Saturday, January 9, 2016

What to know: for high school

In my post 'What to know', which was canvassing the idea of equipping children for the major stages of their intellectual development, I suggested that we aim to have children know certain things, or have certain faith-capabilities for their start at high school, then their start at university.

What, then, should we aim for our children for their start at high school, or what by the end of  year six should the church have equipped them with?

Some suggestions below.

The biblical landscape. Familiarity with the names and types of all the books of the Bible, and those that represent the 'arc of salvation'. To my mind that is the peg-points of: creation, crisis (fall and flood), confusion (Babel and dispersion as ground for the state of our world), covenant (and knowledge of the major episodes and people of that period, extending from Genesis 12 to Malachi), Christ/crucifixion, church and consumation.

Outlines of Christian belief (systematic theology: the great creeds would be a useful starting point) and how these are understood from the Bible; church history and apologetics.

Christian spirituality practices: prayer, devotional Bible reading, giving (of self and means). This would extend to memorisation of significant verses and longer passages.

The reason we have the Bible and its origins. Canon and sources, in more technical terms.

I would see this being delivered over the 8 years from early Sunday School/kids' church, youth group, school religious education, including some full day or weekends away (with parents).

Look here for the next lot: prep for university.

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