FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The following are questions that we get from people on a regular basis regarding details of the curriculum. If you have additional questions that are not answered here, please call our office (317.844.0381) or email us at [email protected].

Why is Anchorsaway targeted to high school juniors and seniors and college age students?

The reason this curriculum is targeted for high school juniors and seniors and college students is because they are preparing to or already have stepped out of the safety and protection of their homes and youth groups into a very different, sometimes hostile, environment. When students know they will soon be “on their own” they tend to be more serious about learning this information. Anchorsaway was written on a college level, so it may be difficult for younger students to understand the concepts of the Christian worldview as explained in the curriculum. This class is designed to prepare students on how to respond to professors and others they’ll meet outside of high school. It points toward the pressure students will face to adhere to other worldviews presented to them on their campuses, workplace or in the mission field.

We have created two 15-week curricula for junior high students (8-9th grades). One is titled Heroes and Villains of the Bible and the other is The Attributes of God, both of which can be purchased in the online Anchorsaway store.

How do I become certified to teach Anchorsaway?

You can be trained to teach the Anchorsaway curriculum a couple different ways. You can attend an Anchorsaway Worldview Bootcamp in person, with an additional hour and a half instruction on teaching a class after lunch on the second day of the bootcamp. After attending this training on site, you will continue your training at your own pace through our online training videos and accompanying syllabus. If you are unable to attend an in person initial training session, you can be trained to teach Anchorsaway through our online training. Click here for more information about our Online Teacher Training.

What type of student should attend Anchorsaway?

Any student, believer or nonbeliever in Jesus Christ, who wants to learn and/or grow in their faith will benefit from the Anchorsaway experience. This is NOT a debate class, so those who wish to debate need to invite the teacher or a small group leader to have those discussions outside of the class time.

Where should Anchorsaway classes meet?

Anchorsaway was created as a bridge from high school and the youth group experience to college or the marketplace. For this reason, we strongly recommend that the meeting NOT be held at a church or church building, or in a school. Feedback reveals that the most enjoyable place for students to meet is in a home. When this takes place, multiple churches can come together and help provide teachers, small group leaders, and most importantly, junior and senior high school students and college students. Also, this can be a time for Christian students to invite their “pre-Christian” friends in the community, who may be unwilling to step into a church. We have found that many students are less willing to open up in a church setting with pastors, youth pastors and parents around.

Other groups have successfully met in office buildings, barns, theaters, club houses, coffee houses, and even around a campfire. Your choice of location is dependent upon your own personal circumstances and the personality of your group. If given the choice, a home is strongly recommended.

No matter where an Anchorsaway class is held, it should be an inviting and safe environment. If possible, provide something for the students to drink and snacks for them to eat. Mothers are often more than happy to bake cookies or supply other snacks. It should be a hospitable atmosphere.

What kind of support will I need to start and maintain an Anchorsaway class?

It is much easier to start an Anchorsaway class with a small group of people to help you. This group should include a teacher/facilitator, an administrator who can do the detail work, networkers who can contact interested parents and others in the community, potential small group leaders and community leaders. The size of this group will vary from class to class.

The initial leadership meeting should be scheduled by the administrator to include the teaching leader/facilitator, small group leaders and other adults interested in the ministry. This should begin several months before January. The focus of the early meetings should be on getting acquainted, and making decisions about which elective lessons should be taught. This is also the time to gather names of Christians who are active in the schools, leaders in the community, or key persons. These people are instrumental in supporting the class, and/or in suggesting names of students and small group leaders who might be interested in becoming involved in Anchorsaway. (The Administrator should follow up on the names that are suggested.)

Once the team is secured, another meeting should be scheduled with the team. Names of prospective students should be gathered as well as information on a meeting place, prospective small group leaders and student leaders from local churches and parachurch organizations. 

The administrator should host an informal time for the teacher/facilitator, assistant teacher and the small group leaders to get to know one another, such as a dessert fellowship. At that time, the upcoming schedule should be presented, along with a discussion of what makes an effective small group leader.

What is the most effective time and season for Anchorsaway to be taught?

We strongly recommend that Anchorsaway be taught in the second semester of the junior and senior years of high school.

Meeting times can vary according to what works in your community. We recommend a 2.5 hour time block per week to allow for review, teaching lesson, and then small group discussion time. Many students tend to stay around for social interaction at the conclusion of their small group time. The day of the week and time is dependent on your individual situation.

Where do we get the students to attend Anchorsaway?

It is important to contact Christian students who are leaders and whose walk is reflective of the Christian worldview. One or two students per school are all that are needed. They will supply the names of friends, who then can ask their friends. Youth ministers, school volunteers, para-church leaders and students are essential resources to secure the names of students. A student who is in a school club or on a school team can hand out invitations. For example, a small group leader’s son may play on a football team and would like to give fliers to many of those on his team.

College students are invited to attend at any time. Some may want to come just for the teaching portion of the class, which is permissible.

Most of the invitations (with some exceptions) should be handed out by the students. It should be a student-driven process, as much as possible. Select one or two students from several high schools, a few weeks before the other students hear about Anchorsaway, and put them in charge of handing out the invitation fliers in their respective schools. Ask them to call you and let you know how many students they think will be attending.

The junior and senior students from the year before should give their small group leaders names of upcoming juniors and seniors that they would like to invite the following year.

Social media is a great way to get the word out as well. Students can create an Anchorsaway event or group on Facebook to invite their friends or they can tweet information about upcoming classes and how to reach the person in charge of your Anchorsaway site.

What are the Anchorsaway Worldview Handbooks?

The Anchorsaway Worldview Handbook is designed to be a resource to be studied and used in class and in the future. It comes in handy when questions about the Christian religion are asked of the student. The book contains notes, charts, and outlines of the key content from the teaching lesson. T.M. Moore, a Pastor and writer, has written devotions for the students at the end of each lesson. They are thought provoking and extremely valuable in helping the student process as they learn in class.

Many of our former students have used the notes to teach Bible studies in their dorms, write research papers, and revisit the Truths for personal refreshment. Many students add information they have gathered from outside sources into their books, and use it to file notes related to the topics. That is a true sign of ownership!

Can Anchorsaway be taught in a public school?

If a student initiates Anchorsaway to be taught before or after school, it can be taught by people who are not employed by the school district.

School employees who want to be part of the Anchorsaway experience are advised to meet off school property, to avoid legal conflicts over the establishment of religion issues, even though federal law does allow religiously affiliated groups to meet on school property.

You will have to check with your school to see what the rules are pertaining to this issue. However, it is not recommended that Anchorsaway be taught in a school setting, so this should not be an issue. A home is the ideal place to host a class.

Can Anchorsaway be used for homeschooling?

We do have a curriculum specifically created for a home school setting. Please look under our “Curriculum” tab. It is designed for the homeschool student to receive 2 credits Bible, 1 credit Literature, 1 credit Composition. 

The regular Anchorsaway curriculum would be a great curriculum to use with homeschool students and others in the community. It is a great way to reach into the community and draw Christians in public schools and homeschool students together.  This is particularly effective in teaching homeschool students not only how the world thinks, but also gives them time to interact with those who might think differently on issues.