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    SCOPE AND SEQUENCE AUTHOR BIOS

    WHAT IS TOGETHER?

    TOGETHER is an innovative approach to Bible study that is designed to help congregations develop a sense of true belonging among people of all levels of ability. Through the use of interactive videos, Bible presentations, discussion prompts, and more, people with and without disabilities can grow in faith TOGETHER. TOGETHER has two parallel tracks of study. The first is designed for use in a traditional disability ministry setting, such as the 1,000+  Friendshipgroups that are active in the US and Canada. It offers activities, such as worship songs and dramas, that are appropriate to larger groups. The second track is designed to support the formation of small groups that include adults with and without disabilities. It contains more challenging discussion prompts, while keeping the interactive flavor that will appeal to adults of all learning abilities. The topics are relevant to both populations and both tracks contain appropriate supports to enable the full participation of all.

    “I asked my daughter who has Down syndrome how she felt about the new
    material. She said, ‘I like it really much. God blessed me with the videos.’”

    SAMPLE SESSION

    LEARN MORE

    SCOPE AND SEQUENCE

    Each session is presented in two versions: one for Friendship groups and one for inclusive adult small groups.

    UNIT 1: CHOOSE COURAGE

    SESSION 01:
    Courage When Life is Tough
    		 Numbers 14
    SESSION 02:
    God is with You
    		 Deuteronomy 31:1-8
    SESSION 03:
    Learning to Listen
    		 Joshua 1
    SESSION 04:
    Into the Water
    		 Joshua 3
    SESSION 05:
    Stones
    		 Joshua 4
    SESSION 06:
    Courage for a Lifetime
    		 Joshua 14

    UNIT 2: JESUS: FACE TO FACE

    SESSION 01:
    Meeting Jesus Through Other People
    		 Luke 5:17-26
    SESSION 02:
    Meeting Jesus When We Feel Lonely
    		 John 4:3-30; 39-42
    SESSION 03:
    Meeting Jesus When We Are Not Well
    		 Mark 5:22-43
    SESSION 04:
    Meeting Jesus When We Feel Guilty
    		 Luke 19:1-10
    SESSION 05:
    Meeting Jesus with His Scars
    		 Luke 24:36-49
    SESSION 06:
    Meeting Jesus Through Our Doubt
    		 John 20:19-29
    SESSION 07:
    Meeting Jesus Through the Faith of Others
    		 2 Timothy 1:2-7
    SESSION 08:
    Meeting Jesus Again and Again
    		 Acts 9:10-19

    UNIT 3: UNWRAPPING YOUR GIFTS

    SESSION 01:
    What Are Spiritual Gifts? (Part 1)
    		 Acts 6:1-7; 8:26-39
    SESSION 02:
    What Are Spiritual Gifts? (Part 2)
    		 Acts 9:36-43
    SESSION 03:
    What are My Spiritual Gifts?
    		 Exodus 3:7-10; 4:1-16
    SESSION 04:
    What Is the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts?
    		 Acts 2:42-46; 12:1-16
    SESSION 05:
    How Can I Use My Gifts?
    		 Acts 16:16-34

    UNIT 4: LIVING WITH PAIN

    SESSION 01:
    Everyone Hurts
    		 Romans 8:18-30
    SESSION 02:
    Why Pain?
    		 Romans 8:19-22; John 9:1-7
    SESSION 03:
    “Why, God?”
    		 Romans 8:22-23; Mark 15:25-34
    SESSION 04:
    God is With Us
    		 Romans 8:26-27; Daniel 3:16-30
    SESSION 05:
    We Walk Together
    		 Romans 8:29; Ruth 1
    SESSION 06:
    We Have Hope
    		 Romans 8:24-25, 28-30; Job 1:13-20; 19:23-27

    UNIT 5: PRAY.!?

    SESSION 01:
    Wow!
    		 Matthew 6:9; Matthew 7:7-11
    SESSION 02:
    Please Help
    		 Matthew 6:10-11; 1 Samuel 1:1-20
    SESSION 03:
    Sorry
    		 Matthew 6:12; Luke 18:9-14
    SESSION 04:
    Why?
    		 Matthew 6:13; Psalm 137
    SESSION 05:
    Thanks
    		 Matthew 6:9-13; Ezra 1:1-3; 3:10-13
    SESSION 06:
    Pray.!? Review
    		  

    UNIT 6: CREATION KEEPERS

    SESSION 01:
    Created to be Caretakers
    		 Genesis 1 – 2:3
    SESSION 02:
    Ruined
    		 Genesis 3:1-19
    SESSION 03:
    Called to be Rulers
    		 Psalm 8
    SESSION 04:
    New Creation
    		 Revelation 21:1, Isaiah 11:6-9

    UNIT 7: ROAD TO JERUSALEM

    SESSION 01:
    Taking Up the Way
    		 Luke 9:18-26
    SESSION 02:
    The Way of Self-Reliance or the Way of Trust
    		 Luke 18:18-23 and Luke 10:1-11
    SESSION 03:
    The Way of Compassion
    		 Luke 10:25-37
    SESSION 04:
    The Way of Peace
    		 Luke 19:29-44
    SESSION 05:
    Losing Our Way
    		 Luke 22:39-54
    SESSION 06:
    The Way of Forgiveness
    		 Luke 23:33-46
    SESSION 07:
    The Way Goes On
    		 Luke 24:13-35

    CHRISTMAS UNITS

    UNIT C1:
    Mary: Giving Birth to Good News
    		 Luke 1:26-56; Luke 2:1-19
    UNIT C2:
    Joseph: Christmas Starts with Compassion
    		 Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:4-7
    UNIT C3:
    Magi: Unexpected Guests
    		 Matthew 2:1-12

    COMING UP NEXT…

    Acts: Living in Community
    Covenant: The Long Haul God

    ABOUT THE AUTHORS

    Robert De Moor
    Author of Focusing on God’s Word for Unwrapping Your Gifts
    Robert De Moor has been in Gospel ministry for over forty years. He has served as a lead pastor in five congregations and as editor-in-chief of Faith Alive Christian Resources for eight years. He has also served as editor-in-chief of his denomination’s official monthly magazine, The Banner. In his pastoral ministry De Moor has worked closely with Friendship leaders to plan Sunday worship services and messages for the whole congregation that were led by, and tuned to the needs and interests of, Friendship participants. Those services have always been his favorite.

    Barb Newman
    Author of Choose Courage; Mary: Giving Birth to Good News; and Pray.!?
    Barbara J. Newman is a church and school consultant for CLC Network. She is the author of several books, including Accessible Gospel, Inclusive Worship, Helping Kids Include Kids with Disabilities, Nuts and Bolts of Inclusive Education, Autism and Your Church, and Body Building: Devotions to Celebrate Inclusive Community. She has written curriculum for Friendship Ministries, serves as a program affiliate for Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, and is a frequent national speaker at educational and church conferences. She was the recipient of the Henri J. M. Nouwen award in 2015. In addition to writing and speaking, Barbara enjoys working in her classroom at Zeeland Christian School.

    Mark Stephenson
    Author of Focusing on God’s Word for Choose Courage and Living with Pain
    Rev. Mark Stephenson, M.Div., Th.M., was ordained as Minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in 1989. He served as pastor of two churches before becoming Director of Disability Concerns for the CRC in 2006.
    Mark has served on the Friendship Ministries board, executive committee, and curriculum committee for the past two years. Previously, he was involved with a Friendship group for 16 years. He and his wife, Bev, have six living children, including their oldest, Nicole, who was born extremely prematurely and lives joyfully with severe, multiple disabilities.

    Victoria White
    Author of Living with Pain
    Victoria White is Church Services Coordinator for CLC Network, author of curriculum for her church’s children’s ministry, and TOGETHER curriculum. She has edited several books, working with Zondervan and CLC Network (including CLC Network’s latest publication, Accessible Gospel, Inclusive Worship). She has been a part of the inclusion support team at Zeeland Christian School, has overcome a debilitating chronic illness, and now speaks at ministry conferences and churches nationwide.

    Barry Chance
    Author of Focusing on God’s Word for Jesus: Face to Face; Mary: Giving Birth to Good News; Uwrapping Your Gifts; and Pray.!? 
    Rev. Barry Chance is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hammond, Louisiana. He holds degrees in Business Management and Religious Studies from North Carolina State University and a Masters of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary. He currently serves on the board of Evergreen Life Services, a Presbyterian ministry that provides supports for people with developmental disabilities, and previously served 7 years on the board of Friendship Ministries, including several years as president. He was part of the design team for the Friendship Psalms book. He also served as a mentor and program leader for a Friendship Class in Shreveport, Louisiana, for seven years when he was a pastor there.

    Tom Joustra
    Author of Jesus: Face to Face
    Tom has been an educator in Christian schools for 32 years. He has spent 27 of those years at Zeeland Christian School, where students with different disabilities have been included in his classroom from third grade up to sixth grade. He has led adult Bible studies, served as an elder, and is currently one of the leaders of a missional community at his church where he helps lead the group in times of worship, fellowship, and outreach to a local nursing home.

    Evelyn McMullen
    Author of Unwrapping Your Gifts 
    Dr. Evelyn McMullen has more than 30 years’ experience in Christian education ministry at congregational and district levels. Since 2004, her ministry has focused on reaching out to the community of people with developmental disabilities in Lakeland, Florida. She holds a masters’ degree from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (Richmond, VA) and a doctor of educational ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA). Dr. McMullen’s dissertation was on the spiritual life of adults with intellectual disabilities. She says, “Bible study has been an important part of my Christian journey. I’m grateful for the way my fellow-learners in Friendship Groups have opened my heart to deeper understanding of God’s Word.” Dr. McMullen is the executive director of Bright Threads Ministries, a nonprofit which trains church leaders and volunteers to “weave people of ALL abilities into the Body of Christ.”

    Patricia Nederveld
    Author of Joseph: Christmas Begins with Compassion
    Patricia Nederveld is a retired educator and curriculum developer who worked for Faith Alive Christian Resources for many years. Her first assignment (in 1980) was to give shape to the original Friendship curriculum material. She has also served as writer and editor for general church education materials for children, teens, and adults, including the God Loves Me series for preschoolers. She spent fourteen years as Managing Editor of Faith Alive before retiring—and continues to serve Friendship Ministries as a writer and reviewer.