Introduction: Christian Education 12 Precepts

Education is necessary for a culture to transmit itself across the generations.

In Deuteronomy 11:18-23 (NKJV), God commands the children of Israel to educate their children.

18″Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

19You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 20And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.  22″For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do–to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him– 23then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves.

Through this edict God establishes His “holy nation” concept for the children of Israel.  The holy nation concept is then extended to the Gentiles in 1 Peter 2:9,

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (NKJV).

Through education, cultures, including God’s holy nation, can prosper for many generations.  As the cliché goes, “knowledge is power.”

A good educational system will propagate cultural advances, allowing a culture to continually build upon past knowledge instead of “reinventing the wheel.”  It is important to identify strong foundational principles for any educational system.  This is essential in the realm of Christian education and/or youth ministry. Over the next few weeks I will discuss twelve precepts that youth leaders should consider as part of their ministry to children and youth:

1. Authority

2. Discipleship 

3. Love 

4. Imago dei

5. Worship

6. Design

7. Stewardship

8. Truth

9. Vision

10. Covenant

11. Sin

12. Justice

These precepts can be taught over and over again as children and youth progress through a Christian education system.  Children and youth workers need to have a long-term strategy for the spiritual formation of those entrusted to them.

Children and youth ministry should go beyond games, pizza, and babysitting.  Ministries need a long-term education plan and a clearly defined scope and sequence the outlines the educational plan for children and youth.