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Chapter14ExploringtheHistoryandPhilosophyofChristian.pdf

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Chapter 14

DEVELOPING A PERSONAL

PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY

NoT SURPRISINGLY, THE STUDENT OF Christian education who is immersed in the practice of ministry might have a difficult time seeing the connection between the study of philosophy and the practice of ministry. This tension does not exist just in the field of ministry. All through the ages, dating back to Aristotle, a tension has existed between theory and practice. An overem- phasis on either element can lead to a dangerous outcome. Put too much emphasis on philosophy, and the individual is "so philosophically minded that he is of no earthly good." Likewise with the minister who knows only practice; an overemphasis here can lead to a reliance on gimmicks and meth- ods without an understanding of why they are being used or why they work (or don't work). Without this awareness, the minister begins his ministry by accumulating a "bag of tricks" filled with teaching methods, messages, and games. However, once this bag runs out, it leaves him with no other alterna- tive but to quit and go looking for another ministry location.

The children's ministry director or youth pastor who has only enough ministry resources to last eighteen months will be caught in an endless cycle of career rotation because he or she has never taken the time to analyze the philosophy of ministry. Without this understanding, the ministry leader is unable to determine how and when changes in methodology should take place and is therefore unable to make the necessary adjustments. No minis- try setting remains fixed, so at some point this inability to apply theory to

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Anthony, M. J., & Benson, W. S. (2011). Exploring the history and philosophy of christian education : Principles for the 21st century. Wipf and Stock Publishers. Created from amridge on 2022-02-22 03:49:41.

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practice leads to frustration and stagnation. Understanding the philosophi- cal presuppositions upon which ministry is based can reduce a lifestyle of endless transition.

The most difficult part of the process is convincing the young student that he/ she needs to spend some concerted effort developing a personal philosophy of ministry. When students lose sight of this connection between theory and, practice, they protest that theory is vague, too esoteric, and a waste of time. Practice is more fun and requires less motivation.

Generally, we have plenty of practice. But practice is often confused and contradictory, a circumstance already seen to have been almost the continual state of affairs since the time of Aristotle. What we need is not more practi- cal remedies but, as Aristotle pointed out, some theory to guide practice. On this note, the defenders of philosophy have stated that theory is, in the end, the most practical of expedients. 1

To use the familiar analogy of a man crossing a lake in a boat, he needs to use both oars to keep the boat moving in the desired direction. In this case, long-term successful ministry requires both theory and practice. Without one or the other, the boater is destined to an endless life of paddling in circles wondering why he never arrives at his destination.

While writing this chapter, I received a call from one of my former stu- dents. He had been serving as a youth pastor at a local church for the past fourteen months. He received a phone call from his senior pastor this week and was asked to come into his office for a meeting. The outcome of the meeting was that the pastor requested the youth minister's resignation. It seems that the youth pastor just wasn't a "fit" for the type of ministry that the senior pastor wanted. Pain etched my former student's face as he tried to figure out what had happened.

As I explored below the surface, asking questions about the senior pastor's philosophy of ministry, I came to realize that the fellow was trying to transi- tion his church from a traditional, denominationally bound church to a "seeker sensitive" model that required a radical paradigm shift for everyone in the church, including the staff. My former student came with his ministry style made up and was not willing to make the necessary adjustments. In essence, his personal philosophy of ministry did not fit that of the senior pastor's, and it was time for a parting of ways.

1. John S. Brubacher, Eclectic Philosophy of Education (New York: Prentice-Hall, 1951), 14.

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DEVELOPING A PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY

Developing a personal philosophy of ministry while in school and taking the time to review it periodically while in ministry is essential for long-term

vitality and happiness in ministry. The purposes of this chapter are to iden- tify the critical components of a personal philosophy of ministry and to assist the young minister in his/her ability to formulate a personal philoso-

phy of ministry that will stand the test of time and ensure a successful career for years to come.

COMPONENTS OF A PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

What goes into a personal philosophy of ministry is broad and varied. In its broadest format, it entails three components: theology, philosophy, and praxis. This comprehensive approach involves first, detailing one's theological posi-

tion on important doctrinal issues; second, a description of their philosophical presuppositions in matters pertaining to metaphysics (reality), epistemology (knowledge), and axiology (values); and last, an articulation of their prefer-

ences regarding the essential functions of ministry ( e.g., worship, evangelism, edification, and service). Although this approach to describing a personal phi- losophy is time-consuming to develop, it is the preferred document for churches

looking into the background of ministry leadership candidates. Most professors who teach the history and philosophy of Christian education

courses in universities and seminaries opt for a more manageable document that

details the student's personal philosophy of ministry as it relates to seven impor- tant areas: the role of the teacher, the role of the learner, the learning environ-

ment, purposes and objectives of the lesson, methods that will be employed, the curriculum that will be used, and the outcomes that will be assessed.

Although you might not be required to provide the more comprehensive document for your class, we will detail the components of the larger docu-

ment so that you will be better prepared to interview for a position of lead- ership after graduation. This larger document is identical to the smaller version, except that it also includes a section on theology, philosophy, and praxis. Following are some suggestions regarding each area.

Theological Matters

The kinds of theological issues that need to be included in a comprehen- sive philosophy of ministry include (but are not limited to) such matters as

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1. Your perspective regarding the nature of God as Creator 2. The nature of Jesus Christ as His Son and Savior 3. The nature of the Holy Spirit as a member of the Godhead 4. Your position regarding the authority of Scripture 5. The purpose of the local church 6. Your denominational distinctives 7. Where you stand on matters pertaining to social issues such as abor-

tion, racism, social equality, gender roles, sexuality, etc. 8. The nature and purpose of spiritual gifts 9. The role of women in ministry leadership

10. The place of missions and how it should be conducted

Obviously, this list is only partial, but it represents a few of the many items that should be articulated in advance of pursuing a career in ministry. When students of Christian education fail to examine where they stand on these important issues, they risk entering a ministry that might not be the right theological "fit" for them. In such cases, the outcome is often quite predict- able and painful-for both the church and the ministry leader.

Philosophical Matters

The second area that should be included in a comprehensive philosophy of ministry includes a discussion of your philosophical foundations. The preceding chapter detailed these important components (metaphysics, epis- temology, and axiology) as applied to an educational and/or ministry con- text. Ministry leaders who are going into a full-time career in Christian education should take time to examine their positions on important matters pertaining to the source of knowledge ( e.g., general and/ or special revela- tion), the meaning of reality and who determines what is (and is not) real and trustworthy, and the degree of value that will be placed on matters of ethical and aesthetical consideration. If one enters ministry without having considered these issues, convictions are not set and decisions are as shifting as the tide, and the ministry will be based on each passing whim and fad.

For example, if your source of authority is God's Word alone and you are not open to other influences, then you had better not take a position in a church with strong ties to its denomination's publishing company. If you reject curriculum from all sources other than God's Word, your ministry at

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DEVELOPING A PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY

most churches will probably be short-lived. Taking the other extreme view, some people have jumped on the bandwagon of every new seminar and workshop that has come through town and tried each new approach right out of the workshop binder without ever stopping to consider whether the material was relevant for the people in their church. The results have been equally disastrous. Thinking through these three major issues of philosophy is critical to long-term ministry success.

Praxis Matters

Praxis gets at the heart of ministry action. It is the final outcome of our theological positions and philosophical foundations. This is where ministry happens. Praxis begins after we have answered the questions that are founda- tional to our faith. At this point, we have put to rest questions regarding God's nature and purpose in the world and have joined His efforts to win the lost for Christ. This doesn't mean that we no longer have theological questions, but we have peace about what we believe concerning the essen- tials of the faith.

Praxis also takes up after we have decided our philosophical positions. We know our source of authority and have come to terms with how it affects the way we do business in the church. We have an established view regarding the nature of the teacher, the nature of the learner, the purpose of our instruction, the environment that works best for us, the methods we will employ, the curriculum we will use, and how we will measure our teaching effectiveness. This final aspect is all that some professors require for their philosophy-of-ministry assignment. That being the case, let's look at how to format the document and detail the components of the material.

DESCRIBING YouR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY

Your own personal philosophy of ministry is just that-it's personal and unique to you. It comes in the context of your own life experiences. Obvi- ously, it will look different from those of other students in the class. The reason for the variation involves the pilgrimage of your life. For example, if you became a Christian in your late adolescent years as a result of a parachurch camp ministry, you might have a deep appreciation for their efforts and see a higher value for outreach and in contrast to someone who grew up in a

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Christian home and within the influence of a traditional church ministry.

Likewise, those who were born outside North America and became Chris-

tians through the efforts of a local missionary will naturally have a different

point of view regarding the need for international missions in contrast to

someone who has never seen or heard much about missions while growing

up. One's personal life experience, spiritual pilgrimage, ethnic variance, and

a host of other factors will make each person's philosophy of ministry unique

and distinct from those around them. One last important reason for such

variation resides in the identification of your spiritual gift. If you have the spiritual gift of evangelism, your philosophy of ministry should reflect a

passion for outreach and ministry to the lost. It's only natural and to be

expected. Praise God for such wonderful diversity!

With that fact in mind, following are the seven components of a personal

philosophy of ministry. Divide your own personal philosophy into these seven

categories, and discuss your perspective. regarding each component. Try to

support your view with Scripture where appropriate, but try to avoid the

tendency to read into Scripture that for which you are looking. That ap-

proach to biblical interpretation, known as eisegesis, is man's effort to prove

his own biases by making a passage fit his own desire rather than reflecting accurately the meaning of the author. Take some time to consult some Bible

commentaries to ensure that the passage means what you are saying it does.

Where possible, try to find several verses to support your position because

the more passages you find, the safer you will be in supporting your argu-

ment with Scripture.

1. Role and Nature of the Teacher

What is the role of the teacher? How do you envision the role of the

teacher affecting his or her students? How should the teacher motivate his or

her students to accomplish what the Bible is teaching? How would you de-

scribe the relationship that would exist between the teacher and the student?

How what kind of training and preparation is required of the ideal teacher?

What is the nature of the relationship that the teacher should have with

God? What qualities should a spiritually mature teacher possess? How should

the teacher relate to the students, and to what degree is the teacher a role

model, mentor, or coach to the students? What metaphor best describes

your view of a Christian teacher?

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2. Role and Nature of the Learner

What are some of the different kinds of learners who would be the focus of a Christian education ( CE) ministry? Should the emphasis of a CE minis- try be the spiritual growth and development of · the believer so he/ she is trained and equipped to do the work of the ministry, or should the focus be on the nonbelievers so they can be brought into the fellowship of believers first? What are the capacities and responsibilities of the learner to listen and receive the message? What is the nature of the relationship between the learner and the teacher? What principles do you think are critical to a student's being able to grasp biblical truth? What is the moral nature of the learner? From where does the drive and motivation to learn come? Does any differ- ence exist between a nonbeliever and a believer in terms of the learning process? In view of your understanding about the learning process, how do you view each student's personality in relation to their personal learning style? What metaphor best describes your view of a Christian student?

3. Purpose and Goals of the Lesson

What should be the major learning aims and objectives for teaching a Bible lesson? What are the secondary aims of the lesson? To what degree is the ultimate lesson aim outside the parameter of the teacher? Do any priori- ties exist that are maintained by the Christian teacher? What are your opin- ions about how God works· to guide the goals of your lesson? When Christian education has had its final effect on a person's life, describe what that per- son would be like. How would you know when they were spiritually mature and complete in Christ? What are your long-term (i.e., five-year) goals and objectives for your ministry group? What are your more immediate (i.e., one- year) group goals and objectives?

4. The Curriculum

How does the Bible influence one's spiritual formation? What role does curriculum from a publishing company play in the content of the lesson? In light of the goals and objectives that you have for your group, what are the long-range and short-range curricula needs of your group? What curricular resources will you use to achieve your goals and objectives? Does the Scripture

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identify any particular priorities that you will follow in terms of your curriculum?

5. Instructional Methodology

What are the essential components that should be included in the teach- ing-learning process? How does the student's individual learning style influ- ence the methods that are chosen for the lesson? What methods, techniques, and devices will be used in the lesson? How do the Bible teachers begin and end their lessons? What part does the Holy Spirit play in selecting the meth- ods? What part does the Bible play in the teaching-learning process? How should teaching occur to accomplish the goals and objectives of the lesson? What age-appropriate accommodations will be used in the selection of in- structional methodologies?

6. Learning Environment

What were the predominant learning environments used in the Bible? How does this variety influence the manner in which you will select your environment? What should the climate or atmosphere of teaching be to maximize the experience? Under what circumstances does the environment become a hindrance to learning?

7. Outcomes Assessment

How will you know that learning has occurred as opposed to your simply having taught the lesson? What criteria will you use to measure your teaching effectiveness? How is this learning outcome related to the instructional ob- jective (goals and aims) of the lesson? How will you measure spiritual forma- tion? Is all learning measurable? Does it always need to be? Under what circumstances would it not be necessary to measure learning? What is the value in measuring whether learning has occurred?

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