The Heritage
of
Christian Education

You, like John Baptist de La Salle, have just graduated from a university. Your future, like his, was bright and secure. You, too, have great hopes for success. But one day you meet someone, and slowly, unexplainably you become involved in the world of Christian education. Your ministry, as was his is, “to provide human and Christian education for the children of the artisans and the poor.” This ministry is done in a community of like-minded educators. Called by God, associated for mission, and serving the poor, your mission in the spirit of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, continues.

The Mission

You realize that the only way that this mission of Christian education will continue is that you need to be the "heart, memory and guarantor," of the message. Using the writings of John Baptist de La Salle and his followers as the founding vision, reform the institute to meet the challenges of our time, because the need remains very great. Develop your version of:

  • The Characteristics of a Lasallian School
  • The Characteristics of a Lasallian Teacher
  • A plan of action which responds to the need for:
    • Association
    • Service of the Poor
    • Formation
    • Evangelization
    • Roles and Governance
    • Spirituality

The Process

  1. Read over the process and determine your work organization. If you decide to divide the documents among yourselves, decide who will have what responsibilities. Also decide on a time and method of reporting back. Since time is always an issue, it may be prudent to use e-mail or a discussion board to communicate and share information. We will have only one scheduled meeting a month.
  2. Keep a journal. Record your thoughts, ideas, inspirations, questions, difficulties and experiences. Start with what you think are the characteristics of a good school or how, from your experience as a student of a Lasallian school, sees them different from other schools. Share your thoughts with the group.
  3. In your journal, record your thoughts on what makes a good teacher? Reflect on teachers you have had and try to create a list of characteristics that they held in common. If you have had experiences in Lasallian schools, are there characteristics which the teachers had in common? What strengths do you bring to the ministry of Christian education? Share your thoughts with the group.
  4. Research the documents which define the elements of:
    • a Lasallian school,
    • a Lasallian teacher,
    • Shared Mission,
    • and current concerns
  5. With the help of the group, start creating what you believe are the Characteristics of a Lasallian School. You should keep the list to 5-10 characteristics.
  6. Now that you have modeled the ideal Lasallian school. Turn your attention to the traits of a good Lasallian teacher. De La Salle listed only 12, so you do not need to exceed that number.
  7. Now that you have created an institute which focuses its mission on the education of the poor, you must share its vision with others. With the document, A Shared Mission, in hand, devise a plan of action to incorporate the concepts found in Chapter 2. Record the plan in your journal. Create a Powerpoint presentation which informs other members of school of both the concept and actions which might be adapted to make them a reality.
  8. Acquaint yourselves with the documents of the 43rd General Chapter. Pay special attention to the propositions and special needs. For each of the six themes, develop one personal objective and one objective which could be achieved by the whole school. Record these in your journal. As a group discuss the objectives for the school. Reach a consensus on which one or two in each category are the most urgent to employ. Create a Powerpoint presentation which presents these to the other faculty members.

Resources

Reflection

  1. As Lasallian educators still try to respond through their educational mission to the particular needs of young people and adults in different parts of the world, do you understand the importance of defining the means in each individual apostolate?
  2. How can the international diffusion of the Lasallian mission be more constructively valuable in the particular situation where you are working.
  3. What do you see as the principal challenges which face Christian schools in our culture today?
  4. Do you feel the sharing of values, which was necessary to complete this activity, had any effect on the building of community within your apostolate?

Conclusion

Brother Luke Salm concludes his book, The Work Is Yours, "In these words, the life of a man who lived more than 300 years ago, and left as his legacy an Institute that has been a force for good ever since, becomes a challenge for the future. That future is in the hands of God, the God whom De La Salle himself often addressed in these words: Domine, opus Tuum -- Lord, the work is yours. (p.216)