Just The Facts, Ma'am!
A couple of days ago I had a conversation with a Formation pastor from a church in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. We were discussing the schooling model of religious education vs. what might be called a formation model. I commented that schooling models were helpful for teaching skills like how to find passages, stories, etc. in the Bible but not as helpful when we wanted to assist God's spirit in creating people who love God and follow Jesus. While we agreed on this the pastor lamented the lack of Bible knowledge found in children today. (Obviously our schooling model has failed to teach Bible facts -- something a schooling model ought to be good at.) This concern prompted within myself a debate I've had over the years about this. How important is it that our children know Bible facts? How, exactly, does knowing the details of a Bible story or character contribute to a child's spiritual formation? Or is it more important for a child to understand the "big picture" of God's story, how it all fits together and our place in it (which, of course, would entail knowing some of the stories the Bible gives us). Or has our failure to teach Bible facts through a schooling model told us that maybe we've failed in telling God's story in a way that is truly meaningful to our children? I have some ideas and opinions about this but no definitive answer. What do you think?
4 Comments:
As a Christian School teacher I can see the relevance and importance of knowing the facts of Bible stories as well as the big picture. What concerns me is what you mention in your book Post modern Children's Ministry, on how NOT to read/teach the Bible. We have turned the holy scriptures into a handbook of how to's and what not to's. Have a problem... look it up in the index... read it fix it, move on to the next problem. This is a "dis-integrated" approach to God's word, which essentially has it's root in our belief(doctrines) of God. We have captured who and what God is in our sustematic theologies! The benefit children have over adults (especially those who have grown up in the church or are professionally trained in the Bible) is that they still have a sense of awe and wonder about God (the transcendent, personal, interactive creator of the universe).
As for the problem of the school model verus the formation model... well my thought is that we need both. (Thus why I teach in a Christian School and have my kids there!) The problem I face is when my kids know more of the Bible facts than the church leaders teaching them in sunday school! Part of the solution to this problem is having preaching in (adult church) our pulpits that tells the stories! rather than the how to... follow this formula... 5 P's and a poem crap we're getting from most of our pulpits these days!
As for the importance of Bible facts... facts are truth... and knowing the truth sets us free! not only knowing (relationally) the Truth (Jesus Christ) but also knowing (cognitively) the truth (the facts) sets us free to not be tripped up when shraing faith or held captive to empty philosophies due to our own biblical ignorance.
PS... I really appreciated your book and just finished reading it! After reading Barna's Transforming Chiildren into Spiritual Champions and your book... I'm even more thoroughly convivnce of the importance or shaping and model our kids first! (Let the adults can come for the ride! But it's time to change our primary focus in the church at large from pampering adults to redeeming our children from the kingdom of darkness they battle daily with their five senses!)
IN Him! Mr.B.
Personally, I perfer to see a child develop a deep spiritual relationship with their Heavenly Father over just knowing Bible facts. Yes, the Bible facts can be important. It irks me that so many of the kids in my ministry don't know where books are in the Bible or how to look up Scriptures.
But if I am reassured to know that those children are developing their spiritual lives through intimate time with Christ, that definitely makes the formation model very relevant to me.
Of course, the pendulum can't swing too far as mrb at cba is showing. Well...its a good discussion point that I will have to ponder further.
I think I agree with the formation model, as well, for a lot of reasons. The main reason, however, is that the Bible - or, better put, God's story - is something that should be held in the heart, mulled over, played with, and applied and reapplied to our lives. Too often we assume that memorization and other "school models' of activities will "make" this happen. As an adult, it doesn't happen for me.... and I'm very good at memorization and "school stuff".
I absolutely loved the ideas posited by Ms. Beckwith.... presenting the stories but allowing the kids to make the lessons. I think "school models" diminish the kids' abilities to make connections with what is important for them.
Anyway, just some thoughts....
I think the thing that seriously causes me to reexamine formation and instruction is looking at the things that have shaped and formed my own faith. It really wasn't instruction (although I love studying the scriptures).
It also seems that if instruction was the key, then every child who comes out of a Christian institution would be more like Jesus than those who don't...
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