저출산, 고령화 시대의 교회교육

Abstract

One of the most important reasons for the recent decrease in student numbers in Korean church schools is our society’s low birth rate and rapidly aging population. Since the 1970s, the number of children have been decreasing due to the low birth rate, and this has influenced the decrease of the number of students within the Korean church. This study focuses on the response that should be made by the church education to this phenomenon of low birth rate and rapid aging. There are two kinds of responses that church education should prepare. One is the effort of church education to adjust to this tendency, and the other is an effort to change this tendency itself through church education. Church education in the era of low birth rates and aging should overcome the limitations of a “schooling” paradigm through emphasizing the importance of relationship, community, participation, inter-generational education, the link between church and family, and life-long education. In order to attempt to overcome low birth rates and aging, church education should set educational goals which pursue the respect of life, family love, transmission of faith, gender equality, and a welfare society. These goals should be duly applied according to each developmental stage and each aspect of educational ministry. Also, the church must prepare itself as a community for nurturing children that can effectively support marriage, childbirths, and nurture of believers and their children within the church.