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One Family's Journey in Christian Education

This document summarizes one family's journey in Christian education through four early stepping stones: a deep sense of covenantal obligation, understanding the gospel as the gospel of the kingdom, deepening their biblical worldview, and implications for education. It discusses aiming for distinctively Christian education rather than just adding religion to a secular system. The family created a home environment for Christian education through family worship, discerning use of technology, and critically evaluating their cultural context. Their goal was to nurture the next generation as witnesses to the lordship of Christ in every area of life.

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Abraham Absalon
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
47 views

One Family's Journey in Christian Education

This document summarizes one family's journey in Christian education through four early stepping stones: a deep sense of covenantal obligation, understanding the gospel as the gospel of the kingdom, deepening their biblical worldview, and implications for education. It discusses aiming for distinctively Christian education rather than just adding religion to a secular system. The family created a home environment for Christian education through family worship, discerning use of technology, and critically evaluating their cultural context. Their goal was to nurture the next generation as witnesses to the lordship of Christ in every area of life.

Uploaded by

Abraham Absalon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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One Familys Journey in

Christian Education
Michael Goheen
Burnaby, B.C., Canada

Preliminary Comments
Asked to tell our story
One familys story
Not perfect example
Each familys story is unique
Home-educating family

Four early stepping stones


Deep sense of obligation: covenant
and baptism

Preface to Westminster
Confession of Faith and
"To the Christian Reader, especially Heads
Catechisms

of Families
"As we cannot but with grief of soul
lament those multitudes of errors,
blasphemies, and all kinds of profaneness,
which have in this last age, like a mighty
deluge, overflown this nation; so, among
several other sins which have helped to
open the floodgate of all these impieties,
we cannot but esteem the disuse of family
instruction as one of the greatest...

"If, therefore, there be any spark in


you of love to God, be not content that
any of yours should be ignorant of him
whom you so much admire, or any
haters of him whom you so much love.
If there be any compassion to the
souls of them who are under you care,
if any regard of your being found
faithful in the day of Christ, if any
respect to future generations, labour
to sow these seeds of knowledge,
which may grow up in after-times.
That you may be faithful herein, is the
earnest prayer of ...signed [authors]

Four early stepping stones


Deep sense of obligation: covenant

and baptism
Understanding the gospel as a gospel
of the kingdom

For me, for me, for me


Gospel of individual salvation
Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming
the good news of God. The time has
come, he said. The kingdom of God
is near. Repent and believe the good
news! (Mark 1.14-15)

Four early stepping stones


Deep sense of obligation: covenant

and baptism
Understanding the gospel as a gospel
of the kingdom
Deepening understanding of gospel
in a biblical worldview

Two poles of biblical


worldview

Creation

Battle for
creation

Domain

Two kingdoms

Deepening through
worldview
Creation as God intended it to be

Very good
Ordered
Cultural task part of being human

Struggle for creation between kingdom


of God and kingdom of darkness
Sin and salvation affect more than
individuals
Struggle for all cultural activity

Four early stepping stones


Deep sense of obligation: covenant

and baptism
Understanding the gospel as a gospel
of the kingdom
Deepening in a biblical worldview
Implications for education

Education . . . for what?

Christian education!
Not (in the first place for):
Academic excellence
Character building
Moral training
Protection from evil world

No Icing on the Cake

No Icing on the Cake


Relating the gospel to education is not
simply a matter of putting religious
icing on an otherwise secular
educational cake. Those who confess
the Name of Christ are called to develop
learning and teaching which is based on
the Word of God. Recognising Christs
creation-wide redemption, Christians
will produce fresh and new approaches
in education: a brand new cake!

Aiming for Christian


Education

Alternative kind of education to public

school system
Rejects cultural idolatry that shapes
these schools
Based on distinctive and
comprehensive philosophy of education
Christian approach transforms the
whole enterprise: goals, curriculum,
pedagogy, evaluation, structure, etc.

Settling for Christians


Educating
Christianity-enhanced public school

education
Adds moral integrity, devotional
piety, and biblical insight to select
topics
Maintains status quo about education

Educational implications
Lectures and discussions: How do we

bring the gospel to bear on why we


educate, what we teach, how we teach?
Parental responsibility (Deut. 6.4-9; Eph.
6.4)
Priority and sacrifice (cf. Prov.31.28)
Serviceable insight
Education for witness

Education for witness


Identity: People sent on a mission (John
20.21)
Given foretaste of salvation

Actual taste of salvation of future kingdom


now
Promise of salvation in future

Charged to be previews of kingdom

Actual footage
Interest viewer of coming attraction

All of life

Our Place in the Story: Witness


The Spirit thrusts Gods people into worldwide mission.
He impels young and old, men and women,
to go next door and far away
into science and art, media and marketplace
with the good news of Gods grace. . . .
Following the apostles, the church is sent
sent with the gospel of the kingdom . . .
In a world estranged from God,
where millions face confusing choices,
this mission is central to our being . . .
The rule of Jesus Christ covers the whole world.
To follow this Lord is to serve him everywhere,
without fitting in, as light in the darkness,
as salt in a spoiling world.

Witness to Lordship of Christ


There is no thumb-width of the entire

domain of our human life of which the


Christ, the Sovereign over everything
does not proclaim: It is mine! (Kuyper)
There is no neutral ground in the
universe: every square inch, every split
second, is claimed by God and
counterclaimed by Satan. (CS Lewis)

Creating a home
environment for Christian
education

Family worship

Family worship: Sending roots


down into soil of gospel
Commitment to a time
Singing
Luther composed German psalms for
the people; that is, spiritual songs,
whereby the Word of God may be
kept alive among them by singing.

Family worship: Sending roots


down into soil of gospel
Commitment to a time
Singing
Scripture
Prayer
Catechisms and Contemporary
Testimony

Creating a home
environment for Christian
education

Family worship
Discerning use of technology

Technological
Impoverishment
Boredom
Short attention span
Separation from creation/people
Shaping worldview
What can ______ give and what does
____take away?

Creating a home
environment for Christian
education

Family worship
Discerning use of technology
Critical evaluation of culture

Critiquing cultural context


Develop skepticism toward
advertising
Discuss movies
Discuss music
Discuss current issues

Stepping up intentionality
Exodus of youth from Christian faith
in the West
Need for serious intentionality in
nurturing children
Our families, our future!

website
www.biblicaltheology.ca

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