Overview

Echoes emphasizes application, not just information! Echoes—the curriculum exclusively for the African-American church— highlights the inclusiveness of people of color throughout biblical history. The African-American community will identify with its presentation of the Gospel in culturally relevant ways.

At the heart of Echoes, you’ll find God-honoring biblical values and a commitment to excellence. This curriculum ensures that every student learns according to his or her particular learning style—and no one gets left behind. With the Unified Theme Approach your entire congregation will be learning the same biblical principles, every student at every age, but at their own level of development.

Here's what churches love about Echoes–it:

• Is easy to prepare and teach.
• Provides sequential Bible teaching.
• Is Bible-based and Christ-centered.
• Recognizes life needs of students–toddlers through adults–and reveals life-impacting biblical applications.
• Is relevant to every kind of learner – active or studious, social or shy – so no student is left out.

Unified Theme Approach

Teach for application, not just information! Students need a solid foundation of Scripture learning, but Bible information is not enough. How can you make sure that you're teaching your students and not just covering the lesson material?

The Unified Lesson theme approach in Echoes materials will help you accomplish this important goal. Your entire congregation will be learning the same biblical principles, every student at every age, but at their own level of development. We've specifically designed this approach to unify all Sunday school classes in the common goal of a greater understanding of God's Word.

Following this unified plan brings your congregation together in a way that strengthens it and extends the valuable lessons learned in Sunday school into the home. This foundation serves to begin a discipleship process that continues for a lifetime.

Echoes Summary

Our Heritage: The Black Church and Echoes

Echoes is committed to passing on our shared heritage as we serve the Christian education needs of today's black churches and homes. You will find the following in words and pictures in Echoes curriculum:

• Our heritage in the Bible, including our ancestry in the Garden of Eden, on the ark, in the twelve tribes of Israel, and throughout the Bible peoples of the Old and the New Testaments.
  
• Our heritage in church history. Simon of Cyrene, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, and Augustine all North Africans are among our scholars, theologians, writers, and teachers.
  
• The great oral tradition of our faithful forebears black preachers and teachers who traveled on foot and by horse and buggy to tell their Christian testimonies and urge early African Americans to believe the Holy Bible is reflected in Echoes Bible stories.
  
• Our heritage of community leaders who have brought us and taught us through resounding sermons delivered from pulpits, through songs of sorrow and songs of joy, through tireless training in our church schools are presented in Echoes as role models.
  
• Our caring culture of elders grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles our "great cloud of witnesses" have brought home to us their trials, tribulations, and an intimate understanding of how they survived ill treatment. They have unfailingly testified to us about God's deliverance the Good News and the promises of the abundant life for future generations.

We have tasted God's deliverance and must not forget that heritage. Across our diverse denominations and churches we can sing Albert A. Goodson's lyric: "We've come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord, trusting in His Holy Word, and He's never failed [us] yet. Oh, can't turn around, we've come this far by faith."

We at Echoes are committed to the work of remembering all that we have inherited with the central focus of teaching by doing God's Holy Word. We cannot turn around. We've come this far by faith. We will continue to press with you toward the mark of our high calling in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-15).

For over 10 years, Echoes has been faithful to Scripture, culturally relevant, and educationally sound, providing teachers, Christian educators, and leaders with an effective tool that will keep students excited about Sunday school. These materials have been developed specifically to meet the needs of the African-American or multi-ethnic church and to provide a quality Christian education for your students.