Forming Life-Ready Faith: A Study of Christian Religious Education Teacher Professionalism in the Light of Exodus 12:26–27 at SMK Negeri 14 Medan
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Abstract
Christian Religious Education plays a vital role in preparing students not only for academic success but also for life grounded in faith, moral integrity, and resilience. In this context, teacher professionalism must extend beyond technical proficiency to spiritual vocation. This study draws upon Exodus 12:26-27-where the Israelites are commanded to explain the Passover’s meaning to their children-as a biblical paradigm for intergenerational faith formation. The text symbolizes education as remembrance (zikkaron), emphasizing the teacher’s duty to transmit divine truth through living example. This research employed a qualitative expository-exegetical design that integrates biblical interpretation with classroom observation and reflective inquiry. The locus of the study was SMK Negeri 14 Medan, a vocational high school representing Indonesia’s diverse and plural educational setting. Data were collected through interviews, observation, and document analysis involving one Christian Religious Education teacher and twelve students. The exegesis of Exodus 12:26-27 provided the theological foundation, while thematic analysis identified how professionalism was manifested through pedagogical reflection, relational engagement, and moral mentoring. Findings revealed that professional competence in CRE teaching is expressed through faithful pedagogy-where biblical remembrance is linked to experiential learning. The teacher demonstrated professionalism by integrating Scripture with moral practice, nurturing empathy, perseverance, and responsibility. This covenantal model of education transformed the classroom into a sacred space where students learned to interpret life through faith and service. The study concludes that teacher professionalism in Christian education is a spiritual vocation rooted in remembrance, transforming knowledge into wisdom and faith into life-readiness.
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