What’s the best way to teach your people in a Bible study about the doctrine of the Real Presence?
- Will you have a handout that shows the similarity of the four Bible accounts of Jesus instituting the Lord’s Supper?
- Will you ask the entire group to put themselves in the mind of someone who just heard that your church teaches the Real Presence and ask the group to raise questions that person might have about the Real Presence?
- Will you have your class draw a picture or diagram of a way(s) to distribute the Lord’s Supper that would highlight/illustrate the “Real Presence”?
Which way will work best? The Creator has made each of your people unique and equipped them to learn in different ways. Many suggest these three approaches to learning: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. While everyone learns in all of these ways, each of us tends to lean primarily towards one of them as our preferred method.
- Visual – Visual learners learn best by looking at graphics, charts, watching a demonstration, or reading.
- Auditory – Auditory learners would rather listen to things being explained than read about them.
- Kinesthetic – Kinesthetic learners process information best through a “hands-on” experience, doing an activity.
How are you going to bring the truths of the Word in the way God has designed your people to learn? That can be a challenge. At the beginning of this article, each of the three activities for teaching the Real Presence aimed at one of the three different learning styles. The first was visual, the second auditory, and the last kinesthetic. Perhaps you could offer all three and give your people a choice as to which one they do. (Remember, adult learners are self-directed). Your people will likely gravitate towards the activity that fits their preferred style.
Test Yourself
Use the eight-question quiz below to understand what kind of learning style you lean towards. Perhaps you could give the same quiz to your class?
What Type of Learner are You?
Tips for Teaching
Visual Learners:
- Use handouts
- Show or draw pictures
- Maps
- PowerPoint
- Use more word pictures to tell a Bible lesson, case study, or story
Auditory Learners:
- Engage them in discussions where they can ask questions
- Have them talk with others
- Tell them facts and details
Kinesthetic Learners:
- Include time for small group work
- Have them move around and not sit in the same spot for 50 minutes
- Include fill-in-the-blank activities on occasion
- Have them create something
Want a Little More?
Check out this helpful summary: Basic Types of Learners