Philosophy

PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY

Anglican Life Curriculum

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly – Jesus

 

Our goal is to publish a curriculum that utilizes a working definition of spiritual formation, accounts for various learning styles, is developmentally age/stage appropriate, gender differentiating, and integrates liturgically with the whole Church. 

The means to achieving this goal is to solicit material from consortium partners, i.e., writers and illustrators, who shall submit work to be reviewed and put into a finished product by an editorial board. Once a product is deemed available for publication its author will have final approval. It will then become available to churches to purchase on line. 

Anglican Life Curriculum has inherited an entrepreneurial model for publishing curriculum.  That is, contributors will share in proceeds from sales subject to market forces but it is a non-profit religious, educational, and charitable organization. 

We seek to develop Sunday school curriculum systematically across several parameters that are represented by the following chart.  Each number represents a course:

Anglican Life Curriculum Course Chart

Season/Stage (Ages)	One (3-5)	Two (6-8)	Three (9-11)	Four (12-14)	Five (15-17)	Six (18+)
Advent	1	2	3	4	5	6
Christmas	7	8	9	10	11	12
Epiphany	13	14	15	16	17	18
Lent	19	20	21	22	23	24
Easter	25	26	27	28	29	30
Ordinary Time	31	32	33	34	35	36
Thanksgiving	37	38	39	40	41	42

Within each course are lessons to fill the weeks.  Each lesson follows the Scripture readings for any given Sunday according to the Book of Common Worship of the Church of England.

Anglican Life Curriculum is based on the assumption that living things grow:
 

And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:39-40 ESV)
 

And some [seed] fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Luke 8:8 ESV)
 

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” (Luke 13:18-19 ESV)
 

No unbelief made [Abraham] waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:20-22 ESV)
 

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16 ESV)

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:1-5 ESV) 

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:14-18 ESV)
 

Living beings grow through identifiable stages.  This phenomenon has been demonstrated in the work of Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, and others and provides the basis for our developmentally age/stage appropriate model of curriculum development.  The Biblical basis for it is found in the following passages:
 

22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the Law, and shut up unto the faith, which should afterward be revealed. 24 Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the sons of God by faith, in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:22-26 Geneva Bible)
 

In this passage schoolmaster means a child care worker, who in ancient times was responsible for the basic socialization process that any child must undergo before he could be publically presented as a full and responsible member of the community.  It is roughly analogous to another age/stage progression that we find in Scripture, the difference between carnal and spiritual:
 

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? (1 Corinthians 3:1-4 ESV)
 

In his exposition of love Paul also spoke in developmental terms:
 

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. (1 Corinthians 13:11 ESV)
 

John wrote of stages of spiritual growth:
 

I am writing to you, little children,

                        because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.

            I am writing to you, fathers,

                        because you know him who is from the beginning.

            I am writing to you, young men,

                        because you have overcome the evil one.

            I write to you, children,

                        because you know the Father.

            I write to you, fathers,

                        because you know him who is from the beginning.

            I write to you, young men,

                        because you are strong,

                        and the word of God abides in you,

                        and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:12-14 ESV)
 

The following basic descriptions of each stage in cognitive, moral, and spiritual development shall guide Anglican Life Curriculum.

Developmental Ages and Stages

Stage	≈Age	Department	Opportunity in Manifest Need	Method	Goal
Zero	B-2	Nursery	Felt Experience	Nurturance	Contentment
One	3-5	Pre-school	Physical Consequence	Correction	Discipline
Two	6-8	Early Elementary	Role Stereotype	Guidance	Conformity
Three	9-11	Older Elementary	Socialization	Instruction	Cooperation
Four	12-14	Junior High	Rational Thought	Debate	Civility
Five	15-17	High School	Social Contract	Study	Mutuality
Six	18+	Adult	Universal Principle	Work	Perfection

 

In addition, Anglican Life Curriculum shall speak to the Three Main Learning Styles.

 

Visual

• Uses visual objects such as graphs, charts, pictures, and seeing information

• Can read body language well and has a good perception of aesthetics

• Able to memorize and recall various information

• Tends to remember things that are written down

• Learns better in lectures by watching them

 

 

Auditory

• Retains information through hearing and speaking

• Often prefers to be told how to do things and then summarizes the main points out loud to help with memorization

• Notices different aspects of speaking

• Often has talents in music and may concentrate better with soft music playing in the background

 

Kinesthetic

• Likes to use the hands-on approach to learn new material

• Is generally good in math and science

• Would rather demonstrate how to do something rather than verbally explain it

• Usually prefers group work more than others

 

Granularity exists when the learning styles are expanded to seven but that often makes writing cumbersome.  The following are presented to augment those above by presenting more precise targets. One might use the principle articulated in shooting, “Aim small, miss small.”

 

• Visual (spatial): learns by pictures, images, and spatial understanding; tend to have aesthetic sense and need for beauty and pageantry.
• Aural (auditory-musical): learns by sound, music, and the spoken word; sensitive to tone and emotion in speech.
• Verbal (linguistic): learns by words, both in speech and writing, though visual learners like to see written words.
• Physical (kinesthetic): learns by doing; sensitive to the body, hands, and sense of touch.  Learns by making mistakes and reaping rewards.
• Logical (mathematical): learns by logic, reasoning, patterns, consistency, and systems.
• Social (interpersonal): learns in groups or with other people; likes people but sensitive to social and public behavior, and need boundaries.
• Solitary (intrapersonal): learns by working alone and in self-study; needs time and space alone and are often sensitive to the environment.

 

Lastly, Anglican Life Curriculum shall address Gender Differentiation according to the following demonstrable traits based on physiology, psychology, and brain structure and chemistry.

 

Males are clinically characterized by:

 

• Aggression
• Gross motor skills
• Larger size and stronger in comparison
• Analytical skills
• Verbally challenged until later in life
• Visual-spatial perception
• Will tend to be visual or kinesthetic learners
• Late emotional bloomers
• Willing to accept and deal out pain as necessary
• Do not have babies

 

Females are clinically defined by:

 

• Compliance with social norms
• Fine motor skills
• Smaller size and less strength
• Relational skills
• Verbal skills
• Intuitive
• Will tend to be relational learners
• Oriented toward feelings
• Avoid pain and conflict
• Have babies

 

Anglican Life Curriculum was conceived in the days after Archbishop Foley Beach visited Plano, Texas, February 8, 2014.  At his reception, attended by 120 clergy and spouses at Maggiano’s, when asked about age-appropriate curriculum for our Church he replied, “Go for it.”  The next day, Michael Hinton, a mere aspirant at the time, asked his bishop, Bill Atwood, the same question and received the same response, an entrepreneurial challenge to go for it.  A few days later at Christ Church in Midland, Texas, Michael’s home church, and through and on line Facebook page, a group of writers came together agreeing that the vision was from God.  This Philosophy, the Working Definition, and Guidelines are rooted in the understanding that our Anglo-Catholic heritage provides a sure foundation for Christian education that is both theologically and didactically sound.

 

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

      The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. (John 6:47-59 ESV)

Working Definition of Spiritual Formation

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL FORMATION?

Michael DeShane Hinton, M.Div.

 

 

Spiritual formation, also known as faith development, is defined in terms of 1) its basis in Biblical theology, 2) its goals, and 3) its methods of achieving those goals.   Spiritual formation is rooted in these Biblical concepts:

• To be fully informed of the truth of Jesus (Luke 1:1-4, Ephesians 4:11-21, & Jude 1:3-5)
• To be transformed from sinners to saints (Romans 12:1-2)
• To be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29 and I Peter 1:14-15)
   
              I would, therefore, offer this working definition of spiritual formation: In order to be conformed to the image of Christ, one must be transformed by grace (defined as divine activity) through the renewal of the mind as we are inwardly formed by word and sacrament, which yields good doctrine and morals, and the application thereof to everyday life and situations in such a way that we are benefitted, others are redeemed, and God is glorified.  In linear fashion it can be expressed this way: informed → transformed → conformed.
   
              Conformity is not what it seems.  It is not a rigid, straightjacket of behavior or expectation but rather a flowering of each individual to his full potential in Christ, who said to Peter, for instance, when comparing himself to John, “What is that to you?  Come follow me.”  While we may never play the “your truth/my truth” game of personal relativism, it is clear from Scripture the we each have our own gifts, callings, and ministries that God knits together into a beautiful tapestry of accomplishing his purposes through us, his body, the Church.
   
  The goals of spiritual formation are very specific, even if varied from one individual to another.  It occurs in all the areas of human personality identified by Christ when he commanded us to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:30).
   

• Heart – spiritual formation helps us to develop natural affection and attraction, loyalty to tasks and persons, empathy, filial love, joy in the simple pleasures of life, and compassion for those that hurt and are in need.
• Mind – spiritual formation helps us to know God’s word, think rationally according to said word, understand sound doctrine, and in wisdom apply the truth of God to everyday life and decisions.
• Soul (synonymous with spirit) – spiritual formation helps us to walk in the Spirit, that is, experience the leading, guidance, power, and direction of God, for whoever is led by the Spirit is the child of God (Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:18); it is to have a sense of God’s presence and to commune with him daily; and it is to bear the fruit of virtue and exercise the charismatic gifts.
• Strength – spiritual formation helps us patiently and consistently to do God’s will, accomplishing his purposes in practical and observable ways.
   
  Spiritual formation occurs, also, in interpersonal relationships, for as John Wesley said, refuting the mystics, “There is no holiness but social holiness.”  It fulfills the second great commandment, to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves.  Spiritual formation helps us to maximize spiritual benefit in concentrically larger circles of social relationships:
   

• To ourselves as the first objects of love, meaning rational self-interest, pursuing our own salvation and relationship with God in Christ, and rejecting irrational, self-defeating, self-destructive, and carnal self-indulgence,
• To our own family and friends, and especially our church friends and associates (Galatians 6:10),
• Toward anyone else with whom we come into personal and direct contact (Luke 10:25-37), either in daily activity or by special calling.
   
  The methods of achieving these goals in spiritual formation have been named, known, and practiced since ancient times.  They exist in the fullness of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.  Their exercise is a life-long commitment.  It is essential to have a theology that supports personal spiritual growth.  We are not justified by faith alone but by works (James 2:24).  Generally speaking, we have set before us works of piety and works of charity, and from these two fountains flow the succor of our life in Jesus.
   
  In spiritual formation we remain who we are yet we change.  We reject the fear of annihilation.  By faith in the power of God to preserve us and to bless us, we willingly die to sin and self in order for God to raise us up in Christ.  We conquer the fear of death that keeps people in bondage (Hebrews 2:15).  We embrace the Way of the Cross as our deliverance and freedom in Christ.  Walking in the light as he is in the light, we “endure all” and commit ourselves to love one another and forgive one another as we have been loved and forgiven.  We change from glory to glory, faith to faith, and strength to strength.  We must realize that change is painful but, counting the cost, we accept it in order to achieve the desired result, the fruit of discipline, which is true happiness and fulfillment in Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

Guidelines

WRITER’S GUIDELINES

Anglican Life Curriculum

 

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. –Jesus

 

1. Authors shall choose a course from the chart in the Philosophy of Ministry.  Each course shall use the word Life in its title and be complete upon submission.  Each course shall contain as many lessons as there are weeks in the liturgical season.
2. The lessons within the course shall take as their text the lectionary readings for the day as they appear in the Book of Common Worship of the Church of England: http://www.katapi.org.uk/CommonWorship/CWLectionarySelV.php .
3. Each lesson shall fill 50 minutes of class time and have specific instructions about what is said and done in class.  Each lesson shall include a list of items needed for the lesson.
4. All submissions shall be written in 12 point black Garamond.
5. The course shall be submitted as an e-mail attachment in Microsoft Word format.
6. Enquiries or completed courses shall be sent to mdsh@suddenlink.net .
7. The Editor has sole discretion in all matters concerning submissions.
8. The author shall use language, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax in accordance with Strunk & White’s ELEMENTS OF STYLE, Fourth Edition.
9. The author shall strive for dignity and artistry in expression, using lofty language.
10. The author shall not shy away from theological terms but explain them.  The author shall not shy away from Koine Greek or Latin terms but provide translations.
11. The author shall use mostly simple declarative sentences with subject, predicate, and modifiers. Questions, imperatives, and exclamations shall be used in age/stage-appropriate ways.
12. The author shall avoid the most common logical fallacies: shallow analysis, ad hominem, false choice, slippery slope, and generalization.
13. The author shall be reasonable.
14. The author shall follow the rules of rhetoric.
15. The author shall use the English Standard Version of the Bible, King James Version, Revised Standard Version, or the Geneva Bible.
16. The author shall use Scriptural words and phrases.
17. The author shall use the liturgical language of the1928 Book of Common Prayer.
18. The author shall not violate natural law, the law of love, or the Canons of the ACNA, either in his writings or his personal life.
19. The author shall adhere to the Working Definition of Spiritual Formation, the Philosophy of Ministry, and the Ethos of Anglican Life Curriculum.
20. The author shall demonstrate growth in the teaching office by completing the Annual Required Reading.

GOD AND GOVERNMENT

Government is necessarily coercive.

Under the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood, God is not.  He wants us freely to believe in him and love one another.

 

Therefore, politicians should not overly invoke God and Christians should not vote for those that do.

Some quote Matthew 25:31-46, the analogy of the sheep and goats, to justify big government programs designed to “help the poor.”  Though it appeals to sentiment, that application of the passage is not justified.  “Nations” in those verses does not refer to geo-political entities or nation-states but to non-Jewish people, in Greek the ethnos or other kinds of people.  Matthew 25 commands individual Christians to show mercy personally and directly to fellow Christians that are suffering.

According to the Bible, government is prescribed a very limited role in the welfare of a people.  First, there are very few passages in the New Testament that speak to government:

 

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22 ESV)

 

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (Romans 13:1-7 ESV)

 

Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17 ESV)

 

In America right and wrong are defined by the Constitution, especially in the cardinal rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of property-based happiness (see the Declaration of Independence, and the 5^th and 14^th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States).

 

Second, our supreme relationship to government is prayer, a power that we may exercise under any social or political circumstance:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-7 ESV)

 

This passage tells us that our goal in life is to lead people to Christ.  That is best done in an environment where all are safe, at peace, prosperous, and enjoy religious freedom.  That is why we pray for God to bless government officials, who have the power to create a felicitous social environment for everyone.  Notice the many ways that we are to lift up our public servants: supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings.  That is the longest list of types of prayer that we find in the entire Bible.

 

In addition, the Book of Revelation pictures the prayers of the saints ascending to heaven like incense (see 5:8 and 8:1-5).  Prayer turns the wheels of history.

Ultimately, Christians are not ideological but theological:

 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:10-13 ESV)

 

In conclusion, be wary of politicians that use God talk, manipulate guilt, or quote the Bible out of context.  Let us empower by our votes and prayers those that understand the Constitution and the limited role of government.