Mentor's Manual

66 For the Nex t Generat i on: The Urban Mi n i s t r y I ns t i tute ’ s Mentor Manua l

Our Pedagogical Approach to Lessons: Contact, Content, Connection

Each lesson taught at The Urban Ministry Institute should be organized around the three basic stages of the teaching process: securing interest, communicating truth, and discovering applications. In order to do this we plan our lessons around the “Contact, Content, Connection” model of student engagement. Contact The Contact part of the lesson is designed to prime the students to engage the topic or theme of the day. It captures and focuses student attention on the subject matter by demonstrating its relevance for their lives and ministry, and/or seeks to stimulate the students’ curiosity regarding the meaning of the themes under discussion.

It helps the student answer the question: “Why is this important to me?”

Content Next, the Content part of the lesson seeks to engage the students in the discovery of, and interaction with, the important facts, stories, principles, experiences, ideas, and skills that comprise the subject being taught. It presents the truth claims of the lesson and facilitates critical reflection upon them in light of Scripture, reason, tradition, and experience.

It helps the student answer the question: “What is the truth regarding this topic?”

The Approach to Lessons: Contact, Content, Connection

Connection Finally, the Connection section of the lesson guides the students through a process of reflection on what the content means today, both for their lives and for their ministry situations. It is concerned with the ramifications of the truth, i.e., its implications for how they understand, evaluate, and act in light of the truths just discovered. It seeks to help them master and apply the learning in actual life. Furthermore, the Connection stage encourages the students to evaluate their current beliefs and practices in light of the new understanding they acquired in the content section, and to develop clear convictions about the topic.