encounter
During the summer of 2026, significant work moved the revision of the Encounter Bible curriculum forward. Through the efforts of standing and summer committees and the contributions of Debbie Daniel, Benjamin Kreiter, and Desmond Suarez exciting updates are on the horizon.
In preparation for this article, I invited Benjamin Kreiter and Debbie Daniel to reflect on their committee experiences and share what educators can expect in the months ahead.
Benjamin Kreiter reflects: When Encounter was first introduced, I became so accustomed to calling it the “new” Bible curriculum that it can be difficult to think of it now as an established one. Educators know that an effective curriculum must be revised over time to remain responsive to a changing world, and Encounter has now served our classrooms for a number of years.
Recently, a group of educators conducted a North American Division-wide survey to learn what is working well and what needs improvement for teachers using Encounter. Hundreds of educators responded, thank you! Drawing on that feedback, along with input from teachers in Australia and New Zealand, several committees focused on key priorities during the summer.
NAD Secondary Encounter Bible Curriculum Standing Committee (Grades 9–12)
- Repairing broken links.
- Replacing materials formerly included in the curriculum kit with digital versions, alternative activities, and resources teachers can obtain as needed.
- Updating materials that may rely on problematic sources.
NAD Bible Standards Committee (Grades 9–12)
This past June marked the committee’s third summer of work on proficiency scales for secondary Bible. Members revised and refined the scales to ensure that all standards are represented and appropriately scaffolded within the 2.0 materials.
The proficiency scales can be readily used alongside the Encounter Bible curriculum in standards-based learning (SBL) classes. The committee hopes to continue developing aligned resources, including sample unit plans and assessment suggestions (Debbie Daniel).
NAD Elementary Encounter Summer Committee (Grades EC–8)
- Reviewed the South Pacific Division’s revisions for Grades EC-6 for potential use in North America. The revisions include new resources, activities, artwork, and more.
- Will review the Grades 7-8 materials when they become available.
South Pacific Division Encounter Curriculum Committee (Grades 7–10)
- Revising the Grades 7-10 materials with priorities similar to those guiding the Grades K–6 revisions. Once completed, the work will be sent to the NAD Elementary and Secondary Steering Committee for review and consideration for use in North America.
International Encounter Steering Committee (Grades K-12)
- Collaborating with unions around the world to translate Encounter into additional languages and provide the training and support educators need to use the curriculum effectively.
Many dedicated educators and leaders are working together to strengthen Encounter as a meaningful, practical resource for classroom teachers. Several parts of this initial work have already been completed and sent to publishers. Watch for updated materials on the Encounter Bible Curriculum website and for announcements from unions and local conferences in the coming weeks.
As this first round of revisions concludes, teams will explore future needs particularly in Grades 11 and 12, which have not yet undergone comprehensive revision beyond the initial work of repairing or replacing resources that are no longer available (Benjamin Kreiter).