Derek J. Keenan, Ed.D.
VP, Academic Affairs
derek_keenan@acsi.org
 Sociological
 Technological
 Philosophical
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 Loss
of community
 Changed parent and family models
 Extended adolescence


Adulthood does not look as inviting as childhood
Education is not the key to life and success
 Affluence

Malljammer-cultivating relationships in the
context of the marketplace
 Exposure

and materialism
and openness
No separation between adult and child issues
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 Communications
 Information
 Immediacy
 Isolation
- insulation
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 Self-absorbed
and gratuitous
 Loss of optimism
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 Breakdown
of belief
 Rejection of worldview
 Explain away guilt and shame
 Narrative “personal story” of life


Personalize standards in violation of stated belief
systems
Demise of the “great narrative” that is
transcendent truth
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“Personal narratives essentially stand alone as
the means by which we pull together the text
of our own lives.”
The task of the therapist, therefore, is to help
clients to become more involved in the
creation of their own meanings, “reminding
them that there are no other yardsticks of
stories or persons against which to measure
the legitimacy of their own stories.”
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 Spiritual
formation goals for Christian young
people



Faith in Christ
Walk of faith
Maturing in application



Inculcating a biblical virtues system
Expressing a biblical value system
Manifesting a biblical value system
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 No
Scripture in their heads
 No hymns in their hearts
 No memory of prayer in their homes
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 The
Emperor’s Club
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 Move
their faith toward maturity and
establish the foundations of their moral
convictions
 It’s not only about telling

“Students can hears us, write down what we say
and recite it back to us – maybe several times
over – and believe and conduct themselves in
such a way as to indicate that ‘knowing’ has had
no influence in determining responsible
Christian conduct.” (Roger Dudley)
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 Removing
what is not needed in the finished
product
 Two means of shaping:


Modeling
Molding
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 Leading
the classroom and the school
 Two ways of leading:


Grounding
Framing
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 Develop



Establish goals and objectives
Formulate a scope and sequence
Develop an assessment strategy
 ACSI’s




a “School Spiritual Formation Plan”
Expected Student Outcomes (ESO’s)
Academic Thinking
Worldview Orientation
Skill Development
Spiritual Formation
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 Components



of a Spiritual Formation Plan
What present activities contribute to the
spiritual formation of students? How effective
are these activities?
What are the relevant indicators of Christian
value commitments? To what degree are these
present?
What activities/experiences are desired at each
level that would prepare students to “value”
their faith?
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 Staffing
qualifications for a Spiritual
Formation School

The power of modeling virtue




“The floating family describes the feeling of being
adrift amidst a sea of shifting definitions and
allegiances, a relatively formless array of familial
relationships in a continuous state of flux” (Kenneth
Gergen)
Understanding of anonymity and alienation of
many youths
Management of insecurities of worth, value and
truth
Authenticity and vitality
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





Have a “spiritual formation” foal in mind and focus
the instruction on students working with it.
Determine the school/classroom limits for exploring
“value” topics
Link experiences within and without the school to
“spiritual formation” by preparation, planning, and
interaction
Use open-ended classroom activities to explore ageappropriate topics
Allow students to express both sides of an issue.
What is the grace response and what is the ungrace
response? Walk the students through a moral
reasoning exercise.
Have students work on individual as well as group
service activity projects. Follow up on expressing the
values of this service.
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 Growth
is the evidence of life
 Spiritual greatness comes from within
 Proclaiming the meta-narrative (Gospel)
through telling that is fully supported by a
life
“Holy shoddy is still shoddy”
- Elton Trueblood
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To download this presentation, go to:
www.acsi.org/~keenan
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