Leading Christianity
Reflection on a title
a. context
“All this means not so much that religion is coming back into the public square, as the fact that the public square itself is shifting, orienting itself around the question of wellbeing, and in so doing, moving into territory that religions have inhabited for many centuries. The public square is coming back to God, rather than the other way round.”
Nick Spencer – Doing God
b. distinctiveness
“Christian identity is established not primarily by denying and combating what is outside but by embracing and highlighting the centre of what is inside – Jesus Christ as the Word”
Miroslav Volf “Public Faith”
“The distinctiveness of a church school is open-ended without being wishy-washy, inclusive without denying its very foundations in the Christian story. It looks for the reality of God from the reality of what it is to be human”
John Cox, “More than Caring and Sharing”
As a school/ as a Diocese
Asking
how we develop Christianity in our schools
how we do this as a diocese
Theological basis
Faith as…
Agree (assensus)Believe that / Trust (fiducia)
In faith
Commit (fidelitas)
Faithful to / See (visio)
Seeing in faith
“How we see reality matters, for how we see “what is” profoundly affects how we experience and live our lives”
Marcus Borg, “The Heart of Christianity”
Christianity in our Schools: now and imagine
‘The naming of parts’
Need to insert “So what?”
Learning: About and From
Imagine a box of beliefs
Movement from information to transformation
Not making little Christians but creating little encounters
“So what” at three levels
“In suggesting that teachers project enthusiasm we do not mean pep talks or unnecessary theatrics. Instead, we mean that teachers identify their own reasons for viewing a topic as interesting, meaningful, or important and project these to the students”
Good and Brophy in Marzano, R “The Art and Science of Teaching”
Components
1. Narrative
2. Concept and Enquiry
3. Progression
All our children would
· enquire into belief
· encounter Christianity/Christ
· engage with scripture
· experience prayer
· explore church
Encounter Christianity/Christ
Basics:
· Creation
· Incarnation
· Salvation
Engage with the Bible
Aim for a number of Gospel stories to be known by our children?
A weekly reading of one, somewhere
Experience prayer (and worship??)
Lord’s prayer – weekly?
Could we draw up a liturgy known and common to each school?
Explore church
Could we agree a special space in every class/form room?
How often will our children enter their church?
Could we aim for every child to visit the Cathedral?
Could we identify with Diocese and Bishop?
Enquire
Children’s personal enquiry into faith will be cultivated, keeping their journey theirs
Leading this
The Blancmange mould
School ethos/mission/vision – Christian identity