Re: Teaching children, Part 1

Douglas wrote: "...but it's another thing to think about the Chistian
education of children who can hardly understand the distinction between
literal and figurative story-telling. ..." ~

This may help: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1504208/posts

~ Janice

At 09:35 PM 10/17/2005, Douglas Hayworth wrote:
>As you may know from some of my previous posts, I've developed an interest
>in how best to teach Christian theology (i.e., Sunday School) to children
>in a manner that does not predispose them to a antagonistic view of
>creation and science. It's one thing to think about how to educate fellow
>adults (or even highschoolers) in our churches about faith-science issues,
>but it's another thing to think about the Chistian education of children
>who can hardly understand the distinction between literal and figurative
>story-telling.
>
>My children are ages 8, 10 and 12, and my wife (and I) homeschool them.
>Between my responsibility in teaching them and my participation in midweek
>church activities, I have had opportunity to try my hand at preparing a
>few materials for such education of children. As I continue to think about
>these issues, I thought it might be of interest to this list (as well as
>instructive for me) to post some of these materials and consider any
>comments you may have.
>
>Here is my first posting of something I have written. It is a letter I
>wrote for the children to take home after Wednesday-evening "Jesus Club".
>Hopefully, the kids' parents read it to them.
>
>*******
>Dear Jesus Clubber,
>
>Perhaps you've never thought much about it, but I think that God is very
>mysterious. After all, you and I can't see him or touch him or have a
>regular conversation with him. So, how can we really know about God (who
>he is and what he is like), and how can we really know God (as a friend)?
>Do you think we should just believe whatever other people tell us about
>God? Hopefully our parents and church pastor do tell us good and right
>things about who God is and how we can know him, but we really can't
>believe everything we hear from others. How will we know if our pastor is
>correct, or if someone is even lying to us? We need a more reliable source
>of information about God!
>
>Thankfully, God has written two books that we can read to learn about him.
>You may have guessed that the first book is the bible, God's holy Word.
>For thousands of years, God worked in very special and miraculous ways
>with his chosen people, the Israelites. Their story, which they wrote down
>by God's direction, gives the most detailed description of who God is and
>what he is like. The bible is usually called God's Special Revelation
>because it reveals or tells us very detailed things about God and his ways.
>
>So, what is the second book that God wrote for us? It is the "book" of
>Creation. Because the universe and everything in it is God's creation
>(something he made out of nothing), we can expect to learn at least some
>general things about God by studying the world around us and of which we
>are a part. Creation is often called God's General Revelation because it
>reveals or tells us some important general things about him.
>
>During the next month in Jesus Club, we will be trying to read the book of
>creation together. Of course, we will also continue to read the bible.
>Reading God's books is important, but by itself it's really not enough.
>Learning about God is not the same as knowing God personally. For example,
>you may know a lot about someone, but that doesn't make him or her your
>friend. If God's books show us that God is wonderful and good (and they do
>tell us that), then surely we will want to become his friends, instead of
>just knowing about him. As you read God's Word, you will learn that Jesus
>is the hero of the whole story. Learning about Jesus gives us a perfect
>picture of what God is like, and by loving Jesus we become friends with
>God. Here's what God's Word says about Jesus:
>
>In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many
>times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by
>his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made
>the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact
>representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
>(Hebrews 1:1-3b)
>
>I hope you enjoy Jesus Club this Autumn as together we learn about God by
>"reading" his two great books: the bible and creation. I pray that by
>learning about God, you will learn to know God through Jesus.
>
>Sincerely,
>Dr. Hayworth and the Jesus Club Staff
>*******
Received on Tue Oct 18 09:12:57 2005