Written for: Introduction to Counseling
Date Written: 5/08/2008
Historical
Views of Church Education & Innovative Ideas for
the Future
Ryan Watters
God’s Bible School and College
Abstract
This paper
seeks to explore the issue of church education. It
begins by stating the purpose of church education, and
its primary method. It then seeks to discover what
types of church education were used in the history of
the author’s church and organization. Finally, it
provides an analysis of the current effectiveness of
the author’s church and gives innovative ideas for
improvement.
Historical
Views of Church Education & Innovative Ideas for
the Future
What on
earth are we here for? What is the purpose for this
instrument of God called the church? What are the goals
that our Lord has set before us? These questions are
like a set of beads that are all connected by one
common thread called “church education.” But just what
does this rather ambiguous term mean? I believe three
passages of Scripture are vital to our understanding of
this concept.
First, Colossians 1:28 which states, “We proclaim Him,
admonishing every man and teaching every man with all
wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in
Christ” (NASB). The goal of the church, then, is to
present every person complete in Christ. The word here
translated “complete” comes from the Greek
teleios,
which has
the meaning of perfect, or mature. It is the same word
translated “mature” in 1 Cor. 14:20 which states that
we are to be “mature [teleios]”
in our thinking.
When you study Colossians 1:28 in tandem with Ephesians
4:12-16 you get a much more complete concept of what it
means to present someone “complete” in Christ.
Ephesians 4 lists several descriptors of what this
person should look like. The person should be equipped
to do the work of the ministry, and the edification of
the saints (believers) (Eph. 4:12), the person should
be Christlike (Eph. 4:13), the person should be
thoroughly anchored in such a way that no matter what
circumstances, heresy, or trickery may come his way, he
can stand firm without being shaken in his faith (Eph.
4:14), the person should be equipped well enough to
know the truth, but also have the maturity to speak the
truth in
love (Eph.
4:15), and, finally, the person should take his place
in the body of Christ and serve with love (Eph. 4:16).
From this brief study we get a sense that we are to
present a person who is mature, prepared, steadfast,
compassionate, and thoroughly established in the
doctrines of the Christian faith. But just how do we
get someone to this point? Here is where church
education comes into play. Church education is the
vehicle by which we present someone as “complete in
Christ.” It is the method we use to train, teach, and
edify someone into the person God wants them to be. How
this is to be done is found in the next passage of
Scripture that we’re going to look at, The Great
Commission.
Matthew 28:19-20 states, “Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”
(NASB). It is important to note that the only word in
the imperative mood (which is the grammatical method
used to give a command) is “make disciples”
(mathaetusate).
“Baptizing”
and “teaching” are both participles, and thus are
subject to the main verb, “make disciples.” While
“baptizing” and “teaching” are important, they should
be considered as a part
of “making
disciples.” So then, from this passage we see that the
central method we are to use in presenting a person
complete in Christ is disciplemaking.
The principles derived from Matthew 28:19-20 really go
hand in hand with the principle from Colossians 1:28,
to “present every man complete in Christ.” The reason
we are commanded to go to all nations and make
disciples is so that we can
present
every man complete in Christ. Colossians 1:28 is the
end, Matthew 28:19-20 is the means to that end.
In summation, the goal of church education is to
present a person complete in Christ (Col. 1:28). The
actual method used to reach that goal is called church
education, and that method is discipleship (Matt.
28:19-20).
The roots of church education run deep and are rich in
heritage. When dealing with any modern day issue there
is always value in researching the history of the
matter, and seeing what was done, and why. For the
purposes of this paper I will focus my study on the
history of my particular background with the Lower
Light Mission.
The Lower Lights did not come from any single
denomination. They did not break off from a larger
group, but as stated in the Lower
Light Minutes, “had its
origin in a very humble beginning, being formed by the
divine workings of God in the revival fires of the mid
1930’s” (Lower Light Mission Minutes, 2007). No one
really knows where this “revival fire” came from, or
who started it, but its effects are still being felt
today. It began in the year 1933 in a small town called
Petersburg, MI. Perl McDonnell was a good man, and well
liked, but a hopeless alcoholic. But everything changed
when the revival fires swept through his small town. He
was put under such deep conviction that he went into
his rabbit house, nailed the door shut, and would not
emerge until God had thoroughly converted him and set
him free from sin.
After this event, McDonnell’s life was transformed. He
became a shining beacon in his community. In fact, he
cleaned out his rabbit house, did some remodeling, and
began to hold evangelistic services for his family and
friends. As the minutes state, “This revival spirit
swept through the family with such force that several
were shaken. Then whole families were converted. This
mighty force from heaven began to fan out and catch
fire in many of the surrounding communities and other
counties” (Lower Light Mission Minutes, 2007).
All of this eventually led to the founding of the Lower
Light Mission. Its first annual conference and camp
meetings were held in the summer of 1935. Over the next
several years many churches were founded under the
auspices of this organization, including my own, the
Adrian Lower Light Church. As the denomination grew, it
bought property in Petersburg on which it built a large
tabernacle where the camp meetings could be held in
order to accommodate its growing numbers.
Another important highlight from the history of Lower
Light Mission occurred in 1974 when Harlan Sannes
founded Holiness Christian School. The school continues
into the present and has grades K-12 and uses the ACE
curriculum. This event was particularly important to
me, as this is the school I attended during my 10-12th
grades of high school.
The Lower Lights have implemented several methods of
church education, the most prominent of which being
Holiness Christian School. It is here that children are
trained up in the key doctrines of the faith, and where
Colossians 1:28 is plainly carried out. There is also
an active jail ministry that meets weekly with inmates
in an effort to meet their need of salvation, as well
as disciple those who have already made the commitment
to follow Christ. The Sunday School program has also
been a vital part of the Lower Light Mission. Various
meetings are held every Sunday for different age groups
and a standard Sunday school curriculum is
traditionally used.
Let us pause here long enough to gain a brief
understanding of where Sunday school originated, and
why. According to the article, “The Origin of Sunday
School,” it was started in England in 1780 and “began
as schools for the poor” (“The Origin of Sunday
School,” n.d.). While it certainly had a Christian
theme and basis, it also taught such things as reading
and writing, which was practiced by copying the Bible.
They also taught proper behavior, verbal decency, and
other rudimentary instruction. Over time this system
developed and in 1811, Robert May began a new school
that taught solely religious doctrine. This system
continued to evolve into the system we now use today
(“The Origin of Sunday School,” n.d.). With this
understanding in mind we are in a better position to
judge whether or not we are accomplishing the purpose
of Sunday school as it relates to us today.
I will now narrow my focus more directly to the history
of my own upbringing in the Adrian Lower Light Church.
The church held its first meeting on July 5, 1942 with
fifteen people present. Many of the details concerning
the specific types of church education used have been
lost. But two things are certain. First, it began in a
home, which would indicate close fellowship among the
believers. This could certainly be considered a form of
discipleship, and thus, church education. Second,
Sunday school has been an integral part of the church
from its earliest years. We do know that as early as
1951 this form of church education was being used in
the church (50th
Anniversary,
1985, pp. 41-43).
Shifting now into the present, the church continues to
function as a vibrant light in the community. Its
venues of outreach and discipleship have expanded.
Alongside of the longstanding tradition of Sunday
School, now stand such ministries as Family Fun Night
which serves not only as an outreach to the community,
but also as an opportunity for fellowship within the
church. There is also a ministry called Circle of
Friends, which serves as an incentive program for
attending Sunday school. If a person attends Sunday
school, he or she is invited to participate in a
special outing once a quarter for a time of fun and
recreation (Cheryl Watters, personal communication, May
8, 2008).
The church is unique in the way it handles Sunday
school. They have used it as a contemporary learning
tool that rejuvenates the stagnating system previously
used. The adult Sunday school class now revolves around
structured discussion, rather than lecture. The class
deals with current issues that touch where the people
live. It is always kept extremely relevant. They have
also implemented valuable curricula such as the “I
Believe” and “Loving God” books. I believe this system
balances the historical purpose of using Sunday school
to teach doctrine with the need for relevancy. It
teaches relevant issues from a biblical standpoint.
Thus, you not only gain needed application to your
life, but you also gain the Bible’s doctrinal viewpoint
on the matter.
I feel that my church has been effective, but mostly in
one specific area, worship. The church is truly
learning the value of worship, and, as one member said,
“that in itself is enticing to a person in the pew”
(Cheryl Watters, personal communication, May 8, 2008).
So I do feel that the church is being effective in
discipling its members in the practice of worship.
However, I do see room for improvement in other areas
as well.
One of these areas is in personal and small group
discipleship. Jesus modeled this method with His
disciples. He had a ratio of one-to-twelve, but even
then He had an even closer circle of three. It is in
the context of personal discipleship that great
spiritual growth and maturing can occur.
It is vital to pause here and gain an understanding of
just what discipleship involves. The concept of
discipleship should not be one of a monotonous meeting
once a week where time is frittered away discussing
issues that seem completely irrelevant. But rather it
should be a time of spiritual enrichment where a person
comes to understand and personalize key truths from
Scripture. Where a person begins to make discoveries in
the Word for himself or herself, and then personalize
them. Where a person sees modeled before a true
Christian life.
Discipleship is about relevancy. You deal with a person
where they’re at. It’s true that an important component
of discipleship is the didactic expounding of precept
upon precept, but there must also be an experiencing of
life together. The Christian life is meant to be
experienced, not dryly taught as rote memorization and
a list of rules. The discipleship event must be
exciting, relevant, and applicable, while always
keeping the goal of Col. 1:28 in mind.
This can be accomplished in a number of ways, and the
leader of a discipleship event should be innovative in
his or her methods. First, one of the most important
components of discipleship is simply spending time with
someone, and opening your life for them to see. Use
every moment as a teachable moment. This builds close
fellowship or intimacy in the relationship, which
provides a foundation on which to help someone mature
“to the measure of the stature which belongs to the
fullness of Christ” (NASB Eph. 4:13).
Second, find a curriculum that is first and foremost
true to the Word of God, but also extremely applicable
to the person in his or her situation. This is
certainly a vital part of the discipleship process, but
caution should be used to prevent it from becoming so
dominant that the process becomes nothing more than a
class lecture. This step should be highly
discussion
oriented.
Third, accountability should be a part of the process.
This component is especially important for new converts
as the temptations to lure them back into the world
will be many. This should not be thought of as a time
for the leader to beat the one being discipled over the
head every time he fails, but rather it should be a
time of exhortation, of encouragement, of edifying the
other person. Notice I did not say that a person should
be able to get away with sin by saying “it’s ok, we’re
all human.” Sin must never be excused. However,
nitpicking a person who is seriously trying to seek the
Lord and heaping guilt on them consistently will
actually drive them away from the faith.
Finally, the person being discipled should be accepted
within the body of believers. God made us to be
relational beings. I firmly believe that just as the
African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a
child” it takes a church to raise a Christian (“It
Takes A Village,” 2008). Without the exhortation,
encouragement, and fellowship that can only come within
a body of believers, the discipleship process is doomed
to failure.
In summation, one vital method the church could use to
increase its effectiveness is through beginning a
discipleship program. These programs can be as diverse
as the congregation. If the people need one-on-one type
discipleship, begin linking up those who are
spiritually mature in the congregation with those who
have yet to mature. Begin a mentoring program in the
church where one family or couple mentors another
family or couple (Cheryl Watters, personal
communication, May 8, 2008). The possibilities are
endless.
I do understand, however, that when dealing with small
congregations the difficulty of implementing such a
program is monumental. However, when considered in
light of the rewards of such an endeavor, I believe
every effort should be made to begin such a ministry.
Discipleship will cost you something. It will cost you
time. It will cost you comfort. It will cost you
security. It will cost you a host of other things as
well, but the rewards of your efforts will pay eternal
dividends.
A sobering thought is found in 1 Corinthians 3:12-13,
“Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s
work will become evident; for the day will show it
because it is to
be revealed
with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of
each man’s work” (NASB). At the end of the day, when
our toil upon this earth is complete and we stand
before God to be judged for our work, what will He say?
Will our work be centered upon ourselves and counted as
“wood, hay, [and] straw” to be destroyed by fire? Or
will we do as Col. 1:28 commands and “present every man
complete in Christ” and thus have our work be counted
as “gold, silver, [and] precious stones”? The choice is
ours. And the world is waiting.
References
It Takes a
Village. (2008, May 1). In Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:12, May 9, 2008, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_Takes_a_Village&oldid=209515982
Kneal, J. (1985). 50th
anniversary.
Coshocton, OH: School Annual Publishing.
Lower Light
Mission. (2007). Minutes.
The Origin
of Sunday School. (n.d.). The
origin of Sunday school. Retrieved
May 8, 2008, from
http://www.thewordsofeternallife.com/sunday_school.html