs are suffering in the same manner that my own children’s school is. I have been extremely pleased with the quality of other academic courses at our school, but very disappointed that the same standard of excellence is not infused into the Bible program.

Part of the problem, I think, is that the school does not have a secondary Bible text as the framework for the Bible classes. They want the students to have the Bible itself as the primary text. While the idea is indeed noble, in practice, however, the Bible teachers–all of whom are teaching classes in other subjects as well–simply do not have the time to adequately develop “from scratch” lessons. Most of them teach “core” classes in their academic specialty (e.g., English) and the Bible class is tacked on to their other classes.

I have some inklings, however, that the administration is seeing the problem and desires to change the program. One of those changes is to include teaching the students how to study the Scriptures, which all of us here would agree is vital.

Jacob, I applaud the desire you have to create an in-depth Christian school Bible curriculum, and I pray that your doctoral studies will bear fruit that will strength the spiritual lives of our young people.

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:05:50 +0000

Fred,
The curriculum I wrote was a companion to Josh McDowell’s “A Ready Defense.” I wrote course objectives, workbook activities, study guides and tests based on thirty two weeks of class. When I left that school, I left the notebook with the stuff in it. If I had been thinking about it, I’d have copyrighted it and sought to have it published. I think they are still using it. I’ll find out and see if I can get a copy of it.

I would strongly recomment the Quest series from Lifeway Christian Publishers of Nashville, Tennessee. That’s the best secondary Bible curriculum on the market today by far.