Is This Really Necessary?

[WIP]

I lead our high school Sunday school program and today I was reviewing some resource curricula as I prepare for this year's group. As I was cruising the website of the supplier I was interested in I found a lesson plan that seemed to be pretty good. I also discovered another lesson that peaked my interest so I decided to see what it was about. To my surprise it was a lesson plan geared specifically toward the colored population.

The first thought that went through my mind is, is it necessary to have a curriculum that is skin color oriented? Does God's word apply differently to people based on the color of their skin or their nationality? I could understand if it was just written in a different language?

I don't get it. Maybe someone can explain it to me?

 

[Wrg1405]

I lead our high school Sunday school program and today I was reviewing some resource curricula as I prepare for this year's group. As I was cruising the website of the supplier I was interested in I found a lesson plan that seemed to be pretty good. I also discovered another lesson that peaked my interest so I decided to see what it was about. To my surprise it was a lesson plan geared specifically toward the colored population.

The first thought that went through my mind is, is it necessary to have a curriculum that is skin color oriented? Does God's word apply differently to people based on the color of their skin or their nationality? I could understand if it was just written in a different language?

I don't get it. Maybe someone can explain it to me?

I'm not sure that I can explain it to you. Now I do not want to upset anyone at all and I am no homophobic. I can't be because I am a white British male but my ancestors were from Pakistan.

I think a possible issue is what we call over here "Political correctness" and I think it can infiltrate the church.

Skin colour is irrelevant if the people you are trying to reach are indigenous to your country. However it can be relevant to those that are not indigenous. This applies not only to skin colour but also culture/ethnicity.

So let's say you have a community of people from Papua New Ginea in your area who start to come to your church. I am the bread of life wouldn't actually mean anything to them, I am the sweet potatoe or taro of life would mean more because that is their staple diet. If a lesson plan is geared toward that then it's fine and good.

So suppliers of the website you are using have to comply with the laws and political correctness that the land dictates. The problem is that the Govt cannot differentiate between indigenous and ethnicity so they combine it.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I dunno....even in 21st century america, there are big differences between how white and black people live, on the whole. I think a lot of is more social class issues than race per se, but I do think there are also (sub)cultural differences.

Same goes for white vs other minority groups. Then within white america, you have social class distinctions ("poor white trash," for instance, seems to be despised by everybody). Social class I think is the big, big, big but unspoken issue. Social class is something many of us in America skip around, because we're supposedly some kind of super-democratic meritocracy, etc. etc. etc.

I rambled, but...yeah. I think race is less a factor these days than social class.

 

[GodsGrace]

I lead our high school Sunday school program and today I was reviewing some resource curricula as I prepare for this year's group. As I was cruising the website of the supplier I was interested in I found a lesson plan that seemed to be pretty good. I also discovered another lesson that peaked my interest so I decided to see what it was about. To my surprise it was a lesson plan geared specifically toward the colored population.

The first thought that went through my mind is, is it necessary to have a curriculum that is skin color oriented? Does God's word apply differently to people based on the color of their skin or their nationality? I could understand if it was just written in a different language?

I don't get it. Maybe someone can explain it to me?

It's not necessary WIP.
And probably done by one of these liberals who criticize conservatives all the time when THEY are the ones who treat blacks, and others, in a detrimental way.

Every person is the same. We're all made out of flesh and blood. I treat everyone the same. Even handicapped people. They want help, but not sympathy, compassion but not pity.

Lesson plans should be the same for all. No difference.
Do we want to accentuate the difference (of skin color)
Or do we want to accentuate our sameness? In this case, our love for God.

Things are crazy.

W

 

[GodsGrace]

I dunno....even in 21st century america, there are big differences between how white and black people live, on the whole. I think a lot of is more social class issues than race per se, but I do think there are also (sub)cultural differences.

Same goes for white vs other minority groups. Then within white america, you have social class distinctions ("poor white trash," for instance, seems to be despised by everybody). Social class I think is the big, big, big but unspoken issue. Social class is something many of us in America skip around, because we're supposedly some kind of super-democratic meritocracy, etc. etc. etc.

I rambled, but...yeah. I think race is less a factor these days than social class.

What does social class have to do with God?
I know very rich people who are saved and I know very poor people who are saved.
What difference does it make?

 

[Mike S]

I lead our high school Sunday school program and today I was reviewing some resource curricula as I prepare for this year's group. As I was cruising the website of the supplier I was interested in I found a lesson plan that seemed to be pretty good. I also discovered another lesson that peaked my interest so I decided to see what it was about. To my surprise it was a lesson plan geared specifically toward the colored population.

The first thought that went through my mind is, is it necessary to have a curriculum that is skin color oriented? Does God's word apply differently to people based on the color of their skin or their nationality? I could understand if it was just written in a different language?

I don't get it. Maybe someone can explain it to me?

That lesson plan is either good or bad depending on how you use it. Blacks and whites generally have different cultures - not significantly different, but different - so a little of tailoring the messages around them a little hurts nothing. The key is to make the cultural differences no big deal, but the universal Christian message everything. I worship in a majority black church - have for more than 30 years - and find we have no racial difficulties over this.

Coincidently, last Sunday I worshiped in an all white church while visiting my son and his family, not a black face in the bunch. I feel comfortable in either case if I feel the presence of the Lord.

 

[GodsGrace]

That lesson plan is either good or bad depending on how you use it. Blacks and whites generally have different cultures - not significantly different, but different - so a little of tailoring the messages around them a little hurts nothing. The key is to make the cultural differences no big deal, but the universal Christian message everything. I worship in a majority black church - have for more than 30 years - and find we have no racial difficulties over this.

Coincidently, last Sunday I worshiped in an all white church while visiting my son and his family, not a black face in the bunch. I fell comfortable in either case if I feel the presence of the Lord.

I'm not understanding this.
If people grow up in the same place, how do they have cultural differences?
Don't cultural differences come from growing up in two different places?
Reading different books? Watching different TV programs? Different schooling techniques?

?

 

[Mike S]

I'm not understanding this.
If people grow up in the same place, how do they have cultural differences?
Don't cultural differences come from growing up in two different places?
Reading different books? Watching different TV programs? Different schooling techniques?

?

They don't necessarily grow up in the same place. Our congregation has American born blacks, some from right here, and others from other states. We also have a large number of Nigerians, Liberians, Jamaicans, and Barbadians, many of who where born in the islands or Africa. Our Pastor is Liberian.

 

[GodsGrace]

They don't necessarily grow up in the same place. Our congregation has American born blacks, some from right here, and others from other states. We also have a large number of Nigerians, Liberians, Jamaicans, and Barbadians, many of who where born in the islands or Africa. Our Pastor is Liberian.

Ah. A mixed neighborhood. THAT I understand. In this case there is a difference, as I noted above.
In Queens, In NYC, most neighborhoods were stable in the sense that immigrants tended to stay together in one place. For instance, Russians lived in Southern Brooklyn, Greeks in Astoria, etc. So they tended to have the same cultural background.
In the type of neighborhood you describe there are certainly cultural differences.

W

 

[Wrg1405]

I suggest reading Timothy Kellers book The reason for God.

 

[dianegcook]

I lead our high school Sunday school program and today I was reviewing some resource curricula as I prepare for this year's group. As I was cruising the website of the supplier I was interested in I found a lesson plan that seemed to be pretty good. I also discovered another lesson that peaked my interest so I decided to see what it was about. To my surprise it was a lesson plan geared specifically toward the colored population.

The first thought that went through my mind is, is it necessary to have a curriculum that is skin color oriented? Does God's word apply differently to people based on the color of their skin or their nationality? I could understand if it was just written in a different language?

I don't get it. Maybe someone can explain it to me?

The only thing I can think of is their ancestors history, a cultural thing.
I thought that was what "Black history" month was all about, lol.

 

[Mike S]

My experience in reading the Bible is that it is filled with examples of delivering the same Christian message, but tailoring the style of delivery to fit the audience. This is certainly obvious when reading Paul's epistles, and even the four Gospels are different in style because Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were explaining the meaning of Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection to different audiences.

I think WIP certainly knows the kids in his high school Sunday school program. I'm confident he will be able to take any lesson plan and tailor the way he presents it for his class.

 

[GodsGrace]

My experience in reading the Bible is that it is filled with examples of delivering the same Christian message, but tailoring the style of delivery to fit the audience. This is certainly obvious when reading Paul's epistles, and even the four Gospels are different in style because Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were explaining the meaning of Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection to different audiences.

I think WIP certainly knows the kids in his high school Sunday school program. I'm confident he will be able to take any lesson plan and tailor the way he presents it for his class.

I agree re WIP.
As far as Paul, he said I Have Become All Things To All People.
1 Corinthians 9:19-22
1 Corinthians 9:22

W

 

[Christ_empowered]

Even in the same neighborhood, people don't necessarily grow up in the same place. There's this concept...social location or something....depending on any number of variables, the world I live in is different from the world you live in, even if we live next door.

There's a novel...I think its called Invisible Cities...kinda explores this. I read it before the last round of shock treatments, so...my memory is fuzzy, at best...but yeah. Calvino...good times.

 

[reba]

Skin colour curriculum for Sunday School

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children
Of the world.

Jesus died for all the children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus died for all the children
Of the world.

Jesus rose for all the children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus rose for all the children
Of the world.

 

[jasonc]

I'm not understanding this.
If people grow up in the same place, how do they have cultural differences?
Don't cultural differences come from growing up in two different places?
Reading different books? Watching different TV programs? Different schooling techniques?

?

History.I was just looking at the old black high school on map.so it depends what age group and skin color.even where I live myself and older in general will know about older Vero.The younger wont.,unless they are a transplant or children of natives who pass the stories.I fit neither of these as my parents aren't from Vero ,I grew up around the stuff and heard the stories.

Gifford,Wabasso etc will have some minor unique thing,culturally, to it but be totally different then a white rich kid who attended St.eds and lived on the barrier Island.

 

[JohnDB]

It's not so much geared towards a particular race or skin color as it is to classes of citizenship.
And it's an attempt at being appealing to a particular group of people. (As if that is what they really want at a church)

People who go to church expect a particular set of principles to be promoted and upheld. Pandering falls outside that set of principles. They (the common man) knows his behavior is going to need to change to be accepted at church... because the place is holy.

It's one reason some of these "friendlier and more contemporary" churches have a quick rise that is followed by an even faster collapse.

Be yourself...there ain't a soul in your class that doesn't recognize a phony.

 

[Mike S]

It's not so much geared towards a particular race or skin color as it is to classes of citizenship.
And it's an attempt at being appealing to a particular group of people. (As if that is what they really want at a church)

People who go to church expect a particular set of principles to be promoted and upheld. Pandering falls outside that set of principles. They (the common man) knows his behavior is going to need to change to be accepted at church... because the place is holy.

It's one reason some of these "friendlier and more contemporary" churches have a quick rise that is followed by an even faster collapse.

Be yourself...there ain't a soul in your class that doesn't recognize a phony.

No one said anything about changing the Christian message.

Have we learned nothing? God meets every man at his point of need, in language he understands. Do you think if Jesus was alive today preaching the word in a Chicago ghetto, His parables would be about farming?

 

[JohnDB]

No one said anything about changing the Christian message.

Have we learned nothing? God meets every man at his point of need, in language he understands. Do you think if Jesus was alive today preaching the word in a Chicago ghetto, His parables would be about farming?

Not the point I was making...

 

[WIP]

Maybe it's my lack of experience with other cultures (I have lived and grown up in the northern half of MN and I will be the first to admit that I have lived a sheltered life. I'm struggling to understand how a different culture would facilitate a need to change the delivery or the message. Maybe a part of my reason for asking is that at the moment I have only white kids in my class but if some day I should have colored children in my class, would it then require that I make some changes and if so, how or what changes?