We are living through difficult times, and I know many of you are either still working toward effective faith formation ministries right now or making alternate plans for summer, including VBS. But whenever you start planning for the next program year, we have some exciting news for you!

Something New

Here at Spirit & Truth Publishing, we have been working on a new project. With the growing interest in intergenerational ministry and the success of our Narrative Lectionary-based intergenerational products, we have decided to expand our Living the Word: Cross+Gen series to include an intergenerational classroom curriculum that follows the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL)!

Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education (RCL) is based on its Narrative Lectionary counterpart in style and content. Both products give you the tools you need to build relationships across the generations while deepening participants’ experience of God’s Word in their lives.

The Church Year

One of the strengths of the RCL is its focus on celebrating church festivals and seasons. Therefore, we have capitalized on that by building our curriculum around the dual focus of the assigned Gospel reading and that Sunday’s church festival or season. A third focus is one of the other two assigned readings (often either an Old Testament or non-Gospel New Testament passage).

Lesson Content

Each lesson includes the following components:

• Overview & Background- For quick and easy leader preparation.
• Into the Word- Introductory activity.
• Seasons of the Word- Church season or festival learning.
• Learning the Word- Primary engagement with the Gospel lesson.
• The Word in the World- Bring the Gospel into your daily life.
• Beyond the Gospel- Engage with either the First or Second assigned readings.
• Additional Activities- Three activities to expand the learning.
• Sending- A wrap-up and sending prayer.
• The Word @ Home- A two-page take-home sheet with a reminder of what was learned and helps for devotions throughout the following week.

The Curriculum Year

The church year starts at the beginning, in Advent, as we move forward in anticipation of the birth and coming of our Lord. However, the program year many of us use for faith formation does not begin on the first Sunday of Advent but instead follows the school year. So, we have decided that this Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education (RCL) curriculum will follow the same pattern as our Narrative Lectionary series. This means that the first day of the curriculum is the first Sunday after Labor Day (US) and goes until Pentecost Sunday, which means it goes from September 13, 2020, to May 23, 2021, this coming year. So, we cover the end of RCL Year A and the bulk of Year B.

The curriculum can be purchased as the full year or the individual seasons, with Fall including lessons from the beginning to Christ the King Sunday; Winter including the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany through Transfiguration Sunday; and Spring including the seasons of Lent and Easter through Pentecost Sunday. At this time, we are not producing a Summer quarter.

Digital Downloads & Release Dates

All our products are digital downloads, so you can download files as soon as they are purchased and released! This year, the Cross+Gen (RCL) fall quarter will be online in May, with the remaining quarters available as listed on our Release Dates webpage. If you purchase this product before all of its quarters are released, they will be added to your account when they are available, and we will send you an email notification.

Flexible Pricing

The pricing for our Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education (RCL) product is based on the estimated average attendance for the group or class that will be using the curriculum. This makes our products more accessible for smaller congregations and new ministries!

New Product Special!

As a reader of this blog, I’d like to offer you a limited time offer. Save 15% on your order of our new Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education (RCL) product, using coupon code: RCL-AB-LAUNCH. This offer is valid until May 22, 2020. Order today!

Always, please contact me if you have any questions!

In Christ,

Gregory Rawn, Publisher