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This study aims to analyze the relevance of Robert Raikes' Christian educational thinking to the character formation of children in contemporary Sunday School services. This study uses a qualitative approach with a library research method. Data were obtained from various literature sources such as books, scientific journals, and research articles related to Christian education, character education, and the history of Sunday School development. Data analysis techniques were carried out through the stages of data reduction, grouping themes, interpretation, and drawing conclusions using descriptive qualitative methods. The results show that Robert Raikes' thoughts remain relevant in modern Christian education, especially in the formation of children's character through the teaching of God's Word, discipline, role models, and the instilling of Christian values. Sunday School plays an important role as a means of fostering faith, morality, and social responsibility in children from an early age. In addition, the challenges of the digital era require churches to develop more creative, interactive, and contextual learning methods without abandoning the basic values ​​of the Christian faith. This study confirms that the success of children's character formation depends not only on the church, but also on the role of Sunday School teachers and families who work together to build a conducive spiritual environment. Thus, Robert Raikes' thinking makes an important contribution to the development of Christian education that is relevant in the modern era.

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed various sectors of human life, including church ministry and religious organizational management. This study aims to analyze Christian leadership ethics in the use of AI within modern church ministry. The research employs a qualitative descriptive method through theological literature review and analysis of recent studies concerning digital technology and pastoral ministry. The findings indicate that AI provides significant benefits for church administration, digital communication, congregational data management, and online evangelism. Nevertheless, ethical challenges also emerge, such as the weakening of pastoral relationships, data privacy concerns, algorithmic bias, and the risk of dehumanization in ministry practices. From a Christian theological perspective, ministry is fundamentally relational and incarnational, reflecting the example of Jesus Christ who ministered through personal presence, compassion, and direct interaction with people. Therefore, AI should be understood as a supportive instrument rather than a substitute for spiritual authority and pastoral presence. Christian leadership in the digital age must be grounded in integrity, transparency, spiritual discernment, and respect for human dignity as the image of God (imago Dei). This study contributes to the development of ethical guidelines for churches in utilizing AI responsibly while maintaining theological integrity and Christian spiritual values.

This study aims to examine the components of the Christian Religious Education (CRE) curriculum in the family, its design and development, and its concrete implementation. The research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive design through library research, using data sources such as books, academic journals, and relevant articles. The data were analyzed using descriptive qualitative techniques to produce a systematic and in-depth description. The findings show that the CRE curriculum in the family consists of interconnected components, namely objectives, content, strategies, methods, and evaluation, which must be implemented in an integrated manner. Faith education in the family is carried out through methods such as role modeling, habituation, teaching, discussion, mentoring, and practical application. Effective strategies include parental role modeling, dialogical communication, and love-based discipline. The implementation of the curriculum is realized through concrete activities such as family prayer, family worship, Bible reading, and the application of Christian values in daily life. In conclusion, the success of Christian Religious Education in the family largely depends on the active role and consistency of parents in implementing the curriculum in a holistic and continuous manner. With the right approach, the family can become an effective center of faith education in shaping children who are faithful, character-driven, and prepared to face life’s challenges.

This study aims to examine the methods, models, strategies, as well as the design and development of the Christian Religious Education curriculum within the family. The research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive type through library research, using data sources such as books, scientific journals, and relevant articles. The results of this study indicate that faith education in the family should be carried out holistically through various methods such as modeling, habituation, teaching, and mentoring. In addition, educational models such as the theocentric, relational, and participatory models provide clear direction in nurturing children’s faith. Effective strategies include modeling, dialogical communication, spiritual habituation, mentoring, and discipline based on love. Meanwhile, a simple family-based curriculum that includes objectives, materials, methods, media, and evaluation is essential to support a well-directed educational process. The success of Christian Religious Education in the family largely depends on the active role and consistency of parents in implementing methods, models, strategies, and curriculum in an integrated manner. With the right approach, the family can become an effective center of faith education in shaping children who are faithful, have strong character, and are prepared to face life’s challenges.

This article explores the map of Christian education approaches from theological, pedagogical, psychological, and contextual perspectives. Christian education plays a vital role in shaping the faith, character, and spirituality of students in a comprehensive manner. Using a literature review method, the study analyzes various sources on Christian education theology. The findings reveal that the theological approach emphasizes the Bible as the primary foundation for learning, while the pedagogical approach focuses on active and participatory teaching methods. The psychological approach tailors instruction to the developmental stages of students, and the contextual approach links faith with students' real-life experiences. Each approach has its strengths and limitations, and Christian educators are encouraged to integrate these approaches to achieve holistic learning goals. The study emphasizes the importance of collaboration among schools, families, and churches to create an educational ecosystem that fosters the spiritual and character growth of students. By combining these approaches, educators can better equip students for both spiritual and personal development.

Divorce has become an increasingly common reality in Christian family life and poses serious challenges for the church in carrying out pastoral family ministry. Theologically, divorce stands in tension with Christian ethics, which views marriage as a sacred and covenantal institution established by God. This article aims to analyze Christian ethics regarding divorce from a biblical theological perspective and to examine its implications for family ministry within the context of Ketapang, West Kalimantan. This study employs a qualitative research method with a theological-normative and contextual approach through a literature review of biblical texts, theological books, and scholarly journals. The findings indicate that Scripture affirms marriage as God’s ideal will, while divorce is understood as a consequence of human sinfulness and relational brokenness. In the context of Ketapang, social, economic, and cultural factors contribute significantly to the vulnerability of families to divorce. Therefore, the church is called to develop a contextual family ministry that not only upholds Christian ethical norms but also embodies love, justice, forgiveness, and restoration for broken families. This article emphasizes that Christian ethics concerning divorce must be practiced pastorally and transformatively within the life of the local church.

This study examines the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) among theology students and its ethical and theological implications for theological education in the Society 5.0 era. Employing a light mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, the research involved theology students through surveys and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that GenAI is primarily utilized as a learning support tool for understanding course materials and developing academic assignments. While students demonstrate awareness of potential bias and ethical concerns, consistent transparency and critical reflection in AI usage remain limited. The theological concept of imago Dei emerges as a significant analytical lens, emphasizing human dignity and moral responsibility in academic practices. The study concludes that GenAI can constructively support theological education when integrated with faith-based ethical literacy and clear institutional guidelines.

The rise of the digital age has brought significant changes to leadership dynamics and leadership development patterns within the context of Christian ministry. This paper addresses the critical issue of leadership succession failure, which is driven by a generational gap between senior leaders and young leaders-in-training, as well as the underutilization of technology in the mentoring process. Using a descriptive qualitative approach through literature review, state-of-the-art analysis, and theological synthesis, this study assesses the relevance and effectiveness of the multiplicative leadership model as a solution to the leadership succession problem. The analysis reveals that multiplicative leadership—which emphasizes discipleship, intensive mentoring, delegation of responsibility, and intergenerational collaboration—can bridge the generational gap while accelerating the multiplication of leaders in the digital age. The integration of digital technologies, such as virtual mentoring, digital training modules, and collaborative media, has proven capable of expanding the impact of the leadership development process and enhancing relational closeness between generations. This paper concludes that the multiplicative leadership model is a strategic and theological approach aligned with the biblical mandate to produce leaders capable of developing other leaders, and is relevant for addressing the challenges of contemporary Christian leadership.

This study analyzes the integration of pedagogical leadership and professional competence in the Christian Religious Education (CRE) learning strategy course among undergraduate students. Employing a quantitative approach with a descriptive-correlational survey design, the research involved 26 respondents. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire, with the results analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. The findings show that both pedagogical leadership (85%) and professional competence (86%) are categorized as high. The Pearson correlation test reveals a strong and significant relationship between the two variables (r = 0.78). These results suggest that pedagogical leadership and professional competence are effectively integrated in the learning process. The course plays a strategic role in shaping students into professional and reflective learning leaders, providing them with the necessary skills to apply their leadership in educational settings. This integration enhances students' readiness to excel in their future roles, emphasizing the importance of these competencies for becoming well-rounded and effective educators.

The era of digital disruption has brought significant moral and spiritual challenges for young people in their use of social media. This study aims to analyze the implementation of Christian ethics education in social media use among youth at the GWI Wesleyan Methodist Congregation of Tanjung Selamat as an effort to develop digital character grounded in Christian values. The study employed a community service approach using participatory methods through pre-tests, post-tests, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), reflective discussions, and digital literacy practices. The theological foundation of this study is based on Wesleyan social ethics, which emphasizes the integration of personal holiness and social holiness in digital life. The educational program also integrated the four pillars of digital literacy, digital skills, digital culture, digital ethics, and digital safety, into a contextual Christian Religious Education framework. The findings indicate a significant improvement in digital literacy understanding, ethical awareness, critical thinking toward digital information, and behavioral transformation in the responsible and value-based use of social media according to Christian principles. This transformation was reflected in increased awareness of digital footprints, stronger personal account security, the removal of negative content, and participants’ initiatives to create spiritual and educational content on social media. The study concludes that Christian ethics education based on digital literacy can serve as an effective means of moral and social transformation for young people while highlighting the strategic role of the church in shaping a humane, peaceful, and Kingdom of God-oriented digital character in the digital era.

This study aims to examine Deuteronomy 22:13-30 using a hermeneutic approach and relate it to the current level of awareness of early marriage among Christian congregations. The method used was a qualitative literature study, with the Bible as the primary source, supplemented by various related theological literature. The results indicate that this section of the text contains important theological values, such as holiness, justice, responsibility, and respect for human dignity, especially women, in the context of marriage. Although this text originates from the patriarchal culture of ancient Israel, its principles remain relevant in today's context. Regarding the phenomenon of early marriage, it was found that this practice often occurs without adequate preparation, whether emotional, spiritual, or economic, and thus risks causing various problems in the household. Therefore, the church has a responsibility to raise congregational awareness through faith formation, premarital education, and contextual pastoral care. This study confirms that marriage is a life calling that requires maturity and serious commitment, not simply a solution to social problems.

Middle order thinking skills (MOTS) questions are very important in Christian religious education learning. Evaluation of Christian religious education learning needs to be carried out by educators (teachers) based on each learning material so that students' academic achievement can be achieved well. In general, educators (teachers) do not fully understand the concept of middle order thinking skills (MOTS), as well as low order skills (LOTS) and high order skills (HOTS), so that some students find it difficult to answer questions given by educators (teachers) during learning evaluations. The type of research used is qualitative research with a literature review/literature study approach. The purpose of the study is to explain the understanding of the meaning of MOTS in Christian religious education learning on materials that are in accordance with learning objectives, so that students' academic achievement can be achieved well through learning evaluations. The results of the study are students are able to answer questions well from the middle order thinking skills (MOTS) type of questions when educators (teachers) create learning evaluation questions based on learning materials. Conclusion; To create evaluation questions for Christian religious education learning that students can answer and achieve academic success, ideally, questions should be based on the learning material they have learned.

 The ecological crisis calls for faith formation that can foster contextual ecological awareness among the faithful. One relevant approach is through catechesis that integrates local wisdom, such as the Batang Garing symbol in Dayak culture. This study aims to explore the ecological values embedded in the Batang Garing symbol and to reflect on them in the light of Church teachings in order to formulate a contextual ecological catechesis model. The method used is qualitative research with a literature study approach, employing descriptive-analytical and comparative analysis of theological and cultural sources. The findings show that Batang Garing contains values of relationality, cosmic balance, and moral responsibility that are aligned with the concept of integral ecology in Church teachings. The integration of these values into catechesis enables a more contextual, communicative, and transformative faith formation. The implication of this study highlights the importance of developing catechetical models based on local culture as an effective means to foster ecological awareness among the faithful and to encourage concrete actions in caring for creation as an expression of faith.

Counseling etymologically derives from the noun counsel, which originates from the Latin consilium, rooted in consilere, meaning “to consult,” or to seek the views and advice of others as guidance for consideration and decision-making. As a verb, to counsel or counseling refers to the act of providing advice, guidance, warnings, encouragement, and instruction aimed at fostering self-surrender in addressing problems and managing negative behaviors among students. Educational guidance and counseling aim to strengthen Christian students to live victoriously in the Lord Jesus Christ by bringing them to an understanding of the light of God’s Word and the acceptance of themselves as God’s grace. This Classroom Action Research was conducted to address and resolve the problems of Christian students based on the research formulation, particularly through the application of intellectual, moral, and social approaches as strategic steps to enhance educational counseling services. The study employed a qualitative approach, with data collected through in-depth interviews and field notes. Data analysis was carried out by categorizing findings to generate emerging themes. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with three teacher participants and two student participants. The findings revealed that several students required special attention due to tendencies toward delinquent behavior, while one case indicated a student’s involvement in narcotics. These findings demonstrate that student-related issues require special intervention efforts to improve their spiritual and mental well-being, leading them to a deeper knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. The ultimate goal is the salvation of students’ souls and the glorification of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christian Religious Education (PAK) learning is undergoing significant changes in the Digital 5.0 era with the utilization of technology as the main support. This study explores the challenges in Christian learning and explores technological solutions that can improve student engagement and material comprehension. Through the literature study, the main challenges identified include the limitations of traditional learning resources and the lack of attractiveness of the materials. Solutions are proposed by integrating E-Learning, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and mobile applications in the curriculum. Teacher training and support from the community and church are key in implementing this approach. Continuous evaluation and problem solving are the focus to ensure success and sustainability. The results show that technology contributes significantly to creating an interactive and relevant learning environment, building a solid foundation for increased student engagement and understanding of Christian teachings. By stepping with technology, this article presents a foundation for enhancing Christian Religious Education learning amidst the dynamics of the digital world

The diversity of Indonesian society, spread across various regions of the archipelago, reflects immense natural and cultural wealth. However, this cultural diversity also has the potential to trigger national disintegration or division due to differences in perspectives, values, and ways of life. This situation indicates that Indonesian society needs to develop an educational system capable of fostering an appreciative attitude toward cultural, religious, and customary differences among ethnic groups. This reality compels Christian Education to assume a strategic role in strengthening existing diversity. This study aims to examine transformative approaches within Christian Education for fostering harmony amidst Indonesia’s diversity. The research employs a qualitative approach through a literature review, particularly focusing on the approaches and implementation of Christian Education within pluralistic societies. The results of the study indicate that the presence of Christian education can make a significant contribution to building a harmonious, diverse society by instilling Christian values such as respect for different lifestyles, rejection of violence and discrimination, and the strengthening of a spirit of unity. Thus, Christian education is expected to serve as an effective means of fostering harmony amidst the diversity of Indonesian society.

This research is prompted by the unique narrative of Rahab, a Canaanite woman who occupies a critical theological position in Israel’s history of salvation despite her status as an outsider to the chosen people. The primary focus of this study is to explore the dimensions of Rahab’s faith and God’s sovereignty as recorded in Joshua 2:1-12. This study aims to analyze how the confession of faith from a marginalized individual aligns with God's sovereign plan and to determine the relevance of these values for contemporary Christian witness. The method employed is a qualitative approach utilizing library research and exegetical analysis of the text in Joshua 2:1-12. The findings indicate that Rahab's faith was not merely an act of self-preservation but a theological response to the formidable power of God that transcends ethnic boundaries and social status. God's sovereignty is proven capable of working through unexpected subjects to fulfill His divine purpose. The implications of this research assert that modern Christian witness must be inclusive and transformative, where the courage to declare God's truth amidst threatening situations constitutes a tangible form of living faith. The church is called to perceive God's sovereignty as the fundamental basis for mission and witness, unrestricted by social or cultural exclusivity.    

This study explores the dynamics of children’s character formation within Christian families in the digital era from the perspective of church parents. Employing a descriptive light mixed-methods design, the study integrates survey data and semi-structured interviews to obtain both quantitative and qualitative insights. The findings indicate that digital media has become an integral and unavoidable part of family life, making children’s character formation highly dependent on parental guidance, reflective communication, and consistent faith-based education at home. Parents face various challenges related to time constraints, limited digital literacy, and the increasing exposure of children to external values that may not align with Christian teachings. At the same time, many parents actively utilize technology as a supportive and accessible tool for spiritual learning and moral development. The study concludes that character formation is shaped not merely by technology itself but more significantly by the quality of family relationships and parental role modeling grounded in Christian values. Therefore, the findings recommend strengthening faith-based digital literacy among parents and enhancing church–family collaboration to foster more holistic, balanced, and sustainable character development in children.

The diversity of students’ study motivations in theological higher education presents both challenges and opportunities in shaping the spirituality of prospective Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers. Not all students enter the CRE program based on a calling to ministry, resulting in varying levels of initial spiritual readiness. This study aims to analyze the process of spiritual formation among CRE students as prospective teachers at STT Katharos Indonesia Bekasi in the context of diverse study motivations, referring to James W. Fowler’s theory of faith development. This research employs a qualitative descriptive approach using observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving CRE students. The findings reveal that despite diverse initial motivations, the integrated theological education process through academic learning, ministry practices, community life, and spiritual formation effectively fosters faith growth and personal encounters with Christ. This process contributes to the development of students’ spiritual maturity. The study concludes that CRE education functions as an effective means of faith transformation in preparing prospective teachers with strong spiritual integrity and readiness for ministry.

This study aims to analyze the implementation of pedagogical competence among Christian Religious Education teachers and its implications for students’ learning interest at SMTK Katharos Bekasi. The study is based on the importance of teachers’ pedagogical competence in creating effective learning environments and increasing student engagement in the classroom. A qualitative approach with a descriptive design was applied in this research. Data were collected through classroom observations, questionnaire-based interviews with students, and literature review. The findings show that teachers’ pedagogical competence is categorized as good, with an average score of 33.8 or 75.1% of the maximum score, reflecting effective classroom management, appropriate material delivery, and proper student guidance. Students’ learning interest is also categorized as good, with an average score of 32.8 or 72.9%, indicating active participation and positive engagement in the learning process. Therefore, pedagogical competence positively influences students’ learning interest, and continuous improvement is needed to enhance learning effectiveness.