3 Reasons for Choosing Published Curriculum for Your Children’s Ministry

Some children’s ministry leaders find themselves writing their own curriculum. While some may choose to do this, we think choosing a published curriculum may offer you more bang for your buck! Here are some reasons our curriculum experts here at Group support choosing a published curriculum.

Top 3 Reasons for Choosing Published Curriculum

1. Time

How much time does it take to create a life-changing curriculum based on a two- or three-year strategy? We’ve heard of some people saying they spend up to 40 hours writing their own curriculum. That’s the equivalent of working a week at a full-time job! So if you didn’t have to spend a significant chunk of your whole week writing, what other things do you think you could do for your ministry? You could plan special events, visit your kids at their schools and have lunch with them, talk with families—and the list goes on and on.

2. Money

Do you save money writing your own curriculum? According to our results from a previous salary survey, compensation, benefits, and visibility are on the upswing for professional children’s ministers everywhere. More people are falling in the median full-time salary range of $40,000 to $44,999, with 18.5 percent within this pay range. (Some of you are falling out of your chair with laughter right now, we know.) Let’s say a children’s minister has a $40,000 salary. If that person devotes 10 hours per week to writing curriculum, that’s like spending $10,000 per year on curriculum. Chances are, you’ll probably spend more time than 10 hours writing and prepping. Now, while a published curriculum isn’t free, just think about what $10,000 could get you—or where you could use that money or time in other areas!

3. Kid-Focused

When you write your own curriculum, it’s difficult to be an expert on all age groups and know where kids are in their spiritual development. And do you know without a doubt you’re writing a lesson that’s going to address all the learning styles? Is what you write inclusive of the tactile, kinesthetic, and rhythmic learners in your ministry? (We’ve found that most homemade curriculum writers tend to focus on the auditory and visual learners—typically the two learning styles they’re comfortable with.)

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Not every ministry is the same, and different solutions work better for different churches. Writing your own curriculum may work for you; and if so, let us know about your process! But if you are looking for amazing, life-changing curriculum, please check out what Group has to offer. You can choose to customize your lesson plans each week with our DIG IN curriculum. Or if you want to keep it extra simple, check out Simply Loved. We’ll help you find the perfect curriculum for your ministry and help you out every step of the way!

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