Author Archive for Phil Stone – Page 3

Principles for Transformational Small Group Bible Study

By Phil Stone · Comments (0)
Thursday, July 26th, 2012

This is article eight of a ten part series. Click here to view the previous article.

Principle Five: Preparation

I’ve discovered that most learners are not quite ready to examine the scripture passage even after a motivational activity and the unit/session introduction. They need some background information to prepare them for examining the scripture with depth.
Most curriculum is divided into 3-4 bold-print headings with commentary for each based on a portion of the focal passage. Usually, the first section is background information that sets the stage for the Bible study and the biblical truth. I use this Bible background information to prepare learners to examine the focal passage with depth.

 

Here are three ways I have done this:

  1. Using the information in the first section of the session found in the Leaders’ Guide commentary, I prepare an illustrated mini-lecture (5 minutes). I read through the information and underline key words. Then I write key words from the Bible background information on paper strips. I put tape circles on wall ahead of time. As lecture is given, I put the key word strips on tape circles on the wall one at a time. The strips are the leader’s notes for the lecture and a visual hook for the learners. Remember: Support all verbal methods with a visual method. The computer has made this very simple, now. Simply type the words out using a large font, leaving a space between each key word, then cut into strips.
  2. I often use monologues or skits to set the stage for the Bible study. Enlist learners ahead of time.
  3. I involve learners in listening teams to listen for and to tell back facts that lead into the Bible study. These teams sometimes become “buzz groups” to discuss what they heard.

When learners are motivated and then prepared with background information, they are ready to examine the biblical passage with depth.

Time Out – Prayer Requests: After I have set the stage for Bible study, I take a brief Time-Out for prayer requests. I create a visual or use the white board to record prayer requests in three parts:

  1. Members – personal prayer needs
  2. Ministries – Prayer needs of the church (most pressing announcements)
  3. Missional – Evangelistic Prayers-first names of lost people

Transition: The Time-Out for announcements and prayer requests takes learners mind off of the biblical truth. Leaders will need to re-focus the learners on the Bible truth. I prepare a brief activity to re-motivate learners into the study following the prayer requests time. My favorite is an “Agree/Disagree Game.” I get learners to stand and move to the center of the room. I have placed placards with “AGREE” and “DISAGREE” on opposite walls. I have prepared some agree/disagree statements, usually with some humorous touches and I read these to the group. They move from one side of the room to the other as they agree/disagree with the statement. For example:

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in a recent study from Luke about Jesus, the Messiah, I had several statements including these two:

  1. John’s message was “Repent of sins in preparation for the Messiah’s appearance”.
  2. At Jesus’ baptism, a sea gull interrupted the service and had to be shoo…ed away.

Which one would you agree/disagree with? I do not comment on any of their answers until the very last one, and then I use it as a Segway into the examination of the Bible passage. This transition gets the learners up and moving and re-engaged and re-focused on the biblical truth.

____________________________
Phil Stone is the State Sunday School Director for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

Comments (0)
Categories : Bible Study, Learning, Ministry, Sunday School

Principles for Transformational Small Group Bible Study

By Phil Stone · Comments (1)
Thursday, July 19th, 2012

This is article seven of a ten part series. Click here to view the previous article.

Principle Four: Introduction

When I was Sunday School Director of a large church in Cary, NC I used my regular leadership meetings to coordinate the Sunday School ministry. I always included a brief, “Ten Minutes Tops” training time for skills development. On one occasion I led a training time on “How to Make a Focal Wall”. It was very simple, and I had a sample one to show them. I used the “Unit Poster kit item” as the basis for the wall, then using the colors from this poster (if possible – LifeWay uses weird colors on their posters!) I created a placard for each of the session biblical truths and placed them around the Unit Poster. (The computer has made this simple; type the biblical truth using a large font on to 8 ½ X 11 paper and print.) I placed a movable arrow on the session of the day. As I said, it was simple, but effective. I truly do believe that “the room is the silent teacher”. The next Sunday morning I was making my rounds to visit every class room, as was my custom. As I walked down the hall, a young 30-something red-headed lawyer came out of his room and called me, ‘Phil, come here! I want you to see my focal wall’. He had created his very first focal wall and was proud of it; and he should have been. It was well done. I affirmed his efforts and was glad that my “Ten-Minutes Tops” training had paid

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A focal wall is an excellent teaching tool

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to focus learners’ attention on the biblical truth of the session, but also to get the “Big Idea” of the entire unit. I use the focal wall to introduce the unit and each session to the learners. On the first session I preview the unit and each title and biblical truth. I give a brief synopsis of each session and then focus on today’s session. On all other sessions I review each of the previous and preview all future sessions with learners. As in every class, some will be at the beach this Sunday, others at the mountains or grandchildren the next week. This keeps everyone, including irregular attendees, informed about the unit. I always have learners read the biblical truths together, aloud several times during the session but especially during the Introduction. This keeps everyone on the same track; even the non-readers.
____________________________
Phil Stone is the State Sunday School Director for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

Comments (1)
Categories : Learning, Ministry, Small Groups, Sunday School, Training

Principles for Transformational Small Group Bible Study

By Phil Stone · Comments (1)
Thursday, July 12th, 2012

This is article six of a ten part series. Click here to view the previous article.

Principle Three: Motivation

She entered my Sunday School class room quietly. It was evident that the morning had not gone as planned for her and her family. It could have been a fight with teenage kids or perhaps lunch preparation was more complicated than usual. It was evident that she was not ready for serious Bible study. She sat down in one of the three small groups of chairs and the two other ladies that were already seated welcomed her, and

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they began talking. They helped her focus on the art supplies and written assignment placard that had been placed in their group that read, Make a list of characteristics you’d like your leader to have on an amazing trip around the world or to some potentially challenging place. Be the group with the longest list. They started joking about where they’d like to go, and who they’d like to lead, then they got down to business making the list of characteristics for a good trip leader. When the groups had finished their lists, I called on the teams to share their leadership characteristics, and we put their lists on the wall. It was fun, and I could tell that she had relaxed and become more focused. We began the Bible study about Joshua, the new leader who would lead Israel across the Jordan to Jericho.

This Motivational Activity had already accomplished several things in about 5-7 minutes.

  1. It involved learners as soon as the first ones entered the room.
  2. It connected learners in a small group in a non-threatening way that prepared them for Bible study.
  3. It helped them to become centered on the biblical truth of the session.
  4. It helped them “own the learning environment.” A best practice is to put something of the learners on the wall ASAP so that when they look around they can see their work or ideas being affirmed. They own the room.

I like to jump-start learning as soon as the first learners enter the Bible Study room. As I study my lesson, I prepare a session related motivational activity that leads into the biblical truth. I set up the room in small learning groups of 3-4 chairs. I place art supplies (construction paper and markers) in the center of each group with a written assignment placard with instructions for the motivational activity. The goal is to begin focusing the learner’s attention on the Bible truth to be covered in the session. The Motivation Activity should not be serious Bible study; they’re not ready for that yet. It should be a non-threatening activity that invites learners to share their opinion about something. The goal is to take all of the baggage the learners come with and slowly begin focusing their attention on the biblical truth.

By the time we finished this beginning activity, my class was motivated to dig in to the story of Joshua the leader and how they, too can discover ways that they can be leaders.

____________________________
Phil Stone is the State Sunday School Director for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.


Comments (1)
Categories : Bible Study, Learning, Ministry, Small Groups, Sunday School, Teaching

Principles for Transformational Small Group Bible Study

By Phil Stone · Comments (2)
Thursday, July 5th, 2012

This is article five of a ten part series.  Click here to view the previous article.

Principle Two:  Stimulation

Years ago, I was in a conference with the venerable Gaines Dobbins; he started the first Southern Baptist school of Religious Education at Southern Seminary.  He asked a silly question (I thought), Can you teach the absentee? As a young minister of education (in my 20’s), I said, No, they’re not there to teach.  The wise statesman, educator smiled and said, Of course you can.  Call them up and tell them what the lesson was all about; tell them what you did in the lesson; make them wish they’d been there. Made sense, but I have taken it a step further in my teaching.  I like to hook learners’ attention, to get them salivating about the lesson even before they come into the room.

 

 

Here are five ways to stimulate learners:

1-Teachers and/or Care Group Leaders can make a session-related contact to stimulate learners prior to the Bible study using a creative post card, email message, a telephone call, a visit, Facebook, twitter, text message and even a special fellowship or activity designed to arouse interest in the session.

Through the years, I’ve had fun sending creative post cards to my class members and prospects during the week before Sunday.  The message will include a focus on Sunday’s Bible study usually from a personal and/or humorous approach.  It will end with an encouragement to read the focal passage or key verse to prepare for Bible study.

For example, we were studying about Jacob at Peniel and I sent this humorous card that got the class thinking:

Main Event

“Jacob the Deceiver” VS “The Man”

Don’t miss this Main Event match.

Rumor has it that following this fight “Jacob the Deceiver” will change his name and limp out of town.

Read Genesis 32:22-33:4 to prepare for this Wrestling Extravaganza!

See you Sunday

Your Bible Study Leader

On another occasion, we were studying about the woman who anointed Jesus with the perfume, Nard.  I sent this message:

Dear Members,

What’s your favorite perfume or cologne?  They have some interesting names… Candies, Curves, Red, Beautiful, Cool Water, Romance, Safari.   They’re also very expensive!  Have you ever heard of the fragrance, Nard?  ‘Doesn’t sound like one that I’d like to wear!  In Jesus’ day, however, that was one of the most expensive perfumes.  It was not only used as a perfume, it was also used to anoint the dead bodies of the rich and famous in preparation for burial.  This Sunday, we look at the story of a woman who wanted to do something extravagant for Jesus.  She broke a whole bottle of Nard over his head.  WOW!  Come Sunday and see how this woman’s story can change your story and the way you worship God.  Be thinking of an extravagant way you can show your love to Jesus.  To prepare, read the story in Mark 14:3-9.

See you soon,

Your Bible Study Leaders

2-Place unit/session related visuals or activities outside the Bible study room or area:  at church entrances, down hallway or stairs leading to the learning area, just outside door, etc.  i.e. For the Bible study on “Nard” I placed a table with perfume samples just outside the door.

3-Create a learning environment in the Bible study area to captivate the attention of the learners.  Everything should focus only on the unit or session being studied.  Clear the room of all unneeded furnishings and visual distractions.  These become escape hatches for the mind.  Remember, the room is the silent teacher!

4-Develop a focal wall that includes the unit title, session titles and biblical truths.  Use an attractive color scheme and follow it with all visual and teaching aids.  A movable arrow may be added to indicate which session is being taught.

5-Arrange room for involvement.   Avoid using rows and large semi-circles which make communication difficult.  Arrange the room in multiple small learning teams of 3-5 moveable chairs.  Communication is enhanced when people look each other in the eye.  Remember, you can’t learn much about a person in rows by looking at the back of his head or in a semi-circle from across a crowded room.
____________________________
Phil Stone is the State Sunday School Director for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

Comments (2)
Categories : Learning, Small Groups, Sunday School, Teaching

Principles for Transformational Small Group Bible Study

By Phil Stone · Comments (0)
Thursday, June 28th, 2012

This is article four of a ten part series.  Click here to view the previous article.

Principle One:  Coordination

Transformational Small Group Bible study is more than about just Bible study.  It’s about making disciples; it about Kingdom work.  Read Matthew 4:23 and listen for Jesus three Kingdom actions:

…Jesus went throughout Galilee, Teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Jesus ministry coordinated around three Kingdom Actions:

  1. Teaching
  2. Evangelism:  Proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom
  3. Ministry

Listen for the results?

Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria.  People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical.  Jesus healed them, one and all.  More and more people came, the momentum gathering.  Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the ‘Ten Towns’ across the lake, others from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.  Matthew 4:24-25

Transformational Small Group Bible study ministry takes team planning based on Jesus’ Kingdom actions:  A Transformational Class Ministry Team is needed to coordinate the class disciple-making process.  The team includes 1. The teacher (Teaching); 2. The Outreach Leader (Evangelism); and 3. Care Group Leaders (Ministry).  Leaders should meet as a team regularly to coordinate ministry to members (Care Group), outreach/evangelism to potential disciples (Outreach Leader), and transformational teaching experiences in Bible study (Teacher).   Leaders will be more confident when they plan together and know what their assignments are.

Coordination of the Bible study begins with a singular focus on one Bible Truth and one Teaching Aim.  Learners can handle only one truth and aim per session.  Each Bible passage contains multiple biblical truths and each Bible study session could contain multiple teaching aims.  I usually tell my conferees, If you try to cover more than one biblical truth and to accomplish more than one teaching aim, you’ll be like a lint picker in a blue-serge suit factory; you’ll never get it all done! Most don’t know what a blue-serge suit is, or for that matter, a suit these days!!

Teachers often get caught up in the minutia of the Bible study.  They want to cover every little jot and tittle of the passage.  Their focus is on knowledge in a content based approach.  Bible study must be concept based if it is to be transformational.  Knowledge never saved a soul; but a single biblical truth has the potential of transforming behavior.

What happens if you dump a whole bag of Black Kow on a rose bush?  (For those ‘non-gardeners’, Black Kow is composted cow manure; pure gold for roses!)  It burns the bush up.  Too much nitrogen can damage the plant, or it results in only bush and no blooms.  Who wants that?  Now, take that same bag of Black Kow and over time make several thin layers of compost around the rose bush.  This creates an environment in which the plant can thrive and produce beautiful roses.  Each Sunday, we have the opportunity to share one biblical truth; over the year this results in 52 biblical truths; thin layers of truth that will create an environment in which the Holy Spirit can do His work and produce fruit; a transformed life.

Sure, teachers can become caught in the egotistical trap of see how much I know and can teach you! But, to be transformational, we must overcome that temptation and lead learners to discover one biblical truth at a time.  Everything in the lesson from beginning to end should center on that truth, and the only thing you want your learners to take home with them is that one biblical truth.  Will Bible knowledge be learned?  Of course, but our job is not to Teach the Bible! (Content only as we might teach American History)  Our job is to Teach People the Bible! There is a big, transformational difference.
____________________________
Phil Stone is the State Sunday School Director for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

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Categories : Learning, Small Groups, Sunday School, Teaching
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