Educational Work of the Church
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
This study was, to a great extent, limited to consideration of the educational director in the Lord’s church and the great educational opportunities opened to the church through the use of such a man. Major areas, which have only been briefly suggested here, need intensive study and clarification. All phases of the work of the director need to be studied further with the intention of establishing a specific place for him in the great work of saving and edifying souls. The time is at hand! The broad principles that have been expounded in this book are dedicated to that end.
Summary
Introduction
The Introduction introduces this study and states that it has been written for the express purpose of: helping elders to do more efficiently the work for which they are held responsible, bringing the Lord’s church to the full realization of the importance of Christian education in the local congregation, inspiring Christian men to turn to the field of Christian education as a specific work worthy of their full-time efforts, and establishing a definite, Scriptural concept of the person and work of the educational director in the Lord’s church.
The Introduction also outlines the method used in this study and gives sources of data. The lesson closes with a prayer that this material accomplishes the purpose for which it was written and a plea to the reader that he give the entire work due consideration before attempting to eval- uate it.
Basic Foundations for Christian Education
in the Local Church The burden of lesson I is to establish certain basic promises considered prerequisite to this study. The characteristics of the Lord’s church, the New Testament church, which are essential for the proper setting of this work, are set forth showing the church to be a divine institution, an organized body, and having the responsibility of functioning educationally. The scripturalness of the educaitonal director’s work is established within the framework of the local congregation under the oversight of the elders. The broad concepts of Christian education are laid down and the goal is established as being the perfecting of the entire personality of man in Christ Jesus. The lesson closes with a disclosure of the great need for a renewed emphasis on Christian education in the church and in the home.
Qualifications of the Educational Director
Lesson II deals specifically with the qualifications of the educational director. Although it is difficult to compartmentalize these qualifications, in the interest of clarity they are considered as spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social. This lesson sets the standards high for one who would serve as educational director in the Lord’s church. In this lesson the emphasis is upon the person, not the work, of the director.
Relationships Involved in the Educational Director’s Work
Some crucial relationships confronting the educational director are discussed in lesson III. His relationship to the elders, the local evangelist, the supervisory and administrative personnel of the educational work of the church, and the Bible school teachers are set forth. In this lesson one begins to see the necessity for the strenuous qualifications of the director as revealed in the preceding lesson. Lesson IV emphasizes the necessity of an understanding and clarification of the person and work of the educational director by all; the responsibility is upon the elders to establish him as a bona fide director of the educational program of the church; the responsibility is upon him actually to direct this work. He can do this only when he, and those with whom he works, understands and practices their proper relationships to each other.
Duties of the Educational Director
Lesson IV is the climax of our study. The director is considered as a person having specific duties involving: leadership, organization, administration, education, and counseling. As a leader, the director is realistic in the approach to his work. He is cooperative and democratic in his relationships with others. He attempts to be creative as he works with various groups, striving to grow with them. He never becomes complacent; he always realizes his limitations. As an or- ganizer, he is almost always confronted with a stress problem, improving the existing educational program. As he works closely with the educational committee and the supervisory personnel, he finds the greatest organizational hurdles to be the Sunday morning Bible school, a correlated curriculum, and a co-ordination of the extended educational activities of the church. As an administrator, the director tries to keep the operation of the educational activities functioning as organized. He does this by working closely and constantly with the elders, the educational committee, the supervisors, the department heads, and the teachers. The director does his greatest work as a Christian educator. He must understand and appreciate the concepts and aims of Christian education. As an educator, he must secure and train leaders, workers and teachers in Christian education. As a trainer of teachers, he is quick to point them to the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ, as the only perfect example of a Christian teacher. As a counselor, the director must understand the art of counseling, know and cultivate the desirable traits of a Christian counselor, and stand by ready to serve youth, teachers, and all persons who come to him for help.
Conclusions
The director of education in the Lord’s church is in a position to render a very profitable ministry for Jesus Christ. He has the great privilege of working with the elders, the educational committee, the local evangelist, the supervisors and teachers, and the individual members of the church, as they all work together in achieving the grand goals of Christian education. Whether the man who fills this role in the local congregation is an elder, preacher, or a full-time director, let him know that there is no greater work spoken of in God’s Word than that of teaching, preaching, nurturing, and edifying people until the likeness of Christ shines forth radiantly from their lives.
The educational work of the church is so great it deserves, yea, demands, specific preparation. The recognition and securing of those who are specifically trained for the great task of directing Christian education in the local congregation is shamefully overdue in the Lord’s church. It is a strange paradox that those who claim to “declare the whole counsel of God” have neglected a Scriptural and expedient means of “teaching them to observe all things . . .”
In conclusion, the following recommendations are humbly presented.
Let each local congregation who employs an educational director give him a name of distinction (whether it be director of religious education, director of Christian education, educational director, minister of religious education, minister of Christian education, etc.) that is reflective of his responsibilities and duties, and refrain from such misnomers as assistant minister, associate minister, or secretary
Let each congregation learn specifically what qualifies a man for the work of an educational director and then, if it is expedient for that congregation, either hire one or produce one
Let the Christian colleges provide and emphasize adequate training in religious education for all Bible majors, whether they intend to be preachers, teachers, full-time educational directors, or any combination of these
Let the local congregation realize the importance of the educational director’s work and let this be expressed in such concrete terms as, providing an office, providing sufficient salary, and providing adequate housing for him and his family
Let each local congregation set up a long-range program of intensive training for Christian educational workers and teachers.
