Evidence-Based Approach to Student Faith Formation, Part 3: —Collecting Evidence That Matters

This final post completes the Evidence-Based Approach to Student Faith Formation series. The first post talked about the Faith Formation Flywheel. The second post highlighted planning and teaching for faith formation. This final post focuses on the crucial third component: collecting evidence of faith formation—and why it matters.

Evidence

For the flywheel to be effective and enduring, evidence must receive the same level of attention as the other two components (planning and implementation) from both administrators and teachers. This commitment includes devoting time in professional development sessions, actively observing evidence of faith formation in the classroom, and collecting documentation. To illustrate the importance of evidence, I turn to the concept of a closed-loop control system, a concept borrowed from engineering.

A closed-loop control system is one where the control action depends on the system’s output. According to GeeksforGeeks website, the primary objective of such a system is “to enhance its stability, accuracy, and overall performance.” The classic example of a closed-loop system is a home thermostat. If the temperature (output) is too low, the thermostat (control action) activates the heater to bring the temperature up to the set point. The system continually monitors and adjusts based on feedback from the thermostat’s sensor, ensuring that the desired temperature is maintained.

For faith formation to thrive and remain effective, it must function as a closed-loop system. From what I’ve observed in many Christian schools, faith formation often operates in an open-loop system. Administrators and school resources tend to focus on guiding teachers in lesson planning and effective teaching practices with the hope that good outcomes will follow. Classroom observations primarily monitor the classroom environment, but little attention is given to the evidence of faith formation. 

Can faith engagement be caught?

Can faith formation truly be seen or caught? I believe it can. Consider a 5th-grade teacher using the book Wonder. While the story itself doesn’t mention God, the teacher invites students to consider: “When we read Wonder, we see how Auggie is treated by others. How would Jesus want us to treat him? What makes you think so?” Students then reflect on this question in writing. The resulting responses provide tangible evidence of faith engagement: students are not just reading a story but also processing it through a biblical lens.

When high school students watch Just Mercy and are asked to reflect on the biblical ideas of mercy and grace, they’re not just analyzing film—they’re discerning God’s character in real-world stories of justice and compassion.  When teachers intentionally design for these kinds of moments, faith engagement is not only possible—it’s observable. 

Revealing God’s presence in every subject

Evidence of faith formation should capture the whole child as image bearers of Christ. To help teachers recognize meaningful evidence, I use what I call the Four I’s Framework—four characteristics that distinguish evidence of spiritual formation from ordinary student work.

1. Individualize: Evidence should be collected for all students, not just a few exemplary cases. The goal is to assess whether a teacher’s lesson is effective for each student, not just a subset of the class. Evidence should represent the diversity of learners and their unique responses to the lesson.
2. Intersect Faith and Learning (Revealing God in All Things): Evidence should demonstrate how God reveals Himself through the learning. For instance, when studying a literary work, how does the narrative reveal God’s master story—Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration (CFRR)? Teachers should ensure that students see God’s sovereignty and presence in every lesson.
3. Illustrate: Evidence should be shared beyond the classroom, extending to parents, grandparents, and others who care about the students’ faith. Faith formation should be celebrated with family, giving them a tangible way to engage with the student’s spiritual growth.
4. Impact: Evidence should show the lasting impact of lessons. Do the lessons and activities stay with students after they leave the classroom? Is the faith formation evident in the way students live out their beliefs in the world? The goal is to deliver outcomes that will resonate with students in the long term.

Teacher collaboration for faith formation

I believe teacher groups are the most effective way to ignite the Faith Formation Flywheel in your school. While administrative engagement is crucial, teachers must be a close second in their commitment to this initiative. As teachers, it is our duty to be the drivers of faith formation in our daily practice of teaching Christianly. True faith formation cannot simply be imposed from the top down; it must emerge from the passion and practice of the teachers themselves.

In Richard Dufour’s book Learning by Doing, he writes, “The most powerful strategy for improving learning is to create a collaborative culture in which educators work together to achieve common goals.”

In Always Becoming, Never Arriving, David J. Mulder talks about the four “loves” of a teacher:

1. A teacher must love students (who).
2. A teacher must love content (what).
3. A teacher must love pedagogy (how).
4. A teacher must love “grappling with how their faith impacts and influences their work” (why).

True faith formation cannot simply be imposed from the top down; it must emerge from the passion and practice of the teachers themselves.

Within Faith Journey, I facilitate a professional learning community (PLC) where teachers regularly review and discuss one another’s faith-formation evidence. It’s an “iron sharpens iron” approach—creating a safe, non-threatening environment for reflection, encouragement, and growth. I don’t have space here to unpack the full program I use to guide this collaborative process, but the framework centers on helping teachers reflect together, share evidence, and grow in their practice of “grappling” with teaching Christianly.

Your role as administrators is to guide teachers with their four loves. Having teachers work together to teach more effectively to impact a student’s faith should be a driving force for all Christian school administrators. 

Conclusion

One of my favorite coaches is Pete Carroll, who is widely known for leading football teams to both a college championship (USC) and an NFL championship (Seattle Seahawks). One of his central teaching concepts is to focus on the learner. On the Brock and Salk Podcast (1-12-24), he shares this insight:

It’s not about how well you teach. It’s how well they learn from you. It doesn’t matter if you have a great presentation. What matters most is, do they walk out there and know exactly what you’re talking about? Can they go out on the practice field and get it done, and then take it to the game and execute it?

This quote is a powerful reminder that the ultimate goal of Christian teaching is not just to deliver content well, but to equip students to understand, live out, and apply God’s truth in the world. What matters most is that through their education, students are empowered to recognize the brokenness around them and become change agents for Jesus. As Jim Collins reminds us, “Good is the enemy of great.” In Christian education, greatness comes when we move beyond good intentions to intentional evidence—when teachers and schools continually reflect, refine, and reveal God’s work in their classrooms.

When we collect and reflect on evidence, the Faith Formation Flywheel completes its cycle and begins again—stronger each time. Our shared goal is to reveal God’s presence in all things so that our students learn to see and live out that truth in every part of their world.

Note: I am looking for fellow teachers who want to join me in implementing evidence-based practice in the area of spiritual formation. If you would like to join me in a cohort (at no cost), please email me at kentezell@myfaithjourney.com.