Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful: A Biblical Vision for Education in the Church
461
Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful: A Biblical Vision for Education in the Church
461eBook
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Overview
Why does the church teach? And what should it teach? In recent years, traditional Sunday school and education programs have declined in influence and effectiveness. Education in the church is often sidelined by other competing priorities, and our efforts become haphazard and random. As a result, many Christians have not learned the fundamental doctrinal content of the faith. As a response, a growing number of church ministries have moved toward an emphasis on Christian spiritual formation. But churches must hold together education and formation, the teaching of the faith and the forming of the faithful. In this comprehensive text, Gary Parrett and Steve Kang attend to both the content and process of educational and formational ministries. They set forth a thoroughly biblical vision for intentional teaching of the Christian faith, with a holistic concern for what and whom is taught as well as how and why. Fully apprised of developments in educational theory and pedagogy, Parrett and Kang propose a core curriculum for recovering the full scope of Christian proclamation and reinvigorating the teaching ministry of the church. Their vision has implications not merely for catechesis, but for preaching, worship, children's and youth ministry, and much more. The body of Christ can become all that God intends it to be, through intentional practices that foster personal and corporate formation. Here is guidance for individuals and congregations on that journey.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780830884353 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | IVP Academic |
| Publication date: | 03/05/2013 |
| Sold by: | Bookwire |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 461 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
J. I. Packer is regarded as one of the most influential evangelicals in North America. He is Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and his writings include books such as Knowing God, A Quest for Godliness, Growing in Christ (Crossway) and Rediscovering Holiness. He has preached and lectured widely in Great Britain and North America and served as general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible published in 2001, and theological editor of the Study Bible version. In 2014, Packer was named Author of the Year by the Association of Logos Bookstores. He is a frequent contributor to and an executive editor of Christianity Today and has written numerous articles published in journals such as Churchman, SouthWestern Journal, Reformation Revival Journal and Touchstone. He received a BA, MA and PhD from Oxford University.
Gary A. Parrett (Ed.D., Columbia) is professor of educational ministries and worship and chair of the Division of Ministry of the Church at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is a co-author of A Many Colored Kingdom (Baker, 2004).
S. Steve Kang (PhD, Northwestern University/Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) is professor of educational ministries and interdisciplinary studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He previously taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Wheaton College. He is the author of Unveiling the Socioculturally Constructed Multivoiced Self, A Many Colored Kingdom and is co-editor of Growing Healthy Asian American Churches.
Gary A. Parrett (Ed.D., Columbia) is professor of educational ministries and worship and chair of the Division of Ministry of the Church at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is a co-author of A Many Colored Kingdom (Baker, 2004).
S. Steve Kang (PhD, Northwestern University/Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) is professor of educational ministries and interdisciplinary studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He previously taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Wheaton College. He is the author of Unveiling the Socioculturally Constructed Multivoiced Self, A Many Colored Kingdom and is co-editor of Growing Healthy Asian American Churches.
J. I. Packer (1926–2020) is regarded as one of the most well-known theologians of our time. Once named to Time magazine's list of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America, Packer served as Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. His books include Praying, A Quest for Godliness, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, and Rediscovering Holiness.
Table of Contents
Foreword by J. I. Packer
List of Tables and Figures
Preface
Part 1: PURPOSE: A Mission to Fulfill
1. The Poie ma of God
2. Building Up the Body
Part 2: PROCLAMATION: A Message to Obey and Teach
3. The Faith Once Delivered
4. The Glorious Gospel and its Implications
5. CORE Content for a Congregational Curriculum
Part 3: PEOPLE: Of Teachers Learners
6. Teachers Among Us
7. Attitudes and Attributes of Christlike Teachers
8. Listening to the Theorists
9. Toward a Community of Learners
Part 4: PRACTICES: Strategies for Teaching Forming
10. Visions of Christian Teaching
11. From Generation to Generation
12. "When You Come Together": Worship and Formation
13. Commitments for a Congregational Curriculum (Part 1)
14. Commitments for a Congregational Curriculum (Part 2)
Conclusion: The Beautiful Body of Christ!
Name Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index
What People are Saying About This
"Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful is a fairly comprehensive orientation and guidebook for pastors and church leaders regarding the essential educational ministry of the church. The overall organization of the book is clear (aims, essential content of the gospel, participants, and processes and practices) and the last two chapters offer a macroframework for conceptualizing and guiding overall educational ministry practice. The authors' 'pastoral insider' perspective yields useful lists and suggestions that can easily be contextualized in any local church, especially those with a liturgical tradition. The book is biblically grounded throughout and offers a wide range of notes and resources from church history, making it a rich resource for the seminary classroom and on the pastor's shelf."
"Parrett and Kang lay out in detail, with good judgment, firm grasp and many lively proposals, the authentic elements of what is needed. Much wisdom that has been broached in bits and pieces in recent years is brought together here. Rich in its pastoral discernment, this is emphatically a book for our times, and I commend it with enthusiasm."
"In a well-researched and comprehensive work, Kang and Parrett provide a rich and nuanced introduction to Christian education well worth reading by all those committed to faithful teaching and formation in the third millennium. The biblical and theological connections provide a rich tapestry for thought and practice. I enthusiastically recommend this work for scholars and practitioners alike."
"This is the kind of book on the teaching ministry of the church that we have needed for some time! Parrett and Kang provide a solid biblical grounding for the purpose and practices of educational ministry, connecting it with the broader life and ministry of the church. Their 'take and bake' approach makes this a thought-provoking read, challenging church leaders to look more deeply into the nature of the church, its calling in the world, and the ways educational ministry can better strengthen the faith and faithfulness of God's people. This is a must-read for everyone in vocational ministry who desires to see the church grow into a more faithful image of Christ in this world."
"It seems that every decade or so, the institutional form of the church reinvents itself. It is no wonder if members of congregations weary of proposals to adopt the next 'new' approach to congregational life and ministry. This is not a how-to-have-a-successful-church manual. The authors set the church in a biblical context, reminding us that it might be the past that is the key to its future. The church's rationale is the gospel; its character is derived from the historic practices of the Christian church and the clear descriptions of what God expects of the people of God. The authors' specializations include theology, multiculturalism, the nature of learning and spirituality. As a result, this book reflects a wholistic perspective and practicality that is not always evident in books about the church."
"This book moves almost seamlessly between Bible, theology and education to provide foundational insights into how the church must educate its members toward Christian maturity. In a time when serious education of believers has been neglected, this work offers an important and helpful corrective by using sound theology and the best of educational theory to guide the practice of the church."
"In a well-researched and comprehensive work, Kang and Parrett provide a rich and nuanced introduction to Christian education well worth reading by all those committed to faithful teaching and formation in the third millennium. The biblical and theological connections provide a rich tapestry for thought and practice. I enthusiastically recommend this work for scholars and practitioners alike."
"Although Parrett and Kang seem to misread my priorities in my first book on worship, still I heartily recommend their work! In this book's massive thoroughness, they skillfully explore all the major questions for a congregation's educational ministry. This volume's comprehensive view of spiritual formation is critically necessary—and intensively beneficial!—reading for everyone who serves to teach the faith, from the preschool Sunday school teacher to the senior pastor!"
"After reading Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful I concluded, 'This text is perfect for my Foundations for Educational Ministry course.' Grounded in Scripture, conversant with theory, spanning the globe and the centuries of Christian tradition, Parrett and Kang have produced a comprehensive study of the church's teaching ministry. It will ignite passion in its readers and equip them with a clear, compelling vision for educational ministry."
"Well-grounded in Scripture, committed to the church and the gospel of Christ, Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful describes and explains the essential elements for a teaching that truly aims to form the believer and the church community unto a more faithful living of the gospel. This is a book well worth reading by those who teach and share the goal of promoting a lifestyle that daily lives the story of the good news of Jesus Christ. I look forward to engaging my students with this well-rounded text on teaching as they too seek to learn to teach and form the faithful in the way of the gospel."
"A clarion call to the church to teach the Scriptures, learn what they teach and practice their truth. This is a challenge we need to heed today. Ours is a time when authentic faith is often overwhelmed by the triviality of our culture, by fascination with technique in our churches and by confusion as to what it means to be God's people in our own time. I therefore welcome this study!"
"Somewhere along the way, our ministries have become more concerned with implementing methodologies than with teaching meat. The sad outcome has been a church filled with people who have little or no idea how God's story speaks to them, or how they are to enthusiastically live out their place in God's story in the midst of a watching world. We are nurturing generations of children, youth and adults who have little or nothing stored in the well of their faith. Gary Parrett and Steve Kang remind us that our calling is to fill wells with an understanding of God's story that yields a church filled with stories that bring glory to God in every nook and cranny of life. Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful has the potential to transform our ministries, the people we minister to, the church and the world. Their diagnosis is accurate. Their practical prescriptive responses call readers to return to biblical roots that have long been forgotten. I will be recommending this book to youth workers, pastors, parents and educators."