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Is this a popular curriculum? Do people like it?
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We have had great feedback from satisfied customers. Here are some comments we've received:
"PowerXpress!® is the best in rotational learning that I have ever seen." Education Coordinator, Lunenburg, MA
"The lay person can just pick up PowerXpress!® material and teach it--some other curriculum choices are so extremely scholarly that the regular person could not just pick it up and teach it." Christian Educator, Brecksville, OH
"PowerXpress!® is working really well for our small church. We had four to five kids attending, since we have been using PowerXpress!® we are seeing around 20+ kids come. We attribute this to the PowerXpress!® curriculum!" Christian Educator, Carlisle, AR
Click here to read more comments from satisfied churches.
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How was PowerXpress!® developed?
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In January 2000, a group of over twenty Christian educators who are actively engaged in using rotation format curriculum gathered at Cokesbury to develop a rotation format curriculum for children ages 5-12. With their input, the first several units were written and tested in over thirty churches across the country. Improvements to this curriculum are continually based on feedback from actual users.
Beginning March 2001, PowerXpress!® was officially published and made available to the general public. Each quarter, these educators come together to develop future units of PowerXpress!® as well as special supplementary products such as the CD-ROMs (published with selected units) and the Shepherd's Pak (available for Christmas Around the World [Winter 2003] and Easter: Peter's Story [Easter 2004]). Shepherd's Paks for the Christmas 2004 (Journey to Bethlehem Shepherd's Pak) and Easter 2005 (Breakfast on the Beach Shepherd's Pak) are available as FREE downloads.
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What is included in the $115 resource?
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Each PowerXpress!® unit includes lesson plans for eight stations (Art, Computer, Cookery, Games, Music, Science, Story, and Video), a music compact disc, sheet music, lyric transparencies, and eight tabbed dividers for easy storage. Videos and computer software can be purchased separately. Most are available through Cokesbury, some you may already have on hand, and some can only be rented at local video stores.
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What makes PowerXpress!® different?
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There are three main advantages to using PowerXpress!®. First, it includes everything teachers need to teach the lesson including the Bible story, Bible background, ideas for staff meetings, shepherd tips that relate to each particular unit, and stations at a glance (highlights focus, learning preference benefited, and activities for each of the eight stations), how to set up stations, and specific activities appropriate for younger and older children.
Second, it's the only rotation model that provides all music for each unit. Within each unit is a music compact disc, two copies of the print music (one for the teacher and one for the accompanist), and lyric transparencies for ease of use in teaching the words to the children.
Third, almost all of the recommended resources are available at Cokesbury. There's no hunting or searching needed to find "suitable" material. Listings are provided with each unit and are categorized by station. Just click through to purchase! Generally, items not available through Cokesbury are software and video products that can only be obtained at local computer or video rental stores.
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How can my church get set up for rotational learning?
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For a complete "how to" guide for rotational teaching, including information on getting started, financial considerations, invitation of staff, training staff, invitation of children, sample schedules, and job descriptions, purchase the PowerXpress!® Director's Manual. This resource also covers particular elements related to PowerXpress!® such as description of stations and suggested scope and sequence.
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How many weeks are each unit?
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PowerXpress!® is designed with eight stations (Art, Computer, Cookery, Games, Music, Science, Story, and Video) in each unit. Each church can choose the stations that are appropriate in its setting. Any or all of these stations can be used; any unit can be used from four to eight weeks.
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How well does PowerXpress!® work in the small church?
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PowerXpress!® works well in the small church, just as it does in the large church. This is because rotational learning creates welcoming environments where children learn about the Bible in a variety of ways. For this reason, PowerXpress!® is just as likely to be successful in the class of three as it is in the class of thirty. PowerXpress!® uses multiple intelligences to teach and thus creates learning environments that appeal to many different types of learners.
The principles and ideas of rotational learning are in many ways reflective of the small church. A strong sense of community and a balanced division of leadership are desirable for the success of both. Rotational learning fosters connections between the teachers and the children by allowing teachers to share in areas where they are gifted and interested. Children benefit from learning from a diverse group of leaders using a broad variety of activities.
Small churches should not try to do rotational learning like a BIG church does. Many people praise rotational learning as a means of increasing Sunday school attendance. While this is a frequent byproduct of rotational learning, it is not the goal. Small churches pulling from communities containing limited populations may not be as interested in this element of increased attendance.
Rotational learning should not be advocated as a program to help the small church “grow out” of its “problem.” Small churches are jewels, and the people who attend them like going to a small church. They like the community and closeness.
The benefit of PowerXpress!® is the impact it has on the spiritual formation of children. PowerXpress!® is a wonderful way for a church of any size to share the gifts of the adult leaders of the church with the children. PowerXpress!® creates a closer, more inviting way for the children of the church to encounter God and the stories of the people of faith.
So, is any church too small for PowerXpress!®? The answer is not necessarily. Churches as small as sixty to eighty members have used rotational learning successfully. For an example, consider a church with four students total in the program, two adult leaders and one room. Rotational learning could easily be adapted to use in this church.
For Stations - The church could create a “tent city” in the one room, constructing a tent in each of the corners. Each tent becomes a different station. Each week, the children meet in the same room but focus around a different tent.
For Leaders - The two adult leaders could alternate between station leader and shepherd each week so that the leaders are only responsible for leading two stations out of the four. Leaders could rotate the units they teach.
Or new adults could be invited to help teach for shorter periods of time. Rotational learning almost always broadens the opportunities to bring in new adults who possess gifts and talents that fit well with a particular unit, but don’t want to teach all year.
PowerXpress!® is not the answer for every small church, just as it not the answer for every large church. However, no church should be deterred from considering rotational learning simply on the basis of the size of the congregation. In some ways, rotational learning is actually easier to implement and finance in the small church.
Take, for example, the setup of a Computer Station. The maximum number of children who can easily share a computer is between four and five. In a larger church with classes of thirty-plus children, a minimum of seven computers would be needed. In the class of eight children, two computers would be more than enough. The setup costs of two computers are far more manageable for any church than the setup costs of seven.
Suzann Wade
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Can small churches afford rotational learning?
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In terms of curriculum costs, the cost of PowerXpress!® is often less that traditional curriculum. However, the cost of resources and supplies is more. So, how can the small church deal with these costs? The key to covering the financial costs is to be creative!
Form a family-based co-op.
One option is to work together with the families in the church. Invite families to pay a small amount of money into a cooperative buying group. This money would be used to purchase the resources. At the end of the year, every family gets to select one or two of the resources to keep. Families buy books, videos, and computer games for their children all the time. This method allows the church to have access to the resources needed, gives the families the opportunity to acquire good resources for home, and extends the child’s connection between the story and at least one of the resources well beyond the length of the unit.
Form a church-based co-op.
A second option is to develop a co-op with other churches using the curriculum to purchase the recommended books, videos, and computer games. Since PowerXpress!® units can be taught in any order, it is easy to develop a schedule during which a group of churches all using PowerXpress!® would be teaching different lessons at different times.
Say, for example, you have six churches in the co-op. Each church contributes the average amount needed for the resources for a single unit. The co-op then has the buying power to purchase the recommended resources for all six units. The resources then rotate between the churches. At the end of the year, the resources are divided up among the churches or kept in a cooperative library.
The same method of rotating resources could be used to purchase and rotate the materials recommended for the setup decorations for each unit. Also, the co-op could buy activity supplies needed in bulk to save even more money.
Formulate a long-term schedule.
This option helps mainly with the costs associated with materials needed for the setup decor for the units and supplies needed for the unit activities. Develop your long-term schedule of the units you will use and when you will use them. Put together a supply list for all the units. As daunting as the list may appear all together, seeing it this way will help you see where you can buy in bulk to save on costs. In addition, with a list like this, it is easier to watch for items on sale ahead of time. Planning and purchasing this way saves a significant amount of money over the year.
Make a wish list.
The wish list is effective in the small church. Some of the most up-to-date computer labs are found in small churches, where the rotational learning program put out a wish list, and a generous member of the congregation purchased one or two brand new computers to donate.
So, with a little creativity, planning, and cooperation, the costs are more than manageable. Plus, the real bottom line is not the financial costs, but whether or not the church is willing to make nurturing the faith lives of children a priority. Creating welcoming, exciting, and engaging opportunities for children to experience God and the church’s stories of faith is well worth the investment.
Suzann Wade
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How can a small church set up multiple stations?
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This is a question with many answers. Once again, the key is to be creative. The following are just a few of many possible ideas you could use:
One Room, Many Stations
It is easy to use a single room to have many stations. The idea given earlier was to create a “tent city” in a room with tents in every corner. Each tent then functions as a separate station. From week to week the tent around which the class is centered would change. So the same rotation occurs but in a smaller space.
Another way to have one room work for many stations is with murals. By painting murals on large sheets or pieces of fabric or canvas, you have the ability easily to transform a room from week to week. Paint a mural for each of the stations you want to have. Hang laundry lines on the walls. Change out the mural each week for a different station. If you want to save even more space and money, make your murals double-sided.
Many of the stations have similar needs and are easily combined. Art, Creative Cookery, and Science often use tables and chairs and benefit from easy access to water. Storytelling, Games, and Music can all be done in big open spaces. Video and Computer can be easily combined. In fact, a nice computer with a DVD player can work for your video equipment as well.
New uses for old spaces
Because PowerXpress!® is centered around stations based on experiential learning, the stations can be in very nontraditional classroom settings.
Do you have a space under your stairwell?
Create a water well there, and you have a great place for a Storytelling Station.
Does your church have a stage area?
Backstage or under the stage can be wonderful places for drama or puppets.
Do you have a small alcove off the sanctuary?
Then you could have a video room in a Qumran cave.
There are literally dozens of examples like these. It has been said that pretty much any space besides a bathroom can be transformed into a station for PowerXpress!®. For the small church, there are far more options on space. Finding a space for a class of five offers you a great deal more flexibility than finding space for a class of twenty-five. In addition, options like meeting in the kitchen for the Creative Cookery Station are far more manageable with smaller groups.
Out of the box teaching in boxes
Create “Stations in a Box.” These are plastic tubs that contain the basic needs for each station setup. The tubs can then be opened and used in practically any space. Items to include could contain everything from folded up murals to small microwaves. Supplies and resources needed for the activities for the unit could be added to the boxes and changed out before each unit. Then the boxes would have everything needed for the setup and the activities in one, easy-to-move, easy-to-store place.
Suzann Wade
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How well can PowerXpress!® be used with multi-age classes?
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One of the challenges of any type of Sunday school in the small church is the ability to find curriculum that works for classes made up of a broad range of ages.
PowerXpress!® easily adapts to the multi-age class. It is designed to provide a series of options within each of the stations. Most stations contain options For Older Children, For Younger Children, and For All Ages. Churches are free to pick and choose from the activities within a station. The church has the freedom to select the activity options that work best for the children in their setting. For example, a class composed of elementary age children ranging from first grade to fifth grade might select two of the activities for all ages and then have a time when the class divides up to work on two separate projects, one for older children and one for younger children.
In addition, few churches operate with all eight stations. So, there is the option of pulling materials from other stations as well. The possible combinations of activities present within PowerXpress!® allow churches to customize the curriculum to best fit the needs of the classes.
Suzann Wade
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Does the small church have the critical mass needed for PowerXpress!®?
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The critical mass needed to use PowerXpress!® in a class is any number more than one. Classes with as few as two students use PowerXpress!® and love it. The beauty of PowerXpress!® is not the decor or the stuff. The beauty of PowerXpress!® is the way it engages children using a variety of multiple intelligences. Every child learns through all seven intelligences, and studies show that the more intelligences that are engaged during the learning process, the more enjoyable and effective the learning becomes. This is true for every child whether that child is in a group of two or a group of two hundred. Learning through multiple intelligences is always beneficial for the child.
A few activities contained in PowerXpress!® may require a larger critical mass, but each station in each unit has several activities from which you may choose. This makes it easy to select the activities that best fit the needs and size of your group.
Suzann Wade
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How many volunteers will be needed?
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Like many of the questions, this is hard to answer. Your volunteer needs will be determined by the specific situation in your church. The minimum requirement is usually one leader per site and one shepherd per class. Over time, recruiting for leaders for rotational learning should become easier. One reason for this is that in rotational learning, leaders have the freedom to volunteer for shorter amounts of time. Another, and perhaps the most important reason for this, is that rotational learning allows for greater freedom when it comes to matching the gifts, talents, and interests of the leader with the needs of the unit.
Children involved in PowerXpress!® have experienced the Bible stories in a large variety of ways, including but certainly not limited to activities such as quilting, woodworking, painting, sculpting, songwriting, drama, dance, and lots of cooking. For this reason, many adults who have interests in these areas are happy to be invited to come and share of their talents and gifts. Sometimes these are adults who have never been involved with the children in anyway. The result is a web of intergenerational connections that develop as a byproduct of rotational learning.
In reality, the area of recruitment is one of those areas that can be easier in the small church. The small church is more readily able to match the talents and gifts of members of the congregation with the needs of the program.
Small churches function as single cell groups. Everyone in the church falls under the umbrella of a single large group. Large churches are multi-celled. They have many groups that overlap at worship, but otherwise operate almost independently of one another. For this reason, the person in charge of recruiting leaders in the large church often has rather limited knowledge of many people in the church.
In the small church, the person in charge of recruiting leaders operates and functions within the context of the whole church. For this reason, the recruiter generally knows something about everybody who is a part of the church, and when the recruiter doesn’t know, there is almost always a well-informed conversation mill of the church community to help identify the talents and interests of the members. It is far easier to invite people to come and teach when you are asking them to share about something that you know they love.
The retired grandfather who loves tinkering with computers is far less likely to go unnoticed in the small church than in the large church. The reality is that this grandfather might be the perfect person to lead a computer room. The connections formed between this grandfather and the shy fifth-grade boy might lead to a mentoring friendship that lasts for years to come.
Nurturing and fostering strong community ties within the church is a natural outgrowth of rotational learning and a central element of the thriving small church.
Suzann Wade
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Do you need a full-time staff person to use rotational learning?
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Simply put, no. Verdigris United Methodist Church in Verdigris, Oklahoma, has one of the most active and exciting rotational learning programs in Oklahoma. The church is a small church. The classes are smaller, and all of the adult leaders are volunteers, committed to creating exciting and engaging learning experiences for the children of the church.
Whether a church is working with paid staff or volunteers, the essential element needed to make rotational learning a success is that deep commitment to engaging the children in experiential learning.
People active in small churches know that many programs with paid staff positions in larger churches are implemented just as successfully by volunteers in a small church. The single cell community of the small church focused on the goal of creating a vital program using PowerXpress!® can establish a rotational learning program as exciting and effective as any program available at a larger church.
Suzann Wade
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In what sequence should the units be used?
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A suggested scope and sequence is listed in the PowerXpress!® Director's Manual and can be accessed through this website. PowerXpress!® has been developed as a comprehensive Bible study. Each church can develop a scope and sequence to fit its needs using units that are currently available.
Yes, I want to purchase the Director's Manual.
Please take me to the suggested scope and sequence.
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How do I get information about the videos and software recommended for each unit?
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Now access is easier than ever for these resources! Click on Units Available by Title or Units Available by Scripture, then click on the title you're interested in. All of the recommended resources for that unit are listed for each station. Search the stations that are needed for your church and click to purchase them!
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Where can I find a description of each unit?
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Click on Units Available by Title or Units Available by Scripture. Then click on the specific title or scripture you're interested in. The main idea, objectives, and recommended resources are listed for each unit.
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Is there a way to find Scripture listings?
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Yes, because PowerXpress!® is Bible based, all units have scriptural references. Click on Units Available by Scripture for a chronological listing of Scriptures used. Also, when searching under Units Available by Title, each description includes Scripture references.
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So is PowerXpress!® right for my church?
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Once again, the answer is, it depends. Every church, regardless of size, will have to look at all of the issues involved to see if PowerXpress!® is the right curriculum for them to use or not. However, the reality is that churches of all sizes all across the country, in big cities and in small towns, have used PowerXpress!® to stimulate the faith lives and experiences of their children. No church is too big or too small.
The key is to use the gifts and skills unique to each church to create a welcoming, engaging learning environment in which children and adults can come to experience the stories of faith and the love of God. Churches, both big and small, can use PowerXpress!® to dream big! The only limit is the limits of the church’s collective commitment and imagination.
PowerXpress!® IS NOT:
• Big rooms
• Expensive decor
• Money
• Lots of kids
• Lots of adults
• A new fad
• A large-church program
PowerXpress!® IS:
• Learning, friendly environments
• Using multiple intelligences to teach
• Experiential learning
• Repetition
• A better use of the gifts and the graces of teachers
• A better understanding of the needs of students
• Experiencing the Bible story in a variety of ways
• A tested and successful curriculum
• A curriculum that can be adapted and customized to fit a church of any size
Suzann Wade
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