Social Communication of Christian Religious Education Teachers in Nurturing Students’ Spirituality: An Inspirational Study of Exodus 28:29 at SMK Swasta Kristen Harapan Sejahtera

Abstract

This study investigates the competence of Christian Religious Education (CRE) teachers in nurturing students’ spirituality through social communication, drawing theological inspiration from Exodus 28:29 within the educational context of SMK Swasta Kristen Harapan Sejahtera. The verse portrays the high priest carrying the names of Israel upon his heart before the Lord, symbolizing remembrance, representation, and covenantal responsibility. Using a quantitative descriptive correlational design, the study involved 75 respondents selected proportionally from a population of 295 Christian students. Data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire measuring two primary variables: teachers’ social communication competence (clarity, empathy, dialogical openness, feedback quality, relational presence, and consistency between words and actions) and students’ spirituality (awareness of God’s presence, prayer engagement, moral sensitivity, and sense of Christian community). Statistical analysis employed descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Product-Moment correlation at a 0.05 significance level. The findings reveal that students perceive the CRE teacher’s social communication competence as high and that student spirituality also reflects a positive level. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was identified between the two variables, indicating that effective social communication by the teacher is associated with strengthened student spirituality. The study concludes that CRE teachers’ social communication competence functions as an embodied expression of priestly representation, translating biblical theology into pedagogical praxis. By carrying students “upon the heart” through empathetic, consistent, and dialogical engagement, teachers contribute meaningfully to holistic spiritual development. The research underscores the importance of integrating theological reflection and educational communication in strengthening Christian education within contemporary school contexts.