D6: The Next Generation

By Danny Conn, Ed.D.

In 2004, Randall House launched a new line of curriculum designed to help churches equip parents in their God-ordained role of discipling their children as outlined in Deuteronomy 6:5-7.

One of the unique aspects of the new curriculum was the “every age on the same page” concept. Elementary students, teens, and adults studied the same biblical theme each week. The themes were even adapted for preschool students and three themes were presented each quarter in bite-sized portions for the youngest members of the family.

Originally identified as CLEAR curriculum for the trademarked CLEAR Learning System® developed by Randall House and employed in the lessons, the curriculum was renamed D6 Curriculum in response to the popular use of the term by customers. The curriculum continued to use the CLEAR Learning System so teachers could help students Connect, Learn, Explore, Apply, and Respond to biblical truths and principles in the lesson.

The D6 concept has gone viral. It hit a felt need in families—marriage, parenting, and kids all of which need a real connection. The D6 Conference has broadened the awareness of the need for churches to help parents to be directly involved in training their children to love God and His Word. Parents and churches have embraced the D6 philosophy. Other Christian publishers have followed suit and now produce curriculum that incorporates a family ministry approach to varying degrees. Randall House is pleased that God has used our ministry to reach across His kingdom. We continue to help shape family ministry and generational discipleship.

Randall House is recognized as a leading voice in family ministry. In ten years of producing D6 curriculum and six years of presenting the D6 Conference, we have learned even more about this foundational biblical principle and how to more effectively equip parents and teachers to train the next generation to love God and His Word. D6 2nd Generation curriculum is the natural outgrowth of this process.

D6 2nd Generation will maintain the “every age on the same page” approach. It will continue to tell the story of the Bible in a six-year scope and sequence to promote biblical literacy. The CLEAR Learning System will be adapted to emphasize application after each point of the lesson and the Explore portion will be expanded throughout the lesson to include a timeline of biblical and world events, key word studies, connections between Old and New Testaments, prophecies and fulfillments, and other important background, cultural, and exegetical aspects of the biblical text.

The most significant differences in D6 2nd Generation curriculum will be the structure of the 13 weeks of the quarter and increased emphasis on biblical worldview. D6 curriculum has always represented a biblical worldview, but the 2nd Generation will include features that focus on helping people define, develop, and defend a biblical worldview. The revised structure of the quarter will enable this approach.

D6 2nd Generation will include three units each quarter. Each unit will be a 4 or 5-week Bible study. The schedule will provide more opportunities for new people to join in on the beginning of a study. The length of each study provides more manageable portions. Each quarter will include a study from the Old Testament and a study from the New Testament, both of which will advance relatively chronologically through the Scripture, so students will learn the progression of the story of the Bible.

Each quarter will also include a special topic study on a key subject related to the Christian Faith and our culture. These studies will address a variety of subjects including apologetics, marriage and family, gender and sexuality, difficult questions, and other practical issues. Helping students recognize that the Bible is relevant to the 21st century, and how to properly understand it and apply it to daily decisions and actions is a key goal of the curriculum.

The family was God’s original small group designed for generational discipleship. Jesus also commissioned the church to make disciples of all nations. It is our prayer that D6 2nd Generation curriculum will help parents and church leaders fulfill their God-ordained responsibilities of teaching the next generation to love God, love His Word, and teach their children to do the same.

About the Author: Dr. Danny Conn is Editorial Director of curriculum at Randall House Publications. He and his wife Diane live in Antioch, Tennessee, and attend The Grove Church.