Being a historian at heart, I am more prone to be nostalgic than futuristic. When a new gadget, device, or process comes along that promises to make my life better I usually take it with a grain of salt. There are a few technological advancements, however, that have impacted how I do life. I can honestly say that my iPhone has simplified many things for me and Facebook has allowed me to securely connect with people I might otherwise never know. Another useful advancement that has impacted me professionally is the ability to electronically produce and distribute curriculum.

When I first entered the curriculum production arena the business was all about paper and ink, now it is becoming more and more about PDF’s and downloads. Technological advancement in electronic document production and delivery has profoundly affected how we write, design, and edit our curriculum. It has allowed us to get curriculum to you, the user, in a more timely fashion. What might take weeks in the printing phase of production is now reduced to hours. Electronic document delivery also allows us to make quicker corrections and revisions. When you the end user have an idea or suggestion for improvement, instead of having to wait months and sometimes years for printed curriculum to sell, we can implement it quickly. The speed of production is just one of many benefits of electronic curriculum delivery. Consider the following additional benefits:

• Flexibility – Electronic documents allow you to shape the final stage of document production. If you want to customize the format of your document (i.e. three ring binders, custom printed booklets, or hand out one lesson at a time) you have the flexibility to do so.

• Speed of Delivery – Electronic documents allow you to get your curriculum fast without having to pay for pricey overnight shipping. If 5 more students sign up for your event at the last minute, and you need more student books, they can be delivered to you in a matter of minutes. When was the last time UPS delivered that quickly?

• Cost – One of the greatest benefits of electronic document delivery is cost. Because we don’t have to deal in paper and ink, we can pass the savings along to you. This can mean a savings of as much as 30 to 40 percent.

There is an old saying that goes the more things change; the more they stay the same. I think this applies to our electronic curriculum offerings. Even though we may have changed the way we produce and deliver curriculum to you, our content is the same old theologically solid material we have been producing for years. Our commitment to providing you with the best student ministry curriculum that money can buy will never change. That is one promise you can count on regardless of technology.