Graduation season could be a great reminder for the church …

‘Tis the season for graduations!

It’s this time of year that can be fun tuning into social media sites as families flood the pages full of photos of their kids graduating — anything from pre-schoolers decked out in cap and gown, to those graduating from high school or a massive university. The photos are often accompanied by some of the most joyful and emotional posts you’ll see at any time on social media.

That’s because the education of a young person is an incredible journey!

It’s more than just learning our abc’s or studying reading, writing, and arithmetic; the process of an education is replete with building relationships, stretching and challenging ourselves, and learning how to make our way in this world. “Getting an education” comes with all kinds of experiences, and an assortment of highs and lows. To reach that pinnacle of walking across a stage to receive a paper reward leads us to pause and measure the whole experience.

Graduation is quite a story!

Some are even funny, such as this story told by school superintendent, William Hadley …

The year that I was one of two teachers in a two-teacher rural Alabama school we planned a real commencement program for our eighth graders, with stage, speaker and all the decorations. The county superintendent delivered the address and I nodded to the pianist to start the recessional. She hesitated, looked at me in wonderment and started to play only after I had nodded my head vigorously the third time. They all marched out beautifully and I stood there full of pride when all at once I felt a tug at my coat. There was the runtiest eighth grader of all and he was still sitting there. He had not marched out with the rest. In a bewildered tone, he asked, “Ain’t we gonna’ get our diplomers, Mr. Hadley?”

In the excitement of supervising my first graduation exercises, I forgot to distribute the diplomas. The pupils marched back in, received their diplomas and all was well.

This season of celebrating education and the milestone of graduation can be a reminder for the church of something we often leave out of our Christian education programs: making them a joyful, exciting, challenging, deeply impacting experience!

Sunday School is quickly disappearing among churches in favor of groups that meet in homes on a weeknight, but to get people to show up for such meetings, we promise food and a vastly watered down study of the Bible, opting instead for “felt needs” topics, leaving the weightier matters for the pastor to preach about.

It’s not much of a “Christian education,” and it often isn’t nearly as fun or challenging — or life impacting — as was high school.

It could be!

It SHOULD be!

Some of my favorite times in ministry was while I served as an associate minister for Christian education. The Bible is riddled with exhortations for us to study the Word, to search the scriptures, to grow in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of the Word and of the God we serve. Learning about our Lord should be seen as a fantastic opportunity and an exciting challenge. It’s one area of the church where we can bring all of our creativity and innovation to bear in helping people receive the best possible Christian education experience.

Growing in Christ is much like pursuing our general education — it comes with all kinds of experiences, and an assortment of highs and lows. It’s replete with building relationships, stretching and challenging ourselves, and learning how to make our way in life by walking the Way with He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

Of all people, Christians often complain bitterly and the loudest about the poor quality of public education today, but what is the quality of our own Christian education programs like in our churches? Are they fascinating experiences that draw people and effectively provide a comprehensive Christian education for being disciples of Jesus? Or are we just popping in a DVD and having “facilitators” ask questions from study guides?

Educating the saints is a critical work commanded by Jesus: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you …” Matthew 28:19-20a. Yet, most Christians today are biblically illiterate! That forces us (or it should!) to ask, “What are we doing as a church to provide an effective, infectious, and fascinating Christian education?”

Is your Christian education program as profound upon lives as what we see among the secular graduations this time of year?

Scotty