WHY INCLUDE EDUCATION IN YOUR MINISTRY TO THE NEXT GENERATION ?
More than ever , Christians need to know what the Bible teaches about the education of children and put it into practice . Unfortunately , many Christians have adopted a cultural perspective on the purpose and practice of education . The Christian community needs a renewed biblical vision for the education of the next generation . The Bible reminds us , “ Where there is no vision , the people perish ” ( Prov . 29:18 ). Christians must capture a biblical vision for a child ’ s education . Parents need guidance from church leaders on how to think biblically about education .
FIVE REASONS TO INCLUDE EDUCATION IN YOUR MINISTRY TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH :
1
A Biblical Mandate :
We must begin with Scripture and ask what are the biblical principles about education . God has given clear guidance in the Bible on what , who , why , and how to teach children . God commands us to teach children His laws , His character , and His Word ( Deut . 4:9 ; Ps . 78:4-8 ; Eph . 6:4 ). According to the Bible , God did not give the government the role of educating children . Education is a parent ’ s responsibility , with the support of grandparents and the church . Parents are to instruct children in the Lord , teach them God ’ s laws , and train a child to apply God ’ s truth to life . Parents have the freedom to partner with others to educate a child but must do so in accordance with the principles given in the Bible .
2
The Incredible Impact :
Education is a powerful influence in the life of children . Children will spend 16,000 hours at school between K-12 , considerably more time than in church . If pastors are serious about shepherding a child ’ s heart , then education is a non-negotiable aspect of ministry to the next generation . Modern-day public education has scores of secular presuppositions underneath it , which are not understood or recognized by most Christian parents . Trying to overlay Christian beliefs to humanistic education is not successful for the majority of parents , nor is it biblical . Pastors are shepherds called to feed the flock entrusted to their care and protect the flock from false doctrine and wolves that would destroy faith in Christ .
3
A Means of Evangelism and Discipleship :
Biblically , education is discipleship . It shapes what a child believes and who a child becomes . Christian education plays a critical role in proclaiming the gospel to children , immersing children in gospel truth , training children for gospel living , and sending out children to transform culture through the power of the gospel . Paul reminds us of the critical importance of the centrality of Scripture in the education of children : “ From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures , which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus ” ( 2 Tim . 3:15 ). When the church separated itself from the education of the next generation , it forfeited its position of influence in a child ’ s life and has steadily lost our children to the world in increasing numbers .
4
Christ-Centered Relationships :
Godly relationships with teachers and friends encourage wise choices , holy living , and obedience to God . God reminds us , “ Bad company corrupts good character ” ( 1 Cor . 15:33 ) and “ The student is not above the teacher , nor a servant above his master ” ( Matt . 10:24 ).
5
A Priority in Church History :
There is a long list of Christian leaders in church history who have emphasized the importance of Christian education and believed it was a critical component of their mission and ministry . They believed the church and Christian school were united in ministry and mutually dependent upon one another . For example , “ The great church reformers — Martin Luther , John Calvin , John Knox , Ulrich Zwingli , and others — gave as much energy to establishing Christian schools as they gave to reforming the church . To them , Christian school education
40 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW