Response to Marcelo Blog 7.1 Being Missional<\/p>\n
Hi Marcelo,<\/p>\n
Thank you for sharing some of your past experiences with working in two different Christian school cultures. Your explanation of what \u2018missional\u2019 actually is was helpful. I guess both of my previous teaching positions were in schools where the majority of the student body are from a Christian home. My daughter\u2019s school right now is also like that, however, as you mentioned, \u201cI understand that although students may come from Christian families, it does not mean they will have a personal relationship with Christ.\u201d This is very true. There are many students who are still investigating their faith. While I have had different experiences in Christian schools and working in the secular school system, I see some pros and cons to each.<\/p>\n
For example, working in the secular I find it easier to stand out and be a \u2018light.\u201d I can share one example here. When I was teaching at an International School in Germany, one secretary mentioned to me how positive, bright and sunny I was compared to other teaching staff. What she saw was a glimpse of the HS reflected in me which was a huge encouragement to me back in the day as I had just moved to Germany with my husband and felt like God had taken me out of my protective Christian school and plunked me in a scary secular school. In hindsight, I think God had given me a lot of nourishment as a young Christian because he knew he could use me at this particular school. For one, I got involved as a Young Life volunteer and together with another Christian teacher from Australia, mentored a group of International students, some who were believers and others who were just checking Christianity out in a fun and safe environment.<\/p>\n
Another difference I noticed in the secular school setting, teacher\u2019s need to be extra careful about what they discuss in terms of their faith and what they believe. Just today I had such a circumstance. One of my grade 10 classes had debated last week on Canada\u2019s new legislation which now allows people to request medical assistance in dying (Canada, 2018). It was during that class debate that I found out a couple of my students are believers and strong believers at that. I was so excited to hear them debating with a boy who said he was an atheist and believes humans come from apes. Well, today in class, the conversation continued and a few of my students started asking me what I believe. Because they asked, I told them point blank what I believe. I had already talked to the Christians last week and applauded them for taking a stand in their faith. There were a handful of students who really wanted to debate that topic in my class more than the debate they were assigned to research on disenfranchised ethnic groups in Canada. So, I had to tell them how, as much as I would like to debate this topic, I can\u2019t because if one student was offended and said something I could lose my job. I didn\u2019t exactly say all that.. but I do get frustrated at times wanting to have that conversation and being restrained.<\/p>\n
According to Wolters (2005) \u201cthe civilization of the West is admittedly in the grip of a disastrous process of secularization\u201d (p.45). Part of this degradation in our society is due to the movement away from teaching young people the truths found in the Bible. What I really long for as a teacher and as a future leader is summed up succinctly by this quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery \u201cIf you want to build a ship, don\u2019t drum up people to collect wood and don\u2019t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea\u201d (as cited in Wolters, 2016, p.91).<\/p>\n
So, working in a Christian school there is a lot more freedom to be yourself and to talk about hot topics. Teachers are liberated to teach students unabashedly the bigger picture and even pray together. I am excited though to find on-fire Christians in my classes and start mentoring them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have only worked at Christian schools in the past eighteen years. Twelve years in the USA and six years now in Paraguay.\u201d I wonder what differences you noticed from your teaching experiences and in particular the leadership of the staff in both the American school and the one you are currently at in Paraquay?<\/p>\n
On the topic of conflict, my colleague and I were under fire at the International School in Germany because we were affiliated with Young Life. One student from Iceland had complained about our group and tried to cause trouble so that Young Life would no longer be able to meet on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile in the US I worked for a school that had the purpose to maintain the Christian culture. Majority of students were from Christian families, and the institution assumed that people had an understanding of what it meant to be Christian. The purpose was not to evangelize. Some of this also had to do with the particular denomination the school was part of. In my personal opinion, I see more cons than pros with such schools.\u201d I wonder what pros and cons you saw in this setting? Can you share a few?<\/p>\n
\u201cI am a principal now of a school which has the purpose to be missional and brings kids into a relationship with Christ. We do have students that come from Christian families, but we don\u2019t recruit them. They naturally come to us. Most of our students have very little knowledge of the Bible and who Christ is. It gives me great energy to work in such a place.\u201d I would find this exhilarating as well and perhaps this is where my current teaching position is similar to your school as the vast majority of students do not know much about God and they certainly do not know his redemptive plan. I do wonder though if some of the issues you\u2019ve had with finding just the right staff is attributed to the fact that you are a missional school and not a Christian school with mostly students from a church background? In such a school, the school board would not allow unbelieving teachers to teach. Do you have a contract that your teachers must sign which states what kind of behavior they must have? I had special contracts to sign at the previous schools I mentioned.<\/p>\n
As Wolters (2005) says, we are in the job of helping to reconcile the world with the Father (loc. 141). We are healing and restoring what is fallen (loc. 860).\u201d This is a great quote! We are indeed in the business of bringing healing and restoration to a fallen world. Therefore it should not matter so much if we are called to be leaders in one system or the other; God can use our light to shine and reach different people in both systems.<\/p>\n
Reference:<\/p>\n
Canada, H. (2018, October 26). Medical assistance in dying. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/medical-assistance-dying.html<\/p>\n
Smith, J. K. (2016). You are what you love the spiritual power of habit<\/em>. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press.<\/p>\n Wolters, A. M. (2005). In Creation regained: Biblical basics for a reformational worldview<\/em> [Kindle version] (Second ed., Loc. 1-1582). Retrieved from www.amazon.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Response to Marcelo Blog 7.1 Being Missional Hi Marcelo, Thank you for sharing some of your past experiences with working in two different Christian school cultures. Your explanation of what \u2018missional\u2019 actually is was helpful. I guess both of my previous teaching positions were in schools where the majority of the student body are from … <\/p>\n