Integral Education: Life Skills
Life Skills: “Understanding the significance that Jesus should make in our everyday setting is critical. Our students are pushed to daily live out their faith in practical ways. A good work ethic, joyful attitudes, and the integration of the Scriptures into their present context are some of the areas of focus.”
I love how God communicates his word to us in intensely practical ways. Even in letters such as Ephesians, Paul’s well-written theological treatise, the reader is exhorted to walk in the application of that theology (Ephesians 4.1, 17; 5.1, 8, 15). This is not something new to the New Testament, we see God calling his people to practically apply his word in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 6.4-9 reads:
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.’[1]
Clearly, God demands obedience in every aspect of the whole person.
At Millar College of the Bible, we believe that knowledge is a critical aspect of education, however, it is not our only focus. Our goal is that the whole student would move towards maturity in their faith in Jesus. As a result, our program focuses on four quadrants: Bible Knowledge, Character Development, Relationships, and Life Skills. Let’s focus on the Life Skills quadrant.
Developing life skills means that our faith in Jesus should be demonstrated through the integration of the Scriptures into every context, whether that be in our work ethic, joyful attitudes, and practical ministry skills. Students are pushed to develop life skills in their walk with the Lord in daily life.
Each class at Millar includes a practical assignment to develop a life skill to employ the Scriptural principles the student is learning as they study the Scriptures. It may be a media fast after which the student writes a reflection paper on what they learned regarding their own dependency or addiction to technology. It might be preaching a sermon, teaching a Bible Study, thanking those who have been faithful disciple-makers in our lives, or maybe even planning a baptism or funeral service.
“Each class at Millar includes a practical assignment to develop a life skill to employ the Scriptural principles the student is learning as they study the Scriptures.”
Outside of the classroom, the students learn life skills through student work. This not only keeps tuition costs down, but the student may learn how to do janitorial duties, work in a kitchen, or library, sew costumes, etc. In each role, the student learns the skill of serving the community. Some have the opportunity to learn ministry skills by serving as hall leaders. These hall leaders discover pastoral life skills such as how to lead the community, establish a Christlike culture, conflict management, etc. Every student has the opportunity to discuss God’s word and apply its principles to our lives through a mentoring relationship. The goal of these relationships is to mirror the mentoring relationship demonstrated between Paul and Timothy throughout the New Testament (1 & 2 Timothy). Regularly, mentoring involves deep theological discussion on how to apply God’s word to our lives. Mentoring provides an opportunity to do practical life skills together as you discuss these things, perhaps through baking cookies, hunting, serving others together, etc.
Students also have the opportunity to learn life skills on the court, on the stage, and out in the field. In our sports and worship arts programs, they learn discipline through continual practice, teamwork, and servanthood through playing in local churches or presenting at a large event at the college. In outdoor edge, they plan and prepare for outdoor excursions into God’s creation where they will employ the survival skills they learned in the classroom. With our urban campus in Winnipeg, students have a greater opportunity to focus on skills for urban ministry because they have many with different needs and worldviews just outside their door.
All students are also connected to a local church as part of the field education. Each student has the opportunity to develop ministry skills by serving alongside the congregation. Some may have the opportunity to lead a Bible Study, or Sunday School, play on a worship team, serve in a youth or kids’ program, rub shoulders with those in the congregation, etc.
Through learning and employing life skills during their time at Millar College of the Bible, the student integrates what they are learning from the Scriptures into daily life. Learning life skills at Millar is a critical aspect through which we minister to the whole student.
About the Author
This article in our Integral Education series is written by Travis Johnston, an instructor at our Pambrun campus.
[1] All Bible translations are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated. See The Holy Bible: English Standard Version : The ESV Study Bible. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008).