This document outlines plans from the Education Secretary for improving Adventist education. It discusses establishing an Adventist pre-school, student support programs, and a bookshop to support vision, mission and objectives. Providing solid biblical grounding and preparing members for Christian life is the mission. Addressing lack of Adventist institutions and high costs, it proposes starting with an Adventist pre-school open to the public to build the first block for an educated congregation. Though difficult, it can be achieved with concerted community effort.

1. Education: The epicentre
our Social fabric.
Now that Christian Education is
important but expensive, what
then?
From the desk of the
Education Secretary
1

2. Executive summary
Departmental vision
We aspire to be an Adventist family
which is vibrant and balanced
physically, mentally, spiritually,
morally, vocationally, and socially,
with God as the source of all moral
values and virtue.
2

3. Departmental mission
As a department, our mission is to
produce a church membership which
has a solid grounding in Adventist
doctrine and philosophy as guided by
unshakable biblical teachings which
prepare each individual for a truly
Christian life irregardless of
circumstance or surrounding.
3

4. Departmental objectives
1. To raise the awareness and the
importance of Adventist education.
2. To produce a membership pool from
which a leadership team can be
assembled with ease and confidence.
3. To develop skills and competences
necessary in the life of a truly
Christian individual.
4

5. In support of our vision, mission,
and the objectives.
1. Establish an Adventist pre-school.
2. Establish a student support
programme.
3. Open an Adventist book-cum-library
shop.
4. Send Adventist teachers on mission.
5

6. Part I
• Do we really Know where we are
headed
?
6

7. Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland.
Alice: “Would you tell me please,
which way I ought to go from here?”
Cheshire cat: “It depends a great
deal on were you want to get.”
Alice: “I don’t much care where, so
long as I get somewhere.”
Cheshire cat: “Then it doesn’t matter
which way you go, as long as you
walk long enough.”
Alice: “What sort of people live here?”
Cheshire cat: In that direction lives a
hatter and in that direction lives a
Hare. You can visit either you like:
they are both mad.”
7
.

8. Dealing with the Wonderland
Scenario.
Establish a destination before you set on
a journey.
Know yourself.
Know what you want.
Set your self realistic goals.
Mobilise necessary resources.
Journal down your progress.
Note down your achievements
and failures.
Stay focused.
8

9. What’s on the Menu?
Eat for a healthy body, mind, and spirit.
Junk food is not only confined
to what we take into our
physical bodies.
Our intellectual bodies have
been victims of junk food which
has caused immeasurable
damage. All this without many
of us noticing.
Our spiritual bodies have
suffered irreparable damage
because of the junk we feed on.
9

10. Part II
Why so much confusion
?
10

11. At The ‘Y’ Junction
Oooosh!
Doesn’t this kind We must not burry
of a scenario our heads in the
cause serious sand and pretend
headaches for as though
most of us? everything is fine.
11

12. The Way to Go.
Where do you want to be, and the art of
getting there.
Choice of subjects and subject mix.
Course of study.
Which institution to study through?
Full-time, part-time or the distance
route?
Financial arrangements.
Career pathing and choice of industry.
Establishing a stable career.
12

13. Climbing the ladder.
From one rung to the next! In between
? ?
It is my sincere hope
}
and prayer that
CFA 2015 somewhere along the
line I will still have a
Bcom Honours chance to take a
2012
Financial Modeling Sabbatical to go and
teach English in South
Bcom Financial Man 2010 Korea for 6 moths, a
CIS 2007 year or even three.
13

14. Diffusing the confusion.
Reclaiming lost ground.
Seek wise counsel.
Gather as much needed
information as possible.
Take your time to reflect.
Know your strengths and
weaknesses.
It’s never too late or too early.
The right time is now.
14

15. Part III
The dilemma of child upbringing.
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for
the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Luke 18:16)
15

16. Children: our gifts from God.
Behold, children are a gift from the lord; the
fruit of the womb is a reward.(Psalm127:3 NASB)
Contrary to the above verse, the
world today is a hostile, toxic
environment for children.
As children grow, they are
influenced by the things they see
and the conditions in which they
live.
Their values are shaped by their
experiences and the perspectives of
the parents.
16

17. A good foundation.
Teach them while they are still young.
As a foundation, teach your
children God’s laws, these laws
provide a moral compass to guide
their conduct for the rest of their
lives.
Children must be taught diligently.
Teaching must be a regular
practice, every day practice so that
it becomes a way of life.
This manner of practice will surely
avoid the situation of us being
Sabbatarians only on Sabbath and
keep our children in a healthy state.
17

18. The day-care dilemma.
Can we really bank on secular day-care
facilities?
Is the facility properly registered?
Have you considered health and
safety issues?
Have you considered issues of
food nutrition?
What about discipline and moral
standards?
Are the care-givers qualified for
the job?
18

19. High quality care.
How are high standards to be achieved.
Parent Involvement – As a parent
you are a key to quality child care.
Teacher-child Ratios – To
maintain high quality care, a
number of children cared for by an
adult should be capped.
Training & Experience – teachers
and care givers must be
experienced and should receive on-
going training in areas of safety,
nutrition, and child abuse
prevention.
19

20. Part IV
Building blocks for an educated
congregation, and indeed an educated
society.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools
despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:7)
20

21. Dealing with the issue of too few
Adventist Institutions.
•Establish your very own institutions.
 Adventist institutions are a
must.
Established by Adventists.
Run by Adventists.
For the benefit of the
community at large.
21

22. What about the issue of high
expense?
Top dollar Institutions.
Quality is always enjoyed at
a price.
Supply and demand
dynamics.
Availability of substitute
products and services.
Value for money/return on
investment.
Value placed on the result.
22

23. Where do we begin?
Establishing an Adventist pre-school is
the most fundamental starting point.
It could well be aptly named ‘SDA
Adventurer Institute’.
To be open to the public at large
Numbers to be capped to maintain high
standards.
23

24. Is undertaking such a project
pretty-much difficult?
May-be. But with a concerted effort,
this can surely be done.
As a member of this congregation,
what role can you play, contribution
can you make to make this kind of an
important project come to fruition.
We surely are banking on each one of
you.
24

25. Adding-up the numbers.
Projected Capital outlay.
Refurbishment R2,000.00
Equipment R1,500.00
Materials R1,800.00
Total Capital Expenditure R5,300.00
25

26. Do the numbers add-up?
Projected operating expenses.
Rent R 4,000.00
Utilities R 700.00
Salaries & wages R10,500.00
sundries R 1,600.00
Total monthly expenses R16,800.00
26

27. Balancing the scales.
Do the scales balance?
Age group Number of children Fee
0-0.5 years 10 R400.00
0.5-2.5 years 40 R300.00
2.5-5 years 30 R200.00
Mean (average) R300.00
27

28. Power in numbers.
Or is it a zero sum game
Breaking down the numbers
Variable Cost R160.00 per child
Fixed Cost R4,000.00 per month
Expected billings 80 children
Fees R300.00 per child
Total Turnover R24,000.00
Total Variable Costs R12,800.00
Profit R7,200.00
28

29. Breaking even.
Can such a project be worth the cost?
12000
T
o f it
. Pr
10000
U C
R 8000
A Turnover
s
N 6000 B Los D B Total cost
O
4000 C Break-even
V
D Fixed cost
2000
E AA
R 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Number of Children
29

30. Where to from here?
Or we are still in Wonderland
?
30