What do you believe the current difficulties for Christian education are? How might Biblical courses assist students in dealing with adverse situations?
Overall, teaching the Bible and theology is challenging enough, but making it relevant to the students’ lives might be a more significant issue.
Unfortunately, many teachers are unfamiliar with fundamental human development theory, how people learn, or how to build a curriculum and design a rich learning experience.
So, in an age where younger folks define reality based on their subjective impressions, we might ask ourselves: Are we giving them the whole truth? Have we completely lost track of the fundamentals, maybe even obscuring the essence of the church, Jesus Christ?
Unfortunately, many of today’s teachers just teach the way they were instructed, standing at the front of the classroom and reciting their knowledge from their own studies on the pupils. Of course, while a solid, clear lecture has its place, education is more than that.
Therefore, when our pupils’ conduct appears to show that they do not comprehend fundamental Christianity, we frequently respond by providing even more behavior-focused education.
In this case, do we exaggerate personal dos and don’ts instead of preaching what Christ has fully attained for us?
Sadly, imparting too much of the material above and beyond the pupils’ heads might easily be misconstrued as knowledge. In contrast, in the Christian context, teaching provides meaningful interactions with Jesus and his teachings to encourage and empower individuals to influence their environment.
Moreover, we all lament our lack of force, our lack of modest piety, and the tremendous limits of our bodies that render us unfit for the work. We also grow to have less and less faith in ourselves. However, we know that God can never be discouraged.
So, how can Biblical studies guide teachers in dealing with these challenges? In this case, we should remember our Lord’s lesson on education as we strive to reach people who appear resistant to our teachings.
Although it serves as a stumbling block and a source of offense, we can be assured that the teachings and preachings of Christ serve as our model for Christian education for every generation.