Final Word On Teaching

 Teaching adult Sunday school is a unique experience. It is not preaching. It is teaching. But it is a special kind of teaching that is usually only found in churches. The rules that apply to teaching adult Sunday School are not the same rules for giving a TED talk or giving a business lecture. We are not talking about a product, we are dealing with God's word.

One big problem I have noticed in big churches is how most people are reluctant to read or to participate. Most people are afraid of microphones. Most people are afraid of public speaking. So only a small group usually participates in the lesson. Add to that the pastor is up on stage behind the pulpit and it becomes just another sermon. Smaller churches do not have these problems. Small group studies do not have microphones.

Some lessons from secular teaching are: the idea that people in the pews need to believe that studying God's word is important to them, and that it will help them in their day to day lives. A well taught class generates a sense of curiosity about what is next. And a few will even dare to share their experiences.

It's not just dispensing Bible information that makes adult Sunday School work. It is finding out what your pastor knows and what he thinks.

One more thought. Preaching and teaching are performance art. You set yourself on fire and people will come to watch you burn. So said John Wesley.  And, don't worry if you do not cover all of your material. We don't care if you leave some notes untaught. If you don't tell us, we won't know if you finished or not.