Quarterlies

LOL, you got that right pastorSBC

 

My next lesson is from Chapter 9 of Romans (most of the Chapter
save the last few verses). I use the EXPLORE THE
BIBLE curricula from Lifeway.

In my church,
not all the Sunday School teachers use the same material. Some
use the topical studies from Lifeway.

I've been teaching like 20 years or so. I'm going through the 7-year
EXPLORE THE BIBLE for the third time. At least two of my usually
seven students i've been teaching for 20 years now. I teach the
men 35-45 (2 people), 45-60 (4 people) and a special men's class (1 person)
(I teach them all together, first year they have all been together).

Anyway, I sometimes even teach the skipped verses which aren't developed
fully in the literature. I know this week I've got a man in class
who needs the lesson skipped in the literature from Romans 9:6-13.
I'll have to save it, he is going hunting next week-end
The rest of the class could care less about that and will be more
interested in the other scriptures in Romans 9.

In my class probably 5 of the usual 7 could teach Sunday School on their
own. At least 3 have that I know of.

 

I find this discussion interesting. I believe it is more how the lesson is taught than the material used.

I think this because I have been in classes that did not use a quarterly and I did not like them. It seemed that everything but the Bible was discussed.

Our lessons in the Life Venture, Family Bible Study for November were about Job. I have studied the book of Job many times, but I think all I got was Job loved God, He lost all his possessions, He endured and God Blessed him again. We had four Sundays of in depth study of the book of Job and I learned more about Job than I ever have, especially about his three friends.

Again, I think it depends on the teacher.

 

Quarterlies are tools to be used as the carpenter sees fit. If those of you who do not like quarterlies and do a good job teaching a class, were to have what you taught written down, you would think that that was a good lesson. Just because someone else wrote down what they thought was a good lesson does not make it a bad lesson. I have used quarterlies and found them a good foundation for a lesson and would sometimes bring out points that I did not think of. Glean from them that which is good and modify them when you think they are lacking.

 

Agreed.

A poor teacher is not helped by a quarterly. A good teacher is not harmed by one.

 

The difference is in the teacher. If the teacher is committed to study and to pushing his/her class to dig into God's Word then it is going to be a good class ...</font>[/QUOTE]My take exactly. I have the best SS teacher of all time. He studies his Bible and prays extensively every day -- and it shows.

And yes, we always use quarterlies.

 

When i teach a lesson I use the quarterly to pick out the scripture for that Sunday and maybe a lesson emphasis . . . and then I pretty much ignore it. I make up questions from the biblical text and we spend the time discussing the answers. I tell them their text is the Bible, not the quarterly. They can use the quarterly at home prior to Sunday School, but they won't be needing it in class.

By the way, having the class members discuss answers is a great way to make sure the lesson is exactly pitched to the readiness level of the class.

 

Why would anyone want to use a quarterly when he has a book handed down from God out of heaven? Personally, I can't imagine why any man would rather stand before God's people armed with a SS quarterly rather than a bare Bible.

Our church discarded them about three years ago and it is one of the best things we ever did. Here are some of my objections to quarterlies:

1. They can't possilby make a thorough study of the books of the Bible and usually end up skipping the parts that are most needed - like texts on divorce or other commonly accepted sins.

2. Most of the quarterlies for younger people have the standard "Jesus" pictures in them which perpetuates a false and idolatrous conception of the Lord.

3. Many teachers use them as a crutch because they don't know enough about the Bible to teach it. If a man doesn't know enough about the Bible to teach it straight, he doesn't need to be teaching period.

4. They become a means for spreading false ideas on a wholesale basis among a group of churches which subcribes to them.

5. They become a means of contention by needlessly introducing vain questions.

6. They become a means of promoting traditionalism because a church that uses them will almost invariably accept what the quarterly says even over what their own pastors teach.

7. They are often used as a means to promote whatever agenda the publishing house that produces them is pushing. The literature we used to use (Bogard Press - American Baptist Association) has had statements in it instructing the reader to read it and other literature published by them, as if this were some God ordained duty.

8. They are a needless expense on the church.

9. They exclude the leadership of the Holy Spirit in preparation for teaching.

10. Even if all the above objections could be removed, they are still, at best, worthless in light of the fact that we have, in the Bible, a divinely inspired book which, when studied directly, is a message straight from God with no one's agenda but His.

Mark Osgatharp

 

Many valid points, Mark.

However, in light of the points you've made - especially #10, perhaps using this bulletin board as a resource should come to a stop, too. There are far more inequities here than there are in the quarterly I use. That is - if that's your argument against using quarterlies, we should never read any other book - including commentaries and other theological books. Or does that just go for quarterlies?

I've got a whole library of books that are "worthless" then...

Is this truly a doctrinal issue or an issue of preference? And are you sure my preparations for Sunday school class exclude the leadership of the Holy Spirit just because I use a quarterly? ARE YOU SURE?

 

I must do it wrong - it is not either/or for me. I use a lesson book and my Bible.

 

Not me! I still like having the quarterly as a study guide.

 

I like having the quarterlies as a guide. As a student in a class, its easier that way to be prepared to discuss in class. AS a teacher, I have enough rebel in me to want to have my own exegesis behind my own lesson.

 

I'm in a church where the older folks live and die by the quarterlies...the familiy Bible study series to be exact.
But since i have arrived and the fact that i believe SS classes should have flexibility on what they are studying, most of the younger classes have forsaken them for other curriculum.

For me personally...i tried using one of the teaching guides when i was filling in for a teacher and it made very little sense to me. I have studied them as a student in the past, but the teaching info doesn't work for me.
I prefer to make my own studies are use something a little more user friendly.

bdd

 

I personally don't like quarterlies, but I use one for our youth group lessons. As a bi-voc, and trying to prepare three lessons per week, and spending about 8 hours on each lesson, I just do not have time to prepare a fourth lesson. However, God has provided me with a pretty good series (although I do have to check it carefully for things that are wrong) that opens up a pretty good interactive experience.

Which brings me to my next subject: Interactivity. I always welcome questions, and sometimes I prepare lessons that are specifically geared towards interaction, but sometimes I'm trying to get from point A to point B and I don't need help with some rabbit trail...

 

I generally like them. I am not always good about reading them, but sometimes I read them before every lesson. Sometimes the lesson is really good, and sometimes it is repetitive. They can't be tailored to suit the individual's level of spiritual maturity.

On the other hand, I miss them when we didn't follow them sometimes. One lesson leads to the next in a series of messages often. I also have had some teachers, God bless them, pull out old lessons and try to use those and boy did I ever miss the easy to read quarterlies, with 21st century typeface and photos.

I have had some good teachers over the years and they seem to have done a great job both because of and despite of the quarterly.