3/05 Spiritual Fervor and Academic Excellence

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Group #2
Missionary Educators’ Summit
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
August 16-17, 2004
Dialogue Worksheets


Team members: David and Rose DiTrolio, Kevin Elder, Don and Cyndie Jeter, Mark and Helba Lemos, Randall Walker; Rocky Grams, facilitator

Definition (Describe the Issue):  “How to create an environment in which students, faculty and staff will combine spiritual fervor with academic excellence, resulting in a Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered ministry.”

Problem:

  • Mentality associating academics/education as being contradictory to spirituality

  • Tendency to evolve from Christian based education to secular and/or non spiritual emphasis.

  • We do not offer the higher academics which students are seeking in order to offer a viable alternative to the secular or non-Pentecostal schools and seminaries.

  • Going to Calvinistic or other non-Pentecostal institutions always leaves a little foreign flavor on our Pentecostal students. Even teachers in our own schools have been trained in other institutions which leave an influence.

  • We need to avoid the “womb syndrome” which says, come into our shelter/institution and we will form and birth you. The students need to get out and live it/practice it.

  • If we are fomenting world recognition, it is often counter-productive. That which calls attention to the individual instead of the work of the Spirit.

  • Being so task oriented or overemphasizing structure at the expense of the spiritual.  Part of our task is teaching people (future pastors, evangelists, missionaries, etc.) to be able to move in the Spirit.

  • Need to avoid a lack of balance between the academic and the experiential. 

  • We need to take into account the reality in Latin America that not all Bible Schools are residential, rather Night School or Sabatinos. 

  • The pursuit of academics for self-serving purposes which feeds arrogance and ego-building.

Solutions:  Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered

  • There needs to be a strong missions statement asserting our purpose of forming Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered graduates.

  • There needs to be accountability to stick with the missions statement.

  • Faculty and staff sign in their contract a commitment to the missions statement.

  • Students need to be aware of and in agreement with the missions statement as a condition of studying in the institution.

  • Keep before the teacher, staff and students the goal of their whole school experience: Spirit-filled and empowered, academically sound lives to be a part of our Lord’s work force.

  • Time and money invested in the lives of staff, teachers and students by providing thought out opportunities that are academic, spiritual or both.

  • Do not think that you need to fill the whole time with cognitive information.

  • Do not be afraid to change or try something new/different.

  • Schedule ahead in order to provide flexibility for extended chapels and/or moves of the Spirit.

  • There needs to be a great emphasis on prayer and missions in order to keep the school on course.

  • Keep it before the students. The spiritual heritage has to be passed on. The faculty and staff have to be truly Pentecostal and know how to walk in the Spirit or the classroom will never be Spirit-led and driven.

  • Need to emphasize and emulate the example of some of the unsung heroes who have been faithful, in order to underscore the values and character we are trying to teach.

  • We must give TIME to the Holy Spirit and SPACE for Him to operate.

  • The attitudes and character qualities which we are trying to instill in our students need to be modeled by the teachers. Take away “interference” factors which detract from our goals in forming spiritual and academically sound graduates:

    • Model the humility and meekness of Christ. Self-exaltation, ego, has no place.

    • Humility is very important. We get the idea that we are “important”.

    • Transparency is important.

    • Modeling and developing a love for learning. A love for teaching needs to be modeled.

    • You need a sense of humor to survive.

  • Interaction with the students. Inviting them to our homes. If they respect you, the closeness will not be a problem. Jesus was not afraid of getting close to people and they to them. Where do you live? Come and see!

  • Build in flexibility. If a chapel goes over, all classes are shortened by 5 minutes. There is a Saturday built into the schedule to account for missed days of classes. This is putting the priority on the moving of the Spirit. The teachers know that the academic is very important.

  • Build in a time for fasting and praying, at least one day a quarter.

  • Possibility of every two weeks an evening service and every other week a time of prayer (at least an hour) together. One of the leaders of the school has to be there to show that it is important and leading them in prayer.

  • Emphasize the importance of personal relationships.

  • Part of relationships is building flexibility into our schedules. Example, Rocky’s plan of working a spare day into the school calendar to adjust for missed classroom, illness, special symposiums, etc. so that giving freedom to the Spirit does not mean cutting down on academic excellence or
    such an emphasis on getting through the curriculum that the Spirit is quenched.

  • Spiritual and academic retreats/enrichment. B.A. takes the faculty/staff to a hotel for a time in-service training and spiritual retreat. At least one night and two when economy allows.

  • Require teachers and students to attend chapel and services together in order to see each other worship together, minister to one another, to model Christ, without regard to the status of teacher, student, or staff.

  • Recognition that cognitive information is not enough. It has to be Spirit anointed. The highest objective is not just finishing the lesson plan. There needs to be a sensitivity to the move of the Spirit and recognize that there are opportunities or “windows” of the Spirit which will not always be present and need to be seized.

  • If we spend time with the Lord, all that is important in the light of eternity will be taken care of.

  • Difference between facts and faith. Facts which are true to the Bible is not enough. You have to add faith. Practical application for the experiencial learning is a must.

  • There needs to be an evaluation of the student as to the spiritual application and progress which forms a part of their overall grade. Academic laziness, critical spirit, and other negative attitudes are evaluated, but also the positive such as excellent motivation, etc. The teachers have an opportunity to evaluate that aspect in the students.

  • There needs to be an evaluation of the teachers in their spiritual side. Are they modeling what they teach? Personality clashes or bad apple attitudes can be weeded out.

  • There is a need to affect the leadership of the school so that they will be spiritually accountable.

  • Need to keep the relative value of academics in perspective. Academics can keep a revival on track, grounded, doctrinally stable. However, academics do not birth revival.

  • Keep in focus what our real and most important task is in the classroom. The students will never receive all that they will need for their life and ministry in the limited time which they will be in our class. We can give them tasks to accomplish outside of class that are in harmony with the
    class objectives.

  • We must give them a shovel and teach them how to “dig”. Then they will be able to dig the rest of their lives. Teach them how to fish, as the ancient proverb says.

  • Schedule non-resident school one week per year where they are on campus together with the resident students.

Academic Excellence:

  • Part of getting academic excellence is recruiting teachers who are academically qualified.

  • Avoid using the same old material and notes that we have used for years. There is a tendency of becoming academically lazy instead of keeping it fresh.

  • Administration needs to reevaluate the course syllabi on a regular basis to assure the classes are keeping on objective.

  • Spot checks on the classes, at least one subject per semester for every teacher, in order to observe and evaluate.

  • Create an atmosphere for the students so that they will not become academically lazy.

Pitfalls to Avoid:

  • Avoid academic overemphasis that causes spiritual paralysis.

  • Need to avoid a lack of balance between the academic and the experiential.

  • Being so task oriented or overemphasizing structure at the expense of the spiritual.  Part of our task is teaching people (future pastors, evangelists, missionaries, etc.) to be able to move in the Spirit.

  • You will not necessarily learn the intangible “brush of angel’s wings”, the move of the Spirit, outside of the classroom experience whereas there is a greater possibility of picking up the cognitive.

  • Need to avoid using the same old material and notes that we have used for years. There is a tendency of becoming academically lazy instead of keeping it fresh.

  • Another pitfall is thinking that you need to fill the whole time with cognitive information.

  • A pitfall is to be afraid to change or try something new/different.

  • There has been a mindset that the foreigners have all the answer. This has created high expectations and a lot of pressure of the responsibility to set the tone for the churches. The Bible School must set the tone, mark the “pauta” for the churches.