We are celebrating:
Our fourth set of Sunday School curriculum is finished and has been sent to the publisher to be printed. These lessons will help to provide spiritual growth for five age groups of Sunday Schools in the Iglesia Evangélica Dominicana (IED) for the next six months.
These lessons are very challenging to produce:
The process involves working together in the midst of many theological differences among the pastors and teachers in the church. The church has historical roots in the Methodist, Presbyterian, and the Moravian theological traditions. Pentacostal influences have also been significant in the IED Church.
It has been a challenge to get both pastors and lay persons to write lessons. Historically, the Dominican culture is more comfortable with oral expression and Dominicans in general have had less opportunity to develop their writing skills.
Another cultural obstacle is a reluctance to plan for the future and to set goals and deadlines. There is a common expression used by Dominicans when you refer to something in the future and that is, “Si Dios quiere” (If God wills). In that sense the future belongs to God so God is responsible. Deadlines create anxiety so it is best to put everything on God’s shoulders and avoid long range plans and regular deadlines.
The obstacles to writing curriculum convince us even more of the importance to do so. How important it is for pastors and teachers to be able to verbalize their faith with the spoken and the written word.
I am always thrilled when we are successful in producing curriculum!
