Praying: Confession



 Confession is agreeing with God about our sin. We acknowledge sin and take God’s view of it. Confession reminds us that forgiveness is God’s free gift to us. We cannot earn forgiveness. But in agreeing with God about our sin and turning from it, God grants us forgiveness. Confession helps us walk in fellowship with God.

In leading and modeling for our small groups, we can help our learners learn to use confession in personal prayer and when appropriate, in corporate prayer.

As you lead your group and teach toward spiritual transformation, remember to ask the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to your life and to the lives of your learners. We do not have to condemn anyone, even ourselves, for it is the Holy Spirit’s role to reveal sin and call us to repentance.

Agreeing with God about our sin is only possible as we forget about our excuses for sin. The only comparison we need to make is how our lives stack up against God’s holiness. He knows the truth about us in every way. He is not deceived by our excuses. Therefore we must become honest with God about our sin.

As you teach about confession, remind your learners that forgiveness only comes through Jesus Christ and is made possible by His redeeming work on the cross. He lives now before the Father to be our Advocate and Defender.

If our sin damaged others, then we must make restitution and seek their forgiveness as well.

Read Nehemiah 1:5-11. Note Nehemiah’s sense of his personal sin and the sins of his people. Notice how he takes responsibility without blaming others. He praises God, confesses sin, prays God’s promises back to Him, and finally seeks God’s blessing in the matter at hand: rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.  

C.S. Lewis reminds us: "Prayer is either a sheer illusion or a personal contact between embryonic, incomplete persons (ourselves) and the utterly concrete Person. Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine. In it God shows Himself to us. That He answers prayers is a corollary—not necessarily the most important one—from that revelation. What He does is learned from what He is."

Scripture:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sings, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1:8-10 ESV

Prayer:

Get caught up on your confessing. People will soon become aware of the purity you are pursuing.

Dig Deeper:

Much of today’s material came from the study helps in “Life Helps” in The Disciple’s Study Bible. Study Bibles are helpful tools for the Bible study leader. Consider adding one to your personal library.  

Teaching: Why Doing Helps Us Learn

All learning comes through experience. Stated another way, as we do something we learn. Such learning is active learning, engaging us mind, spirit, and body. Watch a child play. A child learns as she plays. She imitates her parents serving a meal. She learns about food and dishes, about conversation and relationships. Another child fills a tub with small blocks and then dumps them out and starts over. She learns concepts like full, empty, in, out, and the rudiments of numbers. All their learning is through experience.

Consider the great festivals of the Old Testament. Passover, for instance, taught history, deliverance, and God’s care through preparing the meal, serving it, tasting the food, and repeating the litany of the meal with family. Think about the learning derived for contemporary Christians observing and participating in baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

The younger the learner, the most reliant the learner is on direct experience. Don’t show a child a picture of a flower, but instead show a real flower which can be touched and smelled. The older learner, on other hand, can learn with indirect experience because the older learner brings a lifetime of personal, direct experiences to the learning session. A younger learner may not have the life experience associated with feeling hopeless, but an older learner can recall times of hopelessness in their own personal experiences. All learners benefit from active, direct experiences, but older learners have the advantage of life experience that can be recalled in the learning session.

Capitalize on the life experiences when teaching older learners by creating learning experiences which capture those experiences with activity. Use learning activities should as writing responses to questions prior to sharing verbally. Another excellent activity uses case studies which combine life experiences with biblical content. And, adult typically learn in all areas by solving problems. Pose a problem that requires adults to depend upon applying biblical content to suggest a solution. Such activities engage the learner in direct experiences which deepen the learning.

Scripture:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25 ESV
 

Prayer:

Ask God to bring your knowledge of your learners to mind as you prepare your next lesson.

 
Dig Deeper:

Read Design for Teaching and Training by LeRoy Ford.

Praying: Thanksgiving Every Bible Study

Another form of prayer we must teach as we pray and lead prayer in our Bible study groups is thanksgiving. As we noted last week, thanksgiving focuses on what God has done while praise focuses on God’s attributes and character. Thanksgiving becomes a regular rehearsal of God work in history, our communities, our churches, our families, and our lives. When we focus on thanksgiving we understand that all things come to us from God. Thanksgiving may surprise us as we remember more and more what God has done for us. Thanksgiving also humbles us because we soon realize that we are unworthy of God’s blessings but He pours blessings on us anyway.

Thanksgiving flows from God’s grace. Grace is the centerpiece of thanksgiving because we learn that all God’s work in our lives is unearned and comes to us from Him as a gift.

Thanksgiving is agreeing with God about His work in your life. As you thank God, you confirm that He has worked and is working in us. Instead of taking personal credit, we give God the credit as we thank Him.

Thanksgiving is worship of God for His specific actions. Thanksgiving is listing, with passion and joy, all that God has done for you and given you. Indeed, as we thank God, we soon have a list of amazing length, yet we realize that we have only scratched the surface of God’s grace-full work in our lives.

We must employ thanksgiving in everything.  If all things come from God, then thanksgiving becomes a constant presence in our lives and in our prayers. Even when the difficult times occur or problems press upon us, we can be sure that God will work even these into blessings in some way at some time. In this way, thanksgiving accentuates God’s grace in everything.

Thanksgiving allows us to enjoy God’s blessing. Thanksgiving recognizes God’s grace in everything. When we yield every display of grace in our lives, we become free to enjoy everything He brings to us.

As we pray in our small groups, take opportunity to teach and model thanksgiving in prayer. From time to time spend dedicated time in group and personal prayer simply thanking God. Highlight psalms and prayers all through Scripture that concentrate on thanksgiving. Encourage your learners to make their lives living prayers of thanksgiving.

Scripture:

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
       the One who is and who was,
       because you have taken your great power
       and have begun to reign.” Revelation 11:17 ESV

Prayer:
Spend one whole day considering all the specific things the Lord Almighty has done for you. Use your list to give Him thanks.

Dig Deeper:
Much of today’s material came from the study helps in “Life Helps” in The Disciple’s Study Bible. Study Bibles are helpful tools for the Bible study leader. Consider adding one to your personal library.

Teaching: We Learn through Experience

All learning takes occurs through our senses. We learn by seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. The more senses in use while learning, the more likely real change will occur. So, since learning comes through our five senses we can see that learning comes through experience.

Experiences come in two varieties. The first and more power kind of experience is direct experience. Direct experience includes real life events (like telling your testimony to a perfect stranger) and in made-up experiences (like participating in a role-play about sharing one’s faith). Other kinds of experience are indirect. One example of indirect experience is watching a video of a believer giving her testimony. Another example of indirect experience includes reading and hearing, such as reading about how to share one’s faith.

The level of experience is important in learning for several reasons. One, the more direct the learning experience is, the greater the learning will likely be. Therefore, we should plan as many direct experiences as possible. Two, the problem with direct experience is that it is difficult to bring real life experiences into the classroom or small group place. And, many real life experiences can include danger and risk, so planning for real life experiences can sometimes be dicey. Three, the less direct the learning experience is, the less likely deep learning and lasting change can occur. Can you see the difference that can happen in learning from a mission trip and learning from a hearing a lesson about missions?

So how can we use experience in learning in small groups? Fortunately, adults come to Bible study with a wealth of real life experience upon which they can call. The wise use of discussion questions, meaningful illustrations, and the use of engaging story can help adults recall life experiences related to the Bible study. Therefore, an effective Bible study leader takes the time to learn as much as he or she can about the learners in the group. Such information enables powerful planning prior to the session and meaningful experiences in the session.

Scripture:

            Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
            If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV

Prayer:

Pray that God will help you engage learners in your group in conversation so you can learn more about the experiences they bring to Bible study.
 
Dig Deeper:
Read Design for Teaching and Training by LeRoy Ford.

Praying: More than Requests

When we pray in our small Bible study groups, our usual prayers deal with interceding for the needs of others. We often bring before God the needs of our families and friends. This is all good. We should unite in prayer for our needs and the needs of others. But, if that is the only “group” prayer that the small group uses, then your Bible study members may not develop skills in other kinds of prayers: thanksgiving, praise, and confession. Short prayers are fine, too, but again, sometimes we need to spend extended times in prayer. We will seldom be successful without being taught such skills. The Bible study might not be about prayer but the way we lead and participate in prayer in our groups teaches our groups how to pray. Let’s consider praise.

What would prayers of praise sound like? Praise has the basic purpose of bringing glory to God. Praise and thanksgiving are similar but praise adores God for who He is while thanksgiving expresses gratitude to God for what He does. Praise is often more difficult to do because we do not frequently rehearse who God is. Praise helps us verbalize God’s identity and know Him better.

Why should we praise God? He is worthy of praise. Our praise is our gift and our sacrifice to God. God’s purpose for us is to praise Him. He commands us to bring Him praise. When we praise God, we follow Jesus’ example. Praising God now prepares us for life in heaven, endlessly praising God.

How should we praise God? Use your own natural words that express honor and greatness to God. Use Bible prayers and pray them to God as your own. Paul told us to use psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to praise God. We can play musical instruments to praise God. We can rehearse all the great things He has done in history and in our own lives.

What can we say when we praise God? Read scripture to God, agreeing with the writers and using the words as our own expressions. Use words that express praise: worship, praise, exalt, lift up, honor, magnify, bless, and more. Exclaim God’s greatness with shouts like “Hallelujah!” or “Hosanna!” or “Praise God!”

We teach, not only with the lesson we prepare but by everything we say and do in our Bible study groups. We can teach the wonderful opportunity of prayer every time we gather.

Scripture:
Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
        ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
        worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
                                              Psalm 29:1-2 ESV

Prayer:
Ask God to show teach you the art of praising Him so you can teach others.

Dig Deeper:
Much of today’s material came from the study helps in “Life Helps” in The Disciple’s Study Bible. Study Bibles are helpful tools for the Bible study leader. Consider adding one to your personal library.

Teaching: A Goal Works toward Change

As we think about teaching with goals, we must also think about the nature of learning. What is learning? Learning is a lasting change in knowledge, understanding, attitude (value), and skill (or behavior) brought about by experience. To identify a goal for learning in your group, you must first identify what area of their lives you see a need for lasting change. What are some examples of lasting change? Here are some teaching goals with the area of change:
Knowledge: The learners will recall the major events in the life of David. (This goal works toward simple recall of information, a great starting place in Bible study.)
Understanding: The learners will explain the danger and long-lasting results of sin after studying David’s sin with Bathsheba. (This goal requires that the learner use and interpret new information with concepts and in her own words.)
Skill (or behavior): The learners will demonstrate a gain in skill in prayer by confessing sin using David’s pattern in Psalm 51. (This goal requires the learner to change a behavior or develop a new one.)
Attitude: Learners will develop an appreciation of genuine kindness after reflecting on David’s treatment of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9. (While attitude goals are hard to measure and difficult to see in one only Bible study session, becoming Christ-like requires attitude changes.)

Learning is the end goal of all Christian teaching. We would even say that life change is that end goal. God is not interested in how many Bible facts we know but how we are becoming like Jesus. As we plan to teach our next lessons, let’s identify what life change associates with the Bible passage we are using. State that desired change in your teaching goal. Pray that God will use the study to develop such change in the lives of the learners. Then select the words and learning activities to use in the study that will help learners connect with that change. As the next few weeks go by, we will examine these steps more closely.

Scripture:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV

Prayer:

Ask God to help you see areas that need learning (lasting change) in your life.

Dig Deeper:
Read Design for Teaching and Training by LeRoy Ford.

Organizing: Facilitating Community

We all just want to belong. We want to feel that we are loved and can love. We want to be accepted and to accept. We are made in the image of God with a hunger for community. Triune God exists in a perfect unity so as creatures in His image, we long for community as well. And, I believe that our deepest longing for community will only be fulfilled in the perfect of unity of God’s people in heaven. Yet we desire community here and now and we can belong to His people here and now.

Meaningful community cannot be forced or contrived, but we can foster community by taking steps to help people belong, be genuine and share in Christ’s life in our small groups. Here are some suggestions that may help us foster Christian community.

1. As the leader, model the acceptance and belonging you desire group members to show to one another.
2. Organize in a way that may foster community. Consider care groups which are sub-groups in your group. This is helpful when you group is large. These subgroups can gather for fellowship and can minister to each other. Consider re-organizing these smaller groups about every 4-6 months. Add new care groups as new members enter the community.
3. Focus on care groups with the whole group gathers. The care groups can be prayer groups during larger group meetings so people can have a more intimate prayer time. Care groups can also focus on ministry projects.
4. Find ways to develop an online presence for your group. Someone in the group might open and maintain a FaceBook group for your Bible study group. Such a group site can be public or private. Since so many people use FaceBook, it may become a vehicle for support and ministry during the week.
5. Consider creating a mechanism so that visitors to your group are immediately invited out for a meal by some current members. I know a small group of twenty-somethings who are often pressed for spending money. The group collects a “kitty” of small donations each week. Then each week a different couple plays host and hostess for the group, primarily focusing on any visitors to the group. The host and hostess invite the visitors to a meal out after church that day and they are reimbursed from the “kitty” so no one is overwhelmed with an extra expense on the household budget. What a wise ministry action that can build community and acceptance.
6. Pray for unity in the group. God desires that his people love one another and live in harmony with each other.  Praying for unity is one of those prayers that God always answers, “Yes!”

Scripture:

Behold, how good and pleasant it is

                when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
                running down on the beard,
                on the beard of Aaron,
                running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
                which falls on the mountains of Zion!
                For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
                life forevermore.    Psalm 133:1-3 ESV

Prayer:

Consider praying: Father, we desire unity in our group. As we ask for unity, please  . . . .

Dig Deeper:

Consider reading Connecting in Communities: Understanding the Dynamics of Small Groups by Eddie Mosley (NAV Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-61521-685-7. An e-book version is available. 

Teaching: Have a goal in mind.

 When you teach, what goal do you have in mind? Frankly, I have often taught with the goal of covering all the material or every verse in the passage. Sometimes my goal was to simply get in my three points, a poem and a prayer. But I confess, none of those are helpful or effective goals for leading small group Bible study.

In teaching, a goal is the knowledge, understanding, attitude, or behavior you desire for the learners to exhibit when the session is over. The goal is not stated in terms of what I will do as the teacher. It is stated in terms of what the learners will do to demonstrate that they have learned. Learning always includes change: learners will change in their knowledge, understanding, attitudes, or behavior as a result of the study. Sometimes, we may refer to our goal as a teaching aim. The most important part of a goal or aim is to state it in terms of what the learners will learn.  Therefore, the goal becomes the primary way to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning that occurred in the session. Note these examples:

Ineffective Goal:

I will teach the meaning of the Great Commission in Acts 1:8. (This goal is stated in what the teacher will do and has nothing to do with the learners. In fact, this goal can be carried out in an empty room and no learners in sight! Learning is not even mentioned.)

More Effective Goals:

As a result of this study, the learners will state the Great Commission in Acts 1:8 in their own words. (This goal shows the learners will change in their understanding of the Great Commission.)
The learners will show an appreciation of the Great Commission in Acts 1:8 by committing to learning about one mission opportunity in our church. (This goal aims to help learners change their attitudes about the Great Commission.)
The learners will memorize the Great Commission in Acts 1:8. (This goal reflects a change in knowledge in the learners.)
The learners will show skill in living out the Great Commission in Acts 1:8 by joining a mission team and completing a mission trip. (This goal works toward a change in the learner’s behavior.)

I perceive that leading Bible study with correct goals is one of the biggest challenges facing Bible study leaders. So, for the next several Wednesdays, this blog will explore how to determine teaching goals, how to create indicators which show learning is occurring, how to use goals to guide what the learners do in the Bible study, and how to use goals to evaluate the learning. Check here next week for further discussion of teaching with goals.

Scripture:

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 ESV

Prayer:

Study your Bible lesson for the next session you teach. Then ask God to help you formulate a goal for the session.

Dig Deeper:
Read Chapter 8, “Focus on Results: Teaching for Life Change,” in Creative Bible Teaching by Lawrence O. Richards and Gary J. Bredfeldt (Moody, ISBN:0-8024-1633-6).

Growth: Your Foundation for Growth

The Bible is the basis for all personal spiritual growth and corporate spiritual growth. God is the source of all growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) but He very frequently uses the Bible as the agent for growth in our lives. Think about it: while reading about the Bible and about God is good, reading the Bible, God’s own words, is infinitely better. The Bible is our textbook in group study and personal study.  It is our source for knowing God.  As a teacher or Bible study leader, your teaching skills flow out of what God is doing in your life. What God is doing in your life will very like be proportional to the amount of time and attention you give to the reading of God’s Word.

The more you read and reflect on God’s Word, the more opportunity you give God is build His truth into your life. Consider developing a Bible reading plan for your personal growth. My own experience is that as I read through the Bible repeatedly, God links significant passages to one another. Insights tie centuries together. New Testament and Old Testament relates in ways I had never found before. A stronger foundation forms as I systematically read my Bible. While I can read the Bible in empty, even legalistic ways, let’s remember that the Bible “reads” me as much, if not more, than I read it. All this weaves together a foundation that supports my study and preparation for teaching. 

I am convinced that reading the Bible is the basic and most important of all the spiritual disciplines. I also believe that reading the Bible greatly increases the likelihood that spiritual transformation will occur in each of us. Years ago I heard a teen explain his hunger for God. He opened his Bible to the flyleaf and read what he has written there: “Dear God, I give you permission to change my life every time I open this book.” Should you write the same prayer in your Bible?

Scripture:

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8 ESV

Prayer:

Finish this prayer to God: “God, help me love your precious Word more. Help me . . .”

Dig Deeper:

This website for CrossWay’s English Standard Bible (http://www.esv.org/resources/reading-plans-devotions/) provides numerous Bible reading plans with a variety of download options. Find a plan and make a commitment to read through your Bible using this plan.

Teaching: Get the Learning Started

“Runners to your mark. Get ready. Start!” A pistol fires and the race is on. There is no time in a footrace to waste at the starting line. Yet, in many Bible study sessions, more time is wasted trying to get started than at any other time in the session. Since most teachers are concerned about delivering content, what gets shorted in the session is the application emphasis. Yet, isn’t applying God’s Word to our lives what we are in the session for in the first place? Here are some ideas for more effective starts:

1. Start on time. Starting on time shows respect for the learners who are on time and, since they are the only ones present, show them respect.
2. Arrive early enough so that all your preparation is done before the first learner enters. This allows you to focus on the learner as well.
3. Start on time. Delaying start times trains learners to be late.
4. Provide an advance organizer. An advance organizer is usually a visual that clues learners into what is going to happen in the session. It might be an outline of the session or a list of questions. Advance organizers begin working when the first person sees it.
5. Start on time. No one has unlimited teaching time. Every session ends. There are babies to pick up and places to be, and deadlines to meet for everyone. Know your time limits.
6. Arrange the room to facilitate a good start according to your lesson plan.
7. Start on time. If you have a word from the Lord, then respect God by using the time wisely to communicate.
8. Start on time. Delaying a start may communicate that the people present are somehow less important that the ones you are waiting on.
9. Start on time so that you communicate that the lesson is worthwhile and important.
8. Start on time. (Did I say that already?)

 In our American culture, time is supreme. We need to relax a lot in that area, but we need to use time wisely. A good start sets an emotional and spiritual tone for the whole session that we might have to struggle to achieve if we fail to make a good start.

“Runners to your mark!” What can you do in your next session to be on your mark and ready for an effective start?

Scripture:

“Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.” Ecclesiastes 8:5 (ESV)

Prayer:

Ask God, Who is the Beginning and the End, to help you learn to redeem the time.

Dig Deeper:
Read Chapter 18, “In One Minute You Can Influence a Life,” in What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know by Elmer Towns, (Gospel Light, 2001), ISBN: 0-8307-2874-0.

Relating: Loving Your Learners

I am task-oriented. I take on a job and I want to see it to its completion. Therefore, when I teach, I want to complete my lesson plan, . . . just as I planned it, . . . every time . . . amen. And, I can often do just that. And then later that day, I wonder if my learners really understood that part of the reason I teach is because I love them. Some sessions they would have to dig deep to see my love, I must confess.  I know that I can get people to recite facts to me when I teach. Little relationship between teacher and learner is needed if that is the only goal in the session. But, if life transformation is to occur, what is transmitted between teacher and learner must cross a bridge called relationship. The bridge of relationship is supported by the unconditional love and acceptance the leader communicates to the learner. To be transformative in my teaching, I must love my learners. How will they know I love them? 1. I know and use their names.
2. I have recorded and frequently use their personal contact information outside of class.
3. I ask questions about their personal well-being and I listen to them intently.
4. I spend time with them outside of class.
5. I remember important facts about them.
6. I pray for them and with them.
7. I picture each one of them as I study and prepare to teach them.
8. I know something about each one’s struggles and challenges.
9. I try to know where each is in his or her spiritual journey.
10. I lovingly challenge them to new levels of growth.
11. I model what I want them to know, do, and be.
12. I express to them my appreciation for being a part of their lives.
13. I ________________________________________________.

 How would you finish that last one? When was the last time you did any of these things? How do your learners know you love them?

 Scripture:

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36 (ESV)

Prayer:

Ask God to help you see every learner and potential learner in your group as He sees them.

Dig Deeper:

Read Chapter 4: “Principles Underlying His Work” in JM Price’s classic work, Jesus the Teacher, to learn more about how Jesus loved those He taught. This is a classic book and worth the search to find a copy.

Teaching: Write on the Board

Many of your learners are primarily visual in the way they perceive information. That is, if they could choose the best way they learn, they would naturally choose to watch or see the information in some graphic form. A way to help visual learners engage in the learning process is to be visual with key words, outline points, or questions. In other words, try writing on the board.

You may have available to you as you teach a chalkboard, whiteboard, or large pieces of paper that every learner can see. If you are working in a home setting, you might adapt these ideas by simply writing your visuals on large pieces of paper prior to the session.

Think about your purpose for showing printed words. Sometimes you will need to reveal the printed message all at once. At other times, you can encourage thought and reflection if you take the time in the lesson to write out your keywords or questions. Here are some tips for writing on the board:

1. Write large enough for everyone in the room to see and read it. This might take some practice. When no one is around, write on the board and get as far away as possible. Can you read it?

2. Write clearly and legibly. Again, some practice might help.
3. When you write, do not talk to the group with your back to them. Be silent as you write. This also allows the visual learners time to concentrate.
4. Don’t stand in front of what you wrote. Why write it and then block it?
5. If writing a question, verbally ask the question, then write the question in silence and then re-state the question. This encourages processing time.
6. If the word is a tricky one to spell, spell it correctly in your notes and copy. Some will be greatly distracted by misspellings.

 The more senses we involve in learning, the deeper that learning will likely be. Writing and speaking keywords and questions can activate two senses simultaneously in our learners. We should teach so all may hear, but we should also teach so that all visual learners can see.

 Scripture:

“This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.” John 8:6 (ESV)

Prayer:
Ask God to help you appreciate and communicate with the visual learners in your group.

Dig Deeper:
Read  Chapter 14: “Students Learn by Looking,” in Elmer Towns book, What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know, (Gospel Light, 2001). ISBN: 0-8307-2874-0.

Evaluating: Possible and Spiritual?

When discussing the evaluation of church activities and personal spiritual growth, one can quickly see two camps: those who think evaluation on such topics is impossible and those who think it is possible. Those who reject evaluation of spiritual things think spiritual things are so personal that it is impossible to qualify or quantify them or that someone’s personal growth is simply not anyone else’s business. Yet, in the last ten years or so, committed Christian researchers are finding ways to evaluate church effectiveness and spiritual growth of individuals. I fall into the former camp, but I reserve the notion that while evaluation is possible and even spiritual, even the best social science cannot uncover every detail in the spiritual realm. But, much of what Christian researchers are discovering about believers is amazing and insightful.

 Our Scriptures indicate many forms of evaluation including numerical counts, personal evaluations, and encouragements to be discerning. Evaluation is not equal to the prejudicial “judging” Jesus condemns in the Sermon of the Mount. In fact, evaluating is the highest level of cognitive learning. Therefore, we can and must engage in examining our kingdom efforts for effectiveness. We must stack our lives against God’s Word and the character of Jesus to ascertain our spiritual development. Evaluation should not only look for what is wrong, but should also consider assessment of successful and meaningful practices in kingdom work. Evaluation is not about condemnation but about being intentional in the planning and execution of our kingdom work.  

 Scripture:

“until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”  Ephesians 4:13 (ESV)

 Prayer:

Ask God to help you think critically about the effectiveness of your teaching and leading.

 Dig Deeper:

Read Chapter 15, “Building the Equipping Ministry System: Equip,” in The Equipping Church Guidebook by Sue Mallory and Brad Smith (Leadership Network), Zondervan, 2001. ISBN: 0-310-23957-5.

Teaching: Dealing with Wrong Answers

August 17, 2011

Teaching: Dealing with Wrong Answers

Sometimes, when asking a question, a teacher will be given an obviously wrong response. One might be tempted to jump on that learner and “correct” him or her. But, if that happens regularly, learners will not participate well in discussion. Think about some strategies to use in this situation.

1. Do not embarrass any learner. If you value the learner, the learner will trust you and open up to you. If you embarrass her, she will not respond again and most in the group will learn not to respond as well.

2. Ask the responder to clarify her response. As the learner talks you may be able to guide her to a more suitable answer.

3. Ask, “What do some of you think about this answer?” However, this may not work if you have not generated a safe and nurturing environment that encourages risk-taking in the discussion time.

4. If you must re-state a more appropriate answer, then do so lovingly and graciously.

5. If the situation becomes sensitive, show respect for that learner by following up privately.

6. Keep a broad focus in mind as you teach. Even wrong responses show that learners are trying to engage and discuss. That means there is at least some level of success in the learning environment.

7. Develop skill in designing questions so that your questions will likely elicit more appropriate responses.

8. If calling for facts or recall of information, make sure that you have taught in a way that enables learners to answer the question appropriately. They cannot provide an answer they have not been taught.

9. Receiving consistently wrong answers from multiple learners may indicate that the teacher is not communicating effectively. Reconsider what you are doing in teaching and frame your presentation to enhance successful responses to your questions.

Scripture:

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” Ephesians 4:15 (ESV)

Prayer:

Ask God to teach you how to respond to wrong answers with grace and love.

Dig Deeper:

Check out William R. Yount’s Called to Teach (ISBN: 978-0805411997).

Learning: Your Peers Can Help

August 14, 2011

Learning: Your Peers Can Help

As the great Southern Baptist educator LeRoy Ford, used to say, “When you quit learning, you will quit teaching.” Many Bible study group leaders continue the motions of teaching, but they have ceased because they have quit learning. We must never quit learning. One area that Bible study leaders cannot quit learning about is teaching skills. An effective teacher is constantly updating and improving his or her teaching abilities because his or her audience and teaching environment is constantly changing. One often over-looked resource for improving teaching skills is to learn from one’s peers.

Just recently I had the privilege (and honor) to sit down with a former head football coach from a major NCAA college program. I have often wondered about the similarities of coaching a sport and discipling a believer. I got to ask all sorts of questions about his philosophy and practice of coaching. And, my hunch is right: coaching is very similar to discipling. I could not write notes fast enough. I came away from that interview a much better teacher. I have already redesigned some aspects of one of my college courses based on that new insight.

Who is an effective teacher in your life? Look around you at teachers in your church or your sister congregations nearby. Look at effective school and college instructors. Many of the same principles used for success in school teaching have application in your Bible study group. Take an effective teacher you know out for lunch and quiz him or her about  personal study, delivery approaches, evaluating learning, favorite internet sites for teaching support, a list of key resources he or she uses, how he or she learns and ministers to learners. These only scratch the surface of what growing teachers and Bible study leaders can learn from one another. There is a good chance that the effective teacher you know will learn something from you as well.

Scripture:

“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” Ezra 7:10 (ESV)

Prayer:
Ask God for opportunities to pick the brain of an effective teacher you know.

Dig Deeper:
Read Chapter 2: “The Teacher as Mature Person” in William R. Yount’s book, Called to Teach, (ISBN: 080541199-2). 

Teaching: Asking Good Questions

August 10, 2011

Teaching: Asking Good Questions

One of the basic ways we learn is by seeking answers to questions we have. Questions are indispensable tools for guiding Bible study. Questions work for every age group, although questions with very young learners should be simpler that questions we might ask with older learners. Here are some guidelines for using questions in Bible study groups:

1.      Use open-ended questions. Open-ended questions require an answer with more detail than a simple yes or no. Closed questions shut down discussion. Open-ended questions open up discussion.

2.      Plan questions that do not have specific wrong answers. Think about this example: "Is it easy or hard to live the Christian life?”

3.      Frame questions so they can be answered with a variety of right answers. The answer should never be obscure or so difficult that learners quit risking answers if they are likely to be wrong in front of the group.

4.      Elicit answers from several group members for your question. If someone dominates, simply ask, “Can someone else give another response?”

5.      Write your questions out in advance and include them in your lesson plan. Do not count on good questions simply popping into your mind on the spot as you teach. Include some possible answers with your written questions in case you need to “prime the pump.” Design thoughtful and thought-provoking questions.

6.      Avoid “editing” every response to your questions. This teacher behavior will often shut down discussion.

7.      Do not be afraid of silence. If you can see that the group is processing the question, then they will need silence to think.

8.      Wait for answers for at least 10 seconds. If no answers come, restate the question and wait again. Refuse to answer your own questions.

9.      Be ready to ask a follow-up question like, “Can you explain that answer some more?” or “Can anyone add another element to that response?”

10.  As a rule, don’t ask rhetorical questions that you really don’t want learners to answer.  Ask genuine questions and wait for genuine answers. Rhetorical questions will train learners to keep their thoughts to themselves.

Scripture:

“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” Luke 2:46 (ESV)

Prayer:

Ask God to bring good questions to mind as you prepare your lesson plan.

Dig Deeper:

Consider reading Josh Hunt’s Good Questions Have Groups Talking; How to teach using questions (ISBN: 978-0557584659) or Garry Poole’s The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion (ISBN:  978-0310244202).