Davidian Seventh Day Adventist, Visayan Division, Philippines
WORD means Whole Organized Route Development
A Guide from Birth Through Grades 1-12
This Basic Curriculum is Rooted Upon Christ
“The Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God”
“The Desire of All Ages”
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”
John 1:1
“Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”
Psalm 73:24
THE EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT MANDATE
The True Object of Education a mandate of God through His prophets written in the SOP and SRod.
Inspiration declares,
"The true object of education is to restore the image of God in the soul. In the beginning, God created man in His own likeness. He endowed him with noble qualities. His mind was well balanced, and all the powers of his being were harmonious. But the fall and its effects have perverted these gifts. Sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated the image of God in man. It was to restore this that the plan of salvation was devised, and a life of probation was granted to man. To bring him back to the perfection in which he was first created, is the great object of life, -- the object that underlies every other. It is the work of parents and teachers, in the education of the youth to co-operate with the divine purpose; and in so doing they are 'laborers together with God.'
"'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.' The great work of life is character-building; and a knowledge of God is the foundation of all true education. To impart this knowledge, and to mould the character in harmony with it, should be the object of the teacher's work. The law of God is a reflection of His character. Hence the psalmist says, 'All Thy commandments are righteousness;' and 'through Thy precepts I get understanding.'" -- Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 595, 596.
Our ideas of education take too narrow and too low a range. There is need of a broader scope, a higher aim. True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come. {Ed 13.1}
The source of such an education is brought to view in these words of Holy Writ, pointing to the Infinite One: In Him "are hid all the treasures of wisdom." Colossians 2:3. "He hath counsel and understanding." Job 12:13. {Ed 13.2}
The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God. From the first intimation of hope in the sentence pronounced in Eden to that last glorious promise of the Revelation, "They shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads" (Revelation 22:4), the burden of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous theme,--man's uplifting,--the power of God, "which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57. {Ed 125.2}
True education is the inculcation of those ideas which will impress the mind with the knowledge of God the Creator and Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God. This education, which will ennoble the intellect and expand the mind, may be gained from a study of God's words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not. . . . He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." (John 1:1-5, 10.). . . . {8MR 280.2}
It was the cross, that instrument of shame and torture, which brought hope and salvation to the world. The disciples were but humble men, without wealth, and with no weapon but the word of God; yet in Christ's strength they went forth to tell the wonderful story of the manger and the cross, and to triumph over all opposition. Without earthly honor or recognition, they were heroes of faith. From their lips came words of divine eloquence that shook the world. {AA 77.1}
God says, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” {Deut. 6:7}
Parents should in a special sense regard themselves as agents of God to instruct their children, as did Abraham, to keep the way of the Lord. They need to search the Scriptures diligently, to know what is the way of the Lord, that they may teach it to their household. Micah says, "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" [Micah 6:8.] In order to be teachers, parents must be learners, gathering light constantly from the oracles of God and by precept and example bringing this precious light into the education of their children. {AH 184.2}
The mother must ever stand pre-eminent in this work of training the children; while grave and important duties rest upon the father, the mother, by almost constant association with her children, especially during their tender years, must always be their special instructor and companion. She should take great care to cultivate neatness and order in her children, to direct them in forming correct habits and tastes; she should train them to be industrious, self-reliant, and helpful to others; to live and act and labor as though always in the sight of God. {AH 184.4}
God also says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”. {Proverbs 4:23} As man "thinketh in his heart, so is he." The heart must be renewed by divine grace, or it will be in vain to seek for purity of life. He who attempts to build up a noble, virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ, is building his house upon the shifting sand. In the fierce storms of temptation it will surely be overthrown. David's prayer should be the petition of every soul: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." And having become partakers of the heavenly gift, we are to go on unto perfection, being "kept by the power of God, through faith." {MYP 285.1}
If we come to the Word of God with a teachable, humble spirit, the rubbish of error will be swept away, and gems of truth, long hidden from our eyes, will be discovered. {1SM 359.2}. What we need is knowledge that will strengthen mind and soul, that will make us better men and women. Heart education is of far more importance than mere book learning. It is well, even essential, to have a knowledge of the world in which we live; but if we leave eternity out of our reckoning, we shall make a failure from which we may never recover.
The students may devote all their time and powers to acquiring knowledge; but unless they have knowledge of God, unless they obey the laws that govern their own beings, they will destroy themselves. By wrong habits, they loses the power of self-appreciation; they lose self-control. They cannot reason correctly about matters that concern them most deeply. They are reckless and irrational in their treatment of mind and body. Through their neglect to cultivate right principles, they are ruined both for this world and for the world to come.
If the youth understood their own weakness, they would find in God their strength. If they seek to be taught by Him, they will become wise in His wisdom, and their lives will be fruitful of blessing to the world. But if they give up their minds to mere worldly and speculative study, and thus separate from God, they will lose all that enriches life. {8T 311.5}
1. The aim of a True Church School should be upon the child’s character and upbringing which must be our first and highest goal (see: the WORD Education Department Mandate}.
2. The scriptures, the Bible in the ancient Hebrew System was written for every one and was the center and textbook of learning. The Education Department books focus their material towards the “Word” as the center and are developed with the whole family in mind – as the WORD acronym denotes it. (Whole Organize Route Development).
3. There will be practical knowledge in the materials provided to cater a very significant different format from how the Greek Philosophies and System teaches it. Repetition and reinforcement are given!
4. A different timetable will be provided, not the same as the world or public schools offers. The world suggest a young child at 4-6 or younger in kindergarten (pre-school) and the first grade should start. But, we suggest that a formal schooling of the reading, writing type be delayed unit the child is physical ready somewhere at the age of 7-10 of age. This does not mean they cannot learn but rather they will learn from the (1) Bible, (2) nature, (3) physical labor-work, and (4) life’s experiences as being taught but the parents.. See the program for those from Birth Through Pre-school.
5. If there are new homeschoolers, they must take the Ten Principles of True Education Course, that they may lay a foundation in Biblical learning and teaching.
Let’s join hands together as we progress in this solemn and sacred duty to raise our sons and daughter to be mighty for Him! And soon we will see you and those souls God has entrusted to you on the other shore.
In the Blessed Hope,
Education Department
“Christ should be associated with all the lessons given to children.”
ST 2-9-1882