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ministering

From Student to Teacher

April 21, 2015 by Karin

One summer as a young teenager, I begged my parents not to give me a teaching role in our backyard Bible club. My big sister was the one that all the kids adored, and besides, I got stage fright, even in front of a crowd of five-year-olds. Somehow, I still ended up teaching the missions story for the club. At the first meeting, I read the story directly from the book, making little eye contact with the children. To my surprise, they eagerly listened, and I slowly started to engage them more.

Another summer during my high school years, my parents sent me to a Christian youth camp that focused on preparing teens to lead Bible clubs. We learned how to creatively introduce, explain, and review memory verses and songs. We took notes on the components of a Bible lesson and the basics of classroom management. We practiced sharing the gospel. After our training, we spent the rest of the summer going into the neighborhoods of our city and leading week-long Bible clubs. It was during that time that my heart was irreversibly captured with a love for teaching children, especially teaching them biblical truth.

photograph of a teen teaching a group of children at a Bible clubThe next few years brought more opportunities to sharpen my newfound desire to educate—from teaching in Sunday school, vacation Bible school, and after-school Bible clubs to teaching English as a second language in China. I eagerly consumed articles, books, and courses on effective teaching. I even took notes while observing my favorite teachers at church, on BJU Press Distance Learning videos, and at college. Now I have the joy of teaching my own children, the most challenging and rewarding teaching role I’ve ever had. I’m thankful my parents gently pushed me into teaching, unlikely candidate though I was.

I’d like to encourage parents to think of ways they can give their teenage students opportunities to develop teaching skills. It may not come naturally, but students can learn through avenues such as mentoring under an experienced Sunday school teacher, taking a teaching class, reading a book on effective teaching, practicing with younger siblings, and volunteering for children’s ministries at their local church.

The benefits your students will receive from improving their speech and communication skills through teaching might initiate a lifelong career. Learning to teach will likely be an asset in their future families (perhaps even through home education), church ministries, and careers. How will you encourage your teenage students to step out from behind the student desk, face the crowd, and teach?

Filed Under: Successful Learning Tagged With: Bible, Bible Club, homeschool, ministering, mom, teaching, teens

Community Service? Not as Scary as You Think

March 19, 2015 by Cosette

Mention “community service,” and some of us get weak in the knees. Suddenly all our other commitments begin to protest inside our heads, and we find ourselves thinking—if not saying—“I simply don’t have the time or the energy.” We feel guilty because we know teaching our children to give back is important, but our feelings of intimidation cause us to opt out of opportunity.

The problem could be that we just aren’t aware of the breadth of the community service umbrella. We may be thinking evening-news-making, grand-scale projects such as feeding a hundred homeless people every night of the year—an admirable accomplishment, don’t get me wrong.  But there are myriads of projects in the category of “back up” or “support” that would qualify as community service. When we place the emphasis on thoughtfulness rather than on mobilizing a large group of people or racking up hours, sharing becomes not only feasible but a valuable exercise in creative ministering.

WP-Free-Lemonade-2015Ideas of how to be a support and encouragement to volunteers already in the trenches are limited only by our imaginations. Do you know someone who delivers food for the Meals on Wheels Association of America™? Could they use a meal now and then after a busy day of serving others? Would your local fire station welcome a few gallons of homemade lemonade on a hot summer day? Do you have a regular magazine subscription causing clutter around the house that a literacy volunteer could use in an adult reading class? Are diapers on sale at a store in your community that volunteers at your local pregnancy crisis center would gladly receive?

It goes without saying that community service affords us the opportunity to let our light shine.  Even if we have only a small portion of time and energy to invest, simple acts of kindness will serve to heighten our children’s awareness of the needs around them and the rewards of being an encouragement. If the perceived level of involvement is what is scaring you away, take heart: Creativity and thoughtfulness are the real keys to making a difference.

Have you found ways to help out in your community? How have you been able to involve your children?

Filed Under: Shaping Worldview Tagged With: community service, gifts, ministering, motivation, thoughtful

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