Christian Education in your Church

[Soonerborn]

I recently read an article in the Puritan Reformed Journal (January 2009) by Joel Beeke titled, "God-Centered Adult Education". It was very edifying.

The article summarized Beeke's view on God-centered adult education in the context of his own congregation.

The article is couched by the premise that the preaching of the Word is the primary focus of adult education in the church. However, this article is not directed mainly toward the preaching of the Word, but is written mostly about "Sunday School", "Christian Education Hour", "Catechism Class", or whatever else your church calls it, plus gatherings throughout the week; ie the other gatherings which are not formal worship.

He states that "Adult Education should be Bible-based. It must confine itself to subjects that are addressed in the Scriptures. We should follow the model of adult education Paul used at Crete, addressing home relations (family life issues), human relations (communion of saints and how believers should relate to this world), and heavenly relations (our relationship with God). Anything outside this framework should be eliminated."

Beeke goes on to state that after corporate worship on Sunday morning, his church has 2 classes for the adults: 1) a Family Living Class; and 2) Confession of Faith Class.

He teaches the Family Living Class and examples of what he taught includes a series of 50 addresses on marriage, 70-80 addresses on child training, 3 lesson on "temptations husbands face", and lesson on "temptations women face".

He says the confession of faith class is a membership class which provides an opportunity to teach young and older adults the God-centered tenets of the faith. They teach more about the church's doctrine.

He goes on to list other non-sabbath type groups as men's and women's bible studies throughout the week, and mid-week classes.

My question to you is what does your church look like for Christian Education, not only on the Sabbath in the context of classes, but throughout the week.

Our church has never really offered any type of "family living" type of class. It seems like we stay more on doctrine, theology topics. Having a 80 week series on child training would be un-heard of in my church. We may spend 4-6 weeks on something, then move on.

I think it is great to offer classes to members which strive to apply the Bible's teachings in the context of marriage, child training, and other pertinent issues we all face. Usually my first reaction when I need this type of teaching is to "buy a book".

I could be wrong, but it seems like some Reformed/Presbyterian types are very careful about doing anything that looks or smells like a program and in response, they may sway too hard to the other side of the spectrum, neglecting the teaching of practical topics like marriage, children, etc. and stay on the side of the pendulum that deals with TULIP, doctrine, etc.

Do your churches do this type of teaching?

Thoughts...

 

[Ne Oublie]

Where we are (RPCNA), the teaching is not "programmed" but teaching, which is very much appreciated and received. Programs are just specified teaching, right?

I could be wrong, but it seems like some Reformed/Presbyterian types are very careful about doing anything that looks or smells like a program and in response, they may sway too hard to the other side of the spectrum, neglecting the teaching of practical topics like marriage, children, etc. and stay on the side of the pendulum that deals with TULIP, doctrine, etc.

I think some places may steer away from things that can be seen as subjective(?).
Some places may not have enough teachers to teach on these matters? Just a thought?

 

[Soonerborn]

Where we are (RPCNA), the teaching is not "programmed" but teaching, which is very much appreciated and received. Programs are just specified teaching, right?

I could be wrong, but it seems like some Reformed/Presbyterian types are very careful about doing anything that looks or smells like a program and in response, they may sway too hard to the other side of the spectrum, neglecting the teaching of practical topics like marriage, children, etc. and stay on the side of the pendulum that deals with TULIP, doctrine, etc.

I think some places may steer away from things that can be seen as subjective(?).
Some places may not have enough teachers to teach on these matters? Just a thought?

When I refer to "programs", I guess in my mind I think of "packaged studies", with video, workbook, etc which almost promise you will experience a better marriage after taking the 12 week course.

I don't think any program is going to make you more godly, as a "prescription", ie do this and it will improve your marriage. But call it whatever you want, but I think the church should be offering teachings on say marriage in some form. My point was that in an effort to steer away from the program based "do this and improve your life" video/workbook series , some churches don't offer any form of biblical teaching on topics which are needed by the congregation.

I have no problems going through topical studies in Christian Education classes, and think the church needs to be offering their members this type of teaching in the context of biblical truth and knowledge.

 

[Ne Oublie]

I agree, the sufficiency of Scripture!

 

[Andres]

My church's education looks like this:
Sunday school (Sun morning before church) - we are currently going through the pastoral epistles
Morning worship - currently in book of Genesis
Sunday evening - study on Three forms of unity
Wed evenings - going through Augustine's Confessions

So as you can see, no, we don't have any type of "family living" classes, but I have only gone to the church for about 2 years, so I guess they could have in times past. My pastor did go through a sort of marriage class with my wife and I when we were engaged to be married, but he just did it with us two and it was specifically because he was going to marry us. I think i would enjoy some of the "family living" classes if they were applicable to me, but I think that might be part of the reason why they are not offered as much. For example, our church is small and we really only have our pastor to teach classes. Occassionally an elder will fill in, but he basically just reads through commentaries. So, the problem is that because our available teachers are limited, the classes offered are limited. We couldn't really offer a marriage class because then what would the singles do? I guess they could attend and learn for if they do get married, but is that weird?

 

[Soonerborn]

My church's education looks like this:
Sunday school (Sun morning before church) - we are currently going through the pastoral epistles
Morning worship - currently in book of Genesis
Sunday evening - study on Three forms of unity
Wed evenings - going through Augustine's Confessions

So as you can see, no, we don't have any type of "family living" classes, but I have only gone to the church for about 2 years, so I guess they could have in times past. My pastor did go through a sort of marriage class with my wife and I when we were engaged to be married, but he just did it with us two and it was specifically because he was going to marry us. I think i would enjoy some of the "family living" classes if they were applicable to me, but I think that might be part of the reason why they are not offered as much. For example, our church is small and we really only have our pastor to teach classes. Occassionally an elder will fill in, but he basically just reads through commentaries. So, the problem is that because our available teachers are limited, the classes offered are limited. We couldn't really offer a marriage class because then what would the singles do? I guess they could attend and learn for if they do get married, but is that weird?

While I was single, I wish I would have studied marriage from a biblical view point more, or I should say, at all. Even if you are single, I think it would be most profitable to attend a class about biblical marriage to begin thinking about this. Most singles get married and have never thought about marriage from a biblical viewpoint; their only point of reference is their parents relationship, which often times is not the most profitable example.

 

[Andres]

My church's education looks like this:
Sunday school (Sun morning before church) - we are currently going through the pastoral epistles
Morning worship - currently in book of Genesis
Sunday evening - study on Three forms of unity
Wed evenings - going through Augustine's Confessions

So as you can see, no, we don't have any type of "family living" classes, but I have only gone to the church for about 2 years, so I guess they could have in times past. My pastor did go through a sort of marriage class with my wife and I when we were engaged to be married, but he just did it with us two and it was specifically because he was going to marry us. I think i would enjoy some of the "family living" classes if they were applicable to me, but I think that might be part of the reason why they are not offered as much. For example, our church is small and we really only have our pastor to teach classes. Occassionally an elder will fill in, but he basically just reads through commentaries. So, the problem is that because our available teachers are limited, the classes offered are limited. We couldn't really offer a marriage class because then what would the singles do? I guess they could attend and learn for if they do get married, but is that weird?

While I was single, I wish I would have studied marriage from a biblical view point more, or I should say, at all. Even if you are single, I think it would be most profitable to attend a class about biblical marriage to begin thinking about this. Most singles get married and have never thought about marriage from a biblical viewpoint; their only point of reference is their parents relationship, which often times is not the most profitable example.

Yes, I think you are correct. I was just thinking that, although we don't have any children currently, it would be a blessing to hear biblical teachings on how to raise them for our future plans.

 

[cih1355]

My church's education looks like the following:

Sunday School- Currently, there are two Sunday School classes- one covering marriage and the other covering hermeneutics. In the past, different books of the Bible were covered as well as apologetics and evangelism.

Morning worship- Currently going through 1 Peter

Sunday evening- Sermons on different topics

Several Bible studies during the week- Different books of the Bible

My church also offers a two-year course of study during one of the weeknights that covers living the Christian life, hermeneutics, and systematic theology. The whole Bible is read as well as other books. Papers are required. This class is for those who want to do lay ministry in the church.

 

[Andres]

My church's education looks like the following:

Sunday School- Currently, there are two Sunday School classes- one covering marriage and the other covering hermeneutics. In the past, different books of the Bible were covered as well as apologetics and evangelism.

Morning worship- Currently going through 1 Peter

Sunday evening- Sermons on different topics

Several Bible studies during the week- Different books of the Bible

My church also offers a two-year course of study during one of the weeknights that covers living the Christian life, hermeneutics, and systematic theology. The whole Bible is read as well as other books. Papers are required. This class is for those who want to do lay ministry in the church.

Wow. Papers required for lay ministry? that's pretty impressive.

 

[jwithnell]

The classes I attend likely have some resemblance to seminary classes. Ones I have found particularly useful have been in-depth studies of particular books (especially one on Ecclesiastes), early church history, one on worship, and another on the original texts and how they have resulted in our modern English translations. When a class is more introductory or is one I've had already, I usually continue my reading from the week or listen to a sermon.

 

[blessedmommyuv3]

My husband and I are the only Sunday school teachers in our tiny country church.
We have generally 2-6 adults (this includes our pastor) and 2 of our children in attendance, in addition to ourselves.
We have an age range of 10-late 60's; so finding something everyone can understand and learn from is a challenge.
We began teaching using the "Masterwork" Southern Baptist curriculum purchased through LifeWay, but really felt that it was too shallow in its teaching; and no one ever did their weekly homework, but us.
We are now teaching using a combination of dvd's and reading from scripture.
RC Sproul's Fear and Trembling lectures have been our material for this month; paired with scriptures on the holiness of God and transcendence versus immanence.

 

[dudley]

Christian education can also be evangelizing

Our Presbyterian church has had for a while a very active teen youth group. Its social and also athletic and also in the process evangelization and religious.

Our Presbyterian youth are asked to invite other non Presbyterians and even Roman catholic friends to come and join the activities. Many do and many Roman catholic teens attend regularly. There is an excellent film that came out about 8 years ago 'Luther" we show the film twice a year to the teen group with refreshments and then begin a dialogue afterwards about the Protestant reformation.

An adult leader will begin the discussion by defining what it means to be a Protestant. He or she will say I DEFINE WHAT I MEAN BY THE TERM “PROTESTANT” not in any denominational way i.e. denoting membership of any one Protestant denomination or with any political meaning. It is used to designate one who believes in the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation i.e. the authority of the Bible alone in all matters of faith and practice and that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Then we discuss the 5 solas:and discuss

Salvation is
by grace alone
through faith alone
in Christ alone
based on Scripture alone
to the glory for God alone.

The film usually does alienate Roman catholic youth who see it to the Protestant perspective of the Reformation. We also have the ex Roman Catholics both youth and adults give testimony of why they became Protestant.

We then tell them that Protestantism involves protesting against error, but also propagating the Truth. A Protestant, therefore, in the true sense, is one who not only protests against the corruption's, abuses and apostasy of Romanism, but also bears faithful witness to the fundamental principles of the Gospel as set forth in the Word of God.

This is presented to them after they have just seen the abuses of the Roman church and her pope in the film Luther. We then explain to them that as Protestants we believe the Reformation was establishing and returning the Church and the Gospel to the way it was in the early church and before the corruption's done by the Roman church and the governmental system of the papacy.

We then discuss the Protestant doctrine of Justification and ask the Roman catholic youth if they believe that Christ died on Calvary to save all who believe in Him. They always respond Yes! At that moment they have really been born again and are in fact Protestants and no longer Roman Catholics. They are not fully aware of it yet however we invite them to join us that Sunday for our services and most come as guests, even after first going to mass at the Roman catholic church.

We repeat much of this in follow up discussions in the weekly youth group meetings that they are now attending. Some begin to come weekly also to the Sunday Presbyterian services because we make it warm and inviting and have a youth social after the service.

Some gradually begin to see that to be a Roman catholic is to give allegiance to a pope, Mary and the sacraments among many other things. Simply read the Catholic Catechism and see for yourself. So, when gradually these youth make a decision to give allegiance to Jesus Christ through His Gospel only then one is no longer a Roman Catholic, and in the process they begin forsake the Roman Catholic religion.

Once God removes the veil from the eyes of the Roman Catholic and gives him/her eyes to see and ears to hear and new heart of trust in the real grace of God there is no more Roman Catholicism left in the soul. Hence, to be born again by the Spirit puts an end forever to Roman Catholicism. I really did not leave the Roman catholic religion I was no longer a Roman catholic. One cannot believe in salvation through the Roman Catholic system of sacraments, etc., and salvation by grace through faith alone at the same time. It is one or the other. many of these youth begin to see the same way. At that point we invite them to join an inquirers class and study the Reformed Confessions and the reformed faith.

Once convinced that no man is above the Gospel. Anyone standing for the sovereignty of God as well as the sufficiency of Scripture cannot do other than to renounce the Roman pope and Roman Catholicism.

At that point they usually make a decision to officially become Protestant and make a public confession of faith. The process also becomes self fulfilling the more youth who convert have in a few cases parents who followed and then the next season more ex Roman Catholics who are now Protestants invite more Roman catholic youth who then are put through the same process.

My Presbyterian congregation is ended 2009 with 5 former Roman catholic teens who have become Presbyterians and in 2008 they had 6 Roman catholic teens convert to Protestantism. What helps us in the United States is that American Roman Catholics even those who stay Roman catholic are really thinking more like Protestants in the last decade. The facts are that those who have left Catholicism outnumber those who have joined the Catholic Church by nearly a four-to-one margin. Overall, one-in-ten American adults (10.1%) have left the Catholic Church after having been raised Catholic, while only 2.6% of adults have become Catholic after having been raised something other than Catholic.

Realizing that fact we have also done work with young adults starting marriage and families.

Another interesting fact from US pew surveys is that three-in-ten who left the Catholic Church as young adults left and became Protestants between ages 18 and 23. The Roman Catholic church does have a marriage preparation called Pre Canna, some are done well and some are not. It is usually a weekend conference held in a regional area. for several catholic parishes.

We offer a Family Living Class; and a Confession of Faith Class. We had one young couple, she was Presbyterian and he was Roman catholic. She was going to mass with him and they were planning to marry in the in the Presbyterian church but they also attended the Roman catholic pre canna conference and he intended to remain Roman catholic. They even had applied for a diocesan dispensation for him as a catholic to wed in a Presbyterian ceremony at his fiances church. We suggested that she invite him to a series of weekly family classes on marriage and the family from the Reformed Protestant Presbyterian perspective. they became regular attendees and after 4 sessions he was very interested in what we believed as Presbyterians and was questioning about the Westminsre confession of Faith. We invited him to join us at our Westminster confession of faith class and he started to attend that class regularly also. Shortly after they came together to church services on Sunday morning at our church and after 2 months he decided to convert and become a Presbyterian. He made his public confession of faith 2 weeks before they were married. They are now active communing members of our Presbyterian church.

As many of you know I am an ex Roman catholic and there are several ex Roman Catholics who are now members of the Presbyterian congregation I made my confession of faith in 2007.

 

[Scott1]

I recently read an article in the Puritan Reformed Journal (January 2009) by Joel Beeke titled, "God-Centered Adult Education". It was very edifying.

The article summarized Beeke's view on God-centered adult education in the context of his own congregation.

While I'm only slightly familiar with Mr. Beeke's work, everything I've seen about it has been very sound biblically.

Without trying to be so, he is likely one of the most gifted writers and teachers in the church in this generation.

The article is couched by the premise that the preaching of the Word is the primary focus of adult education in the church. However, this article is not directed mainly toward the preaching of the Word, but is written mostly about "Sunday School", "Christian Education Hour", "Catechism Class", or whatever else your church calls it, plus gatherings throughout the week; ie the other gatherings which are not formal worship.

He states that "Adult Education should be Bible-based. It must confine itself to subjects that are addressed in the Scriptures. We should follow the model of adult education Paul used at Crete, addressing home relations (family life issues), human relations (communion of saints and how believers should relate to this world), and heavenly relations (our relationship with God). Anything outside this framework should be eliminated."

While we have all strayed from this ideal, this is essentially correct in that it ought to be topics directly from Scripture, not merely "biblically based." This is especially true on the Lord's Day.

I think there is a bit more latitude on other days of the week (not Lord's Day worship).

Beeke goes on to state that after corporate worship on Sunday morning, his church has 2 classes for the adults: 1) a Family Living Class; and 2) Confession of Faith Class.

Excellent, one practical living outgrowing of doctrine, the other good doctrine.

He teaches the Family Living Class and examples of what he taught includes a series of 50 addresses on marriage, 70-80 addresses on child training, 3 lesson on "temptations husbands face", and lesson on "temptations women face".

He says the confession of faith class is a membership class which provides an opportunity to teach young and older adults the God-centered tenets of the faith. They teach more about the church's doctrine.

The confession of faith class is a great idea to be taught on a regular basis. The broad majority of church members ought have this kind of training (I'm viewing this from a non "confessional membership" standpoint), and be able to revisit it in the ordinary course of church life.

He goes on to list other non-sabbath type groups as men's and women's bible studies throughout the week, and mid-week classes.

My question to you is what does your church look like for Christian Education, not only on the Sabbath in the context of classes, but throughout the week.

Our church has never really offered any type of "family living" type of class. It seems like we stay more on doctrine, theology topics. Having a 80 week series on child training would be un-heard of in my church. We may spend 4-6 weeks on something, then move on.

I think it is great to offer classes to members which strive to apply the Bible's teachings in the context of marriage, child training, and other pertinent issues we all face. Usually my first reaction when I need this type of teaching is to "buy a book".

I could be wrong, but it seems like some Reformed/Presbyterian types are very careful about doing anything that looks or smells like a program and in response, they may sway too hard to the other side of the spectrum, neglecting the teaching of practical topics like marriage, children, etc. and stay on the side of the pendulum that deals with TULIP, doctrine, etc.

Do your churches do this type of teaching?

Thoughts...
We've long had a selection of classes on Lord's Day to choose from. The themes vary. Often there will be one or two that are topical (studying a Bible topic through), one or two going through a Book of Scripture, a women's study topical based, a church life class (i.e. membership), and documents of our faith (i.e. Westminster Standards, Book of Church Order, etc.)

.

 

[jwithnell]

The more I think about it, the more I'm disturbed by this:

We should follow the model of adult education Paul used at Crete, addressing home relations (family life issues), human relations (communion of saints and how believers should relate to this world), and heavenly relations (our relationship with God).

or at least the way it is brought out in practice by limiting the classes to Family Living and Confession of Faith.

In the letters from the apostles, we see an effort to equip the saints in all areas of life, we see all-out theological reasoning (Romans anyone?), recommendations for how the church should operate, directions for saints in all walks of life, warnings against heresy, and so on.

In a church limiting itself to Family Life and the confession, where would you put a single person who has an excellent foundation in the reformed faith? Where would you put the older couple who have reared their family in the Lord? Where would you put someone like me who is constantly seeking tools that I can use in my own study of God's word and the application of that word to all areas of my life?

 

[kvanlaan]

Do remember that Beeke and that ilk (NRC, HNRC, FRC, etc.) are committed to education (child and adult) in a way like few I've ever seen. A concern in Catechism class is a reason to write a book, not just something to think over.

 

[Soonerborn]

Thanks to everyone's replies. I thought I would "bump" this once to see if anyone else would share what the "Christian Education" in their church looks like. Thanks!