SERVICE-LEARNING IN EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY

BRINGING ORTHODOXY AND ORTHOPRAXY INTO PROPER BALANCE

WRITTEN FOR

PROFESSOR LEE CONTENT

CMI-211 EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

BY

BRIAN TICE / BOX 3594

16 APRIL 2007
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A major deficiency of the Body of Messiah (Church) has been its propensity to

operate in extremesrather than in balance. This can be seen in the Catholic-Protestant

divide, the worship music divide, and, just as tragically, in the Orthodoxy-Orthopraxy

divide. While Baptistic congregations have traditionally been strong in orthodoxy,

teaching biblically sound theology, but to the exclusion of orthopraxy, or actions which

reflect a proper biblical response to the poor and marginalized; Catholic and Reformed

congregations have traditionally focused so heavily on the latter that the former is

distorted or inadequately studied. Service-learning is a means through which educational

ministry can serve to bring orthodoxy and orthopraxy into proper balance in the Body of

Messiah.

Over fifty years ago, Tozer observed, “Those elements that were meant to work in

unconscious harmony [orthodoxy and orthopraxy] are often isolated from each other

wholly or in part and tend to become actually hostile to each other.”1 Much of this

hostility has been focused upon what is called the “social gospel,” a position championed

by liberal theology, primarily, but also among the Catholic and Reformed traditions. The

Reformed churches’ service to the community, though commendable, is an example of

right actions anchored to unbiblical doctrines, illustrating the degree to which orthodoxy

is neglected by the hyperorthopraxic. Their service agenda is based upon their belief that

it is the purpose of the Gentile Church is to “return [the world] to the goodness of an

originally unscathed creation” 2 – an uncorrupt, sinless state – the idea being that Yeshua

will not return to an imperfect world.

One need only to consider the fact that Yeshua initially came to an imperfect

world to see the faultiness of this pride-ladenand unbiblical view of the Church’s purpose.

A. W. Tozer. The Root of the Righteous (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1986).
1

Albert M. Wolters. Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview (Grand Rapids:
2

Eerdmans, 2000), 57.

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To believe that sinful man, even Christianized man, can impute perfection into the world

when he cannot even achieve it in himself (a point to which the Reformed readily admit),

clearly stands in opposition with the teachings of Scripture. It confuses the coming

Kingdom with the indwelling of the Spirit, limiting the Kingdom to what humankind has

already experienced in terms of his relationship with Adonai and denying the validity of 2

Thessalonians 4, Isaiah 66, and Revelation 4-22 with regard to the Kingdom as being

something yet future. In this way, there is, in Reformed practice, a clear imbalance

between orthodoxy and orthopraxy, orthodoxy being almost nonexistent.

At the opposite extreme, however, stand a majority of churches of the Baptistic

tradition, which for many years has been almost isolationist in its practices. In the same

degree to which the Reformed churches have distorted biblical orthodoxy, these churches,

in an over-reactionary effort to avoid the mistake of the Reformed churches, have

excluded biblical orthopraxy from their expression of the Christian faith, erring to the

opposite extreme. John teaches, however, “If someone has worldly possessions and sees

his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how can he be loving G-d? Children,

let us not love with words and talk, but with actions, in sincerity” (1 John 3:17-18).3

There is an undeniable call in Scripture upon all Believers to minister. It goes

back as far as Moses’ annuls, with the admonition, “And you shall love your neighbor as

yourself” (Leviticus 19:18b), and is woven throughout the Torah, the Prophets, and the

New Testament. Isaiah warns that the kind of fast Adonai wants is “releasing the unjustly

bound, untying the straps of the yoke, freeing the oppressed, breaking every yoke,

sharing your food with the hungry, taking the homeless poor into your home, clothing the

naked when you see them…” (Isaiah 58:6-7), all of which is echoed in Yeshua’s Olivet

Discourse(Matthew 25:31-46).
All Scripture quoted herein is translated from either the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Deutsche
3

Bibelgesellschaft, 1997) or the Greek New Testament (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2001), respectively.
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James advises, “The religion that is pure and faultless before G-d the Father is

this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress…” (James 1:27). Beckmann and

Simon suggest that “orphans and widows” are singled out because they are the “most

vulnerable to hunger and poverty,” thus the worst off among us are to be the chief object

of our ministry.4 The way we draw near to G-d is through acts of service which seek to

glorify His name. Cymbala notes, “Wherever there is pain, suffering, desperation – Jesus

is, and that’s where His people belong. Among the least of these, we find the close

connection with Christ that every Christian heart seeks.”5

In Willard’s discussion of sanctification, he asserts, “Energy is not invested in not

doing what is wrong, but in doing what is good.”6 Paul reveals that there are certain

works that all true Believers will, works which Adonai has fore-ordained (Ephesians

2:10) – that is to say, faith inAdonai is characterized through works that align with His

Will. This is clarified in James’ epistle, “Just as the body without a spirit is dead, so too

faith without actions is dead” (James 2:26). Sanctification, James’s central theme, is thus

a process guided by faithful orthopraxy – right actions.

There is, however, an equally undeniable call upon followers of Yeshua to seek

knowledge of G-d and His ways, as well (2 Peter 3:18). The primary verb of the Great

Commission is “make disciples,” going on to tell how this is to be done: “immersing

them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching themto obey

everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20, emphasis mine). Part of

disciple-making is the command to “test everything; hold to that which is good” (1

Thessalonians 5:21). In order for youth to be able to test things against Scripture,

however, orthodoxy must be instilled.

4
David Beckmann and Arthur Simon. Grace at the Table: Ending Hunger in G-d’s World (Downers Grove:
InterVarsity Press, 1999), 8.
5
Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 78.
6
DallasWillard. Renovation of the Heart (Colorado Springs: Nav Press, 2002), 227.
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When orthodoxy is complemented with orthopraxy, it can be very effective in

helping to accomplish the evangelistic aims of the Church. When people are suffering,

especially when they are facing death, they tend to be more receptive to the Gospel. One

mother relates that accepting her daughter’s terminal illness became much easier once she

had G-d in her life. As Fischer observes, “There are no atheists in foxholes.”7

Buchanon pleads, “Christianity must affect the way we live, not just the things we

think about.”8 It is a balance between the intellectual pursuit of G-d and the path of that

pursuit. Orthopraxy – right action – is inextricable from orthodoxy – right belief. In fact,

orthodoxy develops best in tandem with orthopraxy. In order to meet the task of guiding

young Believers to spiritual maturity, educational ministry carries upon its shoulders a

built-in obligation to provide the youth of the Church with both.

Paul, likewise, teaches the exercise of both aspects in tandem, writing, “All

Scripture [Tanakh writings] is G-d-breathed and is valuable for teaching Truth

[orthodoxy], convicting of sin, correcting faults, and training in right living [orthopraxy]”

(2 Timothy 3:16, emphasis mine). Service-learning is a means by which orthodoxy and

orthopraxy can be brought into a biblical sense of balance. Though initially used in

school settings, there is no reason why service-learning should not be a feature of

educational ministry, as well. Mullaly notes that the defining characteristic of service-

learning is that it seeks to create and preserve “a balance between service to the

community and academic learning.”9 It is this characteristic that makes service-learning

the fit that it is with the aims which Adonai has set forth for His Church.

7
Maureen Fischer. Little Mary (Huron, SD: East Eagle, 1985), 104.
8
Thomas S. Buchanon, , “A Christian Halakah,” Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity XII, issue 1
(January/February 1999): 1.
9
Mary C. Mullaly. “Service-Learning and the Catholic School: A Call to Faithful Citizenship,” Momentum
32, no 1 (Feb/Mar 2001): 40.
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Service-learning, in all models and derivatives, involves engaging otherness.

Among the biggest obstacles to service-learning is motivating youth to engage in ministry

in contexts which are outside their previous experiences. Many times, this is simply

experienced in the sense that service-learninginvolves a commitment to ministry that is

ongoing, often for a semester or a year, rather than to a one-time event. For many,

making a long-term commitment to something unknown constitutes a leap of faith and

difficult step beyond the parameters of their comfort zones. For most, however, the form

this aspect takes is in interacting with people and places which are unfamiliar to them.

Verwer observes, “Modern society is not kind to those who seek to serve with

practical love and in purity of mind and body.”10 It is uncomfortable to take the risk of

being resented or maltreated, but the love of Christ compels His followers to do just that.

Bridges writes, “Everyone loves a child, but to love the truly wretched among us – that

takes a Christ-like love.”11 For many, the “truly wretched” are merely those who treat

them in a wretched manner. These are often the hardest people to love, hence Messiah’s

instruction, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who

persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

For this author, such an experience took place at the homeless drop-in center in

Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was not until the fourth day serving at the drop-in center that

the “clients,” as the staff refer to them, would even acknowledge the volunteers’

presence. It is experiences like these that cause spiritual growth. Thomas writes, “When

you put yourself in a situation where you have to depend on G-d, your faith will grow.”12

Stepping out of the comfort zone means staying and continuing to minister, even when no

expression of gratitude is received. The point of service-learning ministry is not for the
10
George Verwer. No Turning Back (Waynesboro, GA: OM Publications, 1983), 19.
11
Richard E. Bridges. The Grand Inquisitor (Kalamazoo: unpublished stageplay, 1999), 22.
12
Jay Thomas. “A Year of Transformation: Mission Year Forges Friendships, Changes Lives,” Sojourners
28, no 4 (July/Aug 1999): 48.
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person doing the ministry to be glorified, but for Yeshua to be glorified (1 Peter 4:11),

and with the humility of thankless service often comes growth in Messiah-likeness.

The secondfeature – sharing the lives of those being served – is commonly

referred to as mutuality. This implies a balance in the sense of the interpersonal

relationships established between the ministering Christian and the recipient of that

ministry. In the sense that this balance exists, there is no constancy to the role each plays;

the initial benefactor of the ministry work may later become the recipient and the former

recipient, the benefactor. This sense of mutuality is definitive of genuine relationships.

The connection is not one of unidirectional dependence, but of interdependence. This can

only be achieved when the minister allows himself or herself to be fully drawn into the

lives of those he or she is serving. Mulally explains it thus: “Because of the

interdependence among all members of the human family around the globe, we have a

moral responsibility to commit ourselves to the common good at all levels…. We are our

brothers keepers, wherever they may be.”13

What ultimately differentiates service-learning from traditional service ministry

(i.e. the Reformed model), however, is the insistence upon a “reflection component that

assists students to understand and internalize their experience… [and] relate these

experiences directly to academic content” (emphasis mine).14 Service-learning is a

practicum component of education, whereby one gains an understanding of “how or why

someone else’s liberation [from adverse circumstances] is connected” to the faith of the

one ministering to him or her.15 The service works, however, must be paired with biblical

understanding in order to impact the student’s faith journey and move them toward true

spiritual maturity.

13
Mulally, 44.
14
Ibid., 40.
15
Coleen Smith-Slosberg. “Encountrering G-d through Service,” Sojourn 28, no 5 (Sept/Oct 1999): 22.
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Buchanon writes, “If we do not wrestle with being out of step with our neighbors,

we probably do not have a Christian halakah [lifestyle].”16 It may not be comfortable for

young people to do things that make them stand out as different, to live a lifestyle that is

foreign to the world’s warped standards, but spiritual maturity is not going to look like

anything the world presents. Adonai’s standards are higher than the worlds, as seen in the

inability of man, even the most devout of men and women, to meet those standards; but

the task of educational ministry is incontrovertibly clear: “And these words, which I

command you this day, are to be on your heart; and you will teach them diligently to your

children and speak of them when you rest in your house, and when you walk by the way,

when you lay down, and when you arise” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

What they are to be taught, in the context of that passage, is the Great Shema

(Deuteronomy 6:4-5), adherence to which is demonstrated through the degree to which a

person’s actions toward his or her neighbors demonstrate the love of Adonai (Leviticus

19:18b; Matthew 22:37-40). Thomas agrees, “[Jesus] is the most responsible among

religious leaders for associating love for G-d with love for others – particularly the

downtrodden.”17 Thus, at the heart of educational ministry lies the dual obligation to train

Believers up to grow both in understanding and in love.

It is for the benefit of the youth that educational ministry leaders challenge them

to take appropriate risks, to step outside their respective comfort zones, and to advance in

their spiritual journeys. Intellectual pursuit alone is not enough. The Church does its

youth a disservice when it stops there, without offering opportunities to live in the faith

about which they are being taught. The primary job of educational ministry must be to

help young Christians develop a mature enough faith that they become willing to take the

Buchanon, 2.
16

Gary Thomas. Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to G-d (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000),
17

137.
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risk of being called “weird” by the world in order to be called “Christians” by Yeshua.

Fischer advises, “It makes it easier when you think of yourselves as G-d’s babysitters.

He entrusts His children to us and, hopefully, we try to do the best we can for them.”18

The Church can no longer justify the injustice that it has for so long perpetrated

against its youth in depriving them of either side of the service-learning experience.

Slosberg writes, “Often in reflection, students discover that they receive more than they

give…. They touch the wounded and are healed; they touch the hungry and are filled.”19

Spiritual maturity does not happen in a vacuum. It requires balanced discipleship,

doctrine coupled with ministry, orthodoxy coupled with orthopraxy. Service-learning is a

means to healing an ailment of a Church which has been in dire health for a long, long

time.

18
Fischer, 97.
19
Smith-Slosberg, 22.
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Works Cited

Beckmann, David and Arthur Simon. Grace at the Table: Ending Hunger in G-d’s World
(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999),

Bridges, Richard E.. The Grand Inquisitor (Kalamazoo: unpublished stageplay, 1999),
22.

Buchanon, Thomas S. “Christian Halakah,” Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity

XII, issue 1 (January/February 1999).

Cymbala, Jim. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996).

Fischer, Maureen Bladzik. Little Mary (Huron, SD: East Eagle, 1985).

Mullaly, Mary C. “Service-Learning and the Catholic School: A Call to Faithful

Citizenship,” Momentum 32, no 1 (Feb/Mar 2001): 39-44.

Smith-Slosberg, Coleen. “Encountering G-d through Service,” Sojourners 28, no 5

(Sep/Oct 1999): 22.

Thomas, Gary. Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to G-d (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2000).

Thomas, Jay. “A Year of Transformation: Mission Year Forges Friendships, Changes

Lives,” Sojourners 28, no 4 (July/Aug 1999): 48.

Tozer, A. W. The Root of the Righteous (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1986).

Verwer, George. No Turning Back (Waynesboro, GA: OM Publishing, 1983).

Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ (Colorado
Springs: Nav Press, 2002).

Wolters, Albert M. Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview

(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000).