Teacher Workshop for Adults - Teens by David Sproule Part 1

Equipped Workshop hosted by Lehman Avenue church of Christ

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 2:30 MPR 4 Speaker

Speaker:David Sproule

The need for Bible teaching in the church

• There has always been a need for Bible teaching in the church.
  • Sharing of Paul's letters
• The condition of our society and homes emphasizes a need for Bible teaching.
  • Large number of broken homes
• What is the cannon, universal need of every person today?
• The Bible and, therefore, Bible education is essential in the church.

The biblical Authority for Bible teaching in the church

• In the Old Testament, teaching God's word was done regularly.
• In the life of Jesus, teaching God's word was done regularly
• In the New Testament, teaching God's word has done regularly
  • Jesus instructed His disciples to teach others,
  • We see the emphasis of the early church on teaching,
  • We see certain teachers and certain students identified
• The Bible Gives Ample Authority for Teaching the Bible to Children & Adults.
  • The Bible says that “faith comes by hearing” (Rom. 10:17).

The expediency of making Bible classes fit your congregation

• All that the church does must be done by the authority of Christ.
• While Teaching the Bible Is Required, the Method Used in the Bible School Is Expedient.
  • An expedient aids in carrying out God’s will in a manner in which He has authorized.
  • The expedient itself must be authorized, but it does allow for options in its implementation.
  • Thus, the church must teach the Bible, and it can do so in a way that best fits that congregation.
    • The day
    • The time
    • The format
    • The schedule
    • The curriculum
• Each congregation is unique.

Stepping into the Bible The Dream

• Congregation: Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ
• The congregation has a strong history of children’s Bible classes
• We desired and talked about writing our own curriculum for years
• Finally, the dream became more than just a dream
  • December 2009 - The Initial Meeting: An Idea Sparked
  • January 2010 - The Concept Presented: A Curriculum Adopted
  • Mid 2012 - The Elder Challenge: A Target Set
  • January 2013 - The Teaching Begins: A Work in Progress
  • August 2019 - The Curriculum Finished: A Dream Realized

The Development: Envision

• We wanted a curriculum that truly fit our needs
  • A program that would teach the Bible
  • A program that focused on Bible education over entertainment
  • A complete program that was not a collection from various sources
  • A consistent direction, format and appearance throughout
  • An engaging program that got the parents involved at home each week
• We wanted an immersive experience
  • From the moment the kids entered their hallway
  • When they walked into their classrooms
  • We wanted just a few weeks in each classroom to keep them engaged
• We wanted a complete teaching resource
  • Something that would make it easier for our teachers to prepare and teach
  • Something that would make it easier for members to agree to teach
  • Something that would guarantee consistency of lessons from teacher to teacher

The Development: Execute

• The Curriculum Committee – Writing “Stepping into the Bible”
  • We sat down as a group, with open Bibles, and identified Bible lessons to teach
    • We ended up identifying 280 Bible lessons to be part of the curriculum
  • We decided to do away with the 13-week quarter system
    • We wanted the children to rotate classrooms (in Bible scenes) on a frequent basis
  • We decided that each age group would be taught in each classroom for four weeks
    • Each classroom represented a particular division of Biblical narrative
    • Four lessons were grouped together to be taught in each room
    • We called these 4-week teaching rounds, “Sessions”
  • We decided that we would rotate every four weeks through the five classrooms
    • Each age group would have an opportunity to be taught in each classroom
    • The total time for these rotations would be 20 weeks, which we called, “Semesters”
  • Finally, an internal “writing” committee began creating each lesson plan
    • Each lesson plan was intended for all age groups – tailored by the teacher to their specific class

• The Classroom Committee – Creating the Environment
  • Design and decorate FIVE classrooms for each semester, with each classroom representing an immersion into one of the 4-lesson sessions
  • Create some kind of picture-based timeline in the room
  • Realized a need for time (two weeks) between semesters to change each classroom
• The Hallway Committee – Immerse Upon Arrival
  • Transform the entire hallway where our children’s classes meet
  • Bible stories to come alive on the walls, covering every square inch
  • Tell the story of the Bible from one end of the hallway to the other
  • Include some 3-D elements coming out of the walls
• The Teaching Resources Committee – Reinforcing the Lessons
  • Each classroom to be stocked with visual aids to help enhance teaching the lesson
  • Ample selection of handwork for the children that corresponded to the Bible lesson
  • Songs that would fit and reinforce each lesson
  • Make Wednesday nights special, providing additional lesson reinforcement

The Classrooms (Several pictures) The Media Center (Pictures) The Teacher's Binder

• Each binder has four lessons (for each classroom)
• Intended to give teachers “everything” needed
  • Teacher Instruction
  • Lesson Plan
  • Handwork
  • Songbook and flash drive
• Intended to unify our educational efforts
• Intended to ensure consistency
• Intended to be easily adaptable to all ages

The Lesson Plan

• Take Home Review Sheet (picture)
  • Objective
  • Scripture Reference
  • Memory Verse
  • Lesson Facts
  • Review Questions
• Narrative
• Discussion Questions for Older Kids
• Wednesday Night Highlights
• Suggested Songs (pictures)

The Curriculum

• 16 Semesters
  • Customized numbering system: Semester.Session.Lesson
• 280 lessons of original material
• 8 Old Testament semesters (with 1 review semester)
• 8 New Testament semesters (with 1 review semester)
• 2-week mini-session
• Rotation every four weeks

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mBFZooJPFg

Duration: 45:43