Concerned but Excited!

I have heard more and more people talk about how the world seems to be spiraling out of control.  The reality is that God is in total control and is working His plan for mankind to perfection.  However, with all the craziness that is taking place, I have found myself becoming increasingly concerned about what is happening in the country, our homes, churches and Christian schools.

As a result of spending time in the Word and much prayer, I am excited to make two very important announcements about the future of Kingdom Education Ministries.  The first announcement is in regard to what God has shown me about Kingdom Education™ ever since my book was first published in 1998.

In my efforts to more fully understand God’s plan for educating future generations, He has shown me so many truths from His Word.  As I have presented some new concepts related to Kingdom Education™, I have been asked one question over and over again.  Am I going to update the book?

Well, I can now answer that question with a resounding yes!  A two-volume series titled, Understanding Kingdom Education™, has been written and is now at the publishers.  These two new resources will not replace Kingdom Education™: God’s Plan for Educating Future Generations.  They will serve as companion books that build on the foundation laid in my first book.

The first book in this new series is Understanding Kingdom Education™: A Challenge to the Home, Church and School.  This book presents several new concepts that I have learned over the past 20 years about how God wants us to educate future generations.  I have attempted to bring greater clarity to the principles found in God’s Word that are the foundation to my first book, Kingdom Education™.

The second book is Understanding Kingdom Education™: Following God’s Instructions for Educating Future Generations.  In this book, I do a deep dive in fourteen biblical principles related to educating future generations.  These principles provide parents, church and school leaders with the essential elements of a true biblical philosophy of education.  The book is designed to be used in homes, churches and schools to develop strategies for fulfilling the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.  It includes discussion questions that will guide parents, pastors and Christian educators in developing strategies to implement a comprehensive, intentional plan to follow God’s instructions about how to educate our children and youth.

This leads me to the second announcement I am very excited to make.  I will be launching the first ever Kingdom Education™ Summit this summer.  I have mentioned the Summit in a couple of earlier blogs.  Registration is now open and several ministries have already signed up to attend.  The Summit is the most important event that I have ever been a part of in my 50+ years of teaching.  Here is the reason why I make such a bold statement.

I have been burdened about two articles that I read which were written in 1993.  The first article was written by Joel Belz in World Magazine and was titled, Too Little, Too Late.  In the article’s summary, he wrote,

Christian schools will be found overall to have done a very good job in terms of general education, but will be disappointed in terms of instilling a profound sense of Christian discipleship.   On basic skill tests, SAT scores, and other standardized measurements, Christian school graduates will increasingly outperform their counterparts from public education.  But in terms of radical adoption of a Christian perspective on life, the differences – while definitely present – will be disappointing…where Christian schools are weak, they are weak because they have done little more than produce upgraded carbon copies of the public schools they seek to replace.

In that same year, I was given a small booklet produced by Development Marketing Associates.  This booklet presented the results of the Comprehensive Development Assessment that over 500 Christian schools participated in.  Two startling findings resulted from these assessments.

• Less than half of the parents who had students enrolled in these schools understood and could articulate the mission of Christian education.
• Almost exactly the same percentage of Christian school teachers could articulate the philosophy and mission of Christian education.

I just spoke at a Worldview Conference that Precept Marketing and BJ Press held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.  I asked the delegates if the above percentages of these two groups of people has increased, decreased or stayed the same concerning a biblical philosophy of education.  Every single person indicated that the percentage of parents and teachers who could articulate the philosophy and mission of Christian education has diminished over recent years.

At this same conference, Dr. George Barna shared recent findings of a major study conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.  Here is a summary of what was found to be the worldview incidence in the United States in 2021.

• Eastern Mysticism — <1/2 of 1%
• Marxism — <1/2 of 1%
• Nihilism — 1%
• Moralistic Therapeutic Deism — 1%
• Postmodernism — 1%
• Secular Humanism — 2%
• Biblical — 6%
• No Strong Worldview — 88%s

Even though Christian education is making somewhat of a difference in the intellectual and spiritual lives of students, we are losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation.  As individuals develop a worldview, their worldview always results in behavior that develops culture.  This means that when you and I observe culture, whether it is in society, the home, church or school, we are observing the predominant worldview that is held by the majority of the people.

Something must change!  The Body of Christ must address the issue of education biblically!  This is the sole purpose of the Kingdom Education ™ Summit.  Participants will answer such questions as:

• What is education?
• Is education and schooling the same thing?
• What is Kingdom Education™?
• What are the main things that every child must know in order to survive and thrive in today’s world?
• What are the Six Essential Truths of a Biblical Worldview?
• What are the 14 Essential Principles of a Biblical Philosophy of Education?
• How do these Essential Truths and Essential Principles provide a biblical framework for educating future generations?
• What strategies must be developed and practiced in the home, church and school in order to guide our children and youth to become disciples of Jesus Christ?

I am urging every person reading this blog to prayerfully consider attending this summer’s Kingdom Education™ Summit!  I need your voice to be at the table as we tackle these extremely important and vital issues.  Early bird registration ends May 1st.  Schools that are members of the National Alliance of Christian Schools (formerly SBACS) are eligible to receive grant monies to help with the costs for attending the Summit.  Kingdom Education™ Prime Members are also eligible for a discounted registration fee.

 

Finally, we are planning on releasing my two new books, Understanding Kingdom Education™, in conjunction with the Summit.  All attendees will get a complimentary copy of each book!

For more information about the Summit click HERE!  Remember God is in total control. However,  we must obey His Word and provide every child with a biblical education.  To accomplish this task, individuals must be restored, homes must be empowered, churches must be engaged and schools must be transformed through Kingdom Education™.  It is not too late but it must begin NOW!