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A key learning for me which has connected to previous connect sessions is that we are created FOR relationships with God and each other. We were created in his own image and should be more like him. We are blessed with given talents and as teachers we should embrace this and encourage our students to do the same.

The quote "when we get things wrong, that's not the thing that defines us, not the final word" has really resonated with me through this connect session as in life we can dwell on the failures that we experience. Having a positive outlook and being able to learn from these experiences is what shapes us and makes us stronger and I think this is an important message to take back to the classroom. Students experience failure all the time whether it be in social or academic situations so it is so critical that in my role I make opportunities to help students learn from these "failures".

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The learning over these 4 connect modules has really highlighted the significance of religion within Education. It has shown all the intertwined connections of grace, creation, community and the bible across our school. I grew up in a Baptist community and before Connect, I was unsure of the differences between this and Lutheran teachings. It has shown that at the heart of Christianity we believe the same thing and that ultimately Jesus is the key focus of the bible. Connect has had me questioning my depth of faith and how I interpret the bible but also how I play a part within the school community and as a role model for Christ.

It has been a reminder that I have young people looking up to me and that my words and actions make an impact.

Exploring the bible through the 3 lenses of the world- behind, of and in front of the text- has enabled me to consider how I think about the Bible and teachings from it. This models has enabled greater understanding, thinking and reasoning as well as supporting application and connection to my own life. The bible is ultimately about Jesus and reflecting on how the text relates back to this is a skill that many are yet to master. It is important as teaching young students in Christian studies there will always be lots of questions, different interpretations and understandings. By providing a framework such as this one to look at the text in the bible, it can help break down the text or passage to become more manageable.

These learnings have sparked new questions such as is there an age appropriate structure that I can follow within my classroom for devotions to help students have a better understanding of the bible?

It has also provoked thoughts about how teaching Christian studies does not have to be rigid and set within a defined lesson but can be throughout the day. This could be in the form of small teachable moments or through our schools restorative practice.

Moving forward I would like to research some devotional plans for our mornings to create some structure and explore some of the useful tools we have been provided such as BibleGateway, Enter the Bible and the Lion handbook and encyclopaedia to the bible.

I could also talk to our school Chaplain and other teachers to create a collection of resources for morning devotions and Christian studies units.

I can also develop my understanding of Lutheran education and teaching Christian studies through the next course of Equip.

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I am a year 4 teacher at VLC. Previously completed a degree in Sustainable agriculture then moved into a Masters of Teaching after a few years in various roles. I have always loved working with the younger generation and hope to make a difference through being apart of a Christian community and sharing my talents.

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Exploring

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Learnings, Connections and Future Exploration

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Learnings, Connections and Future Exploration

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There are so many new or reinforced learnings through this connect module. The translation between scriptures were fairly accurate although there are Hebrew words which are hard to translate without the use of lots of words to describe. Some of these are more complex and have further meanings than initially thought through first interpretation.

The versions of the bible include different names of things and knowing these can help make connections.

There is often so much information in the bible that it is often to know where to start. We encourage students at school to read the bible but if we don't know where to start or how to guide them then it can be overwhelming and off putting. Creating strategies and explicitly teaching this can be a good tool or starting point for students to read the bible. This would be an interesting area to explore in the future.

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It is important to be aware of biases as teachers and knowing and understanding how these impact our teachings of Christian studies and the bible.

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Lutheran Lens for leadership and formation framework:

This framework is connected to the schools policies and culture as Lutheran schools are communities nurtured by the promises of God's word. Our school is built on the word of the bible and these messages are spread throughout students education. This is through chapel, morning devotions, worship songs, whole block devotions, prayer and sharing of the bible and teachings in Christian Studies.

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Guiding questions:

How can we know about God?

How does God's word form and inform Lutheran Education communities and my role?

The bible "Tanak" are speakings form God. God is bringing together hope and restoration which is the "Good News" which is found in the scripture. The bible presents as a story which encapulates relationships and experiences as a living text. This allows it's readers to connect through story.

Dadirri (indigenous word for inner deep listening and quiet stillness) relates to this listening, connecting and being open to God. Often life is so busy and complex that we forget to pause, listen and reflect. Listening is a skill that many are yet to master but it is so critical to understanding and viewing the world and stories of the bible. Connecting to the bible or through church and communities (school or external) you are able to learn and know more about God.

God's word is used to form the foundations of Lutheran Education and the dispositions we encourage students to encapsulate.

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Through the forgiveness of sin as the Holy Spirit works through the word of God and the sacraments creating and nurturing faith, we live in fellowship with God and with one another. We can create community through fellowship with one another and share in discussions and understandings about life and the teachings of the bible.

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Guiding Questions:

Why does Lutheran education value community?

In what ways has the learning about community relationships informed your understanding of your role and contribution?

Lutheran education values community as everything that we do is a reflection of God and that how we relate to each other should be in relation to God.

Lutheran education is built on the values of love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, service, humility, courage, hope, quality and appreciation. It is also a reflection that the school is apart of a wider community with contributions and diversity. This diversity is celebrated as every student, teacher or staff member at the school is unique and has different God given talents. By valuing community and this diversity, Lutheran education can support the growth of individuals and their journey with Christ.

"As a consequence vocation has to do not only with what it is we do, but how we do it, and with what understanding we do it.  Each of these dimensions has the power to change the others." (Vocation, T. Christenson).

This is informed my understandings

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The creation of the world by God and His ongoing care for the universe provides a profound backdrop for the Lutheran education system. Understanding that all knowledge and learning are gifts from the Creator instils a sense of wonder and responsibility. Emphasizing God's continuous care encourages students to value their unique role in His ongoing creation and to serve others with love and compassion. We as teachers have this responsibility to encourage students to have stewardship of creation.

I wonder, how as a school we can encourage and foster students strengths and weaknesses and create further wonder and curiosity in the things that they learn.
To answer these questions I could look to research that has been completed in other school studies and discuss this with leadership.

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Grace is intricately linked with the school's policies at Victory Lutheran College. As a Lutheran school, their mission centers on nurturing students through the Word of God, empowering them to flourish and positively impact the world. Pastoral Care is an essential aspect of daily life, addressing the holistic well-being of every individual in the college community. By embracing Christian values like love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, service, humility, courage, hope, and appreciation, the college creates a culture of Grace.

The emphasis on Grace and the integration of Christian values in the school's policies can have significant implications on the classroom environment and dynamics. This can range from classroom dynamics, culture, engagement, conflict resolution, wellbeing and student-teacher relationships.

In my teaching role, understanding the significance of Grace and Christian values can emphasize the importance of fostering a compassionate, inclusive, and supportive learning environment. It reinforces the need to prioritize students' holistic well-being, build meaningful connections, and nurture their individual talents, leading to a more fulfilling and impactful teaching experience.

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BibleProject

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A God who speaks and acts: theology for teachers in Lutheran schools. Adelaide: Lutheran Education Australia pp54-55.

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Gods Creation is Good. Everything was just the way he intended it to be (Genesis 1:31). 

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Gods Creation is Good. Everything was just the way he intended it to be (Genesis 1:31). 

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Guiding Questions:

How does creation theology inform the why and how of Lutheran Education?

How does creation theology shape an aspect of your work with students?

Lutheran education is centred in the belief that God invites all people to join God in ongoing creation and care for the universe. We do this knowing that man is responsible to God and that we should mirror how God would create. Ultimately this reflects (Image of God) on how we should complete our day to day lives and undertake our job roles in life. This also plays a significant role in the "why" of Lutheran Education. The foundation of a Lutheran school should be created from the ground up using key Christian values. The way that God spent love and care in his creation, the Lutheran Education should mimic the same. Dominion as mentioned in Genesis is not to abuse the powers of care but to serve with Gods best interest at heart. So the "how" follows through with serving those within the education system; co-workers, students or any other person whose is connected.

So this then highlights the significance and connection between creation theology and working with students. It shows the importance that all lives matter as everything God created was good (Genesis 1:31). We as teachers should acknowledge students strengths and weaknesses. We should encourage students to celebrate God's creation and help them to use their gifts by providing opportunities and classrooms to flourish (Bartsch, 2013).

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Grace within VLC.

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"Grace is heartfelt, tinged with love, a spillover gift of the God who extended undeserved favour towards us." Yancey (2014). 

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"Grace is heartfelt, tinged with love, a spillover gift of the God who extended undeserved favour towards us." Yancey (2014). 

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If the gospel is "good news," why is it getting such bad press lately? And what can be done to reverse the trend? Multiple Christian Book Award® winner Philip Yancey challenges Christians to actually live the mercy-filled message that is so often preached.

Bible Gateway interviewed Philip Yancey about his book, Vanishing Grace: What Ever Happened to the Good News? (Zondervan, 2014).

[ See all of Philip Yancey's books in the Bible Gateway Store]
Briefly define the biblical idea of grace.
Philip Yancey: The classic definition is "God's unmerited favor." I would loosen that up a bit to say that it means God's free gift of the opposite of what we deserve. We deserve wrath and get love, deserve punishment and get forgiveness-all because of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. See Ephesians 2:6-9 for Paul's summary of the nature and importance of grace.
You begin the book by quoting a portion of Hebrews 12:15, "See to it that no one misses God's grace." How is this verse central to the book's message?
Philip Yancey: It strikes me that individual Christians and Christian organizations strive for world-changing goals that, although well-intentioned, may be unrealistic or not strictly biblical. Some set the goal of converting everyone; that's admirable, but clearly the New Testament doesn't anticipate such an achievement. Some want to clean up society, something the disciples never dreamed of, living as they did under decadent Rome. Here's a goal, though, that applies to all of us, one we can all work toward. And I wrote the book because for most people grace is not the first word that comes to mind when they think of Christians. Some are indeed missing God's grace.
The title of the book suggests that grace is endangered. What's changed in the 20 years since your classic What's So Amazing about Grace?
Philip Yancey: The US has become increasingly divided and polarized, and meanwhile a whole new set of global enemies has appeared. Surveys report on the rise of the "nones," outsiders to the faith who claim no religious commitment. In short, the West is becoming increasingly post-Christian, and we need to adjust our approach because the Good News no longer sounds like good news. Fortunately, the Bible gives a lot of guidance on this issue, because the Apostle Paul operated within a Roman Empire even more skeptical of and hostile to believers than what we live under today.
How are the Christian behaviors of "love" and "grace" intertwined and how are they separate?
Philip Yancey: Love is an overarching style of relating to another. Love your neighbor as yourself, Jesus said, and later added, "Love your enemies." "Love your wives," Paul advised the Ephesians ( 5:25). To me, grace zooms in on "the other," not the familiar, someone more like an enemy than a neighbor or family member. The rubber hits the road when we try to show grace to a person most unlike us, even someone morally offensive. Jesus was a master of grace: he attracted sinners and moral outcasts even as he offended the religious and responsible people of his day.
The Apostle Paul wrote that Christians are "the aroma of Christ" that may seem like the fragrance of death to one and of life to another (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). Does that metaphor imply that some non-believers are going to negatively misinterpret our message and that there's nothing a Christian can do about it?
Philip Yancey: Probably so. There's an "offense" to the gospel no matter how graciously we present it. It includes the message that God, not humanity, is the ultimate judge of right and wrong, and that the choices we make here have eternal consequences. Interestingly, though, in Jesus' own day the most religious group, the Pharisees, found his "aroma" the most unpleasant. Grace is a free gift of God, but to receive a gift you must have open hands. Those who admit a need open their hands far more readily than those who consider themselves morally superior.
What does it take for churches to be known as places where grace is "on tap"?
Philip Yancey: Oh, I could tell you stories! Some churches do it well, some don't. One way of asking that question is, "How would a person who views himself or herself as a miserable failure feel if they wandered into your church? Often I use AA or other recovery groups as a model. You wander into one of those groups, and they embrace you immediately-as long as you honestly admit the need for help. Yet all too often the truly needy see church as the kind of place you have to clean yourself up before you enter. If your church conveys that spirit of condescension or judgment, it's likely not a place where grace is on tap.
How do you answer the question you pose in the book, "Is the good news really good news"?
Philip Yancey: Without a doubt. Read the stories in the Gospels. "I was blind but now I see" ( John 9). "[My son] was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" ( Luke 15). "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" ( John 3:16). The news is spectacularly good, especially when held up against the bleak, nihilistic view of modern thinkers, as I discuss in the book. Somehow, though, we're not conveying that good news very convincingly.
What's the difference between showing grace and being tolerant?
Philip Yancey: You can be tolerant in a legalistic or paternalistic way, by fulfilling the law or honoring a quota. You can't show grace that way. Grace is heartfelt, tinged with love, a spillover gift of the God who extended undeserved favor toward us-"while we were still sinners," as Paul says ( Romans 5:8)-and asks us to dispense it to others. It's not a natural response. Indeed, C. S. Lewis called it the one distinctive of Christianity found in no other religion.
What do you mean by "holy subversion" and how does it coincide with grace?
Philip Yancey: I use the phrase holy subversion to describe a style of getting our message across within the broader culture. We can confront the culture directly, and sometimes we must. We can withdraw completely, though Jesus sent out his followers "like lambs among wolves" ( Luke 10:3) rather than hiding them in the safety of the barn. I suggest another alternative: while living within it we can show the broader culture a different way of being human. We can care more for the vulnerable than for the successful, demonstrate a contrary way of purity, pursue forgiveness rather than revenge. In other words, we can follow Jesus in such a way that it awakens thirst in the watching world so that they, too, want a taste of the Living Water. The early Christians did that in a way that transformed the Roman Empire. Can we follow their example today?

Bio: Philip Yancey serves as editor-at-large for Christianity Today magazine. He's written 13 Christian Book Award®-winning books and won two ECPA Book of the Year awards for What's So Amazing About Grace? and The Jesus I Never Knew. Four of his books have sold over one million copies. Yancey lives with his wife in Colorado. Website: www.philipyancey.com

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Vanishing Grace: An Interview with Philip Yancey - Bible Gateway Blog

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If the gospel is "good news," why is it getting such bad press lately? And what can be done to reverse the trend? Multiple Christian Book Award® winner Philip Yancey challenges Christians to actually live the mercy-filled message that is so often preached. Bible Gateway interviewed Philip Yancey about his book, Vanishing Grace: What Ever [...]

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Guiding Questions:

What are some important aspects of spirituality from a Lutheran perspective?

In what ways might the concept of grace shape Lutheran Education communities?

In what ways might the concept of grace inform the understanding of my role and my contribution?

Some important aspects of spirituality from the Lutheran perspective written by Christensen (2004) is that we have been saved by God's grace alone. Through Jesus, we are saved and the bible is a source of teaching and inspiration. Grace, love, compassion, and forgiveness are key values that are apart of everything that is done. Another key perspective is that God isn't above us, he is right here with us through the good and the bad.

The Lutheran perspective states that we have the gift of Grace because Jesus has died for our sins, allowing our sins to be washed free.

The concept of grace can shape Lutheran education communities through the ways that teachers and staff see their role in education. We as staff can focus and teach students that through the admission of sins and freedom of things that hold us down, we have grace and this can be liberating. Phillip Yancey (2014) shares that through Grace we get love and forgiveness and as teachers in the Lutheran education system, it is this love and forgiveness that we can give and show children.