Why Orange Curriculum is Bad

In this eye-opening podcast episode, Elizabeth Urbanowicz analyzes the effectiveness of the popular Orange Curriculum and discusses the pitfalls of proof-texting moral lessons. We'll even look at scripture-based alternatives to Orange Curriculum. Don't miss this essential conversation on transforming kids' ministry for the better!

For show notes and transcript visit:

Resources Mentioned:
Preparing Kids to Confront Unbiblical Ideas within Christianity

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[deanpollard]

I don't dissagree. But must every other curriculum be so boring? No one is competing with Orange. If we want better, we have to write better.

[twanettefourie]

So valuable. Thank you for tip on the key words!

[KevnReid]

Here is my take, and I would love to hear other people give their thoughts to challenge mine.

I'm not a children's ministry director, but I have worked and volunteered in churches that have used Orange and have been able to be involved with thinking through strategies for teaching kids the Bible and using Sunday school curriculum, as well as have used the material as a sunday school teacher myself. The way I would succinctly describe Orange is that I find it "theologically lacking." I think it is far from great, but it is also far from outright heretical.

My (limited) experience with children's curriculum is that you don't get "excellent everywhere." That is to say, you *either* get really great theology and grounded Biblical Lessons OR you get all the "extra" stuff that comes with curriculum. All that polished nice stuff that is easy to work with and takes hours off of time needed to put together online media for website and socials, newsletters, bulletins, decorations for your spaces, videos and graphics etc. Think of all the sorts of things that just take a lot of time.

The thing is, on a surface level, it seems like it would be great to eschew all the "flash in the pan" sort of stuff and just keep things basic and focus on the Bible. But you still need to communicate with your people, you still need to have stuff to show to your kids so you aren't just lecturing to them. You still need games that have been thought through from a pedagogical perspective so that they actually teach and aren't just filler, and on and on. That all is necessary EVEN WHEN you intend to "keep things simple" and aren't aiming for flashy and cool. And those things take a lot of time.

When you buy children's curriculum you are going to have to adapt it to your specific use. If the theology is lacking you're going to have to adapt it and make it more robust. When all the extra stuff is missing you are going to have to spend time creating all THAT material. As a children's minister, what do you actually want to spend your time on? Do you want to spend your time on graphic design and coming up with theme ideas and making sure activities and crafts are actually teaching, or do you want to spend time adapting the lessons to make sure that they are the best, most truthful teaching? And even if you get the best of the best, most robust, theologically sound curriculum, I would hope you are still going over the actual content with a fine-tooth comb!

So with all that in mind, I think a curriculum that puts all the "extra" stuff on autopilot so you really don't have to put attention to it, and where the director and volunteers can focus their time on the content and making sure it is great VS one where they know the content is great and so put that on autopilot but then need to spend all their time adapting (or outright creating ... because let's be honest, it often just isn't there!) all of the extra material they need to run a Sunday school.

Now, this obviously only applies if you find Orange (or similar) materials "lacking." If you think it is heresy, we'll need to have a different conversation. I personally think that Orange has good bones, it is just far too generic (in order to appeal to as wide an audience as possible) and needs a lot of supplementary work to fit a church's specific theological bent.

But to end on my experience, when I was young I taught Sunday school without curriculum and would pour hours and hours into making engaging lessons for the kids without the aid of curriculum. I just don't have that time anymore (any also, because of my inexperience, I'm not sure that hand-crafted lessons were getting a theology boost anyway--I don't think anyone looks at a young person teaching other young people the Bible and thinks that the best quality of such an arrangement is that young person's advanced expertise!).

On the other hand, when I volunteered at a church that used Orange most of that ground work was done for me. I didn't have to think about, for example, a short game that fits the theme and displays a teachable moment to insert when the grade 2 boys needed to move. All of those sorts of things were supplied for me! On the other hand, I always knew I could easily crack open the Bible and spend more time making sure the kids understood the story of the day, or spend more time going over the memory verse, or spend more time in prayer. or spend time explaining how the story connects to the Gospel message. None of those things needed me to spend hours in advance crafting lesson materials, or hours afterwards crafting follow-up materials. The only prep I needed for those things was making sure that I myself was grounded in God's Word and I was familiar with the Bible story I was teaching--which were things that I would be doing whether I was teaching Sunday school or not.

I think a great curriculum is one where your leaders can show up spiritually prepared (and with knowledge of the lesson plan) and all of the rest of the work is largely taken care of--either by the curriculum itself, or because the curriculum makes it easy to streamline that prep. I notice that for many "theologically great" curriculums, all of that sort of prep is the part that is "lacking." I'm seeing this even now as our children's minister has moved to a different curriculum to get something more Biblically grounded than Orange and her workload has massively increased. Do you want your teachers spending their valuable time in spiritual preparation, or in lesson plan and activity preparation?

Just my thoughts though, and I would love to hear others' inputs. Especially if you've encountered curriculum that is excellent on both fronts.

[gailmitchell]

Wow!! Thank you so much for showing how good character and morals are NOT what leads us to the Savior!!! We need to know that we need to decrease and let Him increase as The Savior, Redeemer, Healer, Hero of every day!!!

[jessafarrisfraser]

Thank you for this video. You received a lot of backlash, which is always to be expected when you speak out u comfortable truths. I had to leave a church in 2020 because it was leading my children and myself toward fun rather than doctrine. They still use Orange. I’m in a small, foundational church now which does have the children following along with a solid sermon every week. Church being only about fun has been devastating to the generations of the last 100 years.

[cemmett]

I feel you're definitely missing some key understanding. You're doing to the Orange curriculum what you accuse them of doing to scripture.

You perused their stuff and cherry picked out things that fit your point.

If you did a full deep dive into the motivation of creation, their goals, fluid structure and child development based approach you would have a better understanding of why their lessons are done the way they are and how they are designed as a singular tower building strategy of faith.

Ive deep dived on dozens of curriculums, and havent found any with such a comprehensive, family & church unified structure. I went through all of this to go "ma'am didnt read the book. She should've started there and then started with Reggie Joiner videos."

Your policy that children dont actually need an age appropriate teaching unless its before or after corporate worship is a proven fallacy. Were losing 80% of our youth at 18 to unbelief. Less than half of them ever come back or identify as a Christian within 15 years after they leave as an adult.

Many are bored, unengaged, and have no basic understanding of the foundational principles of their denomination or church at the age of 18. Studies show that outside of attending church, many parents have little to no idea how to disciple their own children. They come to church and expect the church to teach and disciple their children.

How many hours with these children do parents have vs the church?

Orange tackles these issues in a practical way that makes sense for parents with all age group's and reinstates the community and village mind set the church is supoosed to be.

How do you expect to accurately criticize concepts when you don't seem to grasp the actual time the average family is willing to invest in attending church and your ending statement is to dissolve children's church?

Yes there are great curriculums that exist out there. This might be one of them. But you're missing core structures of the American family dynamic, child development structures for learning and connection, and dissolving the concept of age appropriate learning. Nevermind the issue of the current issues of the amount of teens and young adults who walk away from the church with no foundational principles or belief.

[bitsueshow]

I really found your podcast very helpful. Blessings

[RionPhotography]

Kids love it when you're super preachy with them, definitely keeps your church growing

[missramireztr]

I'm meeting with my church about Orange. I am nervous because there is so much to cover.

[edburton]

I would encourage all of you who have criticisms around orange curriculum to download their sample curriculum and see for yourself. Jesus is at the center of what they do, and this video is poorly representing what Orange curriculum and Orange strategy is all about.

[AndreaPerez-mfju]

I feel like this is a completely misrepresented review. I am both a small group leader at a church that uses orange, and a mom of four kids taught by orange curriculum.

Orange is a strong believer in the church and family working together to teach the children. Which as a mom I love. They provide everything I need to dive deeper with my kids at home. They teach them to take a piece of scripture and literally apply it to life. For example in January the monthly theme was responsibility. They learned that when we show responsibility with little, we can be trusted with much. Another month we learned about what God says about friendship. And when my kids were struggling with friends I could ask them what God says and they could quote the scripture and turn it all back to God. God is 100% at the center of the curriculum. It does not teach to depend on self.

Our church also did a family worship service today. Your suggestion that kids be in central worship is so off. My 2&4 year olds did not get anything out of the service, and neither did I. No, we don’t need to teach them to sit through the whole service, because toddlers aren’t meant to sit still for an hour.

I 100% disagree with this “review” and would not go to my church.

[ReachKeep]

Orange is a strategy not just a curriculum. You only reviewed a little bit of an all encompassing, family oriented, ministry strategy.
I disagree with your assessment. There are many applications from scriptures. Orange may choose one application from the book of acts, and you may choose another, but that doesn’t make theirs, shallow or nonexistent. There are multiple lessons from the story of David and Goliath. Just because one lesson focuses on a different application, doesn’t make it invalid or shallow.
Your negative predisposition toward the orange curriculum shows pretty loudly!

[lisfong]

This was great! I've been reading some books on biblical parenting and I was really annoyed that they treat scripture the same way...basically cherry picking a scripture out of context to "support" their point when clearly it isn't even talking about their point. Thank you for addressing this issue! The Bible always points us to Jesus and our need for him; that's what we as parents and teachers must do as well! Thanks Elizabeth and team!

[FRN]

Thanks, Elizabeth. I'm concerned about the mega-church that sent my wife and me as missionaries to the Philippines. They use Orange. Your video will help my friends 'back home' to hopefully persuade the church's pastors to dump it. (I just sent your video to them.)

[asawade]

💯thank you so much for the great care to keep pointing families to Jesus and His Truth.

[abrahamcarrillo]

L take hahah.
these criticisms are all ways out of context. from a glance you are inserting opinion and biases and how you assume what they are saying. they are sharing biblical principles just like you. teaching truths. Jesus is always glorified. you both are on the same team man. reaching kids with the Bible in a relevant and meaningful way. this is why genz and alpha will roll their eyes on companies like you.

[TheBravedave]

another brilliant podcast - thank you so much. Given me some great next steps to follow up with at my own church

[HannahleeGoedelman]

I completely disagree with your interpretation and as a person who definitely hasn’t invested enough into actually understanding the strategy of Orange you are way off base.

[DelmarPeet]

you nailed it! My previous church used to use the orange material. It’s like sweet frog for church. It’s very appealing, but altogether unhealthy and not nutritious. Thank you for this.

[KatieDuggleby]

As a kids and youth pastor for almost 20 years I feel like this video stated some BIG OPINIONS based on a very shallow understanding of the Orange Curriculum's strategy. Maybe do a bit more homework before making such bold claims about another ministry's Kingdom impact being "BAD." This kind of polarization that is rampant in our culture is not what the body of Christ should be wasting it's time doing within the Church... If the gospel of Jesus is being proclaimed with Holy Spirit power, and Kids are being saved, baptized, and learning to use their spiritual gifts, because leaders and parents are freed up to disciple them with solid resources (Which is what my church is experiencing using Orange) then why should another disciple spend so much time and energy pumping up their own *HUMAN* opinion in order to sell what... Your own curriculum... C'mon Church let's do better than this!! Let's follow Paul's example and "Praise God that the gospel is being proclaimed and bearing fruit" and if it's not up to your exact preference specifications, then simply shift your focus and use all of that energy and passion investing into the local body of believers He's called you to love & lead, and trust the Holy Spirit at work elsewhere to empower people to teach, shepherd and train up the next generation. Jesus prayed for us to be One... meaning we can be UNITED even if we're not UNIFORM, and praise God for the diversity of the body of Christ! Conservative Evangelical American Christianity isn't the only TRUE GOSPEL. Period. Hard stop. If you keep saying that, that is *in my opinion* more dangerous than anything you're claiming Orange to be doing. The Global Church of Jesus Christ has spread through countless languages, cultures, throughout every continent, and generation (and though the work is not done) we can trust that we are part of the Great Cloud of Witnesses. Let's please brothers and sisters in Christ... stop calling each other BAD.