* It's easier to teach more for less than less for more.
If we only teach one idea, we must creatively amplify and explain it until it's understood clearly.
* The context of ministry seems to be more demanding than the content.
The context instead needs to become secondary to the content.
We need to prioritise thinking and teaching over rostering and administrivia.
* We have bought into the 'going deeper' myth.
Often we think we are going deeper but most of the time it means we are taking people in over their heads. We don't water down the message; but just make it flow like a tap rather than a fire hydrant.
* We worry about not having enough to say.
(Ouch. This is getting personal for me now. Lucky it doesn't mention "fear of being found out to be a fraud"!) The object of our communication is not to cover a lot of material but to make sure people learn. If the student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught.
* We fear we will leave something out.
(Yikes! Like the gospel? Amen)
*If we try to explain everything, we can be sure they will understand nothing.
(Dave Thurston talks about intentionally leaving 'gaps' in our teaching - wide enough to spark thinking in the mind of the listener, but not so wide that they get confused or give up. This helps people learn how to think well for themselves, as well as the content that we are teaching)
* We teach what is predetermined by entities outside our ministry.
Often we are pressured into teaching what others think is important. We must remember that it is we who are responsible for what is taught to those in our care.
* We confuse information with application.
(I heard once whilst at college that good exegisis IS good application. Really? I don't doubt it - for college lecturers who haven't met a real person on the street for 15 years)
* Often when we review our sermons or seminars we ask the wrong questions:
Is is true? Interesting? Creative? Passionate? Entertaining?
When really these should be givens.
What we really must be asking ourselves on behalf of our listeners is "Is it helpful?"
If not, we've failed to help our people.
It's like teaching shakespeare to people who really need to learn how to dance.
Friday, March 26, 2010
4 Steps to teach less for more
1) Decide what you are going to say.
Determine the critical things this person/group needs to learn.
2) Decide to say one thing at a time.
Too much info has a cancelling effect. Multiples ideas actually compete for a listener's attention. Every additional idea we introduce diminishes the effectiveness of the prior ideas already presented. When people walk away from a teaching moment with just one principle that can be applied, they are much more likely to remember it and beging trying to apply it!
Focus on just one principle and you enhance the potential of every listener to really 'get it'.
3) Decide how you are going to say it.
We need to engage the mind and the heart. People have different learning styles which we must try to appeal to. When using multiple mediums, all must complement the one main idea.
When an audience gets confused by mixed messages, they disengage.
4) Say it over and over again.
What is worth remembering is always worth repeating.
Repetition is how we learn.
Repetition is thus really important.
Good presentation, not new information, engages a students imagination. We need to package the one idea in an engaging and relevant way. The problem is not finding new info, but better presenting timeless truths so they will never be considered irrelevant.
Repitition is really important....
Determine the critical things this person/group needs to learn.
2) Decide to say one thing at a time.
Too much info has a cancelling effect. Multiples ideas actually compete for a listener's attention. Every additional idea we introduce diminishes the effectiveness of the prior ideas already presented. When people walk away from a teaching moment with just one principle that can be applied, they are much more likely to remember it and beging trying to apply it!
Focus on just one principle and you enhance the potential of every listener to really 'get it'.
3) Decide how you are going to say it.
We need to engage the mind and the heart. People have different learning styles which we must try to appeal to. When using multiple mediums, all must complement the one main idea.
When an audience gets confused by mixed messages, they disengage.
4) Say it over and over again.
What is worth remembering is always worth repeating.
Repetition is how we learn.
Repetition is thus really important.
Good presentation, not new information, engages a students imagination. We need to package the one idea in an engaging and relevant way. The problem is not finding new info, but better presenting timeless truths so they will never be considered irrelevant.
Repitition is really important....
Teaching with the end in mind
We have to teach with the end in mind.
* When we do this, understanding that people are on a journey, we are forced to prioritise what we teach, and when.
* All Scripture is inspired by God; but not all Scripture is equally important to a person/group at any given time. Further, all Scripture is not equally able to be applied at any given time. (If we've worked with people in different age groups and different situations, we already know this to be true. We would find it unhelpful to try to teach the details of the story of David and Bathsheeba to preppies; but might find it very applicable to teenagers whose hormones are racing like crazy)
* To teach less for more, we must identify and package a handful of must-know, can't-be-without, age-appropriate principles for each target group.
* What are we going to say and not say in the limited time we have with people?
* We must make time before teaching a group, to decide what the big issues are for them; and establishing them as the irreducible minimums we must address.
* In doing this, we are saying that these things are the MOST important; not the ONLY things that are important.
* Thinking this way asks the question "How do I want to help shape these people?", since we must keep the end in mind.
* When we think about how we are helping to shape people, this changes the way we teach.
* When we do this, understanding that people are on a journey, we are forced to prioritise what we teach, and when.
* All Scripture is inspired by God; but not all Scripture is equally important to a person/group at any given time. Further, all Scripture is not equally able to be applied at any given time. (If we've worked with people in different age groups and different situations, we already know this to be true. We would find it unhelpful to try to teach the details of the story of David and Bathsheeba to preppies; but might find it very applicable to teenagers whose hormones are racing like crazy)
* To teach less for more, we must identify and package a handful of must-know, can't-be-without, age-appropriate principles for each target group.
* What are we going to say and not say in the limited time we have with people?
* We must make time before teaching a group, to decide what the big issues are for them; and establishing them as the irreducible minimums we must address.
* In doing this, we are saying that these things are the MOST important; not the ONLY things that are important.
* Thinking this way asks the question "How do I want to help shape these people?", since we must keep the end in mind.
* When we think about how we are helping to shape people, this changes the way we teach.
Teach Less for More
I have a real problem limiting how much info I want to teach people when I preach.
So it's great to read some really mind-bending ideas in a good little book that we are going through together as a staff team. It's called "7 Practices of Effective Ministry" and yes, it's American.
I'm finding the current chapter (practice #4) particularly helpful.
The key idea is that we need to Teach Less for More.
Information Overload
* We all accumulate a lot of knowledge in our lives; very little of which is actually helpful on a practical level.
* When learning a sport or hobby, a good teacher will first focus on the fundamentals of the game, teaching us only what we need to know.
(I've got a good friend called Peter Evans who I've watched model this really well. Find someone who teaches well and watch them in action)
* This is especially the case when the game is a complex one.
* When we think about it, we don't really learn something until we really need to know it.
(A good example is talking to people about Jesus. I find that when I go through periods of lots of conversations with people, my efforts at sharing the gospel seem far better and sharper than when I'm hit up to explain the gospel after a long period of stagnation. At that point, I essentially have to re-learn a lot of what I had already loaded into my brain on previous occasions)
* The greater the need, the higher the interest and potential to actually learn.
(Now that I've begun having some good conversations with some pretty fundamentalist muslims, I'm becoming much more interested in how best to talk about Jesus with people from such radically different backgrounds to me)
* Most of us don't learn so we can know more; we learn when we need to know something.
(Changing a tyre on the company car when on the edge of the gateway motorway, in peak hour traffic, in the middle of winter, with about 30cm's of lane space to work within...... that's when I learnt to change a tyre!)
* Our responsibility as teachers and communicators is critical: we must make sure we know what people really need to learn.
* Sometimes this involves helping people understand themselves why they need to learn something.
(I never learned of my need for Jesus until my friends explained the sin within)
* We can drastically improve how much people learn if we teach less but better.
* Sometimes we will actually need to say more about fewer things.
* These things should be limited to what our hearers most need to hear.
* Kids learn by doing things. Most adults still learn like kids. Concrete applications are crucial (Eg. 'our lives depend on them!')
* We must therefore separate what is important from what is merely interesting.
* We must be infocists (my term). All knowledge is NOT equal.
* Good teachers begin by identifying what is most important for their students to know.
So it's great to read some really mind-bending ideas in a good little book that we are going through together as a staff team. It's called "7 Practices of Effective Ministry" and yes, it's American.
I'm finding the current chapter (practice #4) particularly helpful.
The key idea is that we need to Teach Less for More.
Information Overload
* We all accumulate a lot of knowledge in our lives; very little of which is actually helpful on a practical level.
* When learning a sport or hobby, a good teacher will first focus on the fundamentals of the game, teaching us only what we need to know.
(I've got a good friend called Peter Evans who I've watched model this really well. Find someone who teaches well and watch them in action)
* This is especially the case when the game is a complex one.
* When we think about it, we don't really learn something until we really need to know it.
(A good example is talking to people about Jesus. I find that when I go through periods of lots of conversations with people, my efforts at sharing the gospel seem far better and sharper than when I'm hit up to explain the gospel after a long period of stagnation. At that point, I essentially have to re-learn a lot of what I had already loaded into my brain on previous occasions)
* The greater the need, the higher the interest and potential to actually learn.
(Now that I've begun having some good conversations with some pretty fundamentalist muslims, I'm becoming much more interested in how best to talk about Jesus with people from such radically different backgrounds to me)
* Most of us don't learn so we can know more; we learn when we need to know something.
(Changing a tyre on the company car when on the edge of the gateway motorway, in peak hour traffic, in the middle of winter, with about 30cm's of lane space to work within...... that's when I learnt to change a tyre!)
* Our responsibility as teachers and communicators is critical: we must make sure we know what people really need to learn.
* Sometimes this involves helping people understand themselves why they need to learn something.
(I never learned of my need for Jesus until my friends explained the sin within)
* We can drastically improve how much people learn if we teach less but better.
* Sometimes we will actually need to say more about fewer things.
* These things should be limited to what our hearers most need to hear.
* Kids learn by doing things. Most adults still learn like kids. Concrete applications are crucial (Eg. 'our lives depend on them!')
* We must therefore separate what is important from what is merely interesting.
* We must be infocists (my term). All knowledge is NOT equal.
* Good teachers begin by identifying what is most important for their students to know.
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Single Issue
I'm reading 'The Single Issue' by UK author Al Hsu.
It's not the sort of book I'd choose to read while at bible college (I have around 10 books to read on justification at the moment) but a lady from church who was single for a long time lent it to me....with a strong recommendation that I get into it and at least start thinking things through about singleness.
Of course, I couldn't help but check out Al's take on 1 Corinthians 7.
This was the first thing to do.... to see if it was in accord with Dr Brucey Winter's take on singleness and marriage. But, thankfully, I was able to shake myself free of that creeping habit of assuming that my scholar and teacher (whoever that may be) is the guru and font of all knowledge. I'm also finding it hard to relate to singleness since I married my highschool sweetheart at age 22.
I've only just covered the intro and chapter 1. While the author sounds a little too defensive and reactionary (and seems to blame the church for his own hangups) I am being made to rethink some of my unconscious assumptions about singleness, society and church. (Maybe it's me who's being defensive about his hangups?)
One interesting observation she makes (is Al a guy or a girl?) is that virginity now carries the social stigma that adultery and premarital sex once had.
If that is the case, it's no wonder we live in a confused society.
It's not the sort of book I'd choose to read while at bible college (I have around 10 books to read on justification at the moment) but a lady from church who was single for a long time lent it to me....with a strong recommendation that I get into it and at least start thinking things through about singleness.
Of course, I couldn't help but check out Al's take on 1 Corinthians 7.
This was the first thing to do.... to see if it was in accord with Dr Brucey Winter's take on singleness and marriage. But, thankfully, I was able to shake myself free of that creeping habit of assuming that my scholar and teacher (whoever that may be) is the guru and font of all knowledge. I'm also finding it hard to relate to singleness since I married my highschool sweetheart at age 22.
I've only just covered the intro and chapter 1. While the author sounds a little too defensive and reactionary (and seems to blame the church for his own hangups) I am being made to rethink some of my unconscious assumptions about singleness, society and church. (Maybe it's me who's being defensive about his hangups?)
One interesting observation she makes (is Al a guy or a girl?) is that virginity now carries the social stigma that adultery and premarital sex once had.
If that is the case, it's no wonder we live in a confused society.
Friday, March 19, 2010
DeYoung and the Restless: Christianity vs McLarenism
For some great discussion and thinking on what Brian McLaren has been smoking, check out this guy, who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
Here's his blog:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2010/02/17/christianity-and-mclarenism-1/
Dave
Here's his blog:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2010/02/17/christianity-and-mclarenism-1/
Dave
Personality Cult?
I just saw an article on the Sydney Anglicans website titled "Personality Cult?"
It was headed with a small picture of a bloke that looked like Peter Jensen..... what??
Upon checking it out I discovered it was a piccie of Richard Dawkins. Woops.
It was headed with a small picture of a bloke that looked like Peter Jensen..... what??
Upon checking it out I discovered it was a piccie of Richard Dawkins. Woops.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Speaking of the People
Last week at Creek Rd Steve preached from Mark 8... challenging us to ask ourselves whether we really perceive why Jesus came. He asked me to lead both morning services, which included leading us in prayer.
As a staff team we're really trying to lift the whole shaping of each service. In prayer, we're doing this by insisting on written, prepared prayers. This is a cultural change for CRPC from longer prayers delivered ex tempore ('out of the moment'). We've adopted the ACTS thinking of 2 prayers (Adoration and Confession early on; Thanksgiving and Supplication later) by transplanting this idea from 10.30 church into 8:30 church and splitting what was previously a very long, single pastoral prayer. The first prayer is to reflect the big idea (eg. Jesus came to die for us) and also tie in with the rest of the service.
In this case, we had just begun the service with a very quick intro and two songs. The songs were 'Hear all creation sing' and 'Forever'. The big question we were setting up was "Why did Jesus come?".The kids were still in the service and we are aiming for prayers of only 3-4 minutes, since this seems to be the maximum that anyone can follow attentively. Steve was going to preach about seeing vs perceiving later when he looked at Peter and how, by Mk 8, he only partially understands what it means for Jesus to be the Christ.
Several people have asked me how/where I got the first prayer from; and many commented on how well it integrated into and lifted the whole message of the service. Here it is. I've included the bold bits which helped me to emphasise certain points.
Gracious God, we look forward to the day when we will hear all creation singing to you; when we will hear great rejoicing throughout the world, at the name of Jesus.
And even though the whole universe is not big enough to can contain you, even though you are a very, very big God, we still ask that you take for yourself the throne of our hearts, made by you and for you, and rule as our king, supreme in our lives, without rival; seeing off all competitors for our affections and dreams.
Put down in us every rebellious desire, every evil passion.
Purify our hearts by your mighty power and make us yours forever, Lord.
As your love endures forever, so too we want to sing praise to you forever.
For you are worthy to be praised with every breath we take,
to be loved with all our thoughts and affections
and to be served with every act of our will.....
...to be loved with all our bits and pieces.
For you have loved us, committed yourself to us....
You’ve received, purchased, washed, cleansed, clothed and adopted us as your children...
when we were unworthy, broken, rebellious, filthy and opposed to your rule in our lives.
We were dead in our rebellion and in our sin,
having no eyes to even see you,
no ears to hear you,
no desire to know you....
...and no capacity to please you.
pause
We confess Lord, that we still get clouded by trivial problems,
that we fight over silly things,
that we doubt your ability or willingness to provide us what we need....
forgetting again and again that you have met our greatest – our deepest need.
For your Son Jesus died for us.
You have brought us forgiveness from our sins - by his blood shed on the cross.
And your Spirit has awakened us, has worked in our hearts as we’ve heard you reveal yourself to us, and as you have raised us from death to life... to abundant and eternal life together with you.
We are now your new creation.
We now hunger and thirst after you.
Your Word has come alive to us through your Son Jesus...
And now he is our light, our guide, our comfort and our delight.
Amen.
In terms of drafting the prayer, I asked God to help me prepare (especially since I was very tired at the time) before getting stuck into it. I simply pulled out an old Valley of Vision prayer from the Puritans; translated some of the language into more modern English phrases, added a couple for the kiddies and changed a couple to more tie in with the songs and the big idea. Then I applied the Thurstonesque technique of quietly laying some seeds early on in the prayer (eg. the creation idea) to pick up at the end (eg. "now we are your new creation"). Then I reread it through a couple of times, removing the fluff and sharpening some phrases. Finally, I checked the wordcount to ensure it was under 3.5 minutes (at 125 words per minute).
I find service leading a great opportunity not only to help teach truth that's really healthy for our lives (Titus 2:1) but a very healthy exercise for my own edification. It was very nourishing for my soul, good fun and (so I'm told) helpful for the congregation. It is indeed a great privilege to have the responsibility of serving in this way.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Meditation on Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
Who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Or stand in the way of sinners,
Or sit in the seat of scoffers;
But his delight is in the instruction of the LORD,
And on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
whose leaves don't shrivel up.
In all that he does, he prospers!
Evil men aren't like this,
but are like ashes that the wind blows away.
And so they won't stand in the day of judgement,
nor amongst the community of the righteous...
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous man,
but the way of the evil man will be destroyed.
My prayer in response...
LORD, please bless me as you have named me:
Make me a man after your own heart.
Help me to stop walking in ways that are deceitful and misleading.
Help me not to lie down in laziness...negligent of the family and friends you have given me.
Help me not to sit in judgement, dishonouring my elders with my scoffing cynicism.
Instead LORD, stoke the fire of the joy of following Jesus within my heart.
May my life be overflowing with encouragement and blessing for others.
May the meditation of my heart and the words of my lips be pleasing in your sight!
LORD, your steadfast love never ceases!
It flows like a river and waters my soul.
Help me to grow like a tree, planted and nourished by the living waters of your Spirit.
As one firmly planted, help me to yield fruit
according to the seasons in which you grant me life.
Let me spring forth love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.
May the abundance of your good gifts not shrivel up in the burning sun of the barren desert of this life.
LORD, grow me in your Word
so that everything I do
would encourage those around me to grow
in their love for the one who destroyed death on our behalf.
Help me not to play the evil man,
whose good behaviour belies so much hypocrisy,
whose shallow character will be exposed by the depths of your judgement.
May the refining fire of your discipline renew a steadfast spirit within me....
prevent me from being blown away like ash in a bushfire.
Instead LORD, cultivate within me the character you desire.
For your judgement will be final and complete.
Who, without Christ, will be able to withstand your anger?
Where can we turn but for the Mediator you have provided?
Who will live outside the gathering of your people around the cross?
You know the way of the ones granted righteousness in Christ
and you know the way of those who will die in the barren wasteland...
without Jesus, without the Spirit and without hope.
Amen.
Who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Or stand in the way of sinners,
Or sit in the seat of scoffers;
But his delight is in the instruction of the LORD,
And on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
whose leaves don't shrivel up.
In all that he does, he prospers!
Evil men aren't like this,
but are like ashes that the wind blows away.
And so they won't stand in the day of judgement,
nor amongst the community of the righteous...
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous man,
but the way of the evil man will be destroyed.
My prayer in response...
LORD, please bless me as you have named me:
Make me a man after your own heart.
Help me to stop walking in ways that are deceitful and misleading.
Help me not to lie down in laziness...negligent of the family and friends you have given me.
Help me not to sit in judgement, dishonouring my elders with my scoffing cynicism.
Instead LORD, stoke the fire of the joy of following Jesus within my heart.
May my life be overflowing with encouragement and blessing for others.
May the meditation of my heart and the words of my lips be pleasing in your sight!
LORD, your steadfast love never ceases!
It flows like a river and waters my soul.
Help me to grow like a tree, planted and nourished by the living waters of your Spirit.
As one firmly planted, help me to yield fruit
according to the seasons in which you grant me life.
Let me spring forth love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.
May the abundance of your good gifts not shrivel up in the burning sun of the barren desert of this life.
LORD, grow me in your Word
so that everything I do
would encourage those around me to grow
in their love for the one who destroyed death on our behalf.
Help me not to play the evil man,
whose good behaviour belies so much hypocrisy,
whose shallow character will be exposed by the depths of your judgement.
May the refining fire of your discipline renew a steadfast spirit within me....
prevent me from being blown away like ash in a bushfire.
Instead LORD, cultivate within me the character you desire.
For your judgement will be final and complete.
Who, without Christ, will be able to withstand your anger?
Where can we turn but for the Mediator you have provided?
Who will live outside the gathering of your people around the cross?
You know the way of the ones granted righteousness in Christ
and you know the way of those who will die in the barren wasteland...
without Jesus, without the Spirit and without hope.
Amen.
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