wfn.org | In an era of declining sales, denominational publisher bucks

["Henry Hess" <hessh@crcna.ca>]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Nov. 2, 2004 - Faith Alive Christian Resources
announced today that sales of its Sunday school materials have increased by
40 percent over the same period last year. The increase coincides with the
introduction of the new Walk With Me curriculum, which was launched in July.

"We've never had a curriculum get such a positive response in such a short
time," said Gary Mulder, executive director of Faith Alive. "It's truly
remarkable - especially given recent trends." 

This comes at a time when many denominationally-owned publishers have been
losing sales to other large publishers. "There's no question that many of our
members have lost ground in recent years," says Alan Meyer, executive
director of the Protestant Church-Owned Publishers' Association. "Declining
curriculum sales has been a hot topic at most of our meetings."

Mulder says the success of Walk With Me shows that churches do want a
curriculum that fits their theology. But they also want one that has solid
pedagogy, engaging design, and is easy to teach. "They don't want to
sacrifice quality for theology. They want both."

In the case of Walk With Me, that meant developing a curriculum that was
engaging - yet stayed true to its Reformed/Presbyterian roots. "We've added
colorful leader guides and flashy student pieces," said Ruth VanderHart,
managing editor, "but the belief system presented in the curriculum is still
by far the most important thing."

That belief system, Mulder argues, is unique to each curriculum on the
market. "There's a false notion that all Sunday school curriculums teach the
same thing. Yes, they all teach the gospel message and for that we're
thankful. But in 10 years of Sunday school, children also learn how to
interpret and apply that message to their lives and to the world around them.
That's where huge differences can exist from one curriculum to the next."

That distinctiveness appeals to a wider audience than just the Christian
Reformed churches that funded the development of Walk With Me. Churches from
various Reformed and Presbyterian denominations appreciate its approach and,
in fact, make up more than half of the total sales. "It's an excellent
curriculum," says Jeff Japinga, minister for education and faith development
for the Reformed Church in America. "I'm pleased that such a wide variety of
our congregations are using it."

Walk With Me also is endorsed by Presbyterians for Renewal (PFR), an
organization of about 3,000 churches within the Presbyterian Church USA. "We
looked at everything on the market and nothing came close to Walk With Me,"
says Meri MacLeod, PFR board member and a professor of education at Western
Theological Seminary. "From both theological and educational perspectives,
it's outstanding. That's why we chose to recommend it for our churches."

Faith Alive is confident that other churches will agree with that assessment.
"The growth is strong," says Mulder, "but when you look at the total number
of Reformed and Presbyterian churches, the potential is even greater. As more
churches find out about this curriculum over the coming months, we expect the
trend will continue."

Details about the Walk With Me curriculum can be found at 
www.WalkWithMeOnline.org

About Faith Alive Christian Resources - Faith Alive Christian Resources is a
not-for-profit publisher based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that specializes in
ministry resources for Reformed and Presbyterian churches. Product areas
include Sunday school curriculum, youth resources, small group Bible studies,
worship resources, and materials for other church-based ministries. Faith
Alive is a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church in North America,
although the majority of its sales are to churches from other Presbyterian
and Reformed denominations. www.FaithAliveResources.org 

Contact: Felicia VandenBranden
(616) 224-0729 or vandenbf@crcna.org
-30-

---------------------------------
Henry Hess
Director of Communications
Christian Reformed Church
905-336-2920 ext.236
hessh@crcna.ca

To learn more about the Christian Reformed Church, visit www.crcna.org