Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/76

Contributor - Joan Drost

Title - Education and Training in the Church

Topic - Education

"Without me ye can do nothing", says the Lord. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me", says Paul. I use these two well known quotes lest you think as I proceed on the theme of training and education in the church that I believe miracles will happen just because we train and educate our leaders.

Nothing can be further from the truth - "except the Lord build the house we labor in vain". But labor we must and our labor must be wise and our labor must be trained or our goals will not be met, nor will our product be what we hoped for, or what our Lord expects.

Not one of our churches, no matter how small, wants an untrained minister. The calling committee under the guidance of the consistory seeks out a trained man. If a lay preacher would be sought out he too would be selected for his training in specific areas. In short, A LEADER MUST BE EQUIPPED TO LEAD, to take people somewhere into the future.

If this is so, then why doesn't it follow that the non-professional leaders in the church (the lay people in very important positions) have training for theirs jobs too?

Consistory members are charged with the oversight of the congregation and no training is required here. (Indeed, our women in the local executives of the RCW have more leadership training opportunities than our elders and deacons.)

Isn't it strange that Sunday School teachers need not have any training for such an important task? (Always a Sunday School meeting and plenty of business, but no time for educating the teachers.)

Why is it that we teach our children up until the time when they make Confession of Faith and then after that they are plopped into a pew and we forget all about an ongoing educational program for A group out of which our future leaders will come?

How about adult classes! Why should we not have them? The best education we can give is in a Bible study class.

Doesn't it seem strange that we are so anxious to envangelize and get our new convert to church and then. we allow him to sit through service after service but never think of a disciples' class for further growth?

Isn't it sad to hear adult Christians saying, "Oh, don't ask me to teach - I couldn't do that". "I an evangelist? Not I - I can't talk so personally about my faith." "Consistory member? - Not if I have to pray out loud or to make house visits!" I wonder what a bit of training would have done for these people. I am sure with some guidance the Lord would have gained three more workers.

Now let's see about that well trained minister! Give him a few years of sermons, special services, hospital visits, youth work, and you name it, and we have another candidate ready for some re-education or some refueling.

Big corporations are constantly finding it is worth their money to train their personnel. Trained people make a better product and a better product means growth.

The church must grow and bear fruit and her fruit must be good

People need instruction if they are to do a good and responsible work. The Lord wants our very best before he performs the miracle, not our second best!

1. We need training to prepare future leaders.

2. We need training to help new recruits who are in leadership positions now.

3. We need training to revitalize sluggish souls who have been on the job for years.

4. We need training for the minister so that he keeps up with methods, develops his skills, and mingles with minds greater than his own so that he is recharged for his duties.

5. We need a sound Biblical education for every age group in the church so that each may find wisdom, and hopefully, his particular gift, and in finding it offer it up in sanctified service to his Lord.

Christ, while on earth, spent much time with his disciples training them for their task.

Mark records that in the garden, in the last hours of our Lord's life, His disciples were caught sleeping! Three times Christ comes to them catching them asleep and at last he asks, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?" If we disciples sleep and take our rest and do not equip ourselves for our task the future of the RCA in Canada is on shaky ground.

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