Faster Unto Thee

Teaching the Image of God to Children

I teach a mid-week class to young children. The last two years I have taught from my Classic Catechism, but this year have been teaching doctrine through this material (thought it needs some correction and supplementation to work - with my Catechism!).

As I prepared to teach on the topic of the Image of God a few weeks ago, I wrestled with how to convey the doctrine to my children. The topic must be taught to children, for there is a constant push to level in the minds of people the value of human beings and animals, to minimize the value of pre-born and elderly people, and to disconnect the spirituality of people from the design and intent of their creator. I am a big fan of Wayne Grudem's summary of the Image of God, so I began with his four aspects of the Image of God:

1. There is the moral aspect - human beings are moral creatures.

2. There is the spiritual aspect - human beings can personally relate to God.

3. There is the mental aspect - humans have the ability to reason and think logically

4. There is the relational aspect - humans are capable of deep relationships

For the children, I simplified them into this:

1. People can know right from wrong

2. People can know God

3. People are smart

4. People have deep relationships

The best way to help children and adults, I have found, to grasp these aspects is to compare people with their pets. My dog does not operate morally - she operates based on survival instincts, training, and bizarre impulses. At no time does she do something specifically because it is morally right to do so. My dog also has zero awareness of God and no soul. She does not pray nor can she experience God in any way that can be called worship. My dog also can be trained, but she is not smart like a person, for she never wrestles with philosophical problems, never will make art, nor will she ever try to fix a mechanical problem or study geometry. My dog does likes our family because she is social pack animal and we provide for her, but she cannot make a commitment of marriage, develop a friendship in which to share her heart, nor feel a bond with a radio preacher she has never met. On and on I can go.

What do you think? How would you teach children this doctrine?

Classic Catechism in a New Translation

I just received word that my little book, Classic Catechism (also available here), has been translated into an Asian language and has been well-received in a particular country. This country is considered a "Creative Access" country by our missions agency, so it cannot be mentioned by name.

Praise God that he can use little things like my book.

Classic Catechism on Amazon!

Today I found out good news! After nearly three years since its publication, my little Classic Catechism book is finally on Amazon.com! Now you have two options when ordering the book: either directly from Wesleyan Publishing House which handles the orders for Light and Life Communications, my publisher, or through Amazon.

Hopefully, this will help domestic sales, which have been very small so far. On the foreign mission field, however, interest has been high as work to translate it into Spanish, Mandarin, and three African languages is underway.

In the categories cloud on the left side of this blog click on "Classic Catechism" to pull up free resources and blog posts about the Classic Catechism.

Packer on Being an "Adult Catechist"

Since I have revised a catechism myself, any mention of catechisms or  catechizing catches my attention.  Over at the ESV Study Bible website there is a video called ESV Panel Discussion in which J.I. Packer is interviewed along with two others. Packer is one of the best evangelical theologians of our time, and certainly one of the more articulate. 

Packer was asked by moderator Justin Taylor about his role as the theological editor for the ESV Study Bible and also about how that connects to his self deisgnation as an adult catechist.  Here is my transcript on his response.

The ministry of a catechist, an adult catechist, is something which the church of the early centuries understood very well.  Every church worth its salt had an adult catechist to instruct inquirers. And the catechism ministry first to adults, and more recently to children, has fallen very much into disuse in our time.  And it is my privilege, I think, first of all to appreciate its importance, and then myself to try and model it in the writing and the teaching that I do, and then, in this particular project, to contribute to other people entering into the ministry of the adult catechist and certainly many more people profiting from that ministry on paper.  Because that is what the ESV Study Bible really is. Catechists teach people the truths that Christians live by and teach them how to live by those truths.  That is what the material in the ESV Study Bible taken as whole actually does.  That’s the benefit that the reader of the Study Bible will get from the articles on Christian doctrine, on Christian ethics, on Christian faith and life, and a Christian stance in relation to any number of errors and alternatives that our time has produced.  So that in fact it is a catechizing document.  It gives you the equivalent of a one volume commentary on the Scripture, it give you these marvelous study aids in the form of the maps and the pictures, which are really outstanding, and then on top of that it gives you the material that shows you at basic level how it all applies to life.  I think it’s the first study Bible that the world has seen that has taken on board this catechizing vision and has set itself to fulfill this catechizing task.  And that means that it will be doubly useful, it will do all that previous study Bibles have done and much beside.  And when on thinks of pastors and situations where they can only have a very few books, well, the Study Bible will really serve as, um, a compendium of Christianity to resource their living, and their teaching, and to make the purchase of other books, which is out of their reach anyway, that much less necessary.  And I’m thrilled, frankly, as I look back on what we’ve achieved, and think of how useful its going to be in future years. Yes, I’m an enthusiast.

Obama and Abortion

I'm too busy this week to write any good posts myself, so here is a link to some good material on Senator Obama and his stance on abortion.  Scroll down the posts to August 12 and go up from there and you will learn more about his anti-life stance.

And when you are done, find some comedy relief at Ben Witherington's blog where he shares hilarious material from comedian John Cleese.  Scroll down to the August 12 post and you will have a great laugh.

Classic Catechism in WPH Catalog

It may seem like a small victory to many, but to this author, having his book in a real, printed catalog is a big deal.  My book, Classic Catechism, is now on page 49 of the current Wesleyan Publishing House catalog, which arrived in my mailbox today.

Why are my book and other Free Methodist resources in the Wesleyan catalog?  Light and Life Communications, the publishing arm of the Free Methodist Church of North America, has handed customer service over to the Wesleyans.  There you may order Free Methodist printed resources.

Classic Catechism in Southeast Asia

I received word two weeks ago that a Free Methodist conference in southeast Asia voted to endorse the Classic Catechism as an official disciple training tool.  Due to persecution of Christians in the country that this conference resides in, I cannot divulge the conference's name, nor the language into which the Classic Catechism has been translated.

The Classic Catechism has sold less than 1000 copies in the USA, but it has taken off overseas.  At last count, it was being translated into three African languages, Spanish, Chinese, and another Asian language.  The mission field needed an inexpensive, basic theological resource for the formation of pastors and other leaders, and the Classic Catechism seems to fit the bill.

Please keep our brothers and sisters in Christ who live under persecution in your prayers.

Other posts and free resources related to the Classic Catechism can be accessed by clicking on "Classic Catechism" in the Categories list to the left of this post.

Classic Catechism Seminar at General Conference Recap

I am happy to report that my seminar on the Classic Catechism went well at General Conference last week.  Attendance was 27 people, which I thought was great considering the facts that the seminar took place during a plenary session (thus no delegates were present at my seminar) and that my seminar was the last one scheduled for the week, which means General Conference attendees were tired and might have opted out.

All but four of the attendees were from Michigan, which makes sense since the conference was in Michigan.  Two others were Hispanic internationals, one an Asian international, and one missionary.  Most attendees were seniors - but not all, which is a victory in my mind considering seniors tends to care more about teaching doctrine than many younger folks. 

The material seemed to be well-received and good group discussion time was had (see picture).  The point I emphasized repeatedly was that correct doctrine, properly taught, liberates people from erroneous conceptions of God, salvation, etc. which hinders their spiritual growth.

If you care to see the seminar handout, it is available on my last post.

Classic Catechism Seminar This Thursday

As promised, here is the handout for this Thursday's seminar at General Conference in Spring Arbor, MI:Download microsoft_word_teaching_the_classic_catechism_general_conference_20.pdf

The seminar will be in the Whiteman-Gibbs Room #15 on the Spring Arbor University campus, from 2:00-3:30 p.m.  Hope to see you there!

Classic Catechism Highlighted in Light and Life Magazine

As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be holding a seminar on the Classic Catechism at General Conference  in Spring Arbor, MI this July.  Today I was happy to see that the Classic Catechism and my seminar was mentioned in the new issue (July/August 2007) of Light and Life Magazine on page 17.

My seminar will be in the Whiteman-Gibbs #15 room from 2:00-3:30 p.m.  on the campus of Spring Arbor University.  As Light and Life notes, the seminar will "overview the catechism's revised content and offer practical suggestions for using it with children, teens, new converts, ministerial candidates and more."

After I am done preparing it, I will post the handout for the seminar here on my blog.  For now, you may access a handout from a previous seminar along with posts and other documents related to the Classic Catechism by clicking on the term "Classic Catechism" on the left side of this blogsite in the CATEGORIES box.  This will bring up everything I've posted and made available so far regarding the Classic Catechism.

If you wish to order a copy, you may do so through Light and Life Communication's online bookstore here.  I will also bring copies with me to General Conference to sell on behalf of Light and Light Communications.

See you at General Conference!

Classic Catechism at General Conference of the Free Methodist Church of North America

Good news!  At General Conference  this summer (on the campus of Spring Arbor University) I have the opportunity to present the Classic Catechism  as a seminar.  My slot is Thursday, July 12, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the Whiteman Gibbs room #15 (location updated 5-30-07).

At this seminar I will give an overview of my extensive revisions to the Catechism plus offer teaching ideas and strategies.  If you are attending General Conference, please come by and attend the seminar.

Catechism and Africa

It has been quite a while since I have posted.  So many things derail me at times from posting every week.  But on Monday the Executive Director of Free Methodist Communications, Gerry Coates, gave me good news that actually made me want to blog again.

Gerry told me that the Free Methodist bishop of South Africa wants to have my book, Classic Catechism, translated into three African languages.  Gerry granted him permission and I assume the work is underway.

I had hoped that within the United States the Catechism would be better received, but it has not.  It seems that teaching doctrine is at an all-time low among the churches in our country, especially in the catechetical mode.  But outside of the USA, teaching by rote is still the preferred mode of instruction, so in places like Africa, South America and Asia the Classic Catechism is being put into use.

When you work on a project for an intended audience and they do not receive it enthusiastically, it can be discouraging.  I even wondered if getting it published was a good idea.  But when I heard that an unintended audience thinks it is an answer to prayer, the heart leaps.  I hope that the folks I did not have in mind when I put together the book use it for God's glory.

Isn't God surprising?