Reaching the Next Generation

Most of our youth—whether in America or across the globe—are being indoctrinated in their government-run schools into a secular belief that God cannot preserve the Bible or that His Word does not mean what it says, especially the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis.

Consider this comment found in the weekly news magazine Newsweek:

“Being taught within the framework of moral and cultural relativity without learning its boundaries has seemingly created a deficiency in my generation’s ability to make moral judgments.”1

An effective way to reach as many young people as possible with biblical truths is to invest time and training in teachers, who will in turn impart their knowledge in Christian schools, Sunday schools, and homes. While this can be a long-term commitment, each equipped teacher can reach hundreds to thousands of students with the message that the Bible is practical and trustworthy in our modern day.

AiG—Investing in the Future

Answers in Genesis is serious about investing in the next generation. On April 5, AiG completed its first full-day teacher training class at the Creation Museum. The course was called “Biblical Authority and Creation” and was designed to prepare Christians to present with confidence a biblical worldview that uses science—and employs critical-thinking skills. In so doing, the young people they reach will—along with their Christian parent(s)—fulfill the biblical teaching to

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

What made this AiG course unique? This course went beyond the audience lecture format and concentrated on three life-changing areas:

1. How to teach or present creation-related topics
2. How to witness to the non-believer using creation evangelism
3. How to defend the Christian faith

In this teacher-training course, each attendee receives a student manual (printed in color) with notes on how to present the topics, a DVD with several PowerPoint slides, a certificate of completion, and a continuing education unit (CEU) if requested. The cost is only $39 per student. How can AIG afford to do this at that price? We do, of course, put our trust in the Lord and rely on others to provide support for the ministry (through the AiG Education Fund).

To counter antibiblical teachings that our youth receive in state schools and in secular universities, part of AiG’s strategy is to use this course to equip teachers (which includes parents) to build a rock-solid foundation in God’s Word. Parents and teachers share a great responsibility: both have the task of imparting knowledge and wisdom into the next generation. Both will leave a legacy.

The Heart of the AiG Ministry

Answers in Genesis is an apologetics (i.e., Christianity-defending) ministry, dedicated to enabling Christians to defend their faith and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. AiG desires to train others to develop a biblical worldview. The course shares the relevance of biblical authority, beginning in Genesis, to Christian doctrine. The course covers many aspects, grouped and detailed below:

Relevance

• Recognizing the two different worldviews
• Biblical warnings for us
• Current culture
• History of conflict
• Materialism
• Six challenges to biblical authority
• Implications of compromise
• The solution

Understanding

• Recognizing presuppositions
• Presupposition questions
• Foundation questions
• Apologetics
• Critical thinking and logic
• Famous cases of evolution
• Biblical challenges

Science and origins

• Understanding the difference between observational and historical science
• The age of the earth
• Responding to age-of-the-earth questions
• Understanding carbon-14 dating
• Assumptions in dating methods
• Assessment of the necessity of long ages
• Mutations and natural selection
• The best of evolution

Education

• Educating for success
• Using the Timed Check Point (TCP) to increase retention
• Writing objectives
• Making Sunday school life-changing education
• Speaking to children
• Speaking to teens