This past weekend, we held a teacher training program for the Sunday school teachers at the Normandia church. There were fifteen people present. This group included current teachers and others who have expressed interest in teaching a class in the Sunday school. This was a spectacular event for the church. But since we regularly hold such training sessions as part of our normal leadership training cycle, you may be wondering why this particular session was so significant.
The teacher training class this past Sunday was the first organized and taught by some of my students from the Bible College program. Having finished their classes in the Philosophy of Christian Education (one undergraduate and one Master’s level student), they were required to develop some practical application for what they had learned. For their project, they decided to organize and teach a class for our current Sunday school teachers and for anyone interested in participating in this ministry. It was a test of their grasp of what they had learned and a means of spreading their newly gained knowledge to an even larger audience.
The program was designed, organized, and taught entirely by students who have completed the Christian education course in the Bible College or Graduate School program. I had no active part other than teaching the Bible college classes and assigning a practical application as their final project. So I was curious as to how the class would turn out and how many people would attend. The class was scheduled to meet for two hours before the Sunday morning church service. It had been announced for two Sundays during the regular service.
Then last Sunday morning, I was up early and headed out for the church building. Since I had no part in the program, they were not expecting me to be there. I knew if I had informed them ahead of time that I planned to attend, they would have insisted that I participate in some way. But since they did not know I was planning on being there, they had everything organized and each topic assigned with a different one of my students teaching each section. I arrived quietly, slipped in, and headed to the back of the room where I took a seat. I did get a nervous glance or two from my student teachers, but both continued teaching their lesson without missing a beat.
Each one did an excellent job and covered the material well. The current and prospective Sunday school teachers were attentive throughout the two hour long class, indicating good teaching. When it was over, there was an excited buzz as the students discussed what they had learned. I sat back and beamed with contentment at the excellent job they had done. Paul instructs Timothy to teach a new generation of reliable leaders who will then teach others (2 Tim.2:2). We have always tried to do this in an informal way, but it was especially rewarding to see this plan functioning so well as a result of the new Bible College program.
Certainly God is blessing this ministry as I dedicate myself to training up this next generation of leaders. We have many spectacular opportunities. Yet we desperately need additional help if we are to take advantage off the many doors God has opened up for us. I am confident that you are as excited about these opportunities as I am and want to share in what God is doing here in Colombia. Join with us today as we build the church of tomorrow here in Colombia by praying for and supporting this ministry!