Reflection on Education in Christian Community 2
The course is coming to an end soon. It has been a good learning time. Here are a few learning points for me.
Firstly is the purpose for education. Many consider the purpose of education being the transfer of information and knowledge from the teacher (who knows more) to the students. The more content transferred, the better the learning is. We must understand that no amount of knowledge transfer will guarantee the transformation of a person, the increase of love for God, the deepening of commitment to Christ, a bigger heart for people in the Christian community and beyond. The purpose of Education in Christian Community is to see a growing commitment to God and His people, through a continuous process of change to be more Christ-like and to grow in influence and impact in the society. The importance of ‘Being’ over ‘Knowing’ is what Education in Christian Community need to strive towards. The challenge in many church education is the element of continuity as many programmes, though having great purpose and objectives, seems to hit the wall when they end. Some could not see how the momentum or the learning of a particular topic or theme could continue beyond the period of the programme. Sometimes even though some short term results could be produced through the programme, these could not be sustained or even maintained as there is a lack of continuity in the overall education process. A absence of a long term vision is usually the cause of the lack of continuity of Education in Christian Community.
The other area of learning is the context of Education in Christian Community. Many expect the “schooling” approach and therefore the classroom (formal) setting when we think about Education. If we expand the scope of education, the context of education can be as broad as anywhere and anytime. Basically, there could be three categories of context, namely, Formal, Informal and Non-formal. Formal context refers to intentional, structured and controlled, while informal settings are unintentional and unstructured, whereas non-formal circumstances are intentional but yet structured.
In fact Jesus has set the example for all of us through the many occasions of education in the Gospels. He taught in formal settings like synagogues in Mark 12:28-34, to his gathered disciples in Mark 1:16-20; 3:13-19, and deliberate with the scribes in Mark 11:27-33 and 12:13-27. Jesus also taught out of doors at the seashore in Mark 2:13 and 6:23-44, on the mountain in Matthew 5, while travelling in Matthew 21:18-22, etc. From the example of Jesus, we can see that the context in education should be wide and not limited to the church or ‘classroom’ context. It can also happen in workplace, homes, while travelling, overseas, etc.
The scope of participants of the education in Christian community is the other area where I got reminded on the various learning styles of people. Much research has gone into this area of studies and there are many models developed by scholars in this field. Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences describes the various intelligences that people may have and eight multiple intelligences consist of verbal-linguistic, math-logical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. David Kolb’s learning styles model presents the four types as Reflective Observation, Concrete Experience, Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation. We need to consider these factors when designing lessons and programmes in order for education to be more effective. With this knowledge, it also increases the competency expectation of Christian educators because many corporate training has already in-cooperated such practices. Therefore there is a need for Christian to continue to keep up to the trends and progress in education, be trained and build up our competencies.
Nevertheless, Even after using these available learning styles models and educationally sound mix of methods when conducting lessons, it will not warrant that every student will come to know and love Jesus more and to serve Him. Marlene Lefever says that “Only when individual students, led by the Holy Spirit, can make that decision.”[1] Marlene quotes Dallas Willard from The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, ”We do not aim to just control behavior, but to change the inner castle of the soul, that God mat be worshipped ‘in spirit and in truth’ and right behavior cease to be a performance.”
[1] Marlene LeFever, “Learning Styles” in Christian Education: Foundations for the Twenty-first Century (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Company, 2001), 137.
