Category Archives: Administration of Training

We all would benefit from training to sharpen our Bible teaching skills. How much more this holds true for those new to teaching the Bible. Yet, some may claim they don’t need teacher training, that they’re the exceptions.

Those Who Have Never Taught the Bible Before But May Think They’re an Exception to Needing Teacher Training

Let’s think about two situations that may prompt this reaction to training.

1) Wouldn’t those who have been a Christian for a long time and know the Bible well, but have never taught it, be an exception to needing teacher training?

Since more goes into the teaching-learning process than transmitting what we know, even those who possess biblical knowledge and spiritual maturity, need training. They may know the content well, but do they know how to develop an introduction that grabs people’s attention before getting to the biblical content? Do they know how to present the content creatively with methods that engage students? And, do they know how to work in an application that helps people see how the content relates to their lives and what to do about it?

Knowing Scripture is just a part of Bible teaching. What about classroom dynamics, discipline issues or other problems that arise, age developmental considerations, and more?

2) Wouldn’t those who have taught in a public school, but not a Bible class, be an exception?

Even people who taught for years in the public school setting should be trained to teach the Bible. Here’s why:

• The Bible is a unique Book, different from textbooks for teaching math, science, history, etc.
• The aim of Bible teaching differs from that of teaching general education subjects.
•  The source and model of creative teaching must be the Lord to make an eternal difference.

Teacher Training Resources to Help Prospective Teachers with These Backgrounds

The following workbooks would be helpful to provide a broad overview for teaching the Bible:

A Lesson Worth Teaching
Teaching for Changed Lives
Creative Bible Teaching with Results

For help with specific topics, go to: Bible Teachers Training Resources

Developing teacher training plans months in advance gives time to adequately prepare. Perhaps, however, you’re heading into a new church calendar year or are already in the midst of Bible classes. It’s never too late to reevaluate and strengthen what you’re doing to train Bible teachers. Start with a plan.

How to Develop an Effective Teacher Training Plan

The following acrostic provides basic elements that will enable you to develop a plan that encourages and equips your teachers to effectively teach God’s Word.

P – Pursue

Effective training doesn’t automatically happen. We need to pursue it, intentionally and actively putting time and effort into it. Throughout the process we must also wholeheartedly seek after God, remembering his promise that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all …” (James 1:5).

L – Listen

We need to listen to God for the direction He promises to those who trust Him (Prov. 3:5-6). We also need to listen to our teachers to “know the condition of your flocks” (Prov. 27:23). When we hear their concerns and what they perceive to be their needs, we’re better able to plan the topics and means of training that will be most helpful.

A – Assess

Having pursued God’s help and having listened to, observed, and perhaps surveyed teachers, we’re ready to determine priority needs for training. We’re in a better place to “consider how we may spur one another on” (Heb. 10:24) in their teaching.

N – Navigate

An effective teacher training plan finds the best route to meet priority needs in terms of subject matter and teachers’ preferred means of learning. We make it an ongoing journey, knowing that no one has arrived (Phil. 3:12). We must remain at the steering wheel, knowing there may be obstacles along the way. We mustn’t assume everything will just fall into place and that teachers will follow through.

Resource to Help in Planning

The Teacher Training Module of the Christian Education Files Download from Ministry Tools Resource Center can help you develop an effective training plan.

First, a one page assessment will help you look at your approach to teacher training. Are you pursuing it in ways that will be most effective?
Second, a two page teacher training survey will help you listen to teachers and assess their priority needs.
Third, a twenty-nine page document will help you navigate through 23 different means of training teachers.

(Please Note: This module is part of the Christian Education Files Download but can be ordered separately.)

For more on having a teacher training plan read the following:

• Have a Plan
• What is a Training Plan?
• Why Use a Training Plan?
• What Topics Should it Cover?
• Where Can You Get Help with It?

Many churches discontinue Sunday School, small groups, children’s Bible clubs, and other Christian education programs over the summer. Should that also include teacher training? With people going on vacations and children home from school, you might reason, certainly people are too busy to attend training events. If you disband teacher training for the summer, how will teachers be ready to assume teaching responsibilities when classes resume?

Options for Teacher Training in the Summer

Before totally abandoning teacher training over the summer months, consider some alternatives that don’t require people to attend special meetings yet serve as a means of continued support and encouragement. The following resources from Ministry Tools Resource Center provide training that teachers can do on their own time, in their own setting, and at their own pace — a good formula for summer teacher training.

These Teacher Training DEVOTIONALS range from 6 to 30 individual devotions. Even if teachers did only one a week, it would help to fortify their spirits as they head back into teaching.

Here are Teacher Training WORKBOOKS that range from 50-100 pages. This kind of training provides a more intensive study yet can be completed as people are able.

And for even shorter options, here are Teacher Training WORKSHEETS that range from 1 to 10 pages. These are particularly good for tailoring training to specific needs of teachers.

If people are new to teaching, you might use the Teaching Ministry Manual. Only 29 pages, this resource could be used as a primer. Certainly that’s not asking too much over the summer months.

Normally it’s best to tailor teacher training to the age of the students being taught, the setting in which they teach, and the needs of teachers based on knowledge, skills, and learning preferences. There are, however, topics relevant to all teachers so training general enough for all teachers may at times be appropriate.

When Teacher Training That’s More General May Be Best

These topics may be best suited for ….

• prospective teachers who want to learn a little more about teaching before committing.
• new teachers who need to see the big picture as they embark on their teaching journey.
• veteran teachers who need reminders of their overall purpose or mission.

That sounds like it includes about everybody who might be involved in a teaching ministry. So, while it’s best to tailor training to the needs of individual teachers, we mustn’t get so caught up on specific topics that we forget the big picture. That’s the foundation upon which to build the particulars.

Broad Topics Relevant to All Teachers

We should want all teachers to come under the umbrella of a biblical teaching philosophy with goals that align with God’s intent for learning His Word. Hence, we might provide general training on the following topics. (Click on links to read articles to further your understanding of these topics.)

1. overall goal of Bible teaching — that toward which we proceed

• The Ultimate Goal of Bible Teaching
• Grasp of the God of the Bible
• Pray Bible Teachers Present a God Great Enough
• Teaching for Changed Lives?
• The End Result of an Effective Bible Learning Process
• Is Changed Lives Everyone’s Overall Goal?
• Teachers with Shaky Foundations
• Bible Teachers Goal to Advance God’s Work?
• Bible Teaching has an Important Objective
• Do We Have the Same Objectives as Jesus?
• Leaving Church Changed?
• Let’s Not be Shortsighted

2. teaching-learning process — how we arrive at our goal

• What’s the significance of using a process?
• Foundations for Teaching-Learning Process
• Role of the Teacher in the Teaching-Learning Process
• Methodology in the Teaching-Learning Process
• Bible Teaching-Learning Process
• Questions About the Teaching-Learning Process
• Four Elements in the Bible Learning Process
• A Starting Point in the Bible Learning Process
• An Often Missing Element in the Bible Learning Process
• An Element Often Not Taken Far Enough in the Bible Learning Process
• The End Result of an Effective Bible Learning Process
• From Knowledge to Understanding
• From Understanding to Application
• From Application to Bearing Fruit
• From Fruitfulness to Knowing God Better

Teacher Training Resources for All Teachers

The following resources cover our overall goal and teaching-learning process:

The Aiming for Empty-less Teaching resource stresses the importance of aiming toward our overall goal with a process that will get us there. If we don’t, it will be like as though our students were never there. This training session challenges teachers to examine their own teaching.

The workbooks in the Teacher Training Workbooks Download Bundle fill in some of the particulars. They can be useful in bringing everyone under the umbrella of the same overall goal and teaching-learning process. You may want to start with the Teaching for Changed Lives Workbook. (You’ll find suggestions for how to use the workbook at: Teaching for Changed Lives Training Sessions) — Though you would save by ordering the bundle, any of these workbooks can be ordered separately.