We believe that the open system method underlying the A.P. curriculum is an innovative, extremely effective way to produce a superior Bible school curriculum. The system will only work, however, if creative, sound Christians add their originality and effort to the project. We believe that a curriculum focused on God's Word, and produced by a communal effort of His people, will provide the best teaching tool possible. In order to make this happen, those who use the curriculum will need to help improve it by adding their creative, original ideas to it. Thus, your help will be essential to the success of A.P.'s open system curriculum. We hope that after you peruse the Web site and see the curriculum, you will be asking, "What can I do?" With that question in mind, here are some ways to help.

      One aspect of any elementary teaching tool that always enhances its effectiveness is quality artwork. As you are working through the curriculum, if you see any aspects of the material that could use a good illustration, simply draw or create an original piece of artwork and submit it to the curriculum. For instance, on Lesson 1 of the Old Testament 1 section, under the heading "Learning Centers," is the suggestion that you "make a Bible books train with names of each book on train cars." If you took the time to draw a train with the books of the Bible on the cars, then you could submit that to the curriculum so that the next person would not need to "re-invent the wheel" by drawing a train that you had already drawn. In fact, if several people did this, then the curriculum could have multiple Bible trains from which to choose. The work that a congregation would normally do anyway—making a Bible book train—would be used to save other congregations valuable time and resources. Of course, the artwork would have to be the original work of someone at the congregation, not something taken off the Internet.

      Also, people with layout and design skills will be extremely helpful. At the present, the curriculum is being put together in Adobe InDesign. If you are familiar with this program and can volunteer your time to layout artwork and activities that others submit to the curriculum, that would be extremely valuable.

      There will always be a need for good songs that accompany the material being taught. For instance, suppose you came up with an original song to help children remember the names of the tribes of Israel. Submit that song to the curriculum and others can use your song to help teach their kids. Even better, record the song in an audio format (like an MP3) and send in the audio file. That way, a teacher will have, not only the words and tune, but the melody as well.

      As you use the curriculum, if you have ideas for different activities that would be helpful to rein-force the material being taught, those would be helpful. In addition, if you have material that would help flesh-out the text, like knowledge of some historical fact, that could be very helpful, as well. Additional ideas for learning centers or games are always beneficial.

      One of the best ways you can help is simply to offer your opinion. What aspects of the curriculum do you like? What would you like to see done differently? What are your suggestions about how to change this or fix that? In truth, even if you don't add any original artwork, tunes, lyrics, or activities, your ideas may be the catalyst for others to make improvements.

      In Philippians 1:27, Paul urged his readers to strive together for the faith of the Gospel. In that spirit, A.P.'s open system curriculum is an effort to bring together the talents and abilities of thousands of Christians for the building up and edification of the Lord's church.