A revealing glimpse into the future of Randall House Publications from Director Ron Hunter Jr.
Dialogue With the Director
Where is Randall House going?
Like any organization, Randall House sets and
moves toward goals, and the goals grow, evolve, and get
revised to meet the needs of those we serve. We never
lose sight of the fact that we exist to serve churches by
meeting the needs of families within the local church.
Every product we produce intentionally equips either
the leader or teacher and is designed for the appropriate
age of those being led or taught. It is a partnership
between Randall House and the local church so the
church can partner with their families.
Through consistent biblical and doctrinal teaching,
the publishing house of any denomination is a primary
factor in retention of future generations. You can have
Free Will Baptist on your sign, but what you teach in
your classroom carries a much greater influence. The
sign may help in selection, but the content determines
if they stay. Generational Discipleship is a biblical priority
teaching all ages to be faithful Christ-followers.
Who is the Randall House customer?
We are the Free Will Baptist publisher, and our primary
audience is our denomination. Randall House’s
customers are churches and families who come in
all ages and diverse philosophical and geographical
backgrounds. No publisher other than Randall House
produces materials aligning with our Free Will Baptist
Treatise.
We have been asked if Randall House is
ignoring our own churches by increasing the customer
base beyond our denomination. I quickly reply: when
you have a good recipe, two things occur—you want to
share it, and people want to try it. Growth occurs with
excellent products. A growing product line in the body of
Christ provides a validation in what we believe and who
we are. It’s a great day when Free Will Baptists are afforded
the opportunity to “lead” rather than “catch up.”
Who determines what you do next at
Randall House?
Much like a pastor who prepares messages to
preach, Randall House spends time in prayer, observation,
need-assessment, and planning to determine
what products launch or remain available. Products
take between 9 to 24 months from idea stage to completion.
Stewardship protects development dollars by
gauging what will and will not be used by our customers.
Randall House and our denomination are too large
for such decisions to rest on any one person or group.
After listening to our customers and lengthy meetings
internally, our board of directors determines what
makes it to the shelves.
When the decision is reached,
we understand that not everyone will purchase every
product (or attend every event) but expect each
church to be discerning about which products meet
their needs. It is similar to shopping at the local store.
Place into your cart what you desire to use and allow
other churches in good standing to do the same.
What are some trends you see with Small Groups or Sunday School?
Small groups or Sunday Schools remain the primary
way people in our churches can bond to the church
through relationships with other people in similar
life-stages. Small classes structured correctly provide
outreach and discipleship. Churches are moving away
from elective-based classes on Sunday mornings and
more toward a planned teaching from the Word allowing
parents and kids to connect.
Other publishers have
begun to copy what Randall House is doing through D6
curriculum. Success is achieved when Dad and Mom
become the daily teachers and examples for their kids.
More time will be spent in church helping teachable
moments to occur away from church.
To learn more about Randall House and D6 Curriculum, visit www.d6family.com.
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