A Christ Centered Criteria for an Effective Curriculum and Instructional Approach to Teaching and Learning
Paul the apostle wrote, "We admonish and teach every man with all wisdom that we may present everyone complete in Christ." (Col. 1:27,28)
1. Christ centered is the priority in all things more than an emphasis on academic excellence in all that is in your overt and covert curriculum.
2. Contextualized more than idealistic so that the graduates are more effective, equipped and able to edify people toward maturity in all aspects of life. A contextualized curriculum is concerned about helping people grow mentally, socially, culturally, emotionally, physically and Biblically.
3. Progressive more than traditional in the sense that the approach is constantly refining, improving and learning how to excel in building disciples that will win people to Christ and plant and grow churches that give the maximum glory to God.
4. Holistic more than compartmentalized in the sense that your approach is concerned about producing competent specialists who are able to become all things to all men that by all means they may follow Paul's example of winning people to Christ. One area of your curriculum and instructional approach to be integrated with all other aspects.
5. Prioritizing your approach more than just being concerned about transferring a body of knowledge to the students. Priority based teaching helps one avoid crisis management orientations. The priorities of your curriculum and instruction should give glory to God through: 1) Helping people know and worship Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord 2) Helping people plant and grow churches in quantity and quality 3). Helping people fulfill Christ's great commission of Matthew 28:19,2)
6. Yours should be a dynamic curriculum more than a static approach that is not responsive to the changing concerns of the church, the society or the pupils without being contextually dependent.
7. Objective more than subjective oriented in our approach. Having clear objectives for each course so that the students are challenged to close the gap between the ideals of Christ likeness and their realities.
8. Balanced more than trying to be too task oriented or too relationally concerned.
9. Spirit led rather than cold dry academic approach that leads one to be arrogant and out of touch with the real needs of people and Christ's will, church or mission. You consistently remind people that the Spirit of God is the Christian's best teacher.
10. Biblically based without being narrow minded or irrelevant.
11. Aware that all truth is God's truth. Ever searching to maximize one's understanding and wisdom of the will of God for groups as well as for individuals.
12. Obedience oriented education that stresses competency rather than ivory tower education. James writes, "Be doers of the word and not merely hearers only who deceive themselves.
13. Multi-faceted approach so that your students are able to be set on a quest for life long learning rather than to cease their non-formal learning upon graduation.
14. Yours should be a specialized approach rather than a generalized one. Do not assume that one size fits all learners. Allow each student to develop their specific calling, gift and path that God has set for their life according to His plans, purposes, and power.
15. Maturity layered so that the approach is able to respond simultaneously to students who are at different levels of their spiritual, economic, emotional, social, inter-personal, academic, family, mental, character, Biblical, cultural, moral or behavior growth.
16. You have specific cognitive, affective, behavioral and spiritual goals for each level of spiritual or ministry maturity. Some people are non-christians and they deserve a particular approach from the scriptures. Comers are people who just attend church but they are yet to learn how to grow in Christ. Growers know how to pray and study the scriptures but they are not putting what they know into serving the Lord in their fellowships. Developers are using their gifts through service in the church, but are yet to have any ministry to the people are lost and headed for hell without Christ. Disciplemakers are helping to train up younger believers, but are not ready to assume leadership of a small group of new believers in a house fellowship. Leaders are competent to lead a house fellowship, but they are not regularly reproducing their life by leading many new people to faith in Jesus Christ. Multipliers are helping to plant and grow many new church fellowships but they
still lack all the essential characteristics that would allow them to be identified as Christ-like.
17. Your curriculum teaches by personal examples through opportunities in field related practicum assignments.
18. Your approach works in cooperation with authorities so that a plurality of Godly leaders are seen as the best example of a curriculum and instructional approach that synergistically works for the best of Christ's body.
19. Worshipful in the sense that the approach builds upon a students rich devotional life.
20. Christ led in helping the students grow more in the knowledge of all o f Christ's attributes through a rich prayerful communion with the Lord.
21. Yours is an adaptable approach that allows your students to adjust their ministries according to the felt, perceived, and real needs of their congregations.
22. Mindful of the eternal perspectives so that Godliness is the priority in all that is done, said, and pursued according to God's purposes, processes and empowerment.
23. Pauline in the sense that your curriculum balances out the best parts of formal and non-formal educational approaches. (Ephesians 4:11-15 and Col. 1:27,28)
24. Exemplary in the sense that your approach will be emulated in the lives of the graduates and their theological instructional ministries.
25. Evaluative in the sense that you are constantly seeking to let the razor's edge be sharpened through the wisdom of experiences. (Eccl. 10:10)
26. Reflective in that it encourages research and constant faculty development of articles and books that can enrich many with the lessons God is teaching your people.
27. Reproductive in the sense that the curriculum is able to maximize the qualitative and quantitative growth of the kingdom of God and His righteousness as your aim.
