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 Jump to Brief Model Description on this page.
View a Flash Presentation about the Rotation Model
in your browser, or download a copy to share with others.

This above link is for "over and above" giving to the Rotation.org Fund
To become a Supporting Member in the Lesson Exchange, go to www.rotation.org/member
 

"How About a New Model for Sunday School?"
A Brief Description of the Rotation Model --An article by Neil MacQueen reprinted from Presbyterian Outlook Magazine. 

View a Flash Presentation about the Rotation Model
in your browser, or download a copy to share with others.

"How the Workshop Rotation Model Transformed our Sunday School" ...by Ardys Sabin.

"Is It Working?"
...One church's report on the model's dramatic successes 7 months into their start-up.

The Rotation Model in My Church
--an article about Rotation concepts and results in Grace Community Church, Raleigh NC

Five Reasons Why the Workshop Rotation Model is STILL the Model of Choice

How the Rotation Model Can Fail (and its keys to success)

How much $$$ does it take to start the Rotation Model?

Quotes from churches using the Rotation Model.

A Brief History of The Workshop Rotation Model

About Rotation.org

Article from a Small (100 member) Church in its 3rd year of Rotation

Lesson Writing and Curriculum Design Team Process
--who writes, writing guidelines, lesson template. An excellent article from Kirk of Kildaire Church in Cary NC.

Information to Transformation
--how to write/teach lessons that share the Good News, not just news. With examples.

How to Create a Scope and Sequence, aka "Six Year Plan" for your Rotation Sunday School ...a new & comprehensive article describing how a church might create a plan. It includes a plan from Neil MacQueen.

Teaching "About the Bible" in the Workshop Rotation Model
--a plan with principles to improve Bible literacy in your program, from Neil MacQueen. Includes a list of "what every 6th grader should know."

Preschoolers and Teens in Rotation Model
...a collection of comments and suggestions.

Rotation Schedule Examples --How to do a five week rotation with only three classes, and the classic "four weeks, four workshops" example, etc.

Article about the Seven Intelligences

Workshop Rotation Model and Gardner's Seven Intelligences
--this article also contains a brief description of how the Rotation Model works.

Guidelines for Shepherds ...from Steve and Brenda Klusmeyer, OK City OK

Teacher Recruiting Basics for a Rotation Sunday School
--tips from Karen Whitely, a happy and successful teacher recruiter.

Observations about "Change" (or lack thereof) in the public school system that the Rotation movement should ponder.

Computers in Christian Education...text an article from Presbyterian Outlook magazine describing why pastors and leaders may want to consider this medium.

Resources and Rationale for Music in Rotation
...a resource page in progress

Evaluating our Sunday Schools and our Sunday School Kids

Evaluation Form Suggestions
--questions to ask teachers/parents/students about your Rotation Model.

A Good Friday Day Camp Using the Rotation Model
--article and photos from St. Timothy Lutheran, Marion Ohio

John Calvin on Sunday School (and the Rotation Model)

Using the Rotation Model in Confirmation

Faith Lutheran, Longmont Colorado's Description of their Confirmation Rotation Model.

Student Journaling in the Rotation Model

Promoting Rotation Sunday School and Attracting New Members
--a list of ideas and some frank "thinking" from Neil MacQueen

Brief Article --Copyrights and Borrowing Other People's Lesson Ideas

Extended Article --Copyright Guidelines for Churches writing their own materials with other resources.

CE Committees....Help or Hindrance? 

Hiring a Christian Educator ...some tips and challenges.

Study on Sunday School Volunteers as it relates to Rotation Model ...a graduate paper.

Barna Research's webpage Full report on the connection between attendance as young person and lifelong church attendance. 

Summary of Barna Research report here at Rotation.org Children's attendance critical to long term attendance. Youth activities held in some suspicion.

Research into the "Other" Benefits of Sunday School and Active Church Attendance --an article published at Neil MacQueen's software website.

View more Rotation pics

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The Workshop Rotation Model was first developed in the Chicago suburbs in the early '90s by a number of Presbyterian churches seeking to solve their chronic Sunday School problems: boring curriculum, boring classrooms, boring teaching methods, bored kids, apathetic parents, and low bible literacy. These churches wanted to teach bible stories in a creative manner every week without the crushing burden of having to find and prepare new material each week. They were trying to find a way out of the curriculum"quest for the Holy Grail" that always seemed to come up short. They also wanted to overhaul their classrooms on the cheap to make them the kid-friendly places they needed to be to attract kids back to the classroom. Out of those experiments came the Workshop Rotation Model.

The Workshop-Rotation Model reorganizes the way you teach, not what you teach. Born are creative kid friendly workshops: The Drama Room, The Art Room, The A-V Workshop, Bible Skills and Games Room, the Computer Lab, the Puppet Workshop (and there are more and you can call them anything you want).

Kids rotate by class into a different workshop each week for a four, five or six week period. During that period of time, the story they learn is the same in each workshop. Kids love repetition and need it to remember their lessons. Because each of the workshops teaches through a different style of learning, the kids don't get bored. Instead, this multiple-intelligences approach enhances the learning process.

Here's the final key: The workshop teachers stay put. They don't rotate with the kids (though many churches have class shepherds who do stay with kids). Teachers teach in the workshop of their strength and the lesson stays the same for several weeks in a row. This means they plan less and get better as the weeks go by. By the second or third week, they don't even need the lesson outline in their hand.

Lesson plans for the Workshop Rotation Model are simple and the teacher adjusts them making them better each week. The real difference between this model and the traditional classroom model is that each workshop takes its time teaching the story through one mode. No more frenetic six part lesson plans with barely enough time to get everything done. No more 5 minute crafts either. Instead, you'll be using real art projects that take quality time and contemplation. Of course, each lesson includes bible study and discussion.

Because most teachers will naturally adjust the age appropriateness of their lesson plan on their own, you don't need to come up with separate lesson plans for each class. Just a few age appropriate notes and adjustments will do. And because most of those using the model believe in sharing their materials and great ideas, we glean from each other's materials and those from our resource centers, instead of buying new curriculum every quarter.

And wait until you see what the model has meant to the churches using it! It has unleashed creativity and resources in an exciting way. Once drab facilities are now bursting with kids and creative spaces. Money locked up in curriculum purchases is now free. The website holds a number of "Our Stories" vignettes with pictures. Take a look.

The website www.rotation.org is a good example of the cooperative spirit those using the model are enjoying. You browse what you want, print what you like, and shape it to meet your own needs. All the material on the site is copyrighted by its authors (people like you), however, they give their permission to you to freely use it for non-profit purposes in your Sunday School. As the website and cooperative spirit expands, you'll see much more. We invite you to contribute your ideas, suggestions, and creative materials. We think this kind of site is a revolution in the making, one the denominational publishers aren't necessarily keen on. As one put it, "how can we give away resources for free?" Another called it the "third rail for traditional curriculum publishers." Oh well.

Who's behind this website? You'll see some of our names listed at the site. We're an ad hoc group of churches, educators and pastors from several denominations who have had great success using the model and want to spread the word and make resources easy to get. Up until now, we have been fielding phone calls and mailing packets of info from our church offices. This site makes our information easier to get and free. We fund this site out of our own pockets and donations. We invite you to browse our site, email us for more information. You are welcome to join with us or take whatever you need and go do God's work with his kids.

Written by Neil MacQueen for rotation.org

This article and other articles at this site may be copied with permission provided that its author and source (www.rotation.org) are included.