Category Archives: Teacher Training

To make the most impact on students’ lives, Bible teachers need to see themselves as more than communicators. Bible teachers have a multifaceted role that takes them beyond merely dispensing knowledge to being used by God to change lives. It’s about making a difference for eternity by truly caring and investing into people’s lives.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. (1 Thess. 2:7b-8)

Impacting Bible Teachers Have a Multifaceted Role in Students’ Lives

Here are eight different facets of a Bible teacher’s role that, when all seen as a part of a teacher’s responsibility, will help them make a true difference in people’s lives.

Communicator

verbally informs students of what God’s Word says in ways that hold interest, fit their age level, accurately represent God’s intent, and encourage students to do something with what they learn

Conduit

lets God’s message flow through them in ways that pull on God’s power and guides students to faith by not only words but also demonstrating its reality

Disciplemaker

helps students know, love, follow and serve Jesus and become more like Him in all they say and do

Equipper

looks for opportunities to train students to serve and become more of who God desires them to be, preparing them to live for God in all kinds of situations

Friend

comes alongside of students, taking steps to get to know them, personally relate with them, and care about them as individuals

Model

not only tells students what they need to know but demonstrates it by their own lives through actions, words, and attitudes both in and outside of the classroom

Motivator

connects with students’ needs, interests, and development in ways that spur them on toward belief and application of God’s Word

Servant

willingly sacrifices one’s own time, convenience, and effort for students, exhibiting not only Christ-like actions but also attitudes that demonstrate His love and grace

Check out the 70 page Bible Teacher’s Role training resource that looks at each of the above facets of a teacher’s role in greater depth with some questions that should spur you own to enhancing your effectiveness in these ways.

Training Category: Teaching Ministry

We want the results of effective Bible teaching but are we willing to make the investment?

No matter how we look at it, effectiveness will take time and effort.

The Kind of Commitment Needed for Effective Bible Teaching Takes Time

We already looked at how effective Bible teaching takes a commitment based on …

• being the kind of teacher who makes a difference.

Certainly the nurturing of our own walk with God will take time.

• relying on the work of the Holy Spirit.

Relying on the Spirit involves trusting God to work in and through us but it also requires making a prayer investment which takes time.

Effective Bible Teaching Takes an Investment of Time & Effort

It’s hard to imagine doing “your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) without spending time doing the following:

• structuring lessons that make a difference — lesson planning

• Article: Choosing Curriculum
• Article: Can’t Always Blame Curriculum If Bible Teaching Not Going Well
• Article: Curriculum Development – How to Write Bible Lessons
• Article: Lesson Prep: Appraisal Needed
• Workbook: A Lesson Worth Teaching

• planning methods that best communicate the content and fit group factors — teaching methods

• Article: Sample Teaching Method
• Resource: Sharpening Your Bible Teaching Methods

• incorporating variety, attention-getting, relevance, and involvement — creativity

• Workbook: Creative Bible Teaching with Results
• Worksheet: Creativity: Variety is One Element
• Worksheet: Turning the Benefits of Creativity into Reality

• discerning and meeting students’ needs, developmental abilities, and learning styles — student-oriented

• Article: Making Even Well-Known Truths Relevant
• Resource: Age Level Characteristics Download
• Worksheet: My Style – Their Style – Learning Styles Worksheet

Though effective Bible teaching takes time, the results are so worth the investment.

Help for Bible Teachers: Time Management for Teachers Worksheet

Training Category: Teaching Ministry

Whether a parent, preacher, or Bible teacher, we should want our teaching of God’s Word to make a difference in people’s lives. But, are we willing to make the commitment?

While such a commitment will take time (the topic of the next post), effective Bible teaching takes more than outwardly doing all the right things.

The Kind of Commitment Needed for Effective Bible Teaching

Effective Bible teaching requires that we “be” the kind of teacher who makes a difference. Who we are matters, not just what we say and do.

To be effective we need to …

focus on being over doing in our own lives and in our students’ lives,

• Article: Being Versus Doing: Which is most important in ministry?
• Article: Teacher Acrostic – What’s in Your Heart?
• Article: Words & the Teacher’s Heart

so that what we do grows out of a good heart.

• Article: Be-Attitudes for Teacher: Be Be Be
• Resource: Be-Attitudes for Teachers Devotional Guide

When what we say and do doesn’t match what’s in our hearts, people soon pick up on hypocrisy and even the “right” words can lose their effectiveness.

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Matt. 12:33-34)

You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” (Matt. 15:7-9)

• Article: Hypocrisy is a Heart Issue
• Article: Hypocrisy Affects Our Teaching

Effective Bible Teaching Therefore Takes a Divinely Empowered Commitment

Think about it: Who builds within us the kind of inner qualities, or spiritual fruit, we need to be effective? — To “be” the kind of teacher who makes a difference takes the work of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Effective Bible teachers therefore acknowledge their need for God’s wisdom and power and submit to and rely on His Spirit. They realize that they can’t be effective on their own. It takes a divinely empowered commitment.

• Article: Bible Teaching is a Special Divine Empowerment
• Resource: The Holy Spirit & My Teaching Devotional

Having worked in church positions responsible for training teachers, I know how easy it is to get into a rut.  Contributing factors include:

• convention – what we’ve always done
• comfort – what fits my learning style or personality
• convenience – what fits my busy schedule

To keep from getting into, or staying in, a teacher training rut, I needed to constantly put myself in places where I would be challenged — getting into God’s Word and letting His Spirit prod me, reading books, attending training sessions myself, networking with others, finding a prayer partner, taking time to listen to the teachers, etc.

Challenged in Means of Providing Bible Teachers Training

As I allowed myself to be stretched, I was in a better position to equip others.  I learned that:

1. One size does not fit all.  Doing training the same way it’s always been done is bound to miss meeting the true needs of the teachers. Cookie cutter approaches do little to tailor training to them, thus missing true needs.

2. It is not all about me.  Each person on the teaching staff also had their own preferred ways of learning due to learning styles and personalities.

3. Some things are worth the extra time and effort.  Having well-equipped teachers makes such a difference for eternity as they more effectively invest into the lives of their students.

Out of these challenges comes the need for variety in how teacher training is done.

Learn more at TrainBibleTeachers.com: Means of Teacher Training

As communicated in a previous post about having a teacher training plan, I have worked full-time as a Director of Christian Education and have also volunteered through the years in various leadership roles in Sunday School, VBS, and more.

One of the biggest drawbacks I found was knowing where to find training resources.  The Internet was not readily accessible through the earlier years of my church work.  We did have a local Christian bookstore so that helped somewhat.

Now, however, if you are reading this post, you, like me, have instant access to a wealth of information through the web.  Still, however, Christian teacher training is not always easy to find, especially on specific topics or formats.  And, a lot of time can be consumed searching.

Finding Resources to Help with Bible Teachers Training

The MinTools.com site has always included a fair amount of helps for those involved in a teaching ministry.  In addition to equipping articles, you’ll also find a teaching resources page.

In time I sensed an even greater need so TrainBibleTeachers.com was developed as a teacher training division of Ministry Tools Resource Center.  What began as primarily a membership based site has now opened lists of training resources to the world.  Having worked in a church, and knowing what it can be like to find resources, my heart’s desire is to see more churches develop a teacher training plan tailored to teacher needs which takes resources.

Check out the resource pages for various training topics at TrainBibleTeachers.com. You’ll find help with age level characteristics, issues teachers might have in teaching, tips for teaching specific topics, as well as skills teachers need. Go To: Teacher Training Resources