Proposal for beginning Christian Education in Capricorn 

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QUALITY CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION FOR TRANSFORMATION OF COMMUNITY
Proposal by South African, Josephine Cupido

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It is no secret that most children in the Capricorn community are facing major challenges in terms of poverty, domestic violence, neglect, abandonment gangsterism and crime. Positive role models are few and far between. Providing food, clothing and shelter would make life easier only temporarily. To make a lasting difference would require giving these children the opportunity for transformational change.
The hearts and minds of this generation and generations to come are shaped in the classroom. We all know that the purpose of schooling should be the preparation to cope and engage with life. School is one of the most powerful socialising institutions for young people. The responsibility is, therefore, to provide a place of learning which is safe, exciting, challenging, a place where the confidence of young people can be developed, a place which has meaning and which provides rich enjoyable times.
Christian educational purpose is constructed on eternal, unchanging truth and flows from Christian reasons for living.
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As a result, Christian goals for education aims to do the following:
(portions from PHILOSOPHY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION – PAUL A. KIENEL ET AL – pg 151)

• To teach children to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength through a transforming, redemptive, personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Mark 12:30)

• To enable each learner to become an effective, responsible and pleasing servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, trained for works and service that he had prepared for each one to do by loving one’s neighbour as oneself (Mark 12:31)

• To disciple learners so that they may develop a characteristic lifestyle of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29)

• To formulate a distinctively Christian mind that is able to think and act according to Biblical principles (Philippians 2:3-8, 4:8-9)

• To provide a knowledge of the universe, man’s place in it and God’s perspective on man and human history in such a way that each learner will weigh the value of his or her relationship to Jesus Christ and accept the challenge of lifelong commitment to knowing Biblical principles and obeying His commandments.

• To guide students in knowing, comprehending and applying the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith and their practical implications for life in future.

• To provide a clear perception of truth and the motivation to act in a morally and socially responsible way; to obey God in the fulfilment of His mandates for His people.
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In conclusion I would like to say that the responsibility to provide Christian education is enormous, but I believe that God will guide us every step of the way in developing learners who will respond to His truth by obeying God and living in harmony with His truth, by reflecting His character and by impacting the community with His truth.

- Josephine Cupido