牧者心聲
神學教育，堂校協作
張穎新牧師
2022 年 11 月 19 日 / 20 日
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北宣每兩年一次的神學教育主日，旨在鼓勵信徒求問神是否呼召自己全職奉獻作傳道人，並進入神學院接受裝備。同時，教會亦希望藉這日子推動神學教育普及化，鼓勵弟兄姊妹修讀合適的聖經或神學課程，更全面認識神和事奉主，務求各盡其職，建立基督的身體（弗四 12）。
香港雖是彈丸之地，但卻林立著眾多神學院和基督教培訓機構。自上世紀中葉以來，不同類型的神學教育有如雨後春筍，培育了大量本地傳道人和宣教士，也為海內外華人培訓了適切時代需要的全職和帶職神國工人，並全面裝備了教會的領袖和平信徒，祝福堂會、職場、基督教機構，亦推動了神學教育的發展。
你或會問，教會只要把合適的信徒送入神學院，裝備成將來的傳道人或教會領袖，不就完成任務了嗎？神學教育並非工廠式裝嵌程序，我們別以為只要把人「加工」，就能製造出某種適合市場需要的工人。相反，神學教育應該是生命和技巧兼備的訓練，同時也要對應複雜劇變的世代。
因此，堂會與神學院之間需有更緊密的堂校協作（Collaboration），讓未來的傳道人或教會領袖經過裝備和訓練後，能更有效回應現今的牧養生態和需要。故此，堂會有五項實務：
首先，堂會牧者要多鼓勵信徒事奉，叫他們既能發揮恩賜，亦在過程中學習與神同工，從而辨識主在他們人生航道上的呼召。
其次，牧者和教會領袖需要跟事奉者同行，適時提供身心靈的支援和代禱，讓他們明白「埋身」牧養以及身教的重要性。當這類委身的信徒穩定事奉之後，牧者便介紹他們參加適切的培訓或神學課程，讓他們把事奉經驗、信仰生命、聖經和神學知識，作更全面的整合和反省。
第三，對於有志於培育他人生命的事奉者，牧者可給他們屬靈方向上的導引和辨別（Direction and Discernment），一方面繼續支援、同行和守望，另一方面也推薦他們參加教會的奉獻小組，讓他們具體辨識上帝是否呼召自己踏上牧職之路。
第四，牧者可讓那些準備接受全時間裝備的信徒進一步認識各神學院和基督教培訓機構，叫他們回應神的呼召時能作出合乎祂心意的選擇。
最後，對於在學的神學生，牧者需繼續為他們守望，同時也要鼓勵他們把自身的經驗跟後來者分享，為傳承信仰裝備和神學教育盡上一分力，共建基督的身體。
The Theological Education Sunday every two years at NPAC is aimed at encouraging brothers and sisters to seek God’s will on whether he/she is called to serve as full-time ministers and to get equipped in seminaries. Meanwhile, the church also wishes to take the opportunity to promote theological education. We encourage brothers and sisters to take appropriate Bible or theology courses to know God more fully and for serving Him. This is to "equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:12).
Small as it is, Hong Kong nevertheless provides many seminaries and Christian training institutions. Since the middle of the last century, various kinds of theological training have been flourishing, grooming large numbers of local pastors and missionaries. They also train up full-time and tentmaking Kingdom workers who suit the needs of the times for local and overseas Chinese populations. The seminaries and institutions also train up church leaders and lay believers. They become a blessing for our churches, the workplace and Christian organizations, and have advanced the development of theological education.
You may ask: Isn't the church done with its mission just by sending appropriate believers to seminaries to be trained as future pastors and church leaders? Now theological education is not installation work as in factories. We should not think that we only need to send people to be “processed” and then we can produce some sort of workers suited to the needs of the market. On the contrary, theological education should be training on both life and skills. It should also address the complexity and drastic changes of the era.
This is why we need even closer collaboration between churches and seminaries so that future pastors and church leaders can respond more effectively to contemporary pastoring ecology and needs upon completion of equipment and training. To achieve this goal, churches have five practical tasks:
First, churches should make a greater effort to encourage believers to serve, use their gifts and, in the process, learn to work with God. This will help them discern God's calling in the course of their lives.
Secondly, pastors and church leaders need to walk with those who serve, providing timely spiritual, emotional and practical support as well as prayers so that they will realize the importance of “close pastoring” as well as teaching by example. When these committed believers serve regularly, pastors should suggest appropriate training or theology courses for them to attend so that they can reflect on and more fully integrate their ministry experience, life of faith and their biblical and theological knowledge.
Thirdly, for those committed to nurturing others' lives, pastors can help them with spiritual direction and discernment. On the one hand, pastors can continue to support them, walk with them and watch over them. On the other hand, pastors can recommend them to join the church’s Dedication Group where they can more concretely discern whether God calls them to serve as pastors.
Fourthly, pastors can help believers who are prepared to receive full-time training to know various seminaries and Christian training institutions more. This will help them make a choice after God's heart when responding to His call.
Finally, for seminarians, pastors should continue to watch over them while at the same time encourage them to share their personal experiences with those after them. That way, they would contribute to the efforts in passing on the legacy regarding equipping for faith as well as theological education to build up the body of Christ together.
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