Modeling the Master (Get with the Program)
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How to teach like Jesus at your ministry
What could be better than modeling our teaching techniques after Jesus'
methods? Here are four observations about the educational theory and
praxis of the world's greatest Teacher.
1. Jesus prioritized people. Jesus was always ready to make room in His
lesson plan to show compassion to people. For example, Mark records that
crowds were coming to Jesus to be healed. Jesus spent time in prayer and
then announced His intentions to preach in nearby villages (Mark 1:38).
Although He did preach, He also cast out demons and healed a leper.
Because the leper told everyone about it, "Jesus could no longer enter a
town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came
to him from everywhere" (Mark 1:45).
Jesus couldn't help but show compassion! He loved God by loving people. He
served God by serving people. In your ministry, too, people must take
precedence over programs; compassion must take precedence over learning
goals and objectives. If people seem to be getting in the way of your ministry
goals, you've got the wrong ministry goals.
2. Jesus entered the world of His students. When God became Man and, to
paraphrase John 1:14, "set up camp among us," He left His heavenly glory
behind and became totally human, body and soul. He entered our world
completely. And whenever Jesus taught, He connected His lesson with the
world of His listeners. He used their lingo. He chose examples from their
everyday lives in His tales of farmers and fishermen, vineyards and pigs.
Get to know the world of your students. Ask yourself, "What types of TV
shows do our guests watch? What books are they reading? How can I make
a connection between their world and the spiritual truths of the gospel?"
Then, use the campers' language and lives to connect them with Him.
3. Jesus asked probing questions. Too much of our educational system is
based on trying to get students to guess what the teacher is thinking. Jesus'
questions weren't set-ups. Instead, Jesus used questions to confront people,
to convict people, to unsettle people, and to make sure they understood His
lesson.
Rather than ask review questions that simply restate the obvious, ask
questions that will challenge you and your students to look for ways to
relate the lesson to their own lives and to think about truth in a new light.
Jesus often asked thought-provoking questions that helped His listeners
discover the point of the story for themselves.
4. Jesus used real-life stories and vivid imagery. Whether He was talking
about what it means to forgive others or what it means to enter the kingdom
of heaven, Jesus filled His messages with vivid and memorable imagery. And
He never preached a three-point sermon. Instead, He simply told stories
that made spiritual truths concrete and understandable to His listeners.
Jesus used stories both as positive examples of how to act (Luke 10:25-37)
and as warnings of how not to act (Luke 12:13-21). You can do the same.
Think of parallels, metaphors, images, and stories that show either the truth
you wish to convey or the consequences of doing the opposite of what you
hope to teach.
Don't feel that you have to explain everything. Usually, the more you explain
a story, the less impact it has. Let your stories speak for themselves—just
like Jesus did.
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By Steven James
Steven is an author, speaker, and educator from Tennessee. He's been
leading educational programs and speaking at camps since 1987. You can
e-mail him at storyguy@pobox.com.
This article first appeared in the Christian Camp & Conference Journal,
July/August, Vol. 8, No. 4
Copyright © 2004, Christian Camping International/USA |
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