The Curriculum of Community

If the “congregation is a curriculum” as Maria Harris suggested, then worship and lifespan religious education must be equal partners in meaning-making. Theme-Based Ministry facilitates this by providing a

• Congregation-wide focus using both an annual theme and monthly themes;

• Mutually reinforcing, horizontal alignment of worship and lifespan religious education through thematic materials;

• Dynamic, vertical multi-generational alignment so that all ages are, as the Rev. Matthew Johnson writes, “learning and living the same conversation;”

• Vehicle for exploring life’s essential questions;

• Meaningful opportunity for parents to discuss each theme with their children;

• Means to invite all ages into the center of congregational life;

• Flexible core to supplement, not supplant, other worship topics and RE curricula; and

• Foundation to foster creative collaboration among program staff and volunteers as they implement the themes.