My philosophy about Christian education has a drastic change after attending the course and reading the recommended books. The statement is rephrased in accordance with my understanding of what teaching and learning are all about, in the sections of:
The PURPOSE of
Christian Education
Christian
education is a deliberate and intentional approach or effort to deliver
biblical knowledge in creative manners with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit
in order to attract the attention and learning interest of the learners. It is
a process of well designed and thought-through series of lesson plans with
curriculums and methodologies to enable learners to reflect, relate and take
root in the Word of God and to be filled with biblical truth and principles.
The learners will be taught and guided in such a way that they can possess, comprehend,
internalize and apply whatever they have learnt in order for them to make wise
decisions and to take proper actions in their lives and live in ways that bring
honor and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The
purpose of Christian education is thus to communicate and enhance Christian
beliefs and values unto the life of both the community and individual. Its aim is
a change of mind (thinking), attitude (being) and action (doing) in the lives of
the learners.
The PRODUCT of
Christian Education
The
product of Christian education is a transformation of life with needs met and
attitude changed, both for individual and community as a whole:
a)
For individual:
It
goes more than building up of the students/children as individual but touching and
enriching lives of the teachers/parents as they learn from students/children in
an interactive manner. Along the teaching process, the teachers/parents will
discover new ways of learning and growth in their understanding of biblical knowledge,
change of character, mentality, creativity and spirituality etc. Both must be
able to meet God in person with their knowledge about God. They shall grow in a
deeper personal relationship with God and enjoy a meaningful encounter with
their Savior.
True
disciple shall be built up in the course of Christian education. Disciple with
Christ-value in mind and able to see and perceive things and happenings with
the mind of Christ. He or she shall be able to relate to God in a deeper
personal and intimate way and his or her character shall reflect Christ.
He
or she shall be Christ-centered in all his or her being and doing, e.g. in decision
making, attitudes and responses towards life circumstances etc. He or she shall
be able to respond to God towards His call and purpose. He or she shall be more
than being a Christian who possesses good bible knowledge yet without real
change in life or not having genuine love and response towards his or her
Savior
b)
For community of faith
Christian
education is more than classroom learning. The way one can learn much is
through the community living where one has to interact and relate with one
another and demonstrate the character of Christ. The community (e.g. family
unit, church, Christian society etc) will learn as a whole to live and relate
in a biblical way. Their living shall reflect and convey the message of love
and grace of God. Faith is able to be actualized in reality and faith is
complete when it is practiced among community living. The Body of Christ shall
be able to experience a healthy, fulfilling and edifying life-style as they
strive to love, honor and bless one another.
The PROCESS of
Christian Education
The
process towards achieving the purpose and the product of such education mainly
has to do with approaches and methods adopted in the education:
a) The
teacher has to know the learners (who), e.g. their age, educational background,
culture, experiences, profession etc in order to know the needs of the learners.
It helps the teacher to close the unnecessary gaps due to being ignorance of
the condition of the learners.
b) There
must be clear vision and objectives (why) set before teaching begins, with the
intention of meeting the needs of the learners. The teacher shall have a clear
and concrete understanding what he or she wants to achieve as the end result.
c) The
Bible (what) shall be the very basis and foundation of Christian education. The
lessons shall be planned and designed towards fulfilling the vision and purpose
set based on the knowledge of God and His Word.
d) There
must be some flexibility for adjustments (how) to allow students to catch up
their learning and for the Holy Spirit to bring forth enlightenment. Creative
techniques and methods shall be designed so that students are able to enjoy
learning.
e) Maximize
the teachable moments of the learners (when) and incorporate teachings or
lessons that are most relevant to their situations. Be sensitive to the
environmental changes (where) and issues arise and to be creative in making the
learning alive, impactful and fulfilling.
Overall,
the Christian education process is meant to be a process of self-discovery and
discovery of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment