CEP scores a century

Judy Adamson

With cheers, thanksgiving and birthday cake (of course), Youthworks marked the centenary of CEP, its publishing arm, just before Christmas.

“We’re very happy to celebrate 100 years of evangelical resources being made available to schools and Sunday schools in the Sydney Diocese,” says Youthworks’ CEO, the Rev Canon Craig Roberts. “Over six million kids in the past couple of decades alone have encountered the gospel!”

The exact date in 1922 when CEP began publishing isn’t known, but The Trowel first appeared sometime that year for use by Sunday schools and children’s clubs. The Sword – resources for Scripture volunteers – was first published in 1961 and replaced by Connect 35 years later.

Today, Connect is still the most popular curriculum for religious education in Australia, with the total number of workbook sales topping seven million.

Nic Husted, a teacher at Kigali International Community School in Rwanda, says: “ Finding Your Way was a brilliant course for our middle school kids who, although Christian by culture, do not actually read the Bible or know where to start.

“It helps young people understand God’s big, overarching plan for mankind with Jesus at the heart of it all.”

High school resources for SRE – Meeting Christ and Pointing to Christ – were first released in the mid-1980s and, in 2005, A Spectator’s Guide to World Religions by the Rev Dr John Dickson was created specifically for independent schools, with a linked curriculum written by

Simon Smart from the Centre for Public Christianity.

CEP has also published Bible commentaries since 1989 and material for the Sydney Diocese such as the Australian Lectionary. And, as any past SRE or Sunday school teacher will tell you, over the years the CEP resources for their lessons have included cassette tapes, CDs, quiz games, videos and books filled with colour-in cartoon characters.

“I was really scared to go into a primary school classroom, but I found the CEP resources to be amazing,” says SRE teacher Georgina Barrett-See. “They are so well prepared – I found the prep easy, and it really helped me to do good lessons that were scripturally sound but also fun.”

The school resources are currently being sold into 24 different countries. In the Kenyan diocese of Marsabit, Connect is also being used to train children’s ministers to help them effectively disciple their kids and encourage them to remain in the faith.

Says Canon Roberts: “I’m grateful for the past 100 years of partnering with churches and schools to see young people established in the Christian faith, and we’re looking forward to the next 100 years of helping to build gospel capacity for the glory of Jesus as we await his return.” SC