The one problem with an early Easter is that next term's programme comes round too soon. Christmas is hardly over and Easter is fast approaching. We have to sit down and decide what we are putting in the programme for next term - or do we? Let's assume that it's good to plan our teaching programmes at least a term in advance. We don't just sit at home on Saturday night (trying not to watch the footie) and plan what we're teaching in the morning.
Do we base next term's programme on a live issue within the group? We've heard a fair bit of gossip in the group recently - do we do a session or two on the family of God and how they should behave? There's still a lot of chat about the tsunami - do we really need to grapple with the 'suffering and God of love' theme yet again? Or have we been working our way through the Bible and finally got to 2 Chronicles so we're going to teach that, come what may? Are there any guidelines which will help us plan what we're going to teach?
Keep records
Memory plays tricks and we may find it hard to remember the topics for last term, let alone a year ago. Most young people stay in our groups for four years (longer if we count 11 to 18). What kind of programme have they had? I knew a church once that hadn't reviewed its teaching programme and found they hadn't touched a gospel for over five years and had done some epistles three times.
