The Why

Your pastor went to seminary. During that time he learned the Bible, biblical languages, theology, church history, and how to preach. In other words, he was trained. When your church is preparing to select new elders and deacons, they are taught the basics of what the church is, how it is run, and their role in overseeing the church. In other words, they are trained.

Aside from the leadership, which group in the church would you say is the most important? My answer would be the teachers – on all levels. Think about the fact that these people are the ones we are entrusting with the very training of the next generation of your church. Do they deserve to be trained any less than those who oversee the church?

How would you respond to this? Your teachers come to you all excited about a new curriculum they discovered. The three basic truths taught are 1) Wisdom – I need to make the wise choice; 2) Faith – I can trust God no matter what; and 3) Friendship – I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Does this sound good to you? If it does, then you need more training than you know. These are not Biblical objectives, and you must know the difference if you are going to be able to protect your children from such teaching.

What biblical objectives should You be watching out for?

Great Commission Publications, our denomination’s official curriculum publisher, puts it this way:

• Whole counsel of God: the Bible is the complete, unified Word of God. Each part of Scripture is examined in light of the whole. The many stories and chapters tell one story—God’s story.

• God-Focused: central to our existence is God himself as sovereign creator/redeemer/King. What is man’s chief end? to glorify God and enjoy him forever! (Shorter catechism Q/a 1)

• Christ-centered: the unfolding story of Christ, the promised Savior, is the focal point of all Scripture. Showing Jesus—the truth of the gospel—should pervade everything we teach.

• Covenantal: God’s covenant of grace is the key thread that ties the Bible together. We can trust in God’s promise that he will be our God and we will be his people.

One reason this poorer philosophy is followed is because your leadership lacks training in a certain area – how to teach. If you look at any of the PCA related seminaries, they spend 4-6 semesters training pastors how to preach, but not even one course on training them how to teach. Do you know that your pastor could have a PhD in theology and not be allowed to teach in any elementary or secondary school in the us? The reason is – he is not formally trained in the art of teaching. I have yet to find any college or university in the us which requires their faculty to have training in understanding the teaching and learning process. All they need is a piece of paper that says they know their subject. Paul tells both Timothy and Titus that the way they are to combat the false teaching in the church is by selecting elders who are “able to teach.” I have yet to see a leadership training program done in any church that includes this. “If a church cannot train those who teach, why should a church think it can train its members?” (Author unknown).

Having said this, it now must be understood that the responsibility of training the teachers in the local church must be taken by that church. This is where Christian Education and Publications comes into play. The seminary is there to train your pastor, CEP was created by the denomination to help train your church. One way we do this is through our regional Trainers. These men and women are experts in understanding the teaching and learning process and know how to pass on that knowledge and training.

Every regional Trainer is actively at work in the local church modeling how teaching should be done. They are regionally spread out so you don’t have to get someone from the other end of the country. They have a list of subjects they can offer, and these are then tailored to fit the individual needs of any church. You can find more details at www.pcacep.org/regionaltrainers.

CEP also offers training through the Equip to Disciple conferences held in any area that would like to host it. This training can cover the entire educational range of any church, including nursery, children, youth, adult, women, men, seniors, leadership, culture, etc. This Equip to Disciple magazine content is available to all free of charge. We also have e-newsletters.

Read this entire issue of Equip to Disciple in PDF (Acrobat Reader required)

The How

How then shall we train? There are many ways training can be implemented within any church.

• Annual Appreciation Banquet – This is a treat and a great way to say thank you to all who give their time to teach in the church. But, for this to be successful and meaningful, the senior pastor must be a major player. Without him present it says that the teachers are only a small part of the leadership’s vision for the church. Use 1-2 hours at most to take some time to do a training session.

• Annual Teacher’s Contract – This is a way to help the teachers know exactly what the church is expecting them to do. It is also saying that they are not being bound to a lifetime commitment. Included in this contract must also be what the church is promising to do to help them throughout the year.

• Quarterly Training Night – Many churches fear even trying this as they believe that no one has the time. If we really believe that this ministry is that critical to the life and health of our church, then this is not an option. But for this to be successful, the right night has to be worked out, and the training must be worth their time. Don’t expect 100% attendance. Rejoice in any and all who do come. If you do this right, word will get to the others and some day they too will come.

• Monthly Training – The only way this can happen is when you have a really good plan and the teachers believe how valuable this time is for them.

• Individual Training and Observation – Teachers should never feel that the classroom belongs to them alone. It needs to be understood that they are part of something greater. Your observing them should be expected, and they should be made to feel at ease. You can then meet with them outside the class to go over what strengths and weaknesses you have observed.

• Electronic Training – Regular email tips can be sent to every teacher. Recordings of training sessions will allow for review or catch-up by any who miss. If someone is away and would still like to participate, Skype is available. Skype allows both the class and the individual to see each other. It even allows the participant to see the full screen presentation just like the students in the room.

• Multi-Church Training – Whenever possible, unite with other churches in your presbytery for a day of training.

OBJECTIVES IN TRAINING

What are some of the things we want to accomplish?

• That every lesson ask: By the end of this lesson, what do I want my students to know, to be, and to do. If you don’t know what these mean, you need training.

• Teachers need training to deepen their knowledge, and

• To expand their skills (learning new methods – especially those that will reach those students who do not learn in the same way they do. For more on this, see the series of articles on Learning Styles on the CEP website.)

• They need to be trained to be better at learning how to apply their teaching so the student knows exactly what they are expected to do when they walk out the door. This is perhaps the greatest weakness in much of the teaching and preaching I hear in the PCA. I will be addressing the two types of application in an upcoming Equip Tip.

• Training needs to explain the discipleship process. The ultimate goal for all of Christian education is – changed lives. Discipleship is a process that can only be measured in small increments! Discipleship sets out to help every student develop a world and life view that helps them see the world the way God sees it, and to think the way God thinks.

• This kind of discipleship training helps the student know how to pass on their faith.

• To know how to connect the dots between today’s world and the world of our forefathers in Church history and our denomination.

• Our disciples need to see themselves as more then individuals. They are part of God’s Church, and need to be trained to live in God’s kingdom.

Finally, if we are teaching the Word so that people will be wise, have faith and be a good friend, we have missed God’s message. Our teachers must be trained in how to communicate sound doctrine that always brings our students back to the Gospel and the glory of God. Are the teachers in your church trained to do that? Our regional trainers are “trained” to help your church’s teachers communicate the true message of scripture. CEP also has the resources to help. Look them over at our bookstore website: www.cepbookstore.com.