Taiwan Church News

3216 Edition

October 14 - October 20, 2013

Editorial

In the annual PCT calendar, the third Sunday of each October is now called "Sacrament Sunday for the Church EducationMinistry", intending to encourage PCT members to concern, pray and donate for all kinds of PCT education ministries and services. In the past, this very Sunday used to be called "Sacrament Sunday for Worldly Sunday School". From 2011, in order to invite our brothers and sisters to learn more about the width and depth of our PCT education ministries, including Sunday School education, disciple training, parent and children relationship and life formation education, the third Sunday of October in 2011 was name-changed as "Sacrament Sunday for the Church Education Ministry". And 2011 was decided to be named as "Year of Education" by PCT General Assembly.

Since education is a deliberate profession of inheritance and deliverance of human knowledge, techniques and experience, itseems no exception and especially legitimate for Christians to make their children understand the truth and revere the God through various education ministries. Just like the codes and orders dictated by Moses in Deuteronomy, the main educational function is encourage the Israelite to abide by these laws and pass this faith to their children, without forgetting God's favor and their responsibilities. Also, such education is to remind them to love God with all their heart, all their might and all their strength.

Except the codes and normative rules, there is also a very important personal dimension in faith. That means a personalconnection with our Lord. And each Christian has to build her own devotional relationship with Lord, as such relation can not be duplicated and transferred. Therefore, enlightenment becomes a very important concept in making new generation's Christians to hear the voice of God in their everyday lives: receiving the strength from God and realize the proclaims of Christ. This is to make the faith not only confined to our forebear fathers, but also become our personal salvation.

As the Latin etymology of "education" , duc, has a meaning of "draw out", we get a sense of enlightenment to find somethingwhen "education" is applied to faith matters. So, Christian education ministry is not to inject what the faith assets of previous forebears, but to draw out the automatic curiosity and courage from Christian's faith experiences. This will help our PCT members to catch the meanings of their faith and inspiration in their different social positions and challenges. And the task of Church education ministries is to help our sisters and brothers to establish their ethical criteria and moral guides congenial to God, especially among current pluralistic voices within Taiwan society and church.

Our Lord said, in Deuteronomy 4:10, that "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere meas long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children". Translated into our modern language, this verse means Christian has to receive education first to inherit our forebears' faith and hand over to next generation. Sincerely wish all PCT brothers and sisters could humbly reflect on this Sacrament Sunday for Christian Education Ministry. Let us carry on to follow Jesus Christ as his disciples and hand over this wonderful faith from generation to generation.