“Framework” is what I teach on Sunday mornings to my students. It gets a little more complicated. I’ll try to explain as clearly as I can. Framework is the study of Systematic Theology. From all the other curriculum I stuidied, I learned that every publisher, author, and youth pastor has their own systematic theology they are teaching. Whatever they keep coming back to is the center of their theology (whether it be God’s glory or how to make good friends). And everything they decide to teach around their central theme would indirectly teach their students a systematic theology of how to view all of life. I fell into that trap myself. And then I wondered why I was trying to reinvent the wheel.
For multiple centuries, churches have been teaching the 12-13 orthodox doctrines. Why wouldn’t I want my students to learn anything other than that? So in a 6 year plan, I’m taking my students through all of systematic theology and how its central theme is Jesus Christ. We do this on a 2 month rotation. For two months I teach the senior highers on a specific doctrine. They sit in circles and discuss the doctrine that is taught.
Then after two months, they go back to their small group class rooms to read and discuss a smaller book which is an application of that doctrine (for example: Doctrine of Christ and “Living the Cross-Centered Life” by C. J. Mahaney). While they are in their classrooms, I teach the middle schoolers the same doctrine for two months, then they go back to their classrooms for the book discussion while the senior highers come back to me for another 2 month doctrine study. And WAH-LAH, you’ve got yourself a rotating, non-drowsy, life applicational, Christ glorifying way to teach your students the creme de le creme – Systematic Theology.
You can search through all the FRAMEWORK files in the “Categories” section on the right-hand column.
Free files for my fellow youth pastor friends…
Overview of Why We Teach Systematic Theology to Students (mp3)
Sunday School 6 Year Plan (very rough version – all thoughts included)
0 Responses to “FRAMEWORK: Systematic Theology for Students”