Reflection of Christian Education

The last eight weeks have enriched my life when it comes to looking at Christian education and the role of leadership. There are many things churches and leaders do right, and unfortunately, many things they do wrong. Each church and leader is unique, and none will be found to be perfect. 

Christian education is the blending of theology and social sciences. It explores the study of God and the social behaviors of the world's culture. Doing one without the other is easy, leading to an error in adequate discipleship. I have been in churches where theology was the primary focus, and social science was dismissed. When this occurs, a great disservice is given to the congregates. It is a disservice because topics such as how to minister to special needs individuals can often be missed. Then, when a family visits the church with a special needs child, no one knows how to minister to them appropriately. 

An area that we miss in Christian education is the importance of having a Sabbath in our lives. During the busyness of our culture and the drive to success, the Sabbath lost its fullness. The Sabbath is a gift from God to rest. In my observation, the Sabbath has been reduced to a rushed two-hour Sunday morning church service. If leaders begin practicing the Sabbath in its entirety, I believe they will find rest, inspiration, and guidance from the Lord. Also, as those around them witness the practice of the Sabbath, they will pick up the discipline of the Sabbath in time. 

That brings me to my final point: discipleship does not always have to be in a classroom setting; instead, it can be in a fellowship setting. Allowing people to do life alongside us will lead to discipleship. We can each reflect on a time when doing life with someone led to a moment of discipleship. For me, it was a time when I showed up to help the pastor's wife paint a classroom. I thought I was coming to learn paint techniques, but I also gained spiritual insight and inspiration as she shared a ministry experience with me. 

Sometimes, we overcomplicate discipleship. We miss recalling how Jesus exemplified discipleship. It was never about the curriculum or the classroom; instead, it was about living together and standing on the truth of scripture. Jesus was about social science as he chose to be in and among the people. He loved people where they were rather than where he wanted them to be. That is key to effective discipleship: loving people where they are and allowing them to do life with us so that they can grow organically in their knowledge and faith.