Educators, elders, pastors, and seminarians met at the seminary, a gathering they have enjoyed each April and October for 25 years.
The structure of the event was elegantly simple: five professors, plus APTS Ted Wardlaw, would reflect on the task of Christian formation as they understand it growing out their unique disciplines. Each presentation would then move toward small group conversations of key questions linked to the presenters’ remarks. Additionally, a panel discussion among several of the participants would give them an opportunity to interact with and respond to one another, as well as to conference participants.
The structure, which included leading voices in the fields of Old Testament scholarship (John Ahn), Reformed theology (David Jensen), worship and preaching (Jennifer Lord), and mission and evangelism (Arun Jones) and Christian education (David White) — made it possible for all groups to consider the intrinsic role of education and formation in the life of faith as well as ways in which each discipline contributes to faith formation.
Wardlaw based his reflections on the gospels, particularly the role of the Christian community’s memory in Luke. He suggested that our challenge today is not unlike past generations: we must hear so that we can remember. In the midst of his emphasis on the role of memory, the group discussed the value and limitations of memorization work. Many could recall experiences of required memorization of Scripture and confessions. Guided by an awareness of the growing body of brain research, as well as multiple intelligences, most argued for an approach in which memorization was more organic, growing out of liturgy and a learning of narrative that sets that narrative in the heart, not only the mind.
The need to be immersed in Scripture was a recurrent theme. Children need to read the Bible. Adults and youth continue to need to read and study Scripture using a variety of lenses for interpretation. All need to read Scripture expecting to meet the living God in its pages.
Ahn led the group in a study of Isaiah 43 and Psalm 137 — pointing to the different experiences of the generations of the forced migration of the people of Israel into slavery in Babylon. He showed how the differing groups’ experiences in Babylon shaped their hunger to return. Using these understandings as a springboard, he showed how generational differences play out in leadership and decision making within our churches.
Lord suggested that one way this immersion occurs is in worship and its repeated liturgies, which shape vocabulary of the people of faith. Worship inspires and motivates mission whether it is a worship experience that sends into the world to do God’s work, or workers in that mission in the world come into the worship to inspire with their testimony.
A third way of thinking holds these dimensions in tension and juxtaposition. How we worship shapes how we live, how we pray governs what we believe. Christian education then unpacks these experiences so that they can be explored for deeper understanding and intentional living.
Jensen defined the primary task of Christian Education as the formation of the people of God. Ministry of education is about formation — forming disciples — and bringing the world into the church. If the ministry of education is neglected the church tends to turn inward, becoming a comfortable club of like-minded people. He identified three contemporary theological approaches to Christian education – the power of stories to shape us, faith as a way of non-violence as we travel as pilgrims through the world, and mystery of the radical freedom we experience in Christ.
Jones said a particular strength of Christian educators is to speak the gospel in a way that needs to be heard by people in different cultures, societies. This ability to translate the faith makes Christian education an inherently indigenizing practice as each new generation and people group makes their home in the faith.
The heart of discipleship is teaching and learning the way of Christ. Educators can play an important role in taking this discipleship seriously. Jensen suggests the great scandal of the gospel is the significant number of Christians who live as if they can merely staple their Christian faith on the edge of their ordinary lives.
White expressed hope that Christian educators will accept responsibility to confront believers of all ages with the radical call of the gospel to live lives that are transformed by the gospel call.
Jones observed the exciting possibilities that exist today in educational ministry. A large number of people know nothing about the church. The opportunity to share the gospel with those who hear the message of faith for the first time has enormous potential to re-energize those in the church with a new appreciation and awe for the radical nature of God’s call.
Jensen believes that increasingly we will turn to families to take a more active role the Christian education of their children. He believes that the heart of faith transmission is embedded in prayers, telling the stories of faith, and listening to and taking seriously our children’s questions.
At the same time he worries that we have so romanticized the nuclear family that we heap expectations on the parents that cannot possibly be fulfilled. They feel pressure in so many areas of their lives to provide the best for their children and feel ill equipped for their role as faith encouragers and transmitters. He believes that Christian educators have a serious role in family formation that equips families in this way.
At the same time, he said, we must remember children from broken families who often do not have faith formation opportunities in the home. Congregations must be encouraged to consider the special needs of these children and plan for how to make sure they feel part of the church family.
White reminded the group of studies that shed light on the importance of belonging to a congregation that invites serious questions. While those studies primarily speak to the faith formation needs of youth, this ability to engage in questions and ongoing dialog contributes to the creation of learning communities. Among the base questions we need to help people engage that cut across cultures are two drawn from the gospels — Who is my neighbor? and Who do you say I am? A lifetime of learning experiences can be linked to answering these two questions.
Two additional questions added by a seminary student, which drew great approval, are What is God’s call on my life? and What is God’s call on our collective lives?
Panelists and participants agreed that there would be a continuing and ongoing need for Christian education and formation in congregations. However, future educators may be less professionalized and more embedded in the practices of God’s people. The whole congregation needs to own the task of educational formation.
Those serving in all ministry areas need to think about and evaluate what is happening in all dimensions of congregational life to intentionally equip believers for deepening discipleship. One way to do this is to live out their love for Scripture and love for God.
As the conference drew to a close participants offered a list of their fears, hopes, and commitments for the future of Educational Ministry in the church.
They acknowledged fears of many losses: of jobs and specialization, of Reformed identity, and of intentionality and structure. They recognized the challenge of maintaining connection between generations and faith community, and transmitting the essentials of the faith in a world in which so much of life in the church is in flux.
Yet they embrace with hope a commitment to increasing shared leadership, a recognition of the unity that exists within our growing diversity, and rejoice in a potential movement to a more holistic understanding of discipleship.
So what will the future of Christian education look like? Together the participants affirmed:
There will be more than one future.
It will be imperfect, but the Spirit will help to move us forward.
There is a future and it is in God’s hands.
MARY MARCOTTE is a Certified Christian Educator serving as associate general presbyter for discipleship and leadership development in the Presbytery of New Covenant, Houston, Texas.
