| Frequently Asked Questions: Formations
• Can you give me a brief summary of the features in the Formations Teaching Guide?
• The Resource Kit gives me a lot of additional teaching material. How can I take advantage of all that it provides?
• What does it mean that Formations is Access-linked?
• My Sunday school class likes to follow the International Sunday School Lessons. Does Formations follow this plan?
• How are Formations units chosen?
• How are the commentaries used in the lessons?
• What are the upcoming units for Formations?
Frequently Asked Questions: Adult Curriculum
• I’m trying to decide between the Uniform Series and Formations for my Sunday school class. How would you compare the two curriculum lines?
• I noticed that the Uniform Series uses the NIV translation while Formations uses the NRSV. Why not use the same translation for both curriculum lines?
• Is there any content difference between the Large Print Study Guides and the regular print versions?
• Does Smyth & Helwys offer adult curriculum for specific age groups, such as college students, young adults, or seniors?
• Does the Smyth & Helwys adult curriculum follow the Revised Common Lectionary?
• How are the writers chosen for Formations and the Uniform Series
• What is Smyth & Helwys Premium and why does my church need it?
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Can you give me a brief summary of the features in the Formations Teaching Guide?
Click here to see an overview of how the Formations Teaching Guide works.
The Resource Kit gives me a lot of additional teaching material. How can I take advantage of all that it provides?
 The Formations Resource Kit contains large and colorful posters announcing unit and lesson titles, dates, and Scriptures to be studied. There are also reproducible black and white pages that complement the Bible study with activities, reflection pieces, or additional information. As you prepare for each lesson, look for the Resource Kit symbol. It will indicate instances when the teaching option makes use of a Resource Kit page. When necessary, make sufficient copies of the piece before class*.
*Each Resource Kit permits reproduction for one class only.
What does it mean that Formations is Access-linked?
 Smyth & Helwys is proud to be a distributor of The Access Bible ™, the first resource specifically designed for use with Bible study curriculum. Based on the highly-acclaimed New Revised Standard Version, The Access Bible ™ offers learners outstanding scholarship through concise annotations and other user-friendly features that bring added meaning to the text. In each Formations session, the Access-link symbols direct learners to pertinent texts for that week’s lesson.
With its valuable study tools, The Access Bible ™ maximizes the potential of Formations, so that learners and teachers can discover how enjoyable and rewarding Bible study can be.
However, teachers and learners should feel free to use whatever translation they prefer in their personal study and in the classroom.
My Sunday school class likes to follow the International Sunday School Lessons. Does Formations follow this plan?
Formations provides a balanced course of study that follows a twelve-month topical calendar. We offer the Uniform Series for those seeking a curriculum that follows the International Sunday School Lessons plan.
How are Formations units chosen?
Formations units are developed according to a twelve-month topical calendar that affords both variety and balance of study throughout the year. This scope & sequence covers central issues and a wide range of Scripture, and is one of the key features that make Formations such an effective Bible study resource. Click here to see the Formations twelve-month topical calendar.
How is the Formations Commentary used in connection with the lessons?
Written by experienced ministers, the Formations Commentary is a companion resource to the Teaching Guide and Learner’s Study Guide. Throughout the trimester, teachers and students can enjoy crisp Bible commentary that offers extended contextual information, plenty of verbal illustrations, and interpretation on the passage under study.
What are the upcoming units for Formations?
Click here to see future units.
I’m trying to decide between the Uniform Series and Formations for my Sunday school class. How would you compare them?
There are several differences. One of the main differences is each line’s approach to teaching and learning. The Uniform Series uses a more traditional teaching approach in which the instructor leads the class through a verse-by-verse exposition of the text. Formations makes use of a group discussion format in which the class leader serves as a facilitator for the dialogue. For a full comparison, see Compare Uniform Series and Formations.
I noticed that the Uniform Series uses the NIV translation while Formations uses the NRSV. Why not use the same translation for both curriculum lines?
The evangelical perspective of the popular New International Version (NIV) makes it a great fit for the Uniform Series, which emphasizes spiritual growth and challenges learners to share the gospel.
Formations uses the highly acclaimed New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) in part to take better advantage of our partnership with The Access Bible ™, which uses the NRSV. This relationship allows us to offer links to the annotations and extended study materials available in The Access Bible ™. Since Formations is a comprehensive study, this connection strengthens the line by supplying additional scholarship for those interested.
Teachers and learners of the Uniform Series and Formations, however, should feel free to use whatever Bible translation they prefer in their personal study and in the classroom.
Is there any content difference between the Large Print Study Guides and the regular print versions?
The content is identical. The size of the text is the only difference.
Does Smyth & Helwys offer adult curriculum for specific age groups, such as college students, young adults, or seniors?
Formations or Uniform Series can be used with any age group. The two lines differ in their approach to Scripture and teaching, rather than in orientation to a particular age group. Different age groups experience great success with both lines, so choosing one depends on how your class wants to study Scripture.
Does the Smyth & Helwys adult curriculum follow the Revised Common Lectionary?
The Lectionary is specifically designed for worship planning. Curriculum planners, however, usually organize units of study. When applying the Lectionary readings to this approach, we find that units tend to be forced and don’t hold together well. As a worship-planning tool, the Lectionary brings discipline and balance to worship, while still reflecting the seasons of the Christian year. We believe that it's just as important for the learning setting to have the right tool for providing balance, discipline, and breadth over time.
Our Formations line is highly popular with classes seeking a curriculum that possesses many of the Lectionary’s benefits but is specifically designed for an educational setting rather than a worship context.
Formations offers:
• sensitivity to the Christian calendar, especially the Advent and Lenten seasons (like the Lectionary).
• a scope and sequence specifically designed for learning environments, not worship settings
• a thematically balanced course of study across the year that offers variety and exceptional content.
How are writers chosen for Formations and the Uniform Series?
The editors of both curriculum lines draw from a network of available writers. Many writers have written previous lessons or have been recommended to us by reliable sources. Others come to our attention by submitting unsolicited manuscripts for review. Potential candidates for upcoming assignments are assessed based on the nature of the project, and the writer’s interest. All Formations and Uniform Series writers have a history of church service, and most have seminary degrees or some other advanced biblical training. Writers who exceed expectations are occasionally invited to write for us again.
What is Smyth & Helwys Premium and why does my church need it?
Maximize your teaching resources and classroom options with Smyth & Helwys Premium. it is now included with every teaching guide. Detailed maps, colorful photos, Bible background insights, and relevant current events for each week’s topic are all just a click away!
Smyth & Helwys Premium is a state-of-the-art online approach to lesson preparation offering resources that complement our printed materials. Smyth & Helwys Premium simplifies the preparation process and eases the burden of locating teaching materials appropriate for study.
Features include:
• Easy-to-use interface
• Scripture commentary
• Annotations from The Access Bible ™
• Relevant Bible dictionary articles
• Parallel of NSRV and NIV translations
• The Big Picture—Bible context helps
• Current event articles referenced within two weeks of the lesson
• Teacher enrichment articles
• Weekly devotional e-mail
Smyth & Helwys Premium is easy to use and offers subscribers a wealth of information. Visit www.helwys.com/premium for details.
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