There are many reasons for making these requests regarding the non-denominational foundation. For one, there will be students from various backgrounds attending these classes and the non-denominational set up will keep conflicts regarding the teaching at bay. There is also the problem of the parents of these children not wanting their child going to a program that is teaching, for example a Pentecostal doctrine and they are Baptist. It is inconceivable that any parent would have an objection to a lesson plan that avoids indoctrination to a specific denomination. If for some reason a program cannot be implemented without teaching a particular denominational doctrine you would then need to start your own program aside from this non-denominational format. 

The following guidelines are things that have been learned over the past 7 years of teaching this program and are intended to be helpful hints. These points are also intended to help understand and see the importance of keeping this program non-denominational in it’s structure. There WILL be questions during the course of this program from the students. It is vital that these questions are answered with Biblical responses only. Because of the nature of this program it is important to keep individual commentary to a minimum. Make sure that any commentary used can be backed with Scripture. It is important to remember that you are dealing with children. A teacher once cautioned that "if your child comes home with a tall tale that seems it could be true, before you react get the whole story." This same teacher also said, "if you don’t believe everything that your child says happened in school today, I will not believe everything they tell me happens at home." Children have a way of stretching reality sometimes. It is easy for things to get distorted from the time they are said to the time they are repeated. It is suggested that you have each question written down from each student and kept by the teacher. It is also suggested that you provide a written response and keep a copy for your own records, attached to the question.

1. Always keep the parents informed! It is important to never give the parents the feeling that they are not or will not be included in their child’s Release Time education. It’s extremely important to constantly communicate with the parents every step of the way; communication overkill is never a possibility in this program. It is only a parent’s natural instinct to be concerned about what is being taught to their children, so keep this in mind. We send notes home to the parents to keep them updated on the progress of the program. We also send home at the beginning of the program a list of lessons and scripture that we will be going over in class so that the parents are able to look into it ahead of time. It’s also important to keep the doors open for the parents to visit the program anytime they wish. In fact it is good to encourage them to visit and even participate as a helper or any other way they can. Encourage them to take part in this part of their child’s education.
2. Release Time (if it is to be effective in its purpose) should teach Biblical morals and values, as well as give a solid foundation in knowing who God is, where the Bible came from and who Jesus is and why He came and died on a cross. These are the essentials and other learning tools will be implemented as well. Other important items are teaching how to look up Scripture, learning the books and their order, praying and it’s importance and more. The main concepts of the program are to keep it simple and stick to the basics.
3. As mentioned earlier, there will be children from various faiths that have various interpretations of the bible. This is one of the main reasons for keeping this program separate from church doctrines. This program is designed to simply teach the fundamentals of biblical morals and values without involving denominational doctrine. To put it simply, let the Scriptures speak for themselves. The curriculum "From Creation to the Cross" has been accepted by Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, and Nondenominational churches as well because it sticks with the Scripture as its foundation. 
4. It is our suggestion that the classroom setting be done for complete groups and not broken down into small groups (unless you have a large pool of volunteers). If you do choose to break classes up into smaller groups that will allow you more of a one on one atmosphere but it would be wise to have another adult or helper in each class. The one classroom setting cuts down on the number of people needed to conduct class, as well as allowing for more time to spend on the lesson.
5. It is important to have regular meetings with your helpers and assistants. In those meetings discuss teaching techniques and styles and ways to improve your classes. Make sure that each one agrees to help keep all in awareness of keeping the program non-denominational. It is important to remember that regardless of our convictions the foundation of this program is vital to adhere to as Titus chapter two exhorts us.
6. Because you will be dealing with children (or teens) it is important to remember that there are some words that make them laugh, giggle and ultimately disrupt the class. For example, in the creation story the part of Adam and Eve being naked could be replaced with; ‘without cloths’, or ‘unclothed’. Even little things like verses that may refer to an ‘ass’ could be easily replaced with ’donkey’. The object is to keep the distorted stories that may get home in a different fashion to a minimum!
7. In the curriculum "From Creation to the Cross" we have given various ways in which you can make the lessons interesting and fun while still getting the main message across. If you choose to teach the children in a large group setting as we do, you will need to come up with ways to include several children in the lessons. Examples are given in the curriculum. To obtain a copy, just contact us.

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