Like author J.R.R. Tolkein’s Fellowship of the Ring, God recently brought together nine faithful servants to sojourn together to diverse parts of China - the "Fellowship of the Nine" pictured above. The China Innovation Trip was launched in October 2024 and designed by Dr. Eugene Kim, a professor at CUI, and Eun Chu Kim, the Superintendent of School Innovation (PSD). They took up the challenge of going to a place unfamiliar and strange, and accepted the call to leave our “Jerusalem and Judea” and to go to our “Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”(Acts 1:8). The goal? To learn, and to return with wisdom and innovative insights that could help our Lutheran schools thrive, grow, and blossom.
Each participant had unique gifts and talents, but they were united in a common mission: to explore new educational opportunities, build global partnerships, and witness God’s hand at work. Their adventure started with an arduous yet rewarding climb to the Great Wall of China, a reminder of the endurance required in leadership.
They met educators from China and engaged with experts on artificial intelligence (AI) in education, exchanging ideas that sparked new possibilities. They visited English First, a well-known children's magazine, and top schools like Pinghe Bilingual School and Beijing Normal University Experimental School. They also participated in a joint conference with the Beijing Institute of Education, where Beijing’s principals and teachers are trained. Through these interactions, they discussed and saw first-hand how advancements in AI and innovative technologies are shaping the future of education. Encouraged and inspired, the group prayerfully experienced what our schools could be, seeing new ways to serve the least of these (Matthew 25:45), and to minister to the children to whom the Kingdom of Heaven belongs (Luke 18:16).
As the Fellowship of the Nine returned home, much like the Fellowship of the Ring, they knew their journey wasn’t over. Each returned with a renewed vision for our schools, inspired by the innovative practices they had witnessed and the tangible evidence of God’s work. We saw how school innovation—whether through the engagement of AI tools, experiential learning opportunities, or new intercultural connections—could transform education, but they also recognized that at the heart of it all, faith and relationships must remain central.
But this is only the beginning. The Fellowship of the Nine invites you to join them on this transformative journey. Whether you're an educator, a pastor or church worker, a lay leader, or someone seeking to witness God's hand in the future of education, the opportunity to explore new horizons and deepen your faith is here. Together, we can innovate, collaborate, and grow, ensuring that our schools not only embrace the future of learning but do so in a way that honors our Creator.
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