KOINOS online

This is what I like. A lay-person centered training made freely available online. Do we have something like this in Malaysian and Singapore?



KOINOS online - A Certificate in Christian Education

101:	Bible	OT	NT	Ethics	Theology	Worship	Spirituality	Ministry	History	Mission
201:	OT Theology	Doctrine of the Trinity	Letters of John	Sermon on the Mount	Varieties of Evangelical Theology	Jesus and Chinese Culture	Christianity in Asia Today	The Church in the City	Ten Commandments for Today	Christian Discernment

KOINOS is a program developed by Pacific Association for Theological Studies (Seattle), an association of churches and educational institutions linked together to make theological education accessible. Several thousand lay men and women (plus several dozen clergy) have participated. The curriculum was developed by asking, 'If one were to create a MA degree, what would be the 10 basic subjects that would be included?' In this way, certain subjects were identified as fundamental, and these are offered in the form of one-day seminars (each consisting of about five lectures), once a month. The world-class faculty are all scholar-teachers who teach regularly in graduate degree programs. KOINOS is facilitated by the generous support of Richmond Chinese Alliance Church, B.C. Canada.

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Training of Generation Y

In an interesting article published in Medscape on Training the Physician and the Anesthesiologist of the Future by Alex Macario, MD, MBA the training program of anesthesiologists is presented.

Figure 1. Factors that influence the changing physician workforce.

However I am more interested in the way he discerns the different demographic of the various groups of people involved in the training. This has relevance not only in the training of physicians but also of other areas including theological education.

Figure 2. Recent generations by year of birth.

Alex Macario's study is focused on the United States but his characteristics of Generation Y is fascinating and will be useful for educators elsewhere in the world.

Table 1. Characteristics of the Millennial Generation

Largest generation of young people in the country's history, likely surpassing the aging baby boom generation (78 million)[3]

Economically, they may not be better off than their doting parents, especially after the 2008 worldwide financial crisis

The most ethnically and racially diverse cohort of youth in United States history: 60% (a record low) are white, 19% are Hispanic, 14% black, 4% Asian; and 3% are mixed race or other.[4] They are comfortable with heterogeneity in living arrangement or socioeconomic class

Team-oriented, banding together to socialize rather than pairing off, acting as each other's resources or peer mentors

Civic-minded with a desire to make a positive contribution to society and to the health of the planet[5]

Have been spurred to achievement and display a self-confidence that reflects their being raised in a child-centered world

Comfortable with Web communications, media, and digital technologies (eg, Facebook, YouTube, Google and Wikipedia)

Easier social communication through technology may explain the reputation of the millennial generation for being peer-oriented

Accelerating technologic change may create shorter generations, as young people just a few years apart have different experiences with technology[6]

Increased global exposure through the Web, leading students and residents in record numbers to seek international educational experiences

Many millennials (42% of women and 30% of men) talk to their parents every day and many are still financially dependent on their parents; this has led to a new acronym: KIPPERS (Kids in Parents' Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings).[7] As the skills required for certain jobs become more specialized, many young people return to school for professional degrees with the hope that this additional training will help them land a job. This creates more dependence on others, such as their parents, for financial support.

Education and training in the present have to be designed to factor in the demographic of the millennials if these programs are to be successful.

Worth thinking about.

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Tending the Seedbeds of Theological Education in Asia

I am honoured to have contributed a chapter to this volume (2010, Philippines) published by the Asia Theological Association (ATA). I am humbled to be listed as contributors with all the well-known names in Asian theological education.


CONTENTS

1 How Asian is Asian Theological Education?
Larry W. Caldwell

2 ‘New Treasures with the Old’: Addressing Culture
and Gender Imperialism in Higher Level Theological Education
Perry W.H. Shaw

3 The Rise of the Net-Generation: Implications for Educational Renewal in the Seminary Classroom
Calvin Chong

4 De-schooling the Theological Seminary: An Appropriate Paradigm for Effective Pastoral Formation
Allan Harkness

5 Non-formal Faculty Development in Theological Seminaries: An Adult Educational Approach
Arun K. Sarkar

6 Vygotsky Visits Calvary Seminary: Sociocultural Theory in Dialogue with Asian Theological Education
Rosalind Lim-Tan

7 Reproducing Leaders through Mentoring
Ian Payne

8 Christian Leadership Development and the Spiritual Disciplines
Kwai Lin Stephens

9 Social Concern and Theological Education: A Philippines’ Perspective
Lydia Mapile

10 Surfing the Tsunami of Change: Problem-Based Learning in Theological Education in Asia
Alex Tang

11 Time to Leave the Wilderness? The Teaching of Pastoral Theology in South East Asia
David Burke

12 Towards Perspective Transformation: Adopting Jesus’ Use of Questions in the Seminary
Lee Wanak

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Spiritual Formation and Council of Christian Colleges & Universities

Here are some interesting papers on spiritual formation and higher theological education by the Council of Christian Colleges & Universities. Noteworthy is the research paper by Charles Stokes and Mark Regnerus.

2010 President-led Symposium on Spiritual Formation

Trinity Western University

7600 Glover Road

Langley, British Columbia, Canada

June 24, 2010 - June 26, 2010

Resources

Required Readings

The CCCU and Spiritual Development of their Students
(by Stokes and Regnerus)



Longing for God: Seven Paths of Christian Devotion
by Richard J. Foster & Gayle D. Beebe
Watch Richard J. Foster & Gayle D. Beebe discuss their book




Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society through Higher Education
by David S. Dockery

Suggested Readings

The Great Ommission, Excerpt, Dallas Willard
Click here to download



White Paper on Moral Formation, Kent Hill
Click here to download



The Great Commadment: A Possible Model for Spiritual Development, Paul R. Corts
Click here to download


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