'Best Practices' for Bible Teachers (Part XII)
By Buddy Hanson The Covenant News
Maximizing Your Instructional Preparation
Sports coaches prepare their players to play, are you preparing your learners to live?
We should have great "affection" for those under our instruction, and be careful that our lifestyle reflects the truths in our messages.[1] In "preparing our hearts" to teach God's ethics,[2] we must pray for accurate exegesis, an easy-to-understand presentation that speaks to the needs and concerns of the learners, and for interesting insights on how the learners can apply the biblical truths to their worldview and lifestyle. We should also identify which of the fruit of the Spirit[3] relates to this message, so we can point out the commanded necessity for the learners to apply them in their lifestyle.
Since the primary focus of a Bible teacher is on assisting learners to transform their worldview and lifestyle, we would do well to consider the following questions as we prepare our messages:
What compelling questions can I use in the message that will
catch the interest of the learners so they will be able to see how
they can match their abilities to various cultural and lifestyle
issues?
How does this particular portion of Scripture prepare them to
conform their everyday decisions and resulting behaviors to biblical
ethics by connecting the key concepts of each message to the
sub-points?
How can I present a model of how to think about cultural issues
from a biblical perspective?
What can I do to "connect" new concepts to the learners'
existing knowledge?
What Socratic "conflicts"can I use in their TAKE HOME*
assignments to help them increase their reasoning and logic by
re-thinking God's thoughts so they can be self-governing and not
dependent upon someone else's ideas, and/or peer pressure?
Without painting the learners into a defensive corner, what information can I present to challenge their false presuppositions so they can, on their own, convince themselves that they need to "put off" man-centered thinking, and to "put on" biblical thinking?
In what way can I make the instruction I present inside the class relevant to the situations and circumstances they will face outside the class?
Which respected biblical scholars can I assign for them to read
in order to help them see that what they hear in class is the
historical position of the church?
Since we all learn best when we are attempting to answer our own
questions, what are some ways I can find out which issues concern them
the most? (see TAKE HOME #8)
What sort of TAKE HOME assignments can I use to get a feel for
how well the learners are "getting" the information, and which
elements of the messages need to be reviewed and reinforced?
How can I conduct class time, and the time between class to build a nonthreatening atmosphere in which learners are not afraid to voice their concerns and/or questions, are not ashamed that a particular attempt of applying the truths has failed, and are not afraid to ask for other methods of application?
Should I schedule home visits, or breakfast or lunch meeting to get to know the learners better?
Should I prepare TAKE HOME "exams" (with answers) every four weeks so the learners can assess their own progress, and ask me to answer questions?
How can I structure these TAKE HOME exams so that the learner realizes that the purpose of the series of messages is not to merely accumulate knowledge about God, but to look for, identify and apply biblical ethics to his daily walk?
What models of self-assessment can I demonstrate in my class that they can use in other classes to help them in their Christian growth?
Is there a class project that I can assign to get everyone working together and sharing ideas on how to form biblical solutions to the cultural agenda on non-Christians? Or, should I divide the class into several small groups and make different assignments to accomplish this same overall result?
* TAKE HOME assignments provide a way for learners to mentally practice your message, much in the same way as athletes physically practice the instructions from their coaches. My unpublished manuscript, From Crying Out in the Stands, to Carrying Out God's Plans, includes a final chapter that offers numerous Message Extenders, TAKE HOME and Speak Out assignments. To receive a free sample of these and how you can use ideas like this in your teaching, send me your email address and I'll send them in a Word document. Ask for TAKE HOME Samples.
Next week's topic is, "The Chief Duty of a Bible Teacher."
Buddy Hanson is President of the Christian Policy Network and Director of the Christian Worldview Resources Center and has written several books on the necessity of applying one's faith to everyday situations, circumstances and decision-making.