Abstract
Most of this current issue of the Christian Education Journal is focused on cultural issues in educational ministry. Our guest editors, Benjamin Espinoza and Mark Maddix, will introduce those articles in the “Special Focus” section of this issue. I am grateful to them for their leadership in recruiting and reviewing articles and for lifting up this issue for us all to consider. This is timely.
Though it varies considerably across the US and in other countries, we are increasingly living and ministering in contexts where there are people of different cultural backgrounds. Our educational ministry assumptions, models, and methods are not culturally neutral, but often grow out of a particular cultural context and are most effective there. However, when we attempt to implement them in different settings, without careful regard for the context and cultural backgrounds of those who participate, we often miss the mark in effectiveness. Our colleagues in the fields of cross-cultural studies and missions have been much more attuned to this than many of us in the field of educational ministry. What is required is stepping back and listening well so that we might better understand the experiences of those we would seek to teach, and discern what approaches might be more beneficial and fruitful for them. Taking time to listen and to learn from them is a loving thing to do, and makes us better teachers.
I know this is something I have needed, and continue to need. Though I have worked with over a hundred doctoral students from cultural backgrounds other than my own it is still too easy for me to expect them to approach issues the way I do, or to benefit from educational activities that fit me well. Without disciplined listening, I filter too much through my own background and then wonder why they may be struggling with some aspect of their assignments. If that is true in a higher education context, I suspect it is also true in church and mission ministry contexts. I hope you will both enjoy and be challenged by this collection of articles.
In addition to our “Special Focus” articles, we have two other articles to share with you. The first, by Mary Wanjiru Mwangi, reports on a study in Kenya of transformative learning by college students who participated in discipleship small groups. Her article focuses on what contributed to their spiritual growth and transformation in those small group contexts. It is a good example of qualitative research to help us better understand key elements of what students experience in their small groups and what we can learn that may apply in other ministry settings. The other article, by Ronald Bullis, is historical in nature, reviewing St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s teaching methods and considering how they may apply in contemporary educational ministry settings. Reflecting on effective ministry in the past is a good way to help us spot weaknesses and blind spots in the present, and I commend this article to you as a way of assessing contemporary teaching approaches in the church.
Book Reviews
Jane Carr, our Book Reviews Editor, has provided us with a collection of reviews of ten recent books on a range of topics relevant for educational ministry. In addition, the contact information on the Book Review Area Editors is listed. I encourage all readers to submit ideas for reviews of new books in the field, and volunteer to write reviews if you can. This is a great way to serve your colleagues and learn in the process. If you have questions or ideas, you can reach Jane at:
More Upcoming “Special Focus” Sections
We currently have three more “Special Focus” sections scheduled over the next two years. The focus of each is listed below, along with contact information for each guest editor. If you are interested in contributing an article to one or more of these “Special Focus” sections, please contact the guest editor by email well ahead of the publication date shown. He or she will be able to let you know if there are openings and how to go about submitting an article for consideration. We will be using the same kind of peer-review process for evaluating articles submitted for “Special Focus” sections that we use with all of our articles. All articles must be received several months ahead of publication to allow time for review, revision, and editing if it is accepted. Do check with the guest editor for details.
As always, other article submissions not on these “Special Focus” topics are also welcome and should be sent to the journal editor at:
Spring 2019: Disciple Making in Contemporary Ministry
Dr. Sophia Steibel, Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity
Email:
Dr. Martha S. Bergen, Hannibal-LaGrange University
Email:
Summer 2019: SPCE Conference Focus
Selected articles from the 2018 conference will be published. In addition, regular article submissions are welcomed as always.
Fall 2019: Christian Education and the Social Sciences: An Assessment
Dr. Kevin E. Lawson, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
Email:
Spring 2020: Educational Ministry with Emerging Generations
Dr. Chris Kiesling, Asbury Theological Seminary
Email:
Summer 2020: SPCE Conference Focus
Selected articles from the 2019 conference will be published. In addition, regular article submissions are welcomed as always.
As ever, my thanks go out to all who serve as guest editors for our “Special Focus” sections, and those who serve as book review area editors, book reviewers, and peer-reviewers for articles. The quality of this journal reflects the investments of dozens of people each issue. My thanks and deep appreciation to you all.