Student-Focused Learning

Larry Thomas

Description

Are you looking for practical ways to nudge your discipleship students closer to God no matter where they are on their spiritual journey?Without question, things are different in the local church today than they were a few years ago. We are in an unprecedented competition for people's time, energy and attention. How can Sunday School or small groups successfully attract, keep, and nurture believers today? In the classic training manual, Student-Focused Learning, you'll follow a typical family as they progress from casual seekers of faith to active involvement in kingdom ministry. Their story will show you: New perspectives on teaching and learningEasy ways to incorporate ideas into your teachingHow to give your class what they want out of churchAnd more!You'll be surprised at how easy this style of teaching is, and your growing class will be delighted as you provide sound biblical teaching that will affect their lives, as well as give them a place where they can belong.Also available in Spanish, El alumno el la mirilla.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Pentecostalism

Informations

• Publié par: Gospel Publishing House
• Date de parution: 23 janvier 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781607315308
• Langue: English

Extrait

Making Your Teaching Style More Exciting
Larry Thomas
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®; NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Third printing 2016
©2005 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802-1894. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the copyright owner, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers.
ISBN 978-0-88243-380-6
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Introduction
1. Foundations For an Effective Teaching Ministry
2. Creating an Environment for Growth
3. Planning for Changed Lives
4. Selecting Effective Methods
5. Making Healthy Connections
6. Ministering to Social Concerns
7. Staying on Focus
8. Releasing to Ministry
Introduction
Things are much different in the church world today than they were only a few years ago. It doesn’t take superior intelligence to recognize this. A quick glance will provide ample evidence of the changes.
One major difference is how people move from church to church on a regular basis. The reason for the change can range from relocation to another area to dissatisfaction over an insignificant event.
Another difference is the lack of denominational loyalty and family traditions. These increasing realities, combined with the fact that our society has transitioned to a postmodern and post-Christian era, have resulted in a greater number of people who have very little use for the institutional church as we know it. Without question, today’s church is in an unprecedented time of competition for people.
How then can today’s church successfully reach the unchurched and keep those who fellowship in our churches? One method to accomplish this is to develop and maintain an effective and exciting small group ministry in the local church. This places a great deal of pressure on Sunday School teachers and small group leaders. No matter what else goes on in a church, most people are reached and assimilated into the body through these smaller settings.
The natural question that surfaces is how does a teacher or group leader develop a class that is exciting without sacrificing biblical integrity?
In this book we will look at vital principles for creating an effective small group. Each plays a significant role in maintaining an environment that will draw and keep those who attend the class while remaining true to God’s unchanging Word.
To help us along our journey of discovery, we will follow a typical couple named Dave and Jenn. They are a composite of the typical modern-day couple the local church is commissioned to reach and disciple. We will follow them as they progress from casual seekers to a couple that has become actively involved in Kingdom ministry.
The intent of this book is not to present a new revelation, but to challenge you to explore common assumptions from a new vantage point. No matter how well we have done things in the past, future effectiveness requires adjustments designed to reach the current generation of seekers. Our communities are filled with people like Dave and Jenn who will respond to the gospel if they see what the local church offers as relevant to their lives.
My prayer is that you will finish this book with new insight and a desire to see your small group or class, regardless of age, become more effective in reaching and discipling the unchurched of your community.
Are you ready to begin our journey? Let’s go.
Foundations for an Effective Teaching Ministry
1
Meet David and Jennifer or, as they like their friends to call them, Dave and Jenn. They are a typical couple in their late thirties. They have a nice home, two careers, and better-than-average incomes which have provided a good life for them. In addition, they are the parents of three wonderful children who are fourteen, twelve, and four years old.
Dave and Jenn are typical in another way, too. Maintaining their chosen lifestyle has enslaved them. Job responsibilities, school activities, sports for the kids, and extended family concerns consume most of their discretionary time. Sunday is the only day they have to themselves for family time and fun activities. So, like a multitude of others who share their lifestyle, their participation in church slowly slipped away until they had totally ceased going to church. Their movement away from the church wasn’t intentional but it happened anyway.
After a few years, Dave and Jenn realized their need to reestablish connections with a local church. They missed spending time with people who shared their faith. They also recognized that their children needed the influence of positive peer pressure from others their own age. As a result, they decided to go back to church. But where do they begin in order to find a place that will fit their family’s needs?
Ironically, their previous denominational affiliation, the location, or the church’s facilities have very little to do with their decision. Their number one priority is to find a church that has something that will appeal to the needs of each member of their family. They want a place that will provide good relationships, biblical teaching that will affect every area of their lives, and a place they can feel like they belong.
Does a place like this exist? It most certainly does if the local church has a class or gathering that is exciting and meets the basic needs of its people on a regular basis. Churches most often call these classes “Sunday School.” Some churches use other names such as the “Christian education hour,” “small groups,” or “Adult Bible Fellowships” (ABF) for this weekly gathering, but they are all basically the same. An exciting small group ministry is a key to attracting the Daves and Jenns who are searching.
But what exactly makes a classroom exciting and attractive? It may be hard to come up with a single concrete response to this question because the answer is subjective. If you ask ten different people, you will get a variety of answers. Everyone, based on several variables, has their own definition of an exciting class. But there are some common elements that can help us find a solid answer and develop an accepting and nurturing environment. When these elements are present, they are guaranteed to make every class an exciting and effective one.
Let’s rejoin Dave and Jenn in their search for a church home and a group that meets their family’s needs. In the process of following our couple, we can learn what makes for a truly exciting classroom that will attract, keep, and nurture promising families like Dave and Jenn’s.
Why Are Small Groups Important?
There is no way you can overestimate the importance of a strong Sunday School. Extensive research has been conducted and to the surprise of some, Sunday School ranks very high as a major part of the overall process of attraction and retention of the unchurched around us.
These findings should make you feel pretty special and valuable. At the same time, it should also make you intensely aware of the awesome responsibility you shoulder and how seriously you should view your ministry.
There are many factors that will play into the final decision that Dave, Jenn and others like them will make concerning a church home. Understanding the social and emotional make-up of people like Dave and Jenn and the driving need that motivates them will better equip you as a teacher. This knowledge puts a lot of power in your hands. It will enable you to be more effective and successful at retaining those who give your church and Sunday School a brief trial.
The Daves and Jenns of society are often labeled as “seekers” and/or “searchers.” That pretty well describes them. Those involved in the seeking or searching process generally report that their primary desire is to find a place where they can belong, feel comfortable, and find acceptance.
A previous staff training book, Give Them What They Want: Turning Sunday School Into A Place Where People Want To Be , 1 addressed these same issues in an informative manner. According to the book’s authors, most of those seeking a church home reported they looked for an environment where they could develop good relationships, meet God, and hear the truth in a way that applies to their daily life. They also wanted a place where they could have fun, find understanding, and develop a lasting sense of purpose that would help them cultivate a better way to live their lives in their everyday world.
Those searching for a church home want to find a place where they have things in common and develop strong relationships with others like themselves. To the shock and alarm of denominational leaders, denominational affiliation is of little consequence to most people in their search for a church home. Whether they have moved, gotten married, had children, or experienced some other “trigger” event that drew them back to church, most people seek to find fulfillment of their felt needs more than alignment with past denominational affiliations. Notice again how an exciting Sunday School class and a caring teacher are perfectly suited to attract these people.
Another common characteristic of the Daves and Jenns is they are usually not in any hurry to make up their minds. By the time they attend your class they may have visited many other churches and classes in the area. They may also attend your church and small group for a few weeks to a few months and if things don’t come together, they move on to the next church on their list.
According to some reports, as many as two out of five church shoppers may take as long as a full year to make up their