Archive for teaching

Teacher’s New Year Prayer

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)
Sunday, February 27th, 2022

My Mother went to her heavenly home on February 27, 2016. She taught an Adult Sunday School Class at First Baptist Church Lexington, Tennessee for fifty-two years. Here is a poem that she wrote entitled “A Teacher’s New Year Prayer.”

Give Us, dear Lord, throughout the New Year
A sense of your presence each day
May we trust that you are here with us
And will be each step of the way.


Help us, dear Lord, to be patient and kind
When things seem to go the wrong way
May we seek your wisdom in each circumstance
And trust you to guide what we say.


Bless us, dear Lord, with your Spirit of Love
Give us love for each student we teach
And may in our lives they see Jesus
And in us see His love and His peace.


Thank you, dear Lord, for the privilege we have
Of knowledge and truth to impart
May we make a difference in lives this year
As we teach from our head and our heart.


Nell Miller

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Top Tips for Men’s Ministry

By Brad Delaughter · Comments (2)
Thursday, February 24th, 2022

For many churches men’s ministry is either non-existent or the ministry consists of quarterly breakfasts and an annual cookout. I have talked with pastors and leaders from normative size churches, medium, and large churches, and all struggle to some degree with launching or sustaining a vibrant men’s ministry. Why is this the case? What makes men’s ministry so different and subsequently difficult from the rest of the ministries of the church? I have wrestled with this question, read blogs, went to trainings, and scoured books to find the answer. The answer is simpler than we might expect. Men’s ministry seems so difficult because we make it more complex than needed.

For a successful men’s ministry, a ministry that glorifies Christ, strengthens the body, and engages people, it needs to have at least three components.

Events
Yes, men like to do things. I know this may rub some of us practitioners the wrong way, but events are fun, and they allow people to connect in ways they cannot connect in a formal church setting. We are not trying to win men to an event. No event should be a stand-alone ministry. Each event should serve to connect men to the DNA of the church.

Groups
As men get older, they tend to isolate themselves more. Find ways to plug men into groups. This can be done many ways, but make sure that within these groups, men can share their lives honestly, have the confidence of confidentiality, and the opportunity to pray with one another.

Projects
Finally, a successful men’s ministry will include some type of project at some point during the year. The project can be anything from building a wheelchair ramp to helping with VBS. Projects allow men to come together and serve alongside one another. As men serve beside one another with a shared goal, a bond is created and strengthened that draws men to one another and to Christ.

Remember, there is no need to put so much pressure on yourself or your ministry. Simple is better. Get your team together and brainstorm how these ideas can be put into place in your ministry.

Written By Brad Delaughter, First Baptist Church De Soto, MO

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Categories : Sunday School
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Disciples Make Disciples

By Lance Crowell · Comments (0)
Monday, August 13th, 2018

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Categories : Bible Study, Disciplemaking, Ministry, Sunday School
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Add a New Teaching Method This Week

By Darryl Wilson · Comments (0)
Sunday, November 6th, 2016

clayWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Jesus is our example. He used a variety of teaching methods on purpose. Message and context make a lot of difference.

The same is true today. Group members learn in a variety of ways. When we use teaching methods that address their preferred learning styles, their attention and retention increase. Both are essential for us to be effective in “teaching them to obey” (Matthew 28:20). In addition, some methods just naturally communicate the truth of God’s Word best.

WHAT DO I DO? Allow me to share some practical steps out of my experience:

  1. Discover your own learning styles by taking an inventory. Here are three samples: Learning Style Inventory, Got Style, and Learning Style Inventory.
  2. Allow class time for your group to take an inventory. (Print one.)
  3. After class, look through the results. Identify the top 2 learning style preferences for each person. Expect a lot of variety. Compare their styles with yours.
  4. Prepare to add one new method (which address their learning styles) to your normal routine.
  5. To choose wisely, consider which method best communicates the truth of God’s Word to learners with their preferred learning styles. (Good curriculum will offer many choices of methods.)
  6. Plan to use the “new” method in small doses (maybe 5 minutes) each week for a month to watch for response and build acceptance.
  7. Then try a “new” method the next month and two new methods in the third month. Increase amount of time for methods receiving the most positive response.
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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Sunday School
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Measure and Reward What You Want to Accomplish

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)
Friday, October 28th, 2016

measuringWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? What you believe about Sunday School (primary purpose; why it exists) determines how you see Sunday School (what it is or does). How you see Sunday School determines how you lead Sunday School (focus or emphasis) and how you measure it’s success.

WHAT DO I DO?  Which of these purposes is most descriptive of your group?

  1. If the primary purpose of Sunday School is teaching, then you will see Sunday School primarily as a group with members primarily as students. You will emphasize attending the study event.  The key measures of success will be how many show up and did we get through the lesson.
  2. If the primary purpose of Sunday School is friendship and fellowship, then your focus will be on community. You will lead your Sunday School to establish and build relationships.  The key measure of success will be having a good group experience.
  3. If the primary purpose of Sunday School is care and support, then you will focus on service and helping with your members as ministers. You will emphasize praying for each other and supporting each other.  The key measure of success will be meeting needs of group members.
  4. If the primary purpose of Sunday School is outreach and missions, then you will be a team of people on mission with God and your members will be missionaries. You will lead in equipping members to live on a mission field and be engaged in missions and outreach events.  The key measure of success will be lives being saved, reached, and changed.

A church can do Sunday School for many reasons. Make a decision to frefocus on the primary purpose of Sunday School:  life change. Teaching the Bible, building relationships, and caring for people are not the primary goal of Sunday School—these are done in order to bring people into a personal encounter with Jesus. He is the one who can change their lives here and for eternity and grow them to serve Him in their daily lives and relationships. Measure and reward what our Lord wants your group to accomplish!

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