Please Note: This blog is
the third of a three part series that is intended to follow the viewing of the
introductory video “Embracing the Wesleyan Way” that may be found on YouTube at
CEF NGUMC, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P44OmNgpixg. Also,
please find links for resources included in the footnotes for this article.
Years ago I was one of a few adults who took a confirmation
class of 8th graders on a retreat to learn about the United
Methodist Church. Most of the weekend
was full of positive experiences that embodied the reality of God’s love and
grace. Yet, there was one class session taught
by a leader in the UMC that was something altogether different. Surprisingly, this leader called the youth
out for their choice of clothing, embarrassed them in front of their peers for
not knowing the answers to his questions, and smugly used words for which the
teens had no understanding. It became
evident that this particular church leader had no interest at all in the youth that
he had been asked to instruct. If the young
people learned anything during that session, it was not the session’s explicit
learning goals like the history of Methodism or the meaning of prevenient,
justifying, and sanctifying grace, but rather a very unfortunate implicit
message that some people in church leadership are more interested in exercising
their own authority and displaying their own knowledge than in connecting with
and equipping the younger generation.
This
is a harsh example, yet a poignant one. In
educational settings, often times the non-verbal message drowns out the verbal
message. Education expert Elliot Eisner
argues that the way in which classes are led and the environments in which
people are taught matter just as much as, if not more than, the explicit
curriculum.[1] Educators have the power to influence
learners, for good or for bad, by the ways that they communicate and the
dynamics that they facilitate. Simply
put, as an educator, what you do and how you do it has just as much power to
teach as the topic or material you plan to cover.
As
Christians engaged in faith formation in the Wesleyan tradition it is our goal
to create learning spaces that embody a theology of grace. Embodiment takes seriously the understanding
that the relational aspect of learning is important. Such an understanding makes sense when we
consider God’s own example in the person of Jesus. God does not merely give us
a set of rules to learn and follow, but becomes us and lives among us, showing
us how to relate to the world, to one another, and to God. (Before Christ, God called a particular
people—the Israelites—to embody God’s relational presence. After Christ, God calls us, the church, to be
the Body of Christ in the world.) This
is what we mean when we say that the Christian faith is incarnational. God’s work is never sterile and detached, but
rather engages the messy and disorderly stuff of human life. Therefore, in order to teach a theology of
grace, teachers and leaders must embody and facilitate a theology of grace. Much time and energy can be spent on equipping
leaders with an understanding of a theology of grace and selecting curriculum
that reflects a theology of grace, but all of that will mean very little if classrooms
and/or small groups are not themselves grace filled.
As you
seek to create grace filled learning environments, here are a few suggestions:[2]
·
Offer Hospitality--
Master teacher Parker Palmer explains, “Hospitality means receiving each other,
our struggles, our newborn ideas with openness and care.”[3]
A hospitable learning environment is a safe space where people of all ages are
invited to be themselves. Hospitality
allows people to ask questions and offer their thoughts and ideas without
judgment.
·
Help Build Bridges Between People’s Lives
and People’s Faith--For many people the connection between their
experience in the church and the issues, decisions, and circumstances of their
lives do not seem very obvious. Learners
must be given the opportunity to ask how stories of faith relate to the stories
of their lives.
·
Take Seriously the Personal Experiences of
All Learners—People have real experiences of God and struggle with deep
questions of faith. (This includes
children! Although children may not
express themselves in the same way as adults, their experiences of God are
real![4]
) Christian education must honor the realities of peoples’ lives. Christian educators must not be threatened by
these realities. Learners must be given
the opportunity to share their stories and listen to one another.
·
Risk Cognitive Dissonance—“Cognitive
dissonance can be defined as the clash of what a person knows or believes with
new, conflicting knowledge or beliefs.
Many adult educators agree that sometimes dissonance is necessary to
learning.”[5] Do not be afraid of people’s doubts and
struggles. Growing pains are normal, not
only physically, but also spiritually.
·
Honor Difference—Real differences
must be valued as gifts to our common life in Christian community. The Body of Christ is made up of diverse
members. Through respect for another’s
perspective we grow beyond the limitations of ourselves. Diversity is a gift to be treasured!
·
Recognize All Participants as Both Learners
and Teachers—All participants in educational environments have
something to teach and something to learn.
Teachers/Facilitators are also learners.
Learners are also teachers.
Leaders of educational ministries are not expected to be the
authoritative voice of “Truth.” Every
person has the potential to both teach and learn. This includes the youngest and the oldest
among us.
·
Be Dynamic, Not Static—We worship a
living God! Leaders must be open to the
unexpected. Educational environments
must be organic spaces that foster creativity and imagination, as well as
exhibit flexibility that leaves room for the Holy Spirit!
·
Reflect Who You Are by What You Do—Your
actions can, and often do, speak louder than your words. Exhibit grace, love, and kindness, and invite
the same from others. Christian
educators should always be committed to the establishment of loving Christian
communities where all members are valued as brothers and sisters in
Christ.
Possible Questions for Further Discussion:
1) In your
own words, what does it mean to “embody” a theology of grace?
2) Have you
ever experienced time with a leader or teacher whose actions contradicted the
curriculum that he/she was attempting to teach?
What was that experience like?
Was your learning hindered by leader?
3) How can
churches better equip leaders to facilitate grace filled learning
environments?
Article 3 of 3
Kim Reindl is a professional Christian Educator
who chairs the Discipleship Ministry Team for the North Georgia Conference of
the UMC and has served as the Program Chair for North Georgia CEF. Kim
creates curriculum resources and is available to lead retreats, workshops, and
seminars through Pomegranate Christian Education & Formation, www.pomegranatece.com. You can contact her at kim@mail.pomegranatece.com.
[1] Elliot Eisner, “Three Curricula All Schools Teach,” The
Educational Imagination, (New York: Macmillan, 1979).
[2]
For additional FREE small group facilitation materials go to www.pomegranatece.com à “Curriculum &
Resources” and complete the order form for the “Training Resource:
Miscellaneous Guides to Small Group Facilitation.”
[3]
Parker J. Palmer, To Know as We Are
Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey, (San Francisco: Harper Collins,
1993), 73-74.
[4]
Karen Yust, Real Kids, Real Faith:
Practices for Nurturing Children’s Spiritual Lives, (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.)
[5] Christine Eaton Blair, 2001. The Art of Teaching the Bible: A Practical Guide for Adults, (Louisville,
Kentucky: Geneva Press, 2001), 33.
