Although Christian Education (C.E.) has the discipline of theology as
its foundation, it is not in itself theology. While theology is a study
of God, Christian Education is a study of how to help people know God.
Knowledge of God is different from knowing God, in that knowing God is
experiential-it is based on a relationship with Him.
The C.E. degree endeavors to go beyond the theory of theology to its
practical implementation in the church and community. It prepares
students for the communication of the Christian life to all ages and in
every opportunity. While the theology degree focuses on the preparation
of pastors, missionaries and theologians, the Christian Education degree
prepares students to minister in the church as teachers and directors
of the educational ministries for the church. By comparison, Christian
Education is a specialized ministry within the church as paediatrics is a
specialized study within the field of medicine.
Christian education is designed for the whole person, touching all
areas of the persons life-that is knowledge, attitudes and skills. Its
goal is to develop Christ-likeness in the learner. It is a process of
character formation through free interaction of the teacher, learner and
the environment. This interaction will enable the learner to go beyond
the immediate goals of curriculum and examinations to the far-reaching
effects of transformational education-that of changed lives.
The Goals of the Bachelor of Christian Education Degree
- To lead students in a biblically
based holistic development, namely spiritually, mentally, emotionally,
socially, and physically. - To prepare students to minister to
children, youth and adults in Christian education vocations, namely
Christian education directors, youth leaders, TEE (Theological Education
by Extension) leaders and teachers, and catechists. - To enable students to understand a diversity of world views from an evangelical perspective.
- To develop competency necessary for graduate studies.
- To prepare qualified persons who will competently communicate the principles of Christian belief and conduct to others.
- To enable students to identify,
evaluate, and develop educational programmes of the church in the light
of biblical and theological principles. - To assist students to formulate an
approach to Christian spiritual formation, growth, development, and
maturity by focusing primarily on human development, educational process
and spiritual development. - To acquaint students with the
learning process and suggest appropriate methods of teaching to meet the
needs of each learning style.