Understanding and Achieving the Goal in all Educational Ministries in the Church
Everyone involved in teaching God's Word needs to have a clear understanding of what he is trying to accomplish when he teaches his students. It's unfortunate that many teachers in Christian education are not aware of what the primary goal is, so they have settled for inferior goals. If you stopped teachers on their way into the classroom and asked what their goal is for that hour, you would hear such answers as:
To impart knowledge
To entertain the students
To fill up the time (or endure the hour)
None of these hit the mark on what God has to say on the subject. You will want to listen carefully to the following lecture from Dr. Martin in order to find out the goal that should be in your mind every time you stand to teach from the Bible. The second lecture focuses on how to teach so that you can actually achieve that goal.
After listening to the lectures and reading the chapter on "Understanding the Goal of Teaching in Christian Education," you may want to try to write out your own thoughts on what you believe is the goal of teaching or preaching in the ministries of the church. Trying to crystallize your philosophy in this way will help you better put that philosophy into practice in your teaching or preaching. We have included some guideline questions for you to think through in trying to express your beliefs in this important area. Feel free to adapt what you find in the sessions as you formulate your philosophy.