ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN A CHURCH- A BIBLICAL IMPERATIVE

It is very strange to notice that most churches ignore the fundamental requirement for church growth.
It is like an athlete who wants to contest in a 100 meter race but stops to go for exercises. It is obvious that such an athlete will not win any competition.

There is no Christian who can dispute that every church has Sunday school. Some have even youth movements intended to provide youth education. What almost every Christian will not dispute is the fact the youth need education because it is the church of tomorrow. Deuteronomy 4 v 9 instructs “ Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes had seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and their children after them” The practice in most churches is once the children pass through Sunday school classes and youth movement structures, they become adults and stop receiving further Christian Education.

This practice contradicts with what 2 Timothy 3 vs 15-16 is saying; “ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ”. This statement means that learning does not stop in order for us to continue being wise for the salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fortunately the Bible sets precedents for God’s people to follow. In the Old Testament, it was God Himself who used to teach spiritual leaders to teach others.. In Psalms 119 we see the request for being taught again and again. Teach me. He was asking God to teach Him. Deuteronomy 31 v 12 says; “ Assemble the peopl3 –men, women and children and the aliens living in your towns so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God”. The teaching was not restricted to children but even adults and aliens.

What is interesting is to note that God starts by mentioning men, then women, children and aliens. There is a reason. According to the Bible ,God places serious responsibilities on men, followed by women. God considered adult Christian Education as a continuous process for them to receive salvation.

What is the importance of Adult Christian Education in a church? It is important when we have pastors who preach before us every Sunday. 1 Peter 2v2 advises Christians to grow as it says;” Like newborn babies, crave for spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation”. Adult Christian Education is for Christian maturity. How could Christian maturity be realized in the absence of structured Adult Christian Education Classes in our churches? By attending Fellowship Services at COMESA? No. This has to be done in every church and after church service.

The outcome of the absence of Adult Christian Education in our churches is disastrous for the future of the church.. We continue to have Christian who live on milk and never mature to have spiritual meat. That is an abnormality which has been accepted as normality in most of our churches. When a church has received spiritual meat, its members learn to be more genuine and less hypocritical or pretenders. The outcome is that Christians will live and talk like Christians. They will be more loving and less hateful. John 13 vs 34-35 says;” By this all men will know that you are my followers, if you love one another.” Simply put, if Christians cannot love others, they should stop calling themselves Christians. It is dishonesty to claim to be a Christian when you do not practice what Jesus Christ teaches.

Those who will disagree should raise their hands in their minds to show that they have Adult Christian Education Committees in their churches.