“We Believe” is the PC(USA)’s rapid response to the failure of “Covenant People,” a much-touted, $6 million line that was pulled from production in fall 2001 after disappointing sales.
“It’s amazing to produce a curriculum in such a short amount of time,” said Gregg Neel, an elder from Great Rivers Presbytery.
“It’s nothing short of a miracle,” said Don Campbell, director of the Congregational Ministries Division, which includes the curriculum publishing office.
The “We Believe” line — intended primarily for children, with study supplements for adults — is “something a busy Sunday school teacher can pick up and find in one place,” needing little preparation, Sorem said last year.
The formal introduction of the curriculum will come Jan. 29 when the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) meets in Denver. With approximately 1,000 church educators from across the United States and Canada in attendance, it will be a prime opportunity for the PC(USA) to market it’s latest curriculum effort.
An all-day session for Point People — key persons in presbyteries trained to help promote curriculum — will precede the APCE conference, said Sorem.
After APCE, her office has scheduled 35 workshops across the country about choosing curriculum. These events have been planned in cooperation with presbyteries or other local bodies. And the material will be reviewed in at least one synod school, she added.
Sorem hesitated to set a goal for sales, but Tom McElroy, finance services manager for the PC(USA), said it would be good if 1,000 to 1,200 congregations used at least part of the curriculum.
While that is not far different from the number that used “Covenant People,” the earlier curriculum was prepared in a more traditional format. “We Believe” — prepared in response to the criticism that “Covenant People” was too confusing and hard to use — is designed to be simpler and more flexible. Parts of it can be copied, for example, rather than having to order materials for all users.
And production has been reduced toward the goal of selling most of the materials and not maintaining an inventory. “Our long-range goal is to move to advance sales and standing orders, and not accumulate a large inventory,” said Sorem. “We can do this with ‘We Believe’ because it is quarterly.”
Copy has been received for a second quarter of the curriculum, but it will not be produced until there is feedback from the first quarter. Five field tests are planned for this winter/spring and the results are scheduled to be in hand by May 1. Also, a summer quarter of “We Believe” is scheduled for release by next year’s APCE meeting.
Sorem acknowledged that “a lot of people have a ‘wait-and-see’ attitude” about the church’s latest offering, but said that “people are being open and are eager to give it a try.” And, if the skeptics can be convinced to try it, then the curriculum will have a chance.
“As they say, ‘The proof is in the pudding,’” said Sorem.
Sorem also reported that her department experienced an estimated loss of $330,000 in 2002. While that may not seem like good news, earlier estimates by PC(USA) controller Nagy Tawfik had placed the deficit at $500,000. Sorem said the loss would probably be covered by funds from within Congregational Ministries Publishing.
