Even if it takes 20 years...let's start!

“Many teachers keep asking us, is there a Christian curriculum? ”

As a teacher of teachers who serve Christ in Nigeria, I explore with my students what is means to teach Christianly.  At seminars and workshops that I lead, this is a common question that comes up. Is there a Christian curriculum? My answer to that is YES and NO. When we look at what is means to teach Christianly, we are talking about having a Biblical worldview.  We are talking about what it means to put on the eyeglasses of scripture – a prescription which allows us to see the world more clearly and make sense of it. 

As we look at the story of God and his people through these lenses, we see the unfolding of its chapters: creation, fall, redemption, restoration.  Our passion for teaching is reflected in this story. 

What does this have to do with curriculum?  Our eyeglasses challenge us to see this world from God’s perspective.  Learning about this world means learning math, science, English, and history.  It also means learning much more.  These subjects give us the tools to explore God’s created intent for cultivation and creativity, for relationships and ratios.  These subjects give us the tools to explore brokenness - how our world has been broken and what our roles and responsibilities are as children of God in restoring the brokenness we encounter.  We are empowered to ask questions like: “What is true?” 

 Here in Nigeria we have a “curriculum” put out by the ministry of education that we are expected to teach.  And so we ask…how can we view that curriculum in light of God’s story?  Or better yet, how does God’s story shape this curriculum?

We have a long way to go in thinking about these questions.  Our dream is to work with teachers to develop a “curriculum” that will assist teachers in this task.

Last week, I met with ACSI Nigeria to start developing an action plan for how we can make this happen.  Mrs. Akinyemiju, the director, shared: “We have a long ways to go in understanding and developing such material.  But even if it takes us 20 years, let’s start!”

There has been a teacher resource developed by ACSI Africa to assist teachers and schools with this process.  It’s called “African Occupation: A Manual for the promotion of Biblical Integration”.  We have decided to start there.  Last week we had teachers come together to reflect on Biblical integration in the area of English and Literature.  We expected about 35…and we ended the day with about 70! 

Teachers exchanged ideas and engaged in dialogue about biblical worldview;  teachers shared God’s story; learners talked about truth, about  God’s purpose for reading and writing, for listening and speaking. 

I was encouraged by this ‘start’.  Please join me in praying for teachers to continue to be challenged to think about how God’s story can be taught in their classrooms.  Pray for leaders in ACSI as they develop an action plan for tackling curriculum. Pray for me as I have the opportunity to train and walk with these leaders. And thank God for this beginning.