PD by Design: Cultivating Biblical Unity [In Person]


Online - ACSI PD LMS   Visit Website
Monday, July 01, 2024 - Monday, June 30, 2025   iCalendar Mountain Standard Time

Please disregard the dates shown here. The training can be scheduled any time during the 2024-2025 school year.  

Online - ACSI PD LMS   Visit Website

Map & Directions

PD by Design: A Turn-Key Offering for In-House Professional Development Events

A digital professional development offering for teachers on the theme of Biblical Unity. With 6 CEUs worth of rich content from experts in this theme, ACSI PD by Design allows administrators flexibility in hosting their own in-house PD by choosing a date and schedule that works best for their staff. ACSI PD by Design provides access to affordable, high quality professional development for teachers so they can grow in their profession, acquire CEUs, and advance Christ-centered education with excellence. 

What’s included:

  • A Facilitator Guide for a representative from the school to utilize in setting the agenda and in guiding discussion with their staff
  • Suggested schedule that includes 6 hours of content/engagement
  • 1 Bible and 5 Educational CEUs (6 clock hours) of engaging professional development   

Objective, Speaker and Session Details

Insular Culture is a construct in the Flourishing School Culture Model (FSCM). Insular Culture is defined as, “The school shields students from the world's brokenness, the school is independent from the surrounding community, and/or the student body lacks diversity.” In the PD by Design offering, Cultivating Biblical Unity, we engage in a discussion around the theology, philosophy, and practicality of ethnicity, race, and culture as one aspect of insular culture. The video teachings and activities provided are designed to foster a biblically-based, transformative experience for teachers to examine how they can reach every student.

Learning Objectives for this offering:

  • I am able to define Biblical unity.
  • I will commit to kingdom diversity through a biblical lens.
  • I am able to recognize insular culture and identify how it impacts students in my classroom.

Jerry Nelson, Chief Ministry Officer, ACSI

Jerry Nelson is the Chief Ministry Officer at ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International). He oversees all Spiritual Formation-related initiatives focused on the elevation of God’s Word, prayer, biblical worldview development, initiatives related to biblical unity, diversity, and social engagement and the fulfillment of the Great Commission for all ACSI’s stakeholders. Jerry served a brief stint on the ACSI Board before joining ACSI. And prior to that he served as Head of School at Northwest Christian Academy in Miami, FL, for 11 years. He holds a B.A. in history and M.A. in educational leadership from St. Thomas University in Miami.  


 

Dr. Walter Strickland, Assistant Professor of Systematic and Contextual Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Dr. Strickland's passion is to equip people to flourish in their context from a deep commitment to God’s design. He is the Assistant Professor of Systematic and Contextual Theology at Southeastern Seminary, and Assistant Research Fellow at the Kirby Laing Centre in Cambridge (UK). He holds a PhD in theology from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. His interests include systematic and contextual theology, the African American theological tradition, education theory, and theology of work. Dr. Strickland is an associate Research Fellow of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), and his work has appeared in The Gospel Project, Canon and Culture (of the ERLC), the Gospel Coalition, the Biblical Recorder, Christianity Today, Baptist Press, and World Magazine among other media outlets.


 

Joel Gaines, Head of School, The City School

Joel R. Gaines serves as Head of School at The City School in Philadelphia, PA. He graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University (Cairn University) with a B.S. in Education and Biblical Studies, and an MEd. from Cabrini University. Joel also serves at the Director of Leadership Development at UnifiEd. Joel is passionate about seeing students flourish academically, emotionally, and spiritually toward comprehensive shalom. He has 17 years of administrative experience spanning urban, suburban, public, and Christian schools.


 

Tia Gaines, Executive Director, UnifiEd

Tia Gaines is the Executive Director at UnifiEd. She also serves as the Associate Director of Social Equity and Community at the University of Pennsylvania. She has also taught in the School for Applied and Innovative Learning program at Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square, PA. In addition, Tia provides consulting to schools, universities and organizations on diversity, equity, and inclusion alongside her husband, Joel.


 

Session One: Flourishing Foundations

  • Devotional
  • FSCM: Relationships Domain
  • Invisible Backpack

Session Two: Theological Foundations for Unity 

  • Defining Culture
  • Gospel Journey Through Acts
  • Working with Culture

Session Three: Philosophical Foundations for Unity 

  • Individual Implications of Insular Culture
  • Cultural Competency vs Cultural Humility

Session Four: Praxis for Unity 

  • Uprooting by Recentering
  • Schoolhouse Assessment