ACSI Releases New Book to Help Educators Think Differently About Challenges in Christian Education
The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is pleased to announce the release of MindShift: Catalyzing Change in Christian Education. The book, based on an industry-transforming process of dialogue and exploration pioneered by futurist and Christian author Rex Miller, was edited by ACSI’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Dr. Lynn E. Swaner, along with Dan Beerens and Erik Ellefsen.
According to the authors, as Christian schools around the world increasingly face threats to sustainability and relevance, a new way of thinking about these challenges is needed. “Navigating and reframing the complex challenges and opportunities facing our schools will require more than piecemeal, haphazard, or isolated efforts at change,” said Swaner. “Rather, what is needed is an intentional and robust process for generating adaptive strategies at both the classroom and school levels,” she added.
For teachers and school leaders alike, a “MindShift” is a necessary step to catalyze change in Christian education. “MindShift is a proven process for organizations and industries to solve their most intractable problems. Its unique methodology assembles diverse stakeholders to create a safe environment to actively explore and dismantle our collective assumptions,” said Miller. “This frees us to look for that mind-shifting question to open a door to experiment and create new possibilities, which can lead to new realities.”
To create this MindShift in Christian education, a group of 60 leading educators spent two years in dialogue as they visited innovative schools throughout the U.S. Then, 16 of them joined together to share their insights in this newly edited book. Chapter topics include how schools can transition from scarcity to abundance, Gutenberg to 5G, isolated to networked, machine to human, fear to hope, and more.
At ACSI, Swaner leads initiatives to address compelling questions and challenges facing Christian education. Prior to joining ACSI, she served as a Christian school administrator and a graduate professor of education in New York. In addition to this new release, Swaner is the lead editor of PIVOT: New Direction for Christian Education. She is also co-author of Bring It to Life: Christian Education and the Transformative Power of Service Learning, editor of the ACSI blog, and host for the podcast Moving Forward in Christian Education.
ACSI President Dr. Larry Taylor is excited about what the project offers to the association’s members and Christian educators in general. “Central to ACSI’s existence is that we want to empower educators. We do this by assimilating lessons learned from the past, equipping teachers in the classroom today, and pushing the boundaries of thought leadership as we anticipate what Christian education can look like in the future. This book provides innovative, practical ideas for the years ahead,” he said.
MindShift: Catalyzing Change in Christian Education is available to order on Amazon, both in digital and print copies. More information can be found at https://mindshift.school/.
ABOUT ACSI:
ACSI exists to strengthen Christian schools and equip Christian educators worldwide as they prepare students academically and inspire them to become devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
For more information on the ministry, visit or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ACSIUSA or on Twitter at @ACSIUSA
(SOURCE: Association of Christian Schools International via Christian Newswire)
