This month’s Teach the Word article is by Pastor Kurt Wetzel. Pastor Wetzel is a 2016 Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary graduate. He serves at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Nampa, ID, and as the coordinator for the Commission on Worship in the Pacific Northwest District.
Some of the greatest joys in ministry come from connecting people to Christ and his Word for the very first time (or for the first time in a long time). The work of transforming hearts and making the spiritually dead alive is something only the Spirit does by his power. Yet, amazingly, he loves to use our voices and our instruction to accomplish his supernatural purposes!
A basic Christian instruction course (often called a Bible information class) lays out the main teachings of Jesus and the Bible in a simple, easy-to-follow format that allows us to plant gospel seeds, water them, and watch how the Spirit will make faith grow.
Below are some topics I’ve had to consider when writing and teaching a basic Christian instruction course. They are a collection of advice and resources I’ve received from others and found helpful. I’d like to pass them along in the hope that they might also be helpful in your setting.
Who is the course for?
One of the difficult things about teaching is practicing restraint in how much we say. I had one educator tell me that a teacher should plan to know as much as possible about the topic, and then only teach 10 percent of that knowledge to the class learning it for the first time. Yes, we will have people attend a Bible information class who have a fair amount of Bible knowledge, but they are the minority of our communities. Less and less people have a grasp of basic Christian doctrine or are connected to Jesus at all. They are the ones our Lord calls us to reach. The course is for them. It will be hugely intimidating (and embarrassing) if they show up and feel like they’re the only ones in the room who don’t know what we’re talking about. It’s helpful to keep it simple and not assume attendees already know something basic (like why we’re saying “Matthew chapter 28” before reading the passage). Basic instruction courses help set the foundation for understanding the Christian faith, which can be built upon over the years with ongoing Bible study.
What to cover?
This is tough. We want to sufficiently cover the main teachings of the Bible without them being overwhelming the first time. Be ruthless in editing your course. Which lessons feel clunky or too long or seem to consistently require review and further explanation? What topics do we need to slow down and spend more time on because of the influence of today’s culture (like marriage and sexuality, vocation and love for our neighbor, etc.)? I try to follow the example I’ve seen from gifted pastors who demonstrate the beauty of a particular doctrine and its implications for individuals today. For example, after teaching the truth that Jesus is fully God and fully human, the instructor then lists out and allows the class to be wonderfully overwhelmed with the myriad of gospel implications of trusting in such a Savior now and for eternity. Or he’ll elaborate on the implications of creation in terms of human dignity and value. Crafting a course with this in mind will often require taking more time on a topic to not only teach the biblical truth but also to flesh out and celebrate its implications.
Illustrate, illustrate, illustrate.
Jesus was the master teacher and, therefore, the master illustrator. He could drive home profound truths in one sitting by using a metaphor or telling a story. Illustrations are powerful, but most of us can’t come up with the perfect analogy or anecdote on the spot. It’s a lot of work to illustrate well—but it’s so worth it! I try to file away powerful illustrations I hear or read. I’ve been repeating one about lionesses when we come to our lesson about the church and the question of why should we go to church. We talk about how lionesses stalk their prey and attack. They don’t go directly to the middle of the herd and attack the strongest prey. They look for the weak, the sick, or the one that wandered. Then we read the apostle’s haunting words from 1 Peter 5:8 about the devil being a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. We need one another and the strength that comes from gathering regularly as God’s church! Searching for the right illustration that will drive home the point you want to make is well worth the effort.
Use of other resources.
Sometimes you need to switch things up to keep the group’s attention. Sometimes they need to hear someone else’s voice for a while. Or maybe there’s a recording of someone articulating a point better than we ever could. We have access to so many resources that can enhance our instruction! I’ve been trying to make use of videos, audio recordings, and images that will assist my teaching. They’re so much more effective than what I can do with just my voice, handouts, and PowerPoint. Professor Dave Scharf’s story about thinking I’m a good person (from the beginning to 1:15) has become one of the highlights in our lesson introducing law and gospel. Incorporating different well-produced resources can enrich the learning experience.
Large group class or one-on-one instruction?
I’ve received good encouragement for both. More than ever, it seems impossible to get schedules to line up for multiple people to meet for the same class at the same time. And when people miss some weeks, you need to have one-on-one make-up sessions anyway. But for those who can attend together, there is a beautiful bonding that takes place over the Word. Attendees build a relationship not only with the teacher but also with one another. Often, those relationships develop into deep bonds of Christian fellowship. However, one-on-one settings allow the student to go at a personal pace and ask questions he or she might not ask in front of a group. If we need to take two or three sit-downs to discuss conversion or God’s plan for a life of singlehood, we can do that. These sessions allow for a much more personalized approach that quickly turns into pastoring and spiritual counseling. See what works best for your setting and the people you’re reaching out to. In some cases, group settings work best. Other times, you may need to be more flexible (and carve out time in your schedule) to meet when it’s convenient for others.
Some of my greatest joys in my (albeit short) time in the ministry have been connected to teaching basic Christian instruction to those who don’t yet believe in Jesus. There is nothing like raw evangelism and telling the gospel to people who’ve never heard it with open ears before. We get to do so many amazing things in the ministry. One of those privileges is to see the Spirit’s presence through the means of grace in classrooms, coffee shops, or our own offices with prospects and searching souls—and the supernatural transformation he works through our voices and our time together.
God bless your teaching!