Author: EggMonkey

Posted on

Sharpening Your Teaching Skills: Anticipation and Preparation (#2)

Last time we considered the developmental needs of your students. While that kind of information is ?gold ? when it comes to anticipating needs, sometimes we overlook the physical needs of students. This time we ?re talking about the learning environment, the brick-and-mortar location where learning takes place.

Anticipating Environmental Needs

OK, as a teacher, it ?s easy to get bogged down in educational theory; that ?s our training; that ?s why we ?re in the role we ?re in. Knowing all the educational psychology and related information will help you figure out why your students learn ?or not. But if your students are distracted by their physical surroundings, none of the educational theories will help you connect with them, and you ?re not going to meet their needs. At the very least, you should consider the space, comfort, and suitability of your classroom environment.

Space

Having enough space is important for teaching adults as well as children. We know that kids need a lot more classroom space than adults (children typically need about 25 square feet per student, while adults need only about 9 square feet). Unfortunately, we ?re far more likely to stuff 30 adults into a space that should really accommodate only about a dozen. A three-by-three square of space might only be enough space to sit on a chair and cross your legs, but if your students cannot do even that, they ?re going to check out ?first intellectually, and then physically.

Comfort

It ?s also easy to neglect concerns about comfort in the classroom. While classroom space in a church may be difficult to come by and while adults are more capable of simply ?dealing with it, ? if your classroom isn ?t comfortable, eventually it will reduce the effectiveness of your teaching and the likelihood of students returning. Consider these comfort factors:

  • Temperature: Can you control it?
  • Seating: Is there enough? Can your learners endure sitting there for the whole time?
  • Amenities: Can your students snack as they learn? Is there a place to set their coffee? Do they have to hold their coats, purses, or other extras?

Suitability

Because classroom space is at a premium, many churches will place groups in whatever space is available. Again, while this may be a necessity, at some point it may be destructive to the class itself. Some aspects to consider include:

  • Noise: Does the space have a lot of outside noise (from hallways, other corners of a large room, or equipment such as copiers, telephones, or air conditioners)?
  • Furniture and equipment: Do your students have a table to write on if needed? Do you need a white board or a TV and DVD player?
  • Decor: Are the room decorations distracting? (Are you trying to teach senior adults in a room that is designed for infants or teenagers? Are there posters, photos, or other content that may be inappropriate? This is especially important if you ?re meeting in a space outside of a church.)

Unfortunately, the environment where we try to teach is not always best suited for our needs, and it can get worse when we cannot control the environment. However, if we can anticipate the ways the learning environment can affect our students, we can prepare by adjusting our lessons, our materials, and our teaching practices to minimize negative effects.

Posted on

Tell Us Your Story!

The sermon from Sunday, March 2, 2008, encouraged us to think about our own before-and-after faith story. The idea is to write down a simple story about your faith (what you were like before you came to Christ, how you came to faith in Him, and what you are like after that decision).

We have allowed folks who are registered to sign in and share their story and to comment about other people’s stories. Since this is meant to be an experience to help each other share our faith with other people, please focus on encouraging each other.

Remember: keep it brief, humble, easy to understand ? and real!

Please try to limit your faith story to about 100 words.

Posted on

Get Connected in Support

I have to admit that I ?m still somewhat sore from our trip to Louisiana. While I know what it means to put in a full day of physical labor, my knowledge is more anecdotal, as my daily work involves me being a ?mouse jockey. ? In all honesty, I was out of my league as we worked with IDES to build houses for people who lost everything to hurricane Katrina in 2005. I volunteered to work on the drywall crew, but when we arrived to find a shell waiting to be insulated and to have drywall installed, I thought I had made a mistake.

Fortunately, our crew included my brother John and Eric Kopy, who both have professional experience in building trades. Without them leading, teaching, and working side-by-side with us amateurs, we might have set IDES back a week or more in their schedule. I needed their support and guidance to make sure that my contribution actually helped.

I also needed the support of my sisters and sister-in-law ?Danelle, Michelle, and Megan. Without them taking a week and a half of vacation to come from Pennsylvania to take care of our three kids, Sandi and I would not have been able to go to Louisiana. And without the support of Pete Colley, they would have had to figure out some plumbing issues while we were gone.

I needed the support of Deni Martin, Mike Morrissey, and Keith Peters and the rest of the elders to take care of preaching and teaching and the office so that I could go to Louisiana. I needed the help of Beth Rhodes and the rest of my Sunday night class to make sure that things went smoothly. As I write this, thankful for those who helped while I was gone, I realize how much I depend on others every day, every week, and throughout the year.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:5: ?In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ? The body of Christ, the church, must get connected to support each other. Then God will use us to do things we would never have thought were possible.

Posted on

The Slidell Effect

We’re back from Slidell, Louisiana. We spent the week (February 17-22) working with IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services) building houses to help folks who lost everything to hurricane Katrina. You can see photos of some of our people working at DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) director Joe Luttrell’s blog (http://www.xanga.com/idesdart).

IDES has been working in Slidell since the hurricane in 2005. If you add up all the homes they have worked to restore, rebuild, and build new, at least 140 families and individuals have benefitted directly from their work and the work of hundreds of volunteers over the past two and a half years.

But the “Slidell Effect” goes beyond mere building efforts. As I think about my own experience this past week, I know that the work in the Gulf coast region has an on-going effect on people’s lives around the country.

Just to get my wife Sandi and I to Louisiana required that two of my sisters and my sister-in-law take more than a week of vacation to leave Pennsylvania and stay with our three kids in Livonia. It also allowed my brother to take a week off and go with us to work on the houses, and his knowledge of construction was indispensible. So the “Slidell Effect” has reached my own family in a deep way.

With more than 40 people from the church down in Louisiana, the “Slidell Effect” has impacted the whole church body. Many people who could not go with us were able to support the team financially as well as spiritually, with many pledging prayer support throughout the week. Many others supported the work in Louisiana by making sure that the ministry programs and Sunday services in Livonia were planned, staffed, and implemented with no gaps. [THANKS TO EVERYONE!!]

Our team was able to go to lunch with our house’s homeowner one day, and several of us were approached and thanked by local residents. One night we watched a video featuring several people who had homes built by IDES. In it, one woman made a statement about the Christian church of Slidell, who hosts the teams who come each week; she wanted to get to know “the church that helps people.” The “Slidell Effect” has rippled throughout that community.

After that video, the group split into our house teams, as we did every night, and we discussed how we didn’t want the “Slidell Effect” to end. We talked about how, like every Christian conference, convention, and retreat, this trip to Louisiana had created a “mountaintop” experience, but we didn’t want it to end a week or two after we returned home. We talked about ways that we could make the “Slidell Effect” transform our church in Livonia so that people would recognize us as “the church that helps people.”

Our prayer wasn’t that we would simply become a benevolent organization, although our benevolence efforts certainly enhanced the “Slidell Effect.” We prayed that our work in Livonia would increase, that we would be able to let the “Slidell Effect” grow in all of our ministry efforts. We prayed not so that more people would simply be fed or housed physically but that our message of God’s love and forgiveness would be lived out in real, tangible expressions of that love.

Let us know how the “Slidell Effect” has changed your life and ministry.

Posted on

Get Connected in Love

Our mission is simple: to love God and to love people. This isn ?t an artificial, greeting-card kind of love. It ?s the true love that comes from God. First John 4:10 tells us: ?This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ? True love starts with God. And that love causes a reaction. John continues in verse 11: ?Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ? That explains where we get our mission, and it explains how we are connected to God and to each other, through God ?s love.

But that connection isn ?t simply a matter of saying that God loves us and that we love God and that we love others. It defines how we live. The part we often miss is that God sent Jesus not just as an expression of his love but as the means for reconnecting with us. Jesus is the only way that we can ultimately reconnect with God and live with him forever in heaven.

That explains why we do the things that we do in our programs at Memorial. We are in the business of reconnecting people with God, and our reaction to God ?s message of reconciliation is to love him and to love others. So when we gather to worship and study God ?s Word, when we collect food and distribute it to those who need it, when we rehearse in choirs, when we bowl and play softball together, it ?s not simply a schedule of programs and activities; it ?s an on-going process of growing in our love for God and others. It ?s the heart of discipleship.

The end-product of our programs and activities isn ?t merely happy, active people who happen to love God and other people; it ?s growing, maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. John says in verses 16 and 17: ?Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ? As we connect to God and each other in love, we become more like Jesus in this world so we can reconnect with God in heaven.

Posted on

Get Connected in Peace

Last month I wrote about how we are connected with God and each other as we celebrate the Lord ?s Supper each week. Not only do we connect by participating in Jesus ? death through communion, but we also get connected with God as he made peace with us through Jesus ? death. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:13, 14: ?But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. ?

The peace that God has provided through Jesus ? death benefits us in several ways. First, as Paul says, it removes the hostility between mankind and God. Where our sins created a gap between us, God has bridged the gap.

Second, the peace that God provided gives Christians common ground. Paul goes on in Ephesians 4:4-6: ?There is one body and one Spirit ?just as you were called to one hope when you were called one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ? While we ?re certainly not all the same ?as Paul says in verse 7: ?But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it we all share in the same faith and the same purpose. For that reason, Paul says in verse 3: ?Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ?

Last, the peace that God provided, because it brings unity among Christians, gives us opportunities to share the Good News of that peace with unbelievers. That is, as we come near to God and as we become united with each other in peace, the body of Christ will truly live as God planned. Then, when unbelievers come among us as we worship, they will say, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:25: ?God is really among you! ?

Posted on

Get Connected in Communion

With the election year in full-swing, we ?re experiencing our country ?s most fractious season. Friends, coworkers, and family members seem to be more willing to ?debate ? their differences, and it ?s not always pretty.

Sometimes Sunday mornings can be just as divided, as Christians with varied backgrounds and preferences interact within the worship service and Bible classes. But even with our opinions and traditions, we are part of one body, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:4-6: ?There is one body and one Spirit ?just as you were called to one hope when you were called one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ?

Perhaps the best place to experience that is in communion, as we celebrate the Lord ?s Supper. Unlike elections, which bring people of opposing viewpoints into a common experience for one day and then allows us to stumble back to our corners to grumble and complain for another four years, communion unites individual believers as one body with a common purpose.

That purpose is not simply an act of uniformity. It is not simply a group-wide acknowledgement of Jesus ? sacrifice. It defines us. To be a Christian is to be ?Christ-like. ? In 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, Paul shows how communion does just that: ?Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. ? As we celebrate the Lord ?s Supper together each week, let us consider how communion helps us get connected with God, through Jesus ? sacrifice, and with each other.

Posted on

Bridging the Gap Through Giving

The whole reason the church exists is to share the Good News of God ?s gift to the world, his son Jesus and the forgiveness of sins that he offers. As we focus on the season where even the world focuses on giving gifts, let us bridge the gap through our giving.

The obvious gap exists where the world doesn ?t know why Christmas exists. As Christians celebrate Christmas, even in simple gift-giving, we need to share the angel ?s message of Luke 2:10-11: ?Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ?

Another gap exists between individuals. There are far too many broken families, friendships, and communities for us to celebrate the gift of reconciliation with God without attempting to reconcile with the people around us. Paul reminds us in Romans 5:8 that ?God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ? If you ?re experiencing any kind of friction with someone you know, take the opportunity to follow God ?s example and give a ?peace offering ? to start the process of reconciliation.

There are many other gaps that we are working to bridge through our many ministry teams at the church. Many of those teams have to purchase materials and resources, and so we need to support those ministries by giving our money, our time, and our abilities.

The point is pretty obvious, we give because God gave to us. Our gifts can ?t compare to the gift of eternal life that God gave through Jesus, but if we don ?t try to bridge the gaps that exist, many people won ?t know that God has offered that gift to all people.

Posted on

Bridging the Gap Joyfully

The season of Christmas provides the best opportunities to bridge the gap. It ?s a time when families come together, despite their dysfunction. It ?s a time when communities come together, despite their differences. It ?s the time when the most people are made aware of the name of Jesus, whether they recognize who he is or not. It ?s the best time for Christians to share the joy of Jesus in the most diverse ways possible.

Because the world focuses on the gift-giving aspect of Christmas, Christians can focus on the gift-giving aspect of God ?s love for the world. Most people welcome gifts with joy, and if Christians can celebrate with joy the love of God for the world, the world may be more receptive to the message of John 3:16, ?For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ?

Because the world is in awe of the spectacle of its celebration of Christmas, Christians can add to the wonder by telling the story of the birth of Jesus. Come on, angels? That ?s cool! If Christians can get excited about the nativity story that we know and love, then maybe the world can become excited and more receptive to the angel ?s message of Luke 2:10 ?The angel said to them, ?Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Because the world seems to be hungry for hope and willing to believe that there can be hope despite the tragedies of war, poverty, crime, and broken families, Christians can help satisfy that hunger by celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace. If Christians can live joyfully with their hope in God, perhaps the world will be more receptive to the message of Romans 15:13 ?May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Posted on

Re: "An Open Apology Letter to My Class"

If you’re a Bible teacher or preacher, please read “An Open Apology Letter to My Class” by Randy Gariss in the November 4, 2007, issue of Christian Standard (they have it online here). It’s written from the somewhat-humorous perspective of someone who is in a fictional rehab center, but it made a few deadly serious points.

During the author’s first “group session,” the facilitator told the group of preachers and teachers: “You hold up the Word of God because it is true, but you don’t hold it up as something alive and powerful in your life.” That’s a huge shot at many Bible teachers and preachers, but it’s very likely an accurate assessment. I have to admit that there are far too many lessons and sermons in my repertoire that are simply regurgitated facts from my most frequently used textbook from college: the Bible. I know that I’d fight tooth-and-nail defending the authenticity and value of the Scriptures, but I also know that there are many times when I’ve taught “the Truth” while living in denial of the same facts.

The facilitator asks further: “We easily stand in front of a class, but did the preparation of that lesson or text bring us before God?” No, the preparation has often only brought me to the front of the class, at the last moment in many cases. Many times the last minute preparation has brought back memories of what professors or preachers said while I was a student, rather than bringing me face-to-face with God.

Gariss writes: “The goal of Scripture is not information but transformation! And we are frauds to teach texts that are not transforming us!” So, I’ll join with Gariss and apologize to my classes for defrauding them.

Forgive me, Lord. I am eternally grateful for the transformation you’ve worked in my life. Embolden me to revel in that transformation as I prepare to preach and teach and as I hold out the Word of Life to others that they may be transformed as well.