Chances are they were thinking about your leadership skills and your way with people. They’ve heard you talk about what you do at work. Or maybe they’ve seen you lead a committee meeting. Perhaps they’ve had a chance to be engaged with you in a one-on-one conversation that was enriching. No doubt they have also responded to your faith that is lived with a humble integrity. That’s why they have called and asked you to teach an adult class. Before you give them answer, consider two pressing needs in our adult education settings as we live into post-modern realities.
Relationships
Postmoderns hunger for deep relationships. This need intersects the Christian faith in this way: Perhaps the issue is not so much understanding Christianity as it is having a vital relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian tradition in ways that can transform our lives and give them meaning.
Our tradition understands that relationship with Jesus Christ encompasses all of our life and finds expression in all of our relationships. Adult Christian Education needs to foster relationships with one another and the world. Our education also needs to help us live into the reality that relationships are dynamic and complex.
Critical theological reflection
Because relating to one another in our world is complex, every adult needs to become a theologian. Living out a life of faith in our day demands that from us. We need to be able to dialogue with Christian tradition, personal experience, and our culture on a daily basis. When our nation goes to war, when a denomination studies human sexuality, when our school board reviews science curriculum, and when our congregation plans an after-school program with at-risk children, we need to make informed, faithful responses.
Adult Christian education leaders, teachers, and mentors
What type of leadership will help us offer vibrant and faithful educational ministry in our day and time? Perhaps our eyes will see more clearly when we expand our language for leadership. We need leaders who help fellow adults process information while building community. These leaders need to be skilled in engaging adults in critical theological reflection, connecting tradition, experience, and culture.
We need teachers who build community while opening up the rich content of the church’s history with Scripture, theology, mission, ethics, spirituality, worship, etc. We also need teachers who are excited by contemporary thought on all aspects of the church’s life and witness. Teachers excited about content and who take time to study, learn, and grow enhance our ministry.
One-on-one relationships, while more time intensive, are also a significant and crucial part of our educational ministry. Individual members and staff need to be willing to take the time to engage in mentoring relationships with other Christians, particularly those new to the faith. People who humbly live their faith are so often able to nurture a deep faith in others.
Identifying Leaders, Teachers and Mentors
God has given all of our congregations people who possess the gifts and skills necessary for leading, teaching, and mentoring our adults.
Perhaps you came to mind because you possess a gift for process and group dynamics. People who can entertain multiple ideas and comments from a gathered group of people, help voices be heard, and make connections between people’s experiences, Christian tradition, and cultural observations make wonderful leaders who engage us in theological reflection that can make our faith a daily dynamic experience.
Perhaps you came to mind because you are excited by the study of Scripture, or theology, or church history. Are you someone who is always hungering to know more of the background of the Scriptures? Someone actively reading contemporary writers about Christian faith? Someone always seems ready to share an article or book title or Web site? You may be a teacher who will excite people with the content of faith.
Perhaps you came to mind as one who is quiet, humble and secure in their faith. People seem to seek you out for deeper conversation around the coffee pot and doughnuts on Sunday. They ask if they might meet you for lunch because you exude a certain wisdom that makes people want to spend time with you. You may make an excellent mentor.
Yes you CAN teach, lead, and facilitate. Nobody ever knows enough to think of themselves as an expert teacher. The good news is the church doesn’t need you to be an expert. The church needs you to offer your God-given gifts to engage other adults in the nurturing of faith that has been so meaningful to you. Surrounding you with prayer and opportunities for your own study and growth, the church will be supporting you as you say yes to the call to “teach.”
Michael Waschevski is an associate pastor of First Church in Fort Worth, Texas.
