Christian Education (CE)

In Agape Baptist Church, we value Christian education (CE) because we believe spiritual formation requires the deepening of one’s theological understanding, and the appreciation of how God’s truths actually apply to our lives. We believe that right thinking about God fuels right feelings towards God, and that the transformation in our affections and motivations are a result of the Spirit’s work in us, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

While we recognize the importance of life in community as the primary means to spiritual formation, we also recognize the value of learning in a classroom setting. We currently offer CE courses in three thematic tracks.

3 Thematic Tracks

Track 1: Investigating Christianity – In the pluralistic, postmodern age we live in today, many have questions and doubts about Christianity. Courses in this track are designed for those who have such questions, or who are skeptical about Christianity as a religion and would like to examine the faith.

Track 2: Understanding The Bible – Many people have easy access to Bibles, but they struggle to make sense out of it. Courses in this track focus on equipping people to study the Bible and understand its structure, design and the types of literature contained within.

Track 3: Christian Living – True understanding of the Christian faith always leads to application eventually. Courses in this track are focused on practically fostering growth and discipleship, and the continual pursuit of what it means to live like Christ in the different aspects of our lives.

Educational Approach

In Agape, we employ two modes of teaching.

One is a more traditional method which involves the instructor primarily lecturing and providing new content inside the classroom, with participants learning with the aid of course materials in class. These courses do not require prior reading/viewing or any form of preparation before the class.

The other is the ‘Flipped Classroom model’ – which inverts traditional teaching methods, delivering instruction outside the classroom (e.g. prior reading or watching online/offline) and moving “homework” into the classroom to be done together with other participants in an interactive way.

This means that participants read selected chapters from books or articles/watch videos at their own pace at home.

Further learning takes place in the classroom in collaborative settings (groups of 3-4s), doing work together with the help of the teacher.

Here are 4 benefits of the flipped classroom model

The flipped classroom allows the teacher to give selected participants more directed instruction, as well as give them greater opportunities to ask questions about the subject matter that they find confusing or difficult.
A flipped classroom allows participants to have more time for collaboration with other participants which enriches the learning experience.
When the participant is watching a video lecture or reading the class materials on his/her own, the participant is able to learn at his/her own pace – he/she could take more time by even replaying or rereading the content.
The teaching in a flipped classroom is more likely to be pitched at a level most conducive to the participants’ learning. There is greater potential for differentiated instruction for the different participants based on their learning needs.

Courses

There's currently no upcoming courses until end of this year, stay tuned!

If you would like to find out more about our Christian Education Courses