I recently found my high school transcript and I sure don’t remember struggling in math during my junior year, but I did!  In my mind, I sailed through school with good grades and flying colors, but the transcript doesn’t lie.  Although I may have struggled with Algebra, Geometry, or Calculus, I learned how to use a basic calculator with the best of them, and I recently did some quick math about the cost of curriculum, and I learned a staggering truth about the affordability of adult Sunday School curriculum from LifeWay Christian Resources.

Yes, times are tough for churches, and most are tightening the financial belt, but any church of any size can afford to outfit an adult class of 10 learners plus the teacher for only $.34 cents per person, per week.  That’s less than the cost of a pack of gum, a Coke, or a candybar!  So what do you get for $.34 cents per person?  A lot more than you think!

If I were to purchase curriculum for a class of ten from LifeWay’s Explore the Bible series (a book by book study of the entire Bible), I could provide the class with (1) a teacher guidebook (2) an advanced commentary book for the teacher to aid in study and lesson preparation (3) 10 learner booklets, and (4) a leader kit complete with posters, handouts, and a CD Rom with customizeable lesson plans, among other things.  Total cost for all these items:  $48.45.  Divide that by 13 weeks in the quarter and you get a cost of just $3.73 a week.  Divide that again by the 11 people in the class (teacher plus ten learners) and you get a cost per person of $.34 cents per week!

Surely your Sunday School learners are worth $.34 cents a week!  You won’t find a more cost-effective way to provide for the spiritual transformation of people than LifeWay’s adult Sunday School curriculum.  Of course you can order even more resources for the teacher and learners, but even then you’d struggle to get above $.50 per person…still less than the cost of a Coke or a candybar.

Don’t let these tough financial times discourage you from utilizing LifeWay’s Sunday School curriculum.  It will be the best investment you make in your Sunday School ministry, bar none!  When you consider that you can achieve similar financial goals with preschool, children, and student curriculum, you can provide for the Bible study needs of a family of four for about $1.50 per family per week!

To learn more about LifeWay’s Sunday School curriculum options, go to www.lifeway.com/sundayschool