Dec. 11, 2006 issue
Families appreciate curriculum’s connection of church and home
By Mennonite Church USA staffNEWTON, Kan. — Mennonite families are responding positively to a new Sunday school curriculum, Gather ’Round: Hearing and Sharing God’s Good News, launched this fall.
From left, Erin, Addie, Amy, Eli (foreground), Austin and Ken Regier of First Mennonite Church in Newton, Kan., use the Talkabout, a tabletop resource for families that encourages faith talk at home. — Photo by MC USA
The Talkabout, a quarterly take-home item designed to sit on each family’s dining table, has received especially high praise.
“Gather ’Round definitely has the right idea,” said Alan Giornavco, a member of James Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pa. “Extending Sunday school lessons into family devotions and activities and providing resources to talk about the same faith topics across the ages makes a real difference. As a parent, I know the pop-up Talkabout has earned a much more prominent place in our household this quarter than a simple printed piece would have.”
The Talkabout’s design is different each quarter. The fall design was a 14-sided piece that popped out of an envelope. For winter, the Talkabout is a page-a-day tear-off calendar.
Some congregations are ordering Talkabouts for every family in their church, not just those with school-aged children. Salford (Pa.) Mennonite Church held a dedication service for the Talkabout, to help teach everyone about Gather ’Round.
“My kids are grown, but I really appreciated it,” said Debbie Freed, a member at Salford. “I like how Gather ’Round involves your whole family. It’s not just a Sunday morning thing.”
Gather ’Round is a project of Mennonite Publishing Network, the publishing agency of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada, and Brethren Press.
Comment on the article Families appreciate curriculum’s connection of church and home
The purpose of comments is to engage in dialogue. We expect commenters to treat authors and each other as each would want to be treated. Respectful criticism is welcomed; offensive comments or parts of comments will be removed by the site administrator. Name and comment will be posted; email address is for follow-up only and will not be made public.
Download
Download a free PDF showing the populations of
Mennonite groups and other Anabaptists.
