Education Extra
Did you know that only four percent of Generation Z holds a Biblical worldview? Birmingham’s Iris O’Brien and Don Akendbrandt developed the new Bible curriculum Epic (Eternal Perspective Influencing Culture), in response to this startling statistic. Epic engages students while helping them gain a complete understanding of the whole Bible. “Our vision is to make the Bible come alive for students,” shares O’Brien. “We believe it is a sin to bore kids with the Bible. We want the Bible to be fun and engaging.” She adds, “Epic teaches students how God’s Word speaks to all aspects of life, including the problems and challenges they are facing as teenagers today.”
Epic recently launched nationwide and is available for homeschool and Christian school students. Course offerings include: Old Testament, New Testament, Life Calling, Apologetics and Theology. Epic also offers full-year courses like “My Epic Journey,” which teaches students to understand their origin, purpose, Biblical morality and civic responsibility. Another full-year course, “Ron Blue Financial Stewardship” explores how to use God-given resources for God-given goals and purposes. “By challenging students through age-appropriate critical thinking methods driven by a project-based learning model, Epic teaches students how to problem solve and identify current cultural barriers that oppose a Biblical worldview,” explains O’Brien. Since students today are often on smartphones and tablets, the Epic team developed a multimillion-dollar app that students can engage with. O’Brien adds that all of Epic’s courses include technology stewardship, which is, “a student guide to safe and responsible technology use.”
Epic was piloted at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Ala. and O’Brien reports students responded very positively to it. “Students get to do what they love, engage in the social aspect of their technology-based culture, all while engaging in the Bible.” The Epic team is comprised of parents, educators and youth ministers who are passionate about making the Bible come alive for students. Together, they have 100+ years of engaging with students in classrooms and church settings. Learn more about Epic and how your children can benefit by visiting www.epic2.com.†
