Category: Bruce’s Blogs

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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.”

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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.

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Bridging the Gap Through Prayer for Each Other

The sermon on Sunday, November 4, encouraged us to ?do everything without complaining, ? (Philippians 2:14). Easier said than done, right? Much of the complaining we do comes from differences in personality, background, and measures of faith. We ?re not all at the same level of spiritual maturity; so we experience friction. As we strive be unified in faith and knowledge of Jesus and to be mature (Ephesians 4:13), we need to bridge that gap among us.

While studying Scripture is the most obvious thing we can do on our own, it ?s very likely that overcoming these issues that seem to separate us most dramatically will require divine intervention. In other words, we need to pray for each other. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:18, 19: ?Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. ?

First Paul tells us to pray ?on all occasions with all kinds of prayers. ? Paul restates it simply in 1 Thessalonians 5:17: ?Pray continually. ? If there ?s something bugging you, pray about it whenever and however you can.

Second, Paul tells us to ?be alert ? and always pray for each other. We need to pay attention to the hurts and needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ and then pray for each other. If you don ?t know about the specific needs within our church, come to the Wednesday afternoon prayer meeting from 1:15 to 2:15 in Mark ?s office. Everyone is welcome.

Last, Paul asks for prayer for himself as he ministers. We ?re all ministering in different ways among different people. Since we all have different measures of faith and understanding of Scriptures, perhaps the most effective way to spread the Gospel is to pray that God will give each of us the right words in any and all circumstances. I know I need the help.

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Sharpening Your Teaching Skills: Anticipation & Preparation

Perhaps the least practiced skill in teaching is preparation. It has been said that the average Bible teacher spends about 11 minutes preparing for class, and that varies depending on how many stoplights exist between the teacher ?s home and the church.

When it comes to preparation for teaching a Bible lesson, the key is anticipation. Your best bet for teaching the best lesson is to anticipate every need, every question, every variable that could arise when teaching the lesson. Since that ?s not really likely to ever happen, start with what you know; then you should be well-enough prepared that the unanticipated will have less of an impact on your lesson.

For the next several posts, we will look at some of the areas that you ought to consider as you prepare your lessons. In this post, we will consider the developmental needs of your students.

Anticipating Developmental Needs

The most basic information to consider when anticipating the needs of your students is their developmental characteristics. Every person matures from infancy through adulthood according to fairly uniform stages of physical, intellectual, and spiritual development. While individuals progress at different paces, knowing the common characteristics will help you identify your students ?needs.

Because this is fairly specialized knowledge of which I have only a basic grasp myself, I wouldn’t dare to offer even a basic overview. But you can learn the basics of physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual development by reading up on experts such as Jean Piaget, Benjamin Bloom, Erik Erikson, Lawrence Kohlberg, Bernice McCarthy, Anthony Gregorc, Lawrence Richards, and James Fowler. The downside is that even though this research will get you detailed information, it won ?t guarantee that you will know everything there is to know about your students.

The only way to know what your students truly need is to interact with your students. While it may be difficult to get to know each student well on a personal level, pay attention to their interaction in the class setting. As you work through different teaching strategies and activities, you will begin to discern how your students are different and who reacts to which method in what ways.

Regardless of how you learn about your students, generally or specifically, understanding their developmental differences will help you anticipate their needs and prepare lessons that meet those needs most effectively.

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Top 10 Indicators that You Don’t Spend Enough Time in Lesson Preparation

10. Students wince at the sound of the spine of your teacher book cracking as you open it.
9. You ask your students, “So, what should we do today every week?”
8. You ask to borrow a student book at the beginning of each class.
7. The class gets to nominate and vote on the lesson text.
6. You have suggested home Sunday schooling to the education committee.
5. Students start asking for transfers to other classes.
4. No matter where the lesson starts, it always ends up with baby Moses in the basket.
3. You just noticed the date on the curriculum is April 1987.
2. You think objectives are those students who complain about the lesson every week.
1. When students ask about handouts, you give them your spare change.

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Essential Elements of Effective Study Materials

As Bible school teachers and smaller group study leaders and teachers examine study materials to purchase or use for their lessons, they need to consider whether the mateials are capable of being used effectively. Many people assume that published curriculum is ready to use ?right out of the box ?; that is rarely true.

However, most teachers can evaluate curriculum and determine the steps needed to make just about any curriculum usable for their specific classroom or study application. By identifying whether a curriculum has the following elements, and by evaluating how well those elements are used within the curriculum, a teacher can prepare to use the curriculum to its maximum potential of effectiveness, which will surely be greater than when they first opened it.

  1. Integration: All topics and themes are either taken straight from the Bible or are cross-referenced to specific Bible stories. Lessons need to be relevant to students ? lives, so topical studies are important. But the Bible is always relevant; it ?s just a matter of making sure the students understand how.
  2. Storytelling: The presentation of topics and themes and Bible stories make use of storytelling techniques including the use of visuals and drama. Our culture thrives on storytelling, as is obvious in our fascination with movies. People typically consider their lives to be stories, and they often enjoy sharing their stories with others. While the Bible accounts are factual and historical, they are still stories, God ?s story, to be exact. We need to be able to share that story in such a way that people not only listen but want to hear and know more.
  3. Large Group: Regardless of the current trends that say otherwise, there are benefits to having large group activities within lessons, especially when there are varied levels of faith, knowledge, and maturity within the group. While the default approach to teaching in large groups is lecture format, there many creative approaches to teaching larger groups. Large groups are also important for building relationships, instilling a sense of group identity, and encouraging fellowship through corporate worship, games, and other large group activities.
  4. Smaller Groups: There are many reasons why using smaller groups within a lesson will help teachers present and students learn the material more effectively than within a large group alone. Providing opportunities for interaction among smaller groups of students (twos, threes, up to six or eight) encourages discipling relationships to develop and grow between teachers and students and among students.
  5. Holistic Activities: Better materials consider the ?whole student. ? Because each student is different, materials should at least allow for varied approaches, whether they are written into the material or not. These should include activities that are thoughtfully constructed and placed considering age appropriateness, development (physical, cognitive, spiritual), learning styles and modes, and multiple intelligences and utilizing multisensory input.
  6. Technology: Even print-only materials should provide opportunities and suggestions, if not bundled resources, for integrating technology into lessons and classrooms. Check to see if the publisher has internet-based supplemental materials such as video clips, handouts, blogs, or links to related materials.
  7. Teacher Enrichment: Effective materials should be a little self-conscious in that they realize that they are not necessarily immediately usable in all classroom or study situations. They ought to incorporate information and methods for helping teachers prepare for lessons, understand their students needs and learning styles, grow in their own spirituality and knowledge, and disciple their students.
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Bridging the Gap as a Family

Sunday, October 21, was a great family reunion. After our regular three services, during which we find ourselves segregated at opposite ends of the building for various reasons, we came together to ordain deacons, an elder, and a minister. There were children, teens, young adults, parents, and grandparents all sitting together, singing together, celebrating together.
Paul tells us in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit himself testifies that we are a family, that we are children of God. We can find the language of family all throughout the New Testament. Paul and other writers refer to each other and to us as brothers and sisters. There ?s no question that the church is one big extended family.
OK, we know what our families are like behind closed doors, and sometimes our church family acts the same way. But that ?s not what God intended, for either family. Our brother John gives us this advice in 1 John 3:18: ?Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. ? Sure, we say we love each other, but do we act like we do all the time? We ?re not perfect, and I know that I ?m not as lovable as I ought to be, but we need to act more like the children of God. There needs to be something different about this family because there ?s certainly something different about our Father, and he wants to adopt everyone into this family!
How do we do it? Let ?s start with some advice from brother Paul in Philippians 2:14, 15: ?Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe. ? First, we need to try to get along with each other better; find our common ground and start there ?October 21 was a great start! Second, we need to encourage each other as we become blameless and pure. Last we need to shine like stars so that the world can see that the church family is different. In these ways we can bridge the gap as a family.

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Top reasons to have a uniform Bible school curriculum for adults

I’ve been kicking this idea around in my head for several years, and now I’m getting keyed up enough to share it. While I like the idea of having teachers who are able to design and write their own lessons for teaching the Bible and other spiritual and doctrinal issues, the fact is, there are far too few who are able to do it well. Some simply don’t know enough about teaching to develop effective lessons that are approachable by diverse students. Others are so comfortable with their own learning and teaching styles that they refuse to change. More often than not, teachers don’t have the time to put into developing and teaching effective lessons. And with the increasing dearth of Bible knowledge, many more people simply refuse to teach because they don’t think they know enough.

Legitimate reasons or not, they’re real. So, I’d like to propose that uniform curriculum may be a reasonable solution to these problems. There are several good reasons why using the same curriculum in all adult Bible classes in a church setting will help the body of believers grow “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, NIV).

  1. Uniform curriculum allows the church leaders to identify a purposeful plan for training all disciples to know God’s Word.
  2. Uniform curriculum from a publisher you trust reduces concerns about false teachings.
  3. Uniform curriculum reduces the amount of background research time needed to prepare for a lesson.
  4. Uniform curriculum allows the teacher to focus on preparing the lesson for a specific group of students.
  5. Uniform curriculum allows for the last-minute exchange, replacement, or substitution of teachers without losing continuity for the students and without last-minute preparatory scrambling by the teacher.
  6. Uniform curriculum removes the burden of choosing a Bible class based upon content.
  7. Uniform curriculum encourages class groupings to be more natural, based upon the age and stage of life of the students.
  8. Uniform curriculum enables students of varied measures of faith to interact, thus encouraging discipling relationships among students.
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Bridging the Gap by Example

In his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul lays out a plan that would help the church in Crete get their act together. In a nutshell, Paul tells Titus to lead by example and encourage all Christians to do the same.

In chapter two Paul tells Titus how various groups within the church ought to act as examples to others. Paul tells Titus to encourage everyone to live their lives in such a way that ?no one will malign the word of God ? (2:5), so that people outside the church ?have nothing bad to say about us ? (2:8), and so that ?they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive ? (2:10).

This kind of encouragement has several major benefits. First, it helps everyone in the church grow in unity in faith and knowledge of Jesus through sound doctrine (Titus 2:1; Ephesians 4:13). Second, it bridges the gap among generations and among different groups within the church, as each of Paul ?s instructions was for the older, more mature Christians to teach younger Christians and lead by example. Third, it helps us deal with the temptations of this world and strengthens our faith as we wait for heaven (2:12, 13). Last, it encourages us to do good works (2:14).

This letter to Titus should encourage us today to continue focusing on the core values of our faith. We need study the Bible and learn and accept its sound doctrine. We need to apply that doctrine in our lives, not only as we wait for Jesus ? return but also as we hold out to all people our hope of life in heaven with him. We need to continue to bridge the gaps between people within the church so that we can be unified in faith and knowledge and so that we can encourage each other to do good works. As Paul wrote in verse 7, ?In everything set them an example by doing what is good. ?

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Bridging the Gap Missionally

If you didn ?t get a pack of M&Ms on September 16, don ?t worry; there will be more. We ?re trying to develop a habit of thinking of evangelism and discipleship as if we are missionaries in our own families, schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces. So when we find opportunities to do that as a body, we get a snack as a reminder. Missional moments are opportunities to share God ?s love in face-to-face, side-by-side, and heart-to-heart ways.

We support foreign missions as a body. We understand that in order to share the Gospel message with people who live in another culture and who speak another language, we need to alter our methods without compromising the truth of the Bible. However, when it comes to sharing the Gospel within our own communities, we ?re far less likely to change our methods.

If we ?re honest with ourselves, our culture is changing around us, in our country, in our schools, in our communities, and even in our homes. Unfortunately, as we spend more time in our church environment, worshipping the God who never changes, studying his Word that never changes, holding on to his promise that never changes, we begin to think that the methods we use to share the unchanging Gospel should never change either. That doesn ?t mean that we have to change our methods with every wind of innovation. We might be on the right track where we are, and then we ought to make our efforts stronger. But we ought to be purposeful in examining what we do and be prepared to make changes if we find ourselves falling short.

Do we have the right to choose to study, worship, pray, serve, fellowship, and witness according to our preferences? Sure we do. But when questioned about his own freedom, Paul said, ?I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings ? (1 Corinthians 9:22, 23). Let ?s set aside our preferences and choose to be missionaries in our own communities for the sake of the Gospel, and then we will share in its blessings.