Kay Warhart is ready to Akaloo.

The director of Christian Education for St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church on West Jefferson Street, she is leading Sunday school teachers, students and church members in a new program that unites all age groups.

The Akaloo program was named from the Greek word akolouthein, meaning "to follow."

Described as a faith formation program, it includes regular Sunday school classes and offers extras, such as at-home reading and online activities to reinforce lessons.

What makes the program unique is each class level, from nursery-school to adults, follows the same core curriculum adapted to suit each age group.

For example, while focusing on the Bible, younger students focus on learning the books of the Bible while students in high school focus on specific lessons and what they mean in their lives.

Released in the fall of 2006 by Augsburg Fortress, the Publishing House of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Akaloo program is also adapted for several denominations, including Roman Catholic and several Protestant beliefs.

After asking its 3-year-olds and its fifth and sixth graders to test the program last year, the Christian education committee decided to make the switch for all of its classes.

"Their impression of it is that it is good to have (the same) theme running throughout," said Warhart.

Currently, all youth classes are participating in the program, except those in seventh and eighth grade confirmation classes.

Warhart is also anxious to begin adult classes, though a study leader is still needed.

While some Sunday school programs run from fall to spring, St. Mark's programs run year-round.

The Akaloo program works well for this setup, Warhart said, with units of varying lengths.

Units include The Bible, God, Discipleship, Church and Word. With 5 to 7 lessons in each unit, the Christian Education committee can plan a schedule with breaks for their own holiday season programming.

Still acclimating to the change, students at St. Mark's have yet to learn of all the program's new benefits.

A technology-centered program, teachers now go to a Web site instead of a manual to review weekly lessons, choose activities and print necessary papers.

For teachers who have less Internet experience, the change has been more difficult.

"Sometimes I'm a little too fast for the rest of the people," said Warhart, who has held instructional workshops and assisted with accessing lesson plans for those not used to online work.

Wendy Holt of Fairview Township, who has been teaching Sunday school for more than three years, appreciates class plans for younger age groups.

In the past, she said, she and other teachers had to adapt lesson plans for 5 and 6-year-olds to suit younger students.

The Web site also allows her to pick one or several class activities for each week, including art, drama and games.

"With 3-year-olds, you plan and sometimes you get everything done in 5 minutes and sometimes you get one thing done in an hour,"she said.

The mother of two sons, Holt also sees an immediate difference.

Instead of setting class materials aside when he got home, her older son, a third grade student, was anxious to read his class handbook, which follows a mystery theme.

By the Advent season, Warhart also hopes to open up access to the Akaloo Web site to students, who can explore age-appropriate games and activities.

"Anything that is colorful and has sound, the kids will enjoy," she joked.

For the youngest students, games help match letters of the alphabet with church-oriented vocabulary.

For teens, chat rooms can be formed and discussions started about issues they face in school and at home.

"That's the exciting part, to be able to have the kids using the site at home just extends your reach further into their lives," said Holt.

<b>What:</b> St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church Rally Day and Sunday school open house<b>When:</b>9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Sunday<b>Where:</b>201 W. Jefferson St.<b>Information:</b>724-287-6741 or cestmark@zoominternet.net