As a senior teacher and leader, there have been times when I have been asked to provide advice to those who lead teaching and learning groups. Following are selected suggestions for leaders in church education settings. This guidance is given with the hope of helping leaders develop healthy, relational, and group-oriented climates. The main points of this blog are inspired by the writings of Paulo Freire (1921-1997), especially his journal article, “To the Coordinator of a ‘Cultural Circle.’”
As Jesus is faithful and active in the lives of his people, so we as teachers or group leaders are to be faithful and active in the lives of the participants in our group. This means showing love, encouragement, and affirmation. Being boldly Christian means, to me, not hesitating to share a passage from Scripture, being up-front in speaking a word of testimony, offering to pray together, and doing acts of kindness.
Our goal is to work with God for the transformation of lives. Education is more than the transmission of information: it is for life change. Paul refers to this sort of thing when says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
Serve others
We want to aim at relating to learners from the perspective of a humble servant-leader. Knowledge “puffs up” and can create attitudes that are contrary to the sacrificial nature of Gospel ministry. We must treat each person with grace, warmth, and dignity; show respect for each person by recognizing them personally, remember things about them and refer to each person by name; compliment and encourage. We are not leading the group for our own gratification but for their development. Believers have a “continuing debt to love one another” (Romans 13:8).
Build community
We are trying to develop a community-centered group
rather than a teacher-centered group. Other terms for describing the group
could be fellowship-centered, relationship-centered, person-centered, or
activity-centered, anything but teacher-centered or leader-centered. This is
based on the words of Jesus, “Whoever would be great among you must be your
servant” (Matthew 20:26).
We want to aim at relating to learners from the
perspective of a humble servant-leader. Knowledge “puffs up” and can create
attitudes that are contrary to the sacrificial nature of Gospel ministry. We
must treat each person with grace, warmth, and dignity; show respect for each
person by recognizing them personally, remember things about them and refer to
each person by name; compliment and encourage. We are not leading the group for
our own gratification but for their development. Believers have a “continuing
debt to love one another” (Romans 13:8).
As much as possible, we should ensure that everyone
participates. This is done through open communication, honest and authentic
relationships, and a climate of warmth and acceptance. When asking questions,
ask them of the entire group. Have the goal of developing balanced
participation but feel free, as well, to direct questions to specific
individuals who may need personal attention. Where necessary, help those who
are overly talkative to learn to be good listeners.
Even though we are leading the class or group, and even
though we may have a mature understanding of the topics being studied and discussed,
we ought not to be slaves to our own understanding and interpretation of the
topic being discussed. Let us not force a group to conform to our conclusions, preconceptions,
or planned outcomes. Allow breathing space for the teaching ministry of the
Holy Spirit, not only in the lives of participants but in our lives as well.
We should model in our lives what we expect to see in the
lives of those in our classes or groups. For example, if we expect group
members to be punctual, we should begin and end each meeting on time. If we
want to communicate Kingdom values, we will work at being the embodiment of Scripture,
such as the following passages, during our class or group meetings as well as
outside of class or the group.
- “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
- “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
- “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…” (Philippians 4:8-9).
- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Class or group meetings should be filled with hope, discovery, and encouragement. Ensure that participants leave each meeting having been enriched. No matter what the topic under consideration, little is accomplished by a dominating leader, an overwhelming amount of information, confusing or poorly organized materials, or overly difficult content. Help the group reflect on a topic so that they are not only informed but also inspired, encouraged, and strengthened. Bring closure to each meeting in ways that leave members with positive perspectives on the topics that were discussed, on themselves, and on the world to which they are being sent as God’s messengers. As a result of class time, participants should be strengthened and encouraged in their faith (I Thessalonians 3:2). This is education that transforms.
Summary
In one translation, the Bible says, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5 NASB). This is a good summary of the intentions of Christian teaching and small group ministry. Our time together is to be with love, from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. Teachers and small group leaders have the privilege of doing this: by being boldly Christian, focusing on transformation, building community, cultivating participation, serving others, being life-long learners, having integrity, and creating a positive learning climate.
Resources
Freire, Paulo, “To the coordinator of a ‘cultural circle.’“Convergence; Toronto, Vol. 4, Issue 1 (Jan. 1, 1971: 61).
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. https://amzn.to/3ZQSqtV
Supplementary online resources include ChatGPT, Google, and Wikipedia
YouTube version of this blog: https://youtu.be/KUP3sXlpNdA
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