Learning to Explain Why

We had an awesome visit at work today from Nancy Fitzgerald with Anchors Away ministry! Nancy spoke like she has been reading my mind for almost twenty years. I came home with her book, "What God?", which I can't wait to read and I am excited to learn more about this ministry and how I can start equipping my kids NOW. More to come as I read and learn more, but for now, you can check out the website (www.anchorsawayonline.org) and here is my synopsis.

I loved my experience at Taylor University (an evangelical Christian College, if you didn't know). While originally annoyed that my mother would not allow me to go to my childhood first choice, Indiana University, I was very glad that Taylor was my college choice and I loved my time there and learned so much.

One eye opener for me, though, was the phenomenon of the Christian kid who never learned to think. Kids who grew up in Christian homes, went to church, in many cases attended Christian school and had never left the bubble of their Christian cocoon. When confronted with something contrary to what they had always been told was their worldview, their response was to do away with whatever it was. If they disagreed with it, it should be banned. There was a fear of trying to actually defend their faith, of discoursing, of existing with someone who was different and walking along side them and learning together (we can actually learn from others, just as they can learn from us). They had never learned to THINK. (similarly Christian kids go off to college every year as believers, and statistics show many of them graduate having lost their faith)

This is something that was very evident to me throughout my college years and now that I am a mother, it is one of my missions to make sure my kids learn to THINK. I have to admit, I am not exactly sure how that is done (Remember, I was attending school with people who had been attending church all their life - and in all those years of Sunday School and Bible teaching, it had not been imparted to some of these folks - and I am just a lay person!), but I am on the case, nonetheless.

This is why I was SO EXCITED to hear Nancy today, because this is her mission, too!!!!!!! Hallelujah!! And unlike me, she has actually done something about it - she developed a whole study! AnchorsAway is a curriculum for seniors to prepare them before they leave for college so they KNOW their world view, are comfortable asking and answering hard questions, and are better equipped for when they leave the safe environment created for them from their youth and really begin to go out and live out THEIR faith. (Extra super-groovy thing: AnchorsAway is working with other ministries to help equip youth pastors to disciple teens who give their lives to Christ at big events and camps across the country)

To be sure, I am not the most eloquent, but hopefully that gives you an idea and if you want to know more, I encourage you to go to the site and find out more. I will check back in when I finish the book. Would love to hear your thoughts, too!