INTEGRATING CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES INTO CURRICULUM Rev. Festus

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INTEGRATING CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES INTO CURRICULUM

• Rev. Festus Akhimien
• (Administrator General, W.O.F.G.S.)

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INTEGRATING CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES INTO CURRICULUM

• A WORKSHOP PAPER PRESENTED BY
• REV. FESTUS AKHIMIEN ADMINISTRATOR GENERAL, WORD
  OF FAITH GROUP OF SCHOOLS

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Text

• John 832 Ye shall know the truth, and the truth
  shall make you free.
• John 317 For God sent not his son into the
  world to condemn the world but that the world
  through him might be saved.
• 2 Tim. 316-17 All scriptures is given by
  inspiration of God, and is profitable for
  doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
  instruction in righteousness
• That the man of God may be perfect, throughly
  furnished unto all good works.
• Acts 1728 For in him we live, and move, and
  have our being as certain also of your own poets
  have said, For we are also his offspring.

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GOALS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

• Introduction
• We are each a unitary phenomenon, an integral
  creation of God composed of spiritual,
  intellectual, emotional, social and physical
  aspects. Every goal presented is designed to
  produce a CHRIST-CENTERED EDUCATION.

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SPIRITUAL GOALS

• That you may become blameless and harmless, the
  sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a
  crooked and preserve nation, among whom ye shine
  as lights in the world . (Phil. 215)
• To teach the Bible as the infallible, inspired
  word of God (II Tim. 316)
• To develop a proper respect for Gods word, being
  open to His wisdom. (I Jn. 11)
• To teach basic Bible doctrines
• To bring students to salvation and into a growing
  personal relationship with Christ, maturing in
  the fruit
• of the spirit. (Gal. 522-23)

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• To know the father closely through a consistent
  prayer life and fellowship with other believers.
  (Luke 181 and I These 517)
• To help the student renew his mind and apply
  Gods word in dealing with issues of life.
  (Matt. 2641 and Romans 122)
• To help the student develop responsibility and
  the discipline necessary to submit to Gods
  authority (Rom. 131-2)
• To help the student discover his talents and
  place in the local church and his world.
• To develop in the student a Christian world view.

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INTELLECTUAL GOALS

• Daniel was preferred above the presidents and
  princes because he had an excellent spirit.
  (Dan. 63)
• To teach the students to have an excellent spirit
• To teach the students about the renewing of mind.
  (Romans 121-2)
• To have an excellent mind which is the mind of
  Christ. (Phil. 25)
• To formulate a distinctive Christian mind that is
  able to think and act according to biblical
  principles.
• (Phil. 48-9)
• To provide the knowledge of the universe. (2Pet.
  38)

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SOCIAL GOALS

• The Christian schools social goals
  fundamentally deal with having a submissive
  spirit to all God ordained authority and serving
  people according to Jesus example. We believe
  our students should learn to willingly and
  joyfully submit to the authority of the Christian
  school, by instilling the principle of submission
  to all God given authority. This will enable the
  student to practice this principle in other areas
  of life, ultimately submitting every area of
  their lives to God.

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• To train students to fulfill the word of God by
  being in subjection to the governing authorities.
  I Pet. 213-14
• To train students to honour their parents because
  it is commanded by God.
  Eph. 61-3
• To train students to develop proper attitudes
  towards marriage and the family with the
  understanding and skills needed to establish God
  fearing homes.
• Eph. 522-24 64

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• To train students to submit to the person in the
  position of authority above them regardless of
  how they are treated. I Pet. 218-19 Eph. 65
• To train students to respect and honour those
  that are older than them. I Tim. 51-2
• To train students to be selfless, humble, and
  submissive.
• To train students to be helpers. Phil. 23-4
  Gal. 62 69-10

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PHYSICAL GOALS

• Beloved, I wish above all things that thou
  mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
  prospereth. (John 32)
• Each human body is unique, and is considered
  individually by God
• The human body merits life long respect and
  commitment to its health and integrity.
• The human body is the physical aspect and
  expression of a multi-faceted being in which the
  condition of physical health and well-being
  affects the whole persons integral being and
  vice-versa.

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• The human body is intended to, and should be used
  to glorify God in faithful vocational service.
• Proper nutrition is the personal responsibility
  of each person, or caretaker
• Through exercises such as athletics, swimming,
  gymnastics, and sports, students personal health
  and physical development are enhanced.

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CURRICULUM DEFINED

• According to English (2000), Curriculum is any
  document that exists in a school that defines the
  work of teachers by identifying the content to be
  taught and the methods to be used

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• CONCURRENT CURRICULA
• OFFICIAL CURRICULUM Curriculum described in
  formal documents.
• OPERATIONAL CURRICULUM Curriculum embodied in
  actual teaching practices and tests.
• HIDDEN CURRICULUM Institutional norms and
  values not openly acknowledged by teachers or
  school officials

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• NULL CURRICULUM The subject matters not taught.
• EXTRA CURRICULUM The planned experiences
  outside the formal curriculum.
• LIVING CURRICULUM The teacher is the living
  curriculum.
• In summary Curriculum is everything that a
  student learns. Everything that supports
  learning. (Petry, 2000)
• Prov. 29 18 Isa. 4817 2 Cor. 105 Col. 28

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• INTEGRATE means to renew to restore to
  perfect to make a thing entire Matt. 624
  Matt. 1225
• Christian School Curriculum Development
• Gods revelation in scripture
• The Christian Theistic Worldview
• The Christian Philosophy of Education
• Mission Statement
• General Objectives of Education
• General Principles of Education
• Choose a Method of Biblical Integration

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• Gods revelation in scripture
• Understand Gods revelation in creation and
  Gods revelation in the written word.
• 2 Tim. 316-17
• Christian Theistic worldview
• The bible is Gods authoritative word of life.
  Gods written word provides answers to basic
  questions about our world and our role in it.

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• The Christian Philosophy of Education
• Education is the bringing up, as of a child
  instruction formation of manners. Education
  comprehends all that series of instruction and
  discipline which is intended to enlighten the
  understanding, correct the temper, and form the
  manners and habits of youth, and fit them for
  usefulness in their future stations. (1828,
  Webster)
• Nature of Education The Nature of Education is
  the revelation of God as truth. Man then obeys
  this truth and applies it. (John 114 146)

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• Purpose of Education
• The purpose of education is to learn the
  knowledge of God and His truth (Prov. 25)
• To respond to God and His truth (Col. 110 James
  122), to live in harmony with God and His truth
  (Romans 51).
• To impact others with the knowledge of God and
  His truth (Matt. 2819-20 Mk. 1615 Acts 18).
  Teachers are the living curriculum. They
  embody the foundational values and precepts of
  the curriculum they teach.
  
• (II Cor. 33-3)

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The Responsibility of Parents in Education

• The Word of God commands parents to bring up
  their children in the nature and admonition of
  the Lord. (Eph. 64) Parents are responsible for
  the education of their children (Deut. 67 Psalm
  785-7). They entrust a portion of this task to
  the school.
• (II Tim. 21-2)

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• The Student in Christian Education
• Students are made in the image of God. The
  ultimate aim of Christian education is to
  establish the student as a disciple of Jesus
  Christ (Matt. 2819). Thoroughly equipped for
  every good work (II Tim. 317)
• The Leader in Christian Education
• Leaders must make all decisions based on the
  Word of God. Maintain good communication with
  staff (Titus 110-11), create a team (Eph. 416),
  develop accountability (Matt, 1815-17 Heb.
  1317) and be a servant leader (Gal. 513)

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• The Teacher in Christian Education
• The school requires their teachers to be mature,
  born again Christians who are examples to others
  in their personal conduct (Titus 15-9),
• Whose lives have evidence of the fruit of the
  spirit in operation. (Gal. 522-14 Rm. 121-2)
• They must be students of the Bible because they
  must know the truth in order to teach it. (II
  Tim. 215)
• We expect our teachers to serve as shepherds and
  have a servants heart (Matt. 2027-28).

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• 4. Mission Statement
• It states a clear and concise expression of the
  schools function. It defines the schools
  reason for being. Everything on your school must
  spring from the mission statement and be judged
  by it.
• 5. General Objectives of Education
• Apply Christian philosophy and mission to
  establish the general objectives of education and
  the general principles of curriculum. They are
  what the school must achieve to accomplish its
  goal.

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• General Principles of Education
• These are the Christian educators approach to
  curriculum in the light of the Christian
  philosophy. The principles must be Christ
  centered, bible integrated, pupil related and
  socially applied.

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• 7. Choose a Method of Biblical Integration
• Schools of thoughts
• Integration of Faith and Learning Movement
• Believes that public education cannot succeed
  because it fails to teach from a Christian
  perspective. Christian principles must be
  discovered from biblical research and then
  incorporated. The bible must be used frequently
  in various content areas.

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• Incarnational Learning Movement
• Seeks to develop an educational model based on
  the word of God
• The Principles Approach (Verna Hall and Rosalie
  Slater)
• This is a combination of 1. and 2.

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• Steps to integrating Christian Principles to
  Curriculum
• Step One Define your vocabulary
• Step Two Research the vocabulary and its
  synonyms in the bible
• Step Three Reason and come to conclusions from
  the definitions and scriptures
• Step Four Research and record the relevance of
  your subject based on step 3

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EXAMPLES

• ECONOMICS
• The science of household management.
• The science that deals with the production,
  distribution and consumption of wealth, and with
  the various related problems of labour, finance,
  taxation, (Webster 1983 Dictionary)

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• Management art of managing, or handling,
  controlling, directing 2 skillful managing
  careful, tactful treatment.
• Production the act or process of producing.
  The rate of producing, something produced,
  product. In economics, the creation of economic
  value the producing of goods and services.
• Distribution Distributing or being
  distributed the act of diving. Among a number
  allotment in parts or portions. They system or
  process of distributing commodities to consumers.

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• Consumption Consuming or being consumed
  waste destruction. In economics the using up of
  goods or services opposed to production, the
  amount used up.
• Labour Physical or mental exertion Work
  toil a specific task piece of work the work
  accomplished or the part played in society by all
  workers.

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• Finance System or science of public revenue
  and expenditure or of any money matters the
  money, resources, income of a nation,
  organization or person.
• Taxation a taxing or being taxed, a tax or tax
  levy. The principles of levying taxes, revenue
  from taxes.

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• Vocabulary In Scripture
• Management
• Luke 1913 (The parable of the ten pieces of
  money) And he called his ten servants, and
  delivered then ten pounds, and said unto them,
  occupy till I come.
• Luke 209 then began he to speak to the people
  this parables A certain man planted a vineyard,
  and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into far
  country for a long time.

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• Matt. 1352. Then said he unto them, therefore
  every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom
  of heaven is like unto a man that is an
  householder, which bringeth forth out of his
  treasure things new and old.

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• Production
• Exo. 57 Ye shall no more give the people straw
  to make brick, as heretofore let them go and
  gather straw for themselves. I Kings 638 and in
  the eleventh year, the month But, which is the
  eight month was the house finished throughout all
  the parts thereof and according to all the
  fashion of it. So was he seven years in building
  it.

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• Distribution
• Rev. 223b and all the churches shall know that I
  am he which searcheth the reins and hearts and
  I will give unto everyone of you according to
  your works.
• Rev. 312 Him that overcometh will I make a
  pillar in the temple of my God
• Phil. 419 But my God shall supply all your need
  according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

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• Consumption
• I Kings 511 and Solomon gave Hiram twenty
  thousand measures of wheat for food to his
  household and twenty measures of pure oil. Thus
  gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.
• Psalm 1282 when you eat the labour of your
  hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well
  with you.
• Prov. 1211 He who till his land will be
  satisfied with bread
• Eccl. 512. The sleep of a laboring man is
  sweet, whether he eats little or much

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• Labour
• Luke 107 And in the same house remain eating and
  drinking such things as they give for the
  labourer is worthy of his hire.
• Eccl. 910 whatever your hand finds to do, do it
  with your might for there is no work in the
  grave where you are going.
• Romans 1211 Not lagging in diligence, but
  fervent in spirit serving the lord.
• Eph. 428 Let him who stole steal no longer, but
  rather let him labour, working with his hands
  what is good, that he may have something to give
  him who has need.

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• Finance
• Matt. 1346 (parable of the merchant man) who,
  when he had found one pearl of great price, went
  and sold all that he had, and bought it.
• Prov. 1527. He who is greedy for gain troubles
  his own house
• I Tim. 610 for the love money is a root of all
  kinds of evil

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• Taxation
• Matt. 22 Then saith unto them, Render therefore
  unto Caesar the things which are Caesar and unto
  God the things that are Gods

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• Reasoning and Conclusion from the Definitions
  and Scriptures
• Economics is the study of the way God wants His
  things to be managed. The nature of Economics is
  God as the provider of our basic need. The
  purpose of Economics is to study the way God
  provide for His people as well as our attitude
  towards one another. Series of method are used
  to come to biblical conclusions about Gods
  provisions.

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• At the beginning when God made man He place him
  in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 126-29).
• God gave man the ability to multiply (Gen. 128)
• God also gave gift to everyman according to the
  measure of faith (Eph. 411)

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• There are certain principles that God has set
  aside. Students need to learn these through the
  study of management, production, and
  distribution. These systems will always point to
  general principles found in the scriptures. By
  these studies, God is revealed as the provider of
  all things (Phil. 419)

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• We teach Economic because students
• Need to know that whatever good gift or things we
  have are from God
• Need to know that God blesses those who are
  generous with Him
• Need to know that Believers are not to base their
  respect for people on their wealth
• Need to know that property rights are to be
  protected

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• Need to know that property may result from
  several causes about which God warns us
• Need to know that work is part of Gods plan for
  man
• Need to know that Business must be conducted
  honestly
• Need to know that an employer must be fair to his
  workers.

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EXAMPLE 2 ACCOUNTING

• ACCOUNTING
• In general terms the system, science or words, or
  art of keeping, analyzing and explaining
  commercial accounts
• A statement of debts and credits a setting or
  balancing of accounts. (Websters 1983
  Dictionary)

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• KEEP To write regular entries in the Trinity
  keeps records in heaven
• ANALYZE To examine critically. The Bible
  admonishes everyone to search the scripture in
  order to update himself.
• STATEMENT A formal presentation of money
  owned for goods, services
• BALANCE To adjust an account, to make two
  amounts equal.

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• b. VOCABULARY IN SCRIPTURES
• KEEP Luke 13-4. It seemed good to me also,
  having had prefect understanding of all things
  from the very first, to write unto thee in order,
  most excellent Theophilus. That thou mightiest
  know the certainty of those things, wherein thou
  hast been instructed.
• Acts 11. The former treatise have I made, O
  Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do
  and teach.
• I John 57 For there are three that bear record
  in heaven, the father, the word, and the Holy
  Ghost and these three are one.

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• ANALYZE
• I Timothy 215, Study to show thyself approved
  unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
  ashamed, rightly diving the word of truth.
• Acts 1711 of the Berean brethren.
• These were more noble than those in
  Thessalonica, in that they received the word with
  all readiness of mind, and searched the scripture
  daily, whether those things were so.

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• EXPLAIN
• Luke 2427 And beginning at Moses and all the
  prophets, he expounded unto them in all the
  scripture the things concerning himself. Acts
  835 Concerning the Ethiopian Eunuch. Then
  Philip opened his month and bean at the same
  scripture and preached unto him Jesus.
• Matt. 1313b ... and his disciples came unto
  Him saying, Declare unto us the parable of the
  tares of the field.

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• BALANCE
• Matt. 2527 (Parable of the talents) therefore
  you ought to have deposited my money with the
  bankers, and at my coming I wanted have received
  by my own with interest
• Luke 1923 (Parable of the ten pounds) why then
  did you not put my money in the bank that at my
  coming I might have collected it with interest
• Also Mark 121-9
• Matt. 1236. But I say unto you, that Every
  Idle word that men shall speak, they shall give
  account thereof in the day of judgment. Daniel
  527. (Interpretation of the writing on the
  wall). Thou are weighed in the balances and art
  found wanting.

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• STATEMENT
• Matt. 1823-24 And when he had begun to
  reckon, one was brought unto him which owned him
  ten thousand talents
• Jesus also uses an illustration of the forgiving
  of indebtedness as a picture of the way His
  followers should forgive one another repeatedly,
  of necessary. He condemns one who though
  forgiven, will not forgive another.

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• REASONING AND CONCLUSIONS FROM THE DEFINITIONS
  AND SCRIPTURES
•   Accounting is the system of collating and
  keeping records which reveals the way God deals
  with His creatures. The nature of accounting is
  the process of revealing the true nature of God
  and the way we relate with one another. Some of
  these methods can be used to come to a biblical
  conclusions about the way God deals with His
  creations.
• At the outset, God gave man the inspiration to
  write the scripture through the Holy Spirit (2
  Tim. 316-17). God gave men the ability to keep
  records (Luke 11-2 Acts 11). From the
  searching of the word of God we can be grounded
  in the things concerning God. (Acts 175)

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• There are certain rules that God has declared.
  Students must learn these rules as they study the
  art of record keeping analysis and explanation.
  These rules will always find its cause in the
  scriptures. The purpose of keeping record is to
  know everything that was spoken concerning Jesus
  (Matt. 121) by analyzing the scripture, our
  faith is strengthened in God.
• There are so many things about God that requires
  explanation (Acts 175 Rev. 11)
• Through the study of accounting, students will
  cultivate the habit of keeping recordings of
  their dealings both God and their fellow human
  being (Heb. 1025)

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• We teach Accounting because students
• Need to be able to know how to keep records
• Need to be able to examine critically the true
  nature of God
• Need to develop the ideal of constantly studying
  the word of God
• Need to be honest in financial transactions
• Need to learn to forgive one another as God has
  forgiven them their debt
• Need to be able to give a true account of their
  stewardship.

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• We teach by WHAT WE SAY
• We teach more by WHAT WE DO
• We teach most by WHO WE ARE.

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• In conclusion, I encourage BIU staff and faculty
  to LEAD THE CHANGE
• Teach by WHAT YOU SAY
• Teach more by WHAT YOU DO
• Teach most by WHO YOU ARE.