Sunday, August 18, 2019

As a teacher of English in South Korea, I decided to become certified. So I took and completed a 120 hour TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course. Part of this course included a chapter on the ESA method of teaching, that is Engage, Study, Activate.
The idea is to open the class with five or ten minutes of relaxed, no teaching, conversation - get them to feel comfortable opening up and talking. Start a conversation - do not correct them during this time. Perhaps use icebreakers to get them talking. Teacher's talk is kept to a minimum.
Next, have 20 minutes or so of teaching. Open book, power point or whatever, but always leave time at the end for the students to practice what they've just learned. It's one thing to teach someone grammar, it's quite another for them to use it successfully in every day speech.
I'm thinking this may be a good model for a church service, at least a step in the right direction. Maybe, open the service with a sort of round table discussion. Choose a topic, or, anyone is welcome to share anything. The Pastor during this time is like a moderator, but does not control the discussion at all. People may share whatever they please - a song, a prophecy, a plea, a testimony, an observation, a proverb, a teaching - but all should endeavor to stay in the Spirit, asking Him what they should share, if anything. During this time, try to bring the two extremes into balance - those who will try to take over the meeting, taking all or most of the time, getting in the flesh, full of pride and those who will never share anything at all, ever, no matter how much you invite them to do so.
Encourage the former to brevity, the latter to at least try to share something, even if they prepare it before they arrive. It's usually interesting and edifying to hear what God has been saying to people in between meetings, as they live their daily lives.
Nest, some teaching. Not necessarily by the Pastor or a recognized teacher. Always let the Holy Spirit guide, follow His lead.  He may want to skip the more formal teaching time to continue the open sharing of hearts. He may give a teaching, fresh revelation to someone there, someone unexpected, in that moment. This is always wonderful because it's from the Holy Spirit, for those exact people present at that exact meeting. I've been in services where the Holy Spirit gave me a word but the Pastor refused to allow it to be shared, as if he had authority over the Holy Spirit. He said write it down so He could review it and maybe he would share it at another time. This sounds like wisdom but it is man's wisdom. It's actually rebellion, it's quenching the Spirit, which the Bible forbids. It's despising prophecy which the Bible also forbids. It's man taking control of the meeting from God. A better reaction would have been to tell me to share the word with him, the pastor, at that moment, that way he could judge it but the problem with that is if the pastor is walking after the flesh, he won't be able to recognize God's voice.

Part two soon....

No comments:

Post a Comment

All are welcome to share thoughts, comments or questions.

 I heard the Spirit say - " Isolation: Degradation or Consecration "?  He told me there are two kinds of Isolation  - one from the...