Welcome to Summit Ministries’ Worldview Education Newsletter! Join Dr. Roger Erdvig and Dr. Maggie Pope, Director and Associate Director of Worldview Education at Summit, as they serve educators by sharing expert ideas and resources related to biblical worldview formation.
In This Issue:
- Educator Matters: Teachers vs. Technology – An honest look at the reality of technology and what Christian educators can do to curb the problem
- Classroom Snapshot: Shaping (Pro-Life) Desires – How one teacher inspired a generation of pro-life students
Educator Matters: Teachers vs. Technology
Much attention has been given recently to the impact of the digital landscape on young people. The rise of social media and constant digital connectivity has contributed to a surge in anxiety, depression, and overall emotional distress among adolescents and young adults. The shift toward digital communication, especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, has disrupted how young people form relationships, leading to increased feelings of isolation, social comparison, and pressure. Most leading secular and Christian experts agree that technology brings students an onslaught of challenges and risks.
As educators, many of us saw this coming. As phones appeared in the hands of students at increasingly younger ages, the normal rhythms of school life were changed. Students began shuffling through hallways with their heads down, fixated on their phone screens. Conversations in cafeterias were transformed, with interactions increasingly occurring through digital means, such as texting, social media, or collaborative gaming. The intrusion of technology can feel like a frustrating reality of teaching today—but does it have to be?
At Summit, we believe we are called to live in a biblical worldview, seeing, interpreting, and engaging with the world around us in a way that reflects God’s good design. We like to consider four questions when faced with a problem, just like the problem of technology and its effect on students:
- What is broken that I can cure?
- What is missing that I can create?
- What is good that I can cultivate?
- What is evil that I can curb?
We may not be able to change technology policies at school or in our students’ homes, but we encourage you to resist the urge to think there is nothing you can do! As technology has become ingrained in daily life, the skill of conversation is quietly disappearing in the younger generation. But by living in a biblical worldview, we can create opportunities for students who miss out on meaningful, constructive, in-person conversations.
According to the research that has explored how a biblical worldview takes shape, the dominant way that most young adults process their life experiences, thoughts, and ideas is by having meaningful conversations with peers. It’s not an internet search or Reddit forum. Instead, the young adults found that talking through and processing aloud with a peer helped them see, interpret, and engage with all aspects of life from a biblical worldview. As technology use increases exponentially, the opportunities for practicing essential conversation skills decrease. As educators, we can not only live in a biblical worldview by helping create opportunities for missing conversations, but we can also help students understand the framework and build the muscle memory for the types of conversations that will serve as a positive catalyst for biblical worldview formation in the future. How?
- More student talk – Like learning to ride a bike, students must practice processing ideas in conversation. As educators, we can teach academic content and encourage biblical worldview formation by doing less talking and more coaching on how students should talk.
- Teach and model biblical conversation – Culture values and promotes brash, offensive, and excessive speech. Yet, the Bible says kind words turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1), that truth should be spoken in love (Ephesians 4:15), and that there is value in holding your tongue (James 1:19). Ground interactions in your classroom in Truth.
- Create tech-free days–- The digital natives in our classrooms know how to navigate technology tools, but can they detach from the fast-paced, multi-tasking world of technology and engage in thinking and conversation without devices? Find positive and fun ways to engage students in wrestling with ideas and learning with peers that might have been an independent technology-related activity.
Classroom Snapshot: Shaping (Pro-Life) Desires
It’s a typical Wednesday morning in Dr. Segraves’ class. The bell rings, and students gather around a table with a large map of the world on it. One of the students chooses a country on the map, heads bow, and prayer begins. This group of students begins petitioning God on behalf of the unborn; they begin praying for individuals in other countries to make decisions for life, and that further progress would be made to ending the global genocide known as abortion. Then, the most atypical observation I’ve ever had unfolded. Dr. Segraves began a Q&A session that walked students through the truth claims and biblical grounding for the life of the unborn child. The session then focused on recognizing, countering, and gently responding to the pro-abortion argument, including recalling the verses that might be used to defend abortion. The students eagerly and confidently responded. I sat in awe as the students confidently responded in ways that (I dare say) most mature Christians could not.
Dr. Segraves (an apologist by trade, not an educator) expertly tapped into building desire in students. The roughly five minutes spent at the beginning of class in prayer and Q&A became a liturgy that was harnessed and used to shape the desires of typical high school students. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Segraves to learn more about the impactful use of liturgy in shaping desires. Listen and learn more about how desires are shaped in Dr. Segrave’s class.
Talk with us! Share a question, comment, or example of how you use the principles of biblical worldview formation in your classroom!
Visit us and share your thoughts about upcoming topics by visiting us on our Educator Facebook page.
Resource Corner
A Christian Pro-Life Posture: Looking for more resources that share a Christian perspective on abortion? Start with Summit’s article on how the Church can engage with the topic and find links to additional books. You can learn more about Dr. Segraves’s ministry by visiting the 1040 Connections website.
Biblical Truth: Here at Summit, we understand that truth matters. That’s why we’ve identified core biblical truths that are cyclically woven throughout our Bible curriculum. Learn more about our Bible curriculum for Grades K-12.
Upcoming Biblical Worldview Immersion Conferences: Dig deeper into immersing your classroom content and methods in a biblical worldview by joining us at an upcoming educator conference. We are still accepting registrations at the following locations:
Summit’s Biblical Worldview Immersion Conference at Calvary Christian High School
110 N. McMullen Booth Road | Clearwater, FL | 33759
February 14, 2025
Register!
Summit’s Biblical Worldview Immersion Conference – Greater Atlanta Area hosted by Mount Pisgah Christian School
9875 Nesbit Ferry Road | Johns Creek, GA | 30022
June 9-10, 2025
Registration opens soon!