Writers meet for Gather 'Round curriculum conference.

Writers, editors, and resource people from the Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Church USA, and Mennonite Church Canada met Sept. 19-23 at a Writer's Conference for the new Sunday school curriculum project Gather 'Round: Hearing and Sharing God's Good News. For five days at Camp Alexander Mack near Milford, Ind., the group embodied the title for the curriculum, "gathering 'round" to worship with the Bible texts, pray, look for God's good news for each age level, and plan lesson outlines.

"It is a wonderful, scary feeling to be at the beginning of a new venture in children's curriculum," said Eleanor Snyder, director of Faith and Life Resources, Mennonite Publishing Network. "What I saw at the conference were writers deeply committed to children's faith formation and finding creative ways to hear and share God's story."

Frank Ramirez, pastor of Everett (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, is writing the parent/caregivers unit. He compared the collaborative aspect of writing curriculum to theater. "In theater, you have a writer, director, designers, builders, actors, and an audience, and you realize that no play is the creation of any one person, but of many as the word becomes flesh. Now with God's word we're counting on the Word becoming flesh through the efforts of writers, editors, designers, marketers, teachers, and students."

Other writers at the conference were Brethren member Susan Fuentes, who is writing Early Childhood for ages 2-4; Rebecca Seiling, of the Mennonite Church Canada, writing the fall quarter of Primary for ages K-grade 2; Brethren member Dianna Ullery, writing Middler for grades 3-5; Carol Duerksen, of the Mennonite Church USA, writing Junior Youth for grades 6-8; and Sarah Pinnell, of the Mennonite Church Canada, writing the Multiage component for grades K-8 and intergenerational use.

For Anna Speicher, project director, the conference was another significant step in the curriculum development--steps that have included establishing curriculum philosophy and guidelines, initial Bible outlining, advisory group meetings, adoption of a name and logo, and recruitment of consultants and writers. Gather 'Round is slated to begin in the Fall of 2006, with the first quarter available for congregations to preview early in 2006.

Source: 10/29/2004 Newsline
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