Since a mid-week Bible club provides a good setting for discipleship, we obviously need disciple-making teachers. These are teachers who not only verbally teach about God’s purposes, design, and mission for the Church but whose lives model what it looks like to pursue these goals.
Mid-Week Bible Club Teachers Are Also Disciples
Being a disciplemaker begins in our own hearts. Before being told to impress the commandments of God on their children, the Israelites were told, “these commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts” (Deut. 6:5-7). Before telling believers to “always be prepared to give an answer”, we read “in your hearts revere Christ as Lord” (1 Pet. 3:15). If we’re going to disciple others to know and love the Lord, it must start with us loving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and mind, not just with the outward acts (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 22:37-40).
When we’re teachable, we model for our students that the Christian life is a continual growth process. None of us have arrived but rather keep pressing forward (Phil. 3:10-14). Only as we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:16) will we keep from straying. Our lives can help students know this reality.
Other Traits That Help Teachers in Mid-Week Programs
The passage referenced above from Deuteronomy 6 goes on to tell us how to make impressions on children. We reinforce what we say with what we do, using every opportunity we have to point children to the Lord both verbally and visually (Deut. 6:7-9). This speaks of the need for disciple-making teachers to be:
These qualities will enable us to make the most of every opportunity (Eph. 5:16) whether in greeting students when they arrive, playing games, doing crafts, working on projects, or any other activity. We won’t be reliant on the lesson alone.