The Equipping Ministry, Student Workbook, SW15

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T H E E Q U I P P I N G M I N I S T R Y

The Teaching Heart: Become a Spiritual Parent It is [the pastor’s] responsibility to see that each child in the faith is cared for by someone. And where does he find parent-hearted disciples equipped to follow-up the babes in Christ? Among those he has already trained and followed up himself, man-to-man (sic), who have learned from his own parent-heart how to help new believers grow to maturity. Growing believers eventually make mature, Christlike disciples. With care- ful parental care, these maturing Christians will soon see the need to love, feed, protect, and train others. They do unto others what others have done unto them! As the vision grows, God will give the church many spiritually responsible foster parents who will care for those won to Christ. The parent-heart is duplicated in future parents as spiritual children are raised up to full spiritual stature and Christlikeness. ~ Waylon Moore. New Testament Follow-Up For Pastors and Laymen . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1973. pp. 46.

students’ lives. As you review the material below, think of ways that you can improve these skills in your own teaching ministry, wherever you practice it today. 1. What are the three steps discussed under the “Contact, Content, and Connection” model effective biblical teaching? What does each involve, and why is each important to a Spirit-guided approach to biblical instruction? 2. Why is it important to begin a teaching session by seeking to establish contact with your audience? Why will communication of the Word be ineffectual if no link or contact is made immediately with your audience? 3. Give three examples of how Jesus and the apostles began their presentations by making a direct link with some element in the experience, history, or background of the audiences they addressed? How did they use the point of contact to expand and develop their teaching and/or preaching to their audiences? 4. Why are elements like culture, language, communication styles, and the like so important to both establishing contact and communicating the truths of the Bible to others? What is likely to occur if we ignore these essential elements of contact and communication? 5. Why is clarity and boldness so necessary in effectively communicating the Word of God to an audience? Why should we be open to using various means and methods to engage our students with the meaning of the biblical text? 6. How can our imitation of Jesus’ method of teaching stories, metaphors, images, and symbols with passion and clarity make our own communication of the Word more effective? Why are these elements particularly important to acknowledge in urban cultures? 7. In selecting curricula for an student audience, what kind of questions should we ask to ensure that we are addressing the specific subjects and issues that are appropriate to them? How ought the focus on the Scriptures on Story of God in the life and work of Jesus influence every lesson, sermon, and teaching we give to our students? Explain. 8. Name three ways in which we can make direct and potent connections of the content of our biblical messages with the practical concerns, needs, and challenges of our students’ lives.

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