Five members of the Calvin College Center for Christian Scholarship 1991-1992 team present some creative and constructive proposals for changes that could occur in the teacher education programs of hundreds of church-related colleges. Theoretically committed to a biblical vision of 'responsive discipleship, ' the authors sketch out 1. a curricular theory that encourages many-sided 'encounters' with created reality, which stimulate varieties of student responses that should arise, ultimately, from a committment of the heart; 2. a collaborative model of teacher education that urges congruent values to be held by the local school, school district, and the teacher education college; and 3. a curriculum that arises, in part, out of the laboratory of the classroom through the interaction of teacher and student in a school organized to develop collegiality among teachers and students, where through the use of evaluative portfolios, student teachers learn to be reflective practitioners of the art and craft of teaching. Co-published with the Institute for Christian Studies

In this book, six educators develop a vision and recommend tasks for education that are distinctly Christian and academically sound. A Vision with a Task highlights three necessary elements which are crucial to encouraging children to become "responsive disciples" and seek shalom in the world.

Points out why now is the right time to emphasize the call of discipleship, the challenges involved in making "necessary adaptations", catechetical dynamics that distinguish this from our past approaches, and practices that can help all of us keep heart.

How Ministers Can Be Excellent and Effective Teachers Effective teaching is important not only to the Christian faith but to the success and impact of Christian ministry. This book champions the role of teaching as a necessary skill for ministers to develop, equipping them to work effectively for the spiritual growth of young people. Terry Linhart, who has more than twenty-five years of experience training youth workers, brings together expert Christian educators representing a broad array of evangelical institutions and traditions to show how teaching connects to discipleship and the church in current contexts. Designed for the classroom, the book covers a wide range of topics and includes helpful illustrative diagrams, tables, line drawings, and charts.

DISCIPLING DISCIPLINE IN THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL was written for dedicated Christian teachers to help them focus on the singular opportunity they have in touching the eternal souls and spiritual lives of God's young people. This book is a call to all Christian teachers to be as effective as possible in preparing young people for a life of discipleship. The readers will find foundational building blocks and practical strategies that enable them to be successful in carrying out the mission and ministry of any Christian school. The author offers antidotes to secular trends that stifle the goals of Christian instruction. This Bible based, hands on approach to discipline can be useful to the novice as well as the veteran teacher. At the end of each chapter, the book, intended to be used as a study guide, poses questions that can be worked through alone or with colleagues. Reverend Bickel has a wealth of experience in the field of Christian education. He is the third generation in a family of educators associated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. He attended a Christian school from his earliest days and now teaches in a Lutheran High School. As an ordained pastor, he has always served churches that provided Christian day schools and Sunday schools. He received his undergraduate degree in education from Concordia Teachers College in Seward, Nebraska and his Masters of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has served as pastor, principal, coach, athletic director, choir director, and religion department chair. His heart is in the classroom and his devotion is to Jesus Christ and the young Christians who need to hear the "Good News." His desire is to extend God's kingdom through education, using Jesus' example as the Master Teacher.

Krau describes 5 processes essential to every teacher or small-group leader: 1. Experiencing God through the means of grace; 2. Listening to the deep yearnings of others; 3. Reflecting on personal experience in the light of Scripture and Christian tradition; 4. Participating in ministry/mission; 5. Building knowledge and skills for discipleship.

Originally published in 1996 Religious Higher Education in the United States looks at the issue of higher education and a lack of a clearly articulated purpose, an issue particularly challenging to religiously-affiliated institutions. This volume attempts to address the problems currently facing denomination-affiliated institutions of higher education, beginning with an introduction to government aid and the regulation of religious colleges and universities in the US. The greater part of the volume consists of 24 chapters, each of which begins with a historical essay followed by annotated bibliographical entries covering primary and secondary sources dating back to 1986 on various denomination-connected institutions.