I’ve found myself gravitating to discussions with teachers on topics that don’t normally make the list of training seminars. We all know we need to think about big-ticket items like lesson preparation, classroom management, and more. I’m drawn to some focused conversations like this month’s thought on the pressure to incorporate something new into our teaching.
The Pressure to Teach Something New
Sometimes we feel a desire to breathe something fresh into our teaching ministry, especially when we’ve taught the same group of students for a long time. Finding fresh games and songs for children or new stories and illustrations for adults can be a great method of introducing new content. Furthermore, it’s helpful to reevaluate the format of your class periodically. Could you incorporate more discussion or participation? Could you change up the order or agenda? Is it time to rethink or even change the place you meet?
Let’s remember as we teach to always affirm the infallibility of Scripture. As we think through applying God’s unchanging Word to our ever-changing world, it’s important that we remind our students that Scripture is forever settled and timeless. We will challenge students to apply the Word to their lives as we face new questions, and everything in that process should reiterate the truth that we can trust Scripture to be the lamp for our feet.
<
Resources
Do you have a classroom library? If not, the start of the year would be a great time to begin building resources you could share among your group. This month I recommend building a library of missionary adventures. For adults, I recommend David K. Bernard’s recent book on his mission trips: To the End of the Earth. For our children, I recommend book one and book two of Missionary Bennie DeMerchant’s adventures in the Amazon.
Looking for more practical training on teaching and ideas on how to reimagine your ministry? Grab a copy of my book here.
