Friday Photographs

Song Bird

The song bird sang,

A notorious tune.

A sudden bang,

that ended so soon.

The air was still,

and nothing heard.

A silent trill,

of the dead bird.

(A poem I wrote in 1995)

Christian Education as a Vital Ministry of a Congregation

You enter a congregation for their “Christian Education hour”. You might hear children singing, laughing, and talking. You smell bread baking and a smell you can’t quite define. You see beautiful banners, whimsical artwork, and adults walking a labyrinth. This is just a small sampling of the many aspects of Christian Education ministry. Each congregation’s Christian Education ministry looks different. Christian Education Ministry is not just for children. It is a vital multigenerational ministry within a congregation.

Christian Education Ministry can be defined in many ways. The Book of Order defines Christian Education (they use the term “nurture” instead of “education”) as “a process of bringing [people] to full maturity in Jesus Christ” (W-6.1003). I believe Christian Education can also be defined as any activity that enhances a persons understanding of their faith and helps them become more aware of The Holy (God) within and around them. As congregations and individuals we are called to worship God and serve God by serving others. Christian Education enhances, informs, supports, and shapes worship and mission and service in congregations and individuals. 

Through Christian Education ministries the people of God become more aware of The Holy within themselves. When they become more aware of God within them they become more fully engaged in worshiping God. Through Bible studies they learn about the ways God works in and through people and how God works within them for transformation. They learn about the how and why of worship. They are able to engage in worship in creative ways. Christian Education ministries are vital in shaping the worship life of a congregation.

“[Christian] nurture...[is] one way in which Christians minister to one another” (Book of Order W-6.1003). Christian Education ministries help people become aware of God around them. This awareness of God leads Christians to become more fully  engaged in ministries of pastoral care, mission, and service. They engage in activities that inform and transform their views of the world around them. They experience the transforming love of God and are called to share this love with all of Gods children. Christian Education ministries are vital in shaping the mission and service of a congregation. 

Ministries of Christian Education provide experiences that nurture our awareness of God within and around us. Christian Education ministries are embodied in many ways. They all look and feel different because each congregation has a different ethos. However, all ministries of Christian Education seek to enhance, inform, support, and shape individuals and congregations in the ministries of worship and service. Christian Education is a vital to the overall ministry of a congregation.

(Note: "The Book of Order" is the governing document for the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.)