Fix It!

By Teresa Welch

 

“What”s wrong with education in the church today?”

As a professor and practitioner of Christian education, I have posed this question in workshops and classrooms and received no shortage of replies. Inexperienced teachers. Antiquated methods. Lack of organization. Bland curricular materials.

The question often riles up the room. There”s something cathartic in complaining about how the church bungles education. At some point, however, I end the conversation. I look straight at the group, and I share three simple words: “Then fix it.”

You have probably heard complaints about the lack of biblical literacy in today”s congregations. You might have complained about it yourself. My message to you is the same as the one I give my students, “Then fix it.”

Hopefully, your desire is the same as mine: not only to fix the issues impairing the educational programs in your congregation but to move beyond them and to build a system that truly teaches people the truths of Scripture and instills the character of Christ. If so, then allow me to suggest five problems with the way we approach Christian education””and some ideas for how you can fix them.

 

Problem 1:  We limit our definition of Christian education

Ask a leader how to improve the education in the church and you will get far too many familiar answers. More programs. More classes. More study groups.

Where”s the imagination? Does education only happen in classrooms?

Solution: Broaden your description of education.

Every time people gather together, education occurs. Every time. Learning happens at ministry team meetings, choir rehearsals, committee gatherings, and worship team practices. Groups gathering to serve needs in the community, traveling to another country, or sanitizing the church nursery are learning together. Perhaps instead of adding another Bible study, you need to expand the number of opportunities for leadership and service. Include these activities among your list of classes and groups as part of the educational programs of the church.

Learning happens whenever and wherever Christians gather. Consider what you have learned in foyers, fellowship halls, coffee shops, and living rooms. Maybe you can”t control the learning that happens in these spaces, but learning is happening. Some might think that anything informal can”t be labeled as education, but it is in these spaces we become the body of Christ. Here our learning becomes active participation with one another rather than passive listening. Consider these spaces as an extension of the classroom and use what is discussed there to impact the lessons planned in formal programs.

 

Problem 2: We do not teach in relevant ways

The Bible will always be relevant. However, some of the methods and materials used in teaching the Bible are not. Consider this: Studies show that as few as 20 percent of people are auditory learners, meaning that not many learn by listening. So why is it nearly 100 percent of our educational programs rely on students listening to a teacher speaking?

Solution: Provide a variety of materials and methods in educational settings.

Variety in educational programs takes planning and creativity, and both of those elements take time. Begin by training your teachers and leaders about learning styles and help them understand not all students learn in the same way. Provide ideas for various activities teachers can use such as drama, role-play, debates, videos, artistic expressions, panel discussions, and games. Give groups access to visual materials like art, maps, charts, and diagrams. Fill classrooms with resource materials and provide students with lists of helpful electronic resources (see the list on page 18). Encourage teachers to introduce music, journal writing, and quiet reflection in conjunction with discussion and lecture. One of the biggest mistakes teachers make is to select only activities of interest to them instead of using different methods and materials each week.

Remember, though, that some of the most effective lessons are learned outside the classroom. Get your hands dirty. Discuss one-on-one. Solve problems. Organize activities. Serve your community. Eat a meal. Get out from behind a lectern and engage students in learning.

 

Problem 3: We offer lots of programs and little direction

In a group of church leaders, a senior minister reluctantly described the educational programs for the congregation he served. He listed Sunday-morning, Sunday-evening, and Wednesday-evening programs, in addition to small groups and Bible studies throughout the week. He was frustrated that the church spent so many hours each week trying to educate, but witnessed so little spiritual growth. Others in the group expressed similar issues.

What the group discovered was that more programs did not equal more growth because those programs often tilled the same ground. They were teaching the same things in the same ways over and over to the same people. Sound familiar?

Solution: Articulate the direction for each educational program.

Every educational program should educate people to love God and love others in an effort to live a life following Christ. However, within that overall purpose, each program should have a distinct emphasis.

For example, does your congregation have a space for people to hear the gospel for the first time and be led into a relationship with Christ? Is there a place where a new Christian can learn the stories of Christ and build her knowledge of faith? Is there a place where a mature believer can learn new ideas or dispose of old ones? Most importantly, is there a supportive place where people can wrestle with ideas and be free to express their struggles and doubts without judgment?

You don”t necessarily need a separate program, Bible study, or class for each category, but you should be able to describe how each group uniquely contributes to the spiritual development of the congregation. If a program doesn”t contribute to that end, you might want to eliminate it. You might try reformatting some and adding a program where it is needed. Furthermore, every program will need to be adapted as the needs of the members of the group and the entire congregation change.

 

Problem 4: We underestimate our learners

A few years ago I was teaching a ladies” Bible study some basic Bible interpretation skills as we studied the book of Ephesians. One week as I demonstrated how to conduct a word study, the eyes of one of the group”s members welled up with tears. I inquired what was wrong, to which she responded, “Why has no one ever taught me this before?” This 60-year-old woman had attended church educational programs her entire life and had never been trained to use a concordance.

One of the reasons we are facing a biblical literacy problem is because we have this unacknowledged assumption that only vocational ministers need a college-level education in the Scriptures. Some have feared that too much knowledge might lead people away from faith rather than toward faith, but Hebrews 6:1 encourages us, “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.” In my opinion, one of our biggest problems is we have assumed people are not interested, when in fact they have been waiting their whole lives for someone to teach them.

Solution: Add some meat.

We need to teach our congregations the entire canon of Scripture, even the sections that are difficult to understand or where our interpretations may vary. And we shouldn”t stop at the Scriptures. Provide classes to study church history, reading groups to discuss the works of historical and contemporary theologians, or spiritual formation groups to contemplate the writings of church fathers and mothers. Form a class to learn Greek or Hebrew. Research the opportunities provided by our colleges and seminaries for online courses, or contact professors to teach a weekend seminar or a monthlong class. Churches might discover the reason some members don”t participate in educational programs is because they are bored by covering the same information in the same format year after year.

 

Problem 5: We choose educational materials based on what is popular

Have you ever had a well-meaning church member pass along the name of a DVD series from a popular speaker or a study guide for a contemporary Christian book with the suggestion that it should be the next resource for your Bible study? I am grateful for the sheer number of well-designed curricular materials available to the church today. However, a problem arises when a church abdicates its responsibility to create an educational plan and instead just strings together these popular books/studies/videos one after another.

Solution: Create an educational plan first and then choose appropriate materials.

Before inserting the latest DVD study, first consider: What do your learners need at this specific period of time? What are areas of struggle, attitudes that need to be challenged, or places where they lack knowledge? Are there challenges in your congregation or community that need to be addressed?

Once you have identified the needs for a group or congregation, research the materials available and make appropriate selections. Perhaps you can integrate that popular DVD Bible study into more appropriate programs or at a later time within a larger educational plan. Remember, when you do use those materials, modify them to meet the needs of your group of learners.

 

Fix It!

Fixing our educational programs is going to take rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. But remember, you do not face the challenge alone.

After challenging the students with the words, “Then fix it,” I would conclude with this prayer: God, give us wisdom and insight so we can educate your people in the love of God, the knowledge of Christ, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Teresa Welch serves as professor of Christian education and ministry with Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and as adjunct professor of Christian education with Emmanuel Christian Seminary, Johnson City, Tennessee.