I’m currently attending the module Education in Christian Community (ECC). After the first few lessons, there are some interesting ideas that I’ve learned through the sessions, including the interaction/discussions in the class.
Firstly, it is the chart on Inter-related Terms in education. The five terms mentioned are Training, Schooling, Instruction, Education and Formation. These are common terms that we come across when we deal with the area of education but each of them emphasizes on some aspects that may differ to or overlap on one another. Training focuses on skills development and getting better in certain aspects of training. Schooling, on the other hand, focuses on gaining knowledge, more associated with the concept of formal learning, classroom setting. Instruction also focuses on knowledge gaining with a little on the ‘how to’ knowledge. Education and Formation both are supposed to be focusing on the ‘being’ or character development , values and understanding formation, and in Christian context, the spiritual aspects of growth as well. To do ECC with all of these aspects so as to achieve a holistic and balanced approach, requires very deliberate planning and practices.
The other interesting concept is the change in the focus and even concept of education from the definition that was defined by Rev Casey at the beginning of the course. The Latin word “educere” actually means “to lead forth” or “to draw out”. The Latin word “educare” means “to bring up, rear, train”. There seems to be a change from the initial meaning of “educere” into “educare” in Education that we are familiar with. From the “drawing out” the potential of individuals and developing them according to their individual talents, gifts and desire, our education system seems to be more inline with the concept of “to bring up, rear, train” towards a certain mould, need, objective, goal of people or society. This also seemed to be the way that Christian Education seems to be like and it gives the impression of making the same kind of people through the process of ‘brain washing’ or like items being produced through production lines in factories. It is a challenge to have an effective working ECC strategy model that can help to develop every individual to achieve what God desires for them specifically, perhaps it is even impossible to have. But it is possible to start on the right foot (at least take the right steps toward) if the objective of education is to help individuals to develop to his/her fullest potential in Christ together with his/her growth in his/her likeness in Christ, perhaps more consolidated attention and effort can be put into developing such strategies in more churches.
In the session by Rev Casey, he also highlighted the need and necessity of education in the context of a community. He shared that the scope or extent of education is not just within the local church community. When Christians gather, like in the same workplace, education in the context of influencing the community in the office, whether towards building up fellow Christians or in helping pre-believers coming to know Jesus, should also be a natural extension of education in Christian Community. As much as this should be the ideal, there are many sensitive and relational issues when such groups are being formed. This could be doctrinal or ministry philosophical differences, not to mention personality and worldview differences (though all Christians are supposed to have some fundamental alignment in some areas of worldview). Even within the context of local church community, it can already be quite challenging to build a Christ-centred community. All of us are different and we are all imperfect with different kinds of background and experiences that we carry with us. The desired community that God desires can only be possible by His grace to us and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Only when we walk with the Lord closely, take ownership of our relationship with God, and empowered by His Spirit will we be changed to be more like Jesus as He uses these experiences of rubbing of one another in the church community to build each and every one of us up in Christ.
To develop and implement effective ECC strategies, it depends not only on 1 person or a committee. It requires the entire leadership team to embrace this desire and be aligned to the outcome of developing people to their fullest potential in Christ and be like Christ, a deliberate effort to work together as a community to work out a model/system and strategies to fulfill effectively, the purpose of the church to reach the unreached as a true community of Christ followers.
