Bible Classes are a Northside Ministry
Some of my strongest childhood memories center around Bible class. Grandpa and Dad taught classes, and Mom taught 2-3-year-old children on Sunday morning for so long that she eventually taught the children and grandchildren of her former pupils. The challenge of teaching a Bible class has motivated my personal Bible study for many years. And now I’ve accepted the challenge of advancing Sonny’s work as the Adult Education Coordinator at Northside.
In a recent bulletin, I listed three goals for Adult Education:
1) To ensure God’s word is taught at the highest skill level. Northside has always been blessed with talented and dedicated teachers, and God’s word deserves our best effort in preparation and delivery of Bible lessons. What can we do to improve our teaching, to make it easier for students to understand God’s word?
2) To encourage us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. “Hearers only” is a tragic description of any Christian, and “whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1.25)
3) To develop younger members to teach Bible classes. We have many good Bible teachers, but those men and women, over time, should move to a mentor role and help develop future teachers. In that way, today’s ministry will continue to grow and blossom into what Northside will need in future years. We should find creative ways for less-experienced men and women to accept new assignments and then grow into that worthy challenge.
How can you support the ongoing ministry of Adult Bible Education? Pray for individual teachers as they spend time in preparation and then teach their class. Engage with each Bible class that you attend – read along in scripture, participate in the discussion, take notes and follow up as needed in your personal study. Teach when you have an opportunity, learn a new skill, work hard in your preparation and then appreciate the spiritual growth and blessings that come from teaching.
Our new Sunday and Wednesday classes begin 10/24 and 11/03, and those teachers have already begun their preparation. Their hard work, and the divine Word that they will teach, deserve our attention and support. The Life of Elijah will be our Sunday morning study.
There are many reasons to attend Bible class – Bible study, fellowship, mutual encouragement and serving one another. Our lives are blessed each time we decide to attend and participate in Bible class. May God continue to bless this ministry at Northside.