Adult bible Study Curriculum- Backup Plan

Part of preparing to teach your Adult Bible Study Curriculum is having a backup plan.  This is two fold.  One you need to have a backup plan in case there is anything unexpected in class.  Perhaps you have a PowerPoint.  What if the projector breaks or the computer malfunctions?  If you have a video what if the DVD player breaks?  You need to prepare for the unexpected.  Maybe you have an activity that requires multiple groups and not that many people come to class.  These things are all small and trivial in the grand scheme of things but if you are unprepared they can completely derail a lesson.  It is not that we need these things to be an effective teacher but we need to be prepared for them to not work properly.  The second part of this is you need to have someone else ready to teach at any moment.  You are probably a volunteer and you have many responsibilities in life.  We all have those unexpected moments that throw a kink in our plans.  You need to have someone you trust who you can call at any moment if need be that can teach the Adult Bible Study Curriculum.  Do not assume everything will run smoothly all the time.  Be prepared with a backup plan or two. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Discipleship

One of the things that often missing from the Adult Bible Study Curriculum that is out there and from the church in general is discipleship.  We are great at evangelism and sharing the Gospel but discipleship is so much more than that.  Discipleship is the long term relationships that we build with others in order to train them in being a follower of Christ.  In that relationship we also model for them what it looks like to be a follower of Christ.  This is not only what we are called to do but it is also what Jesus modeled for us while He was on earth.  Yes He reached out to thousands of people while on earth but most of HIs time was devoted into investing in 12 people.  We need to remember this model.  As we teach our Adult Bible Study Curriculum we need to do more than just share the Gospel or teach. We need to build relationships with others and train them in what it means to be a follower of Christ.  Then they can turn around and do the same.  It does take more commitment on our part but it is necessary.  

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Vision

In order for your bible study and your Adult Bible Study Curriculum to be fully effective, you need to have a vision for what it all needs look like.  You need to pray and figure out what God's goals are for the group.  You need to then work with the end in mind and try to decide exactly what you need to do to get to your goals.  Then once you have that vision it should drive you every week and every day.  But there is another step.  You need to cast that vision for your group.  Maybe not all at once but steadily they need to hear your goals for the group.  Then they will be able to know exactly where the group is heading and what role they can play.  They will know what the expectations are from week to week as they come to the group and they will what they are working towards.  Also, work the vision into your Adult Bible Study Curriculum teaching each week since it should all coincide together anyways.  Plus this will keep the vision fresh on the minds of those in your group and allow new people to catch the vision.  

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Support

An important part of being an effective teacher of Adult Bible Study Curriculum is support.  Teaching is not always easy and can become discouraging.  You need people who can lift you up and keep you going.  Another benefit of having a support system is that the people around you can make you better.  They can be a sounding board for you to bounce ideas off of and they can tell you whether or not you need to tweak or change them.  They can also push you.  I try to keep a few people in my life who I feel are better at what I do than I am.  They push me because I always want to try and keep up.  I still am myself but I always try to work as hard as possible at being creative.  Do not try to mimic them but see the relationship as iron sharpening iron.  We are not designed to do life alone and teaching Adult Bible Study Curriculum is not exempt from this. Bujild a support system that can push you and challenge you.  

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Patience

As a teacher of Adult Bible Study Curriculum one of the most difficult yet most important parts of my job is to have patience.  I love the material we are talking about and enjoy studying it.  Often though people do not undedrstand the things I am teaching as quickly as I would like them too.  You have probably found yourself in this same situation from time to time.  It is very easy to become frustrated and ask yourself why people can not learn or what their problem is.  This is where patience becomes key.  You have to slow down and first examine yourself.  Could you communitcate or illustrate the point a little differently.  You also have to remember that the people in your group have not studied the material in the Adult Bible Study Curriculum as much as you have.  Many times we have known things for so long that we forget we had to learn them at some point just like the people in our class do.  I know teaching is not always as rewarding and easy as we would like it to be.  But if you will be patient it will all work out in the end.

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Head to the Cross

Alot of Adult Bible Study  Curriculum is geared towards helping people who are already Christians grow deeper in their faith.  This is wise because often times the people who come in to your bible study are taking their next step not only in your church and minstry but also in their personal walk with Christ.  But we can never be certain of this.  We can never be sure of what the background is of the person who is coming in to our class or where they are spiritually.  For all we know everyone in our bible study in a given week may be lost.  Because of this I always like to make a point to put the Gospel in to each lesson.  I just feel we should never speak or teach without sharing it.  We sjhould never pass up the opportunity to help someone experience life change.  This may mean you have to put in some extra time tweaking the lesson but the possibility of someone being changed for all of eternity makes it completely worth it.

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Watch the Church Lingo

As you are preparing to teach your Adult Bible Study Curriculum you really need to watch the church lingo.  You have probably heard this repeatedly and I have also.  But it is something I have to remind myself of daily and each week it seems like I have to add something new to the category of church lingo.  You really need to avoid throwing around words that people will not understand and "inside" jokes that will only make others feel left out.  Now there is some church lingo that can not be avoided.  Just today I was talking about the King James Version and other versions of scripture.  To my surprise someone in the group did not know what I was talking about.  It led to a great conversation but also a very important lesson that I needed to learn.  Obviously I should not take these words out of my vocabulary buy I do have to be sensitive to explain them when necessary.  We can not assume that everyone has been to church before.  We also can not look down on people if they are not a part of the church culture.  Not all of it is a good thing anyways.  Just a few things to think about as you prepare to teach your Adult Bible Study Curriculum. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Building Community

As a teacher of Adult Bible Study Curriculum you probably love teaching.  We have talked about this love and how important that love is. You have an important role to play as a teacher.  We have also talked about how it is hard to fit everything in.  With those two things at the forefront of our minds we usually battle to figure out how to use that time to its fullest.  This is good.  Again the role you play as a teacher is important.  But you also have to play a role of minister and group builder.  Often times the best way to build a group and to ensure that people are ministered to is to stop talking.  Occasionally you need to look at a lesson and realize that even though it is all important and there does not seem to be enough time for it all, some of the material must be sacrificed.  Some things must be left out so that you can put time in for people to get to know each other.  You mus allow time for you to challenge others to be a community, pray together, and minister to one another.  This will be a challenge but it is a necessity. So in the next few weeks as you study your Adult Bible Study Curriculum take time to look for ways to give up some of your moments and put in moments to build community. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- How Much is Enough?

When I talk to people about teaching Adult Bible Study Curriculum, one of the most often asked questions that I get is how much studying is really enough.  It is a valid question and one I love.  It shows that people really want to be prepared and do a good job.  But it is not a question where there is one straightforward answer.  It depends on a number of factors.  What is the topic?  If it is not one you are familiar with you probably will have to prepare more.  If it is something deep like the Trinity you definitely want to study more.  How experienced are you?  If you have taught for a long time it might be easier for you to wing it a little more if you have to.  But if you are a novice teacher you definitely want to invest more time in studying. Even if you are an experienced teacher never get cocky.  Make sure you are ready.  You may also want to ask how comfortable do you feel?  I have found for me I like to study until I feel I will not have to look at the outline and/or until I do not fear any question that might come up.  You may not be an expert on the topic that the Adult Bible Study Curriculum is covering but you need to at least appear to be one.  So study hard, and if you think you are ready study a little more. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Network

We have talked before that while your Adult Bible Study curriculum is an important part of your bible study there are people in your group coming in with real needs that are far more important.  As a part of meeting those needs you have to create a safe environment where people can share their needs and step up to meet them.  But what if other needs arise?  What if pressing matters come up in the middle of the week?  What if for whatever reason people can not make it to the group for a while?  You need to create some type of network up where people can tell others when they are struggling.  You need to have people in place who know how they can step up and meet needs.  Far too often I see churches set up in a way where only a limited number of people are actually in a position to have their needs heard and met.  If you are not highly connected you may be left out on a limb.  I also see a lot of situations where people do not know what to do once something happens. They do not know how to reach out.  You need to remember that you are more than just a teacher of Adult Bible Study Curriculum.  You need to be a trainer, mentor, and manager who builds a network that is ever ready to do ministry and meet needs. 

Adult Bible Study curriculum- Time Crunch

When it comes to Adult Bible Study Curriculum we have all run in to this issue at one point or another.  The dreaded time crunch.  There is so much information to cover and so little time to do it in.  Most bible study classes only last for one hour and there is usually way more than an hours worth of info packed in to a lesson.  What can you do? I think there ar e a few very important steps.  One of course would be to not worry about time.  You never know what God has in store so trust his leading and let the lesson go where it takes you.  Besides, regardless of how much you watch the time there will never feel like there is enough.  Piggy backing on that, just look for the teachable moments. Instead of going in with a preconceived idea about what the learning experience will be during that lesson in the Adult Bible Study Curriculum, just let people ask questions and discuss and go where it takes you.  This can be risky but at the same time very surprising in a positive way.  Finally come prepared.  Nothing can help you out with the time crunch like being well organized and knowing what you can skip or leave out if need be.

Adult bible Study Curriculum- Stay on Track

When teaching an Adult Bible Study Curriculum you can easily get taken off on tangents.  Honestly some of them are good.  Some offer for incredible teachable moments.  But often times they do not.  You as a teacher need to be sensitive and prepared to redirect when necessary.  Usually you can see the tangents coming.  I know often times depending on the current events of the week or the lesson topic where I am going to have to mindful of keeping the class on topic.  There are a couple of reasons why this is so important.  One is that tangents can effect  the learning process.  Even as adults there is only so much we can remember from an Adult Bible Study Curriculum lesson each time.  Tangents can detract from gaining the necessary knowledge that needed to be gained from a lesson.  Secondly, tangents can be hurtful. A prime example are the midterm elections that were help today.  Not all of us agree and that is okay.  But what will often happen is people will assume they all agree and often get very passionate about trivial things.  Imagine if someone does not agree and is sitting quietly while they are being demonized? Or what if they are not Christians and that is the picture they are getting of Christianity?  There can be a great danger.  So as you teacher your class you be the leader of the class.  Let it go where it needs to go but stop it when it needs to be stopped.  This way each lesson in the Adult Bible Study Curriculum will have its full effectiveness.

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Be Sensitive

As a teacher of Adult Bible Study Curriculum you need to be sensitive that people may walk in to the room with a variety of varying viewpoints.  This is not always a bad thing.  Some view points will have to change and I believe as God works in their lives they will.  What usually happens though is we either freak out when someone disagrees with us or we do not even consider that someone might disagree with us.  Then we go off on tangents assuming everyone in the room thinks they way we do and people end up getting hurt over some trivial soapbox moment we wanted to have.  I do not mean that you should back down from what you believe in if it lines up with scripture.  But do not turn people off to the Gospel over an issue that does not even matter.  It will render your teaching of the Adult Bible Study Curriculum useless.  It will also do great damage to the reputation of Christianity as a whole.  So think things through before you say them. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Listen

In talking about teaching Adult Bible Study Curriculum, this a principal that I have mentioned before but I was reminded today that it cannot be stressed enough.  You have to give the people in your group a chance to talk.  Not only that you have to listen to what they have to say.  It will give you incredible insight into the prior knowledge they are bringing into the class and what is going on in their lives.  This will make you a much more effective teacher and will make your time in your class more meaningful.  I would also encourage you, within reason, to divert from the Adult Bible Study Curriculum on occasion to fill in the gaps in the knowledge and spiritual walk of the attendees in your group.  This is what I had to do today.  I used the term follower of Christ and several people did not know what that meant.  I realized that was a far more important issue to discuss than what was the intended topic for the day.  I did not act shocked, nor did I get angry.  I do not know whether the church failed them. they have never strived to grow as a Christian, or if they have never spend that much time in church at all. All I knew is that there was a serious gap that needed to be filled so they could become a fully developing follower of Christ and realized the need for me to step up and fill the gap.  I hope you will do the same as you teach your Adult Bible Study Curriculum and the opportunities arise. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Real Change

I can not begin to tell you how many times I have taught an Adult Bible Study Curriculum and not felt that anyone experienced real change.  This could be for any number of reasons.  It could be your teaching style, it could just be a bad day or a bad curriculum, or it could be any number of other problems.  While each instance of this is occurring is unique, I have to believe that I am not alone in this experience.  You probably have felt this same problem.  While I believe this boils down to a spiritual matter, I believe there is a practical step we can take to remedying this situation.  Too often the Adult Bible Study Curriculum that we use does a great job of giving us knowledge but it does not challenge us to live differently.  And most of the time we like this.  Knowledge is something we are comfortable but living differently often pushes us farther than we would like to go.  We have to live differently though or everything we do is meaningless.  Here at Adult Bible Study Curriculum we want everything we write to work towards us living differently.  Because as we have continued to work and serve in the church and the community, we have seen this as the major issue.  We have a lot of people who know a whole bunch but do not live much differently than anyone else. Let's work together to remedy this problem and help others experience real life change. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Share Your Time

Part of being an effective teacher of Adult Bible Study Curriculum is not dominating all of the conversation.  You may not have this issue, but I know I love teaching and because of this I often find myself talking the entire hour that I have with my bible study group.  This is not good teaching practice though.  For one, even adults can only focus in for so long.  But also, I find some of the best teaching moments come when I allow others to share their hearts and feelings.  They may have experience with the topics at hand.  Also, letting people in the group share makes them feel valued along with allowing you hearing where people are at and what gaps you may need to fill in.  Your time with your group teaching the Adult Bible Study Curriculum is about more than you just sharing your knowledge and your teaching gifts.  These things are important and are part of the reason why you are in the position that you are.  But more importantly your time with your group is about helping them grow, allowing them to express how they feel and where they struggle, and building a safe environment where people can minister to each others. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Focus

Adult Bible Study Curriculum should always have a focus.  Something that drives the study so that every week people know a general idea of what they are going to learn.  It also makes it easier for them to think on the lessons each and every day.  Does your study have a focus?  Is there a clear idea and purpose for each lesson?  I am sure your Adult Bible Study Curriculum does have a focus, you may just have to stop and think about what it is.  I encourage you to figure out what it is.  Make sure to mention it from week to week.  Also, form your activities inside and outside of class around that focus.  This will just make the impact the lessons have on the lives of others much more effective.  People have a lot going on in their lives and you are having to battle against all those distractions.  If you can have one main idea to focus on, it makes it easier for your teaching to shine through and it makes it easier for people to take that teaching and apply it to their lives. 

Adult bible Study Curriculum- Training

You have probably put a lot of time into researching and choosing your Adult Bible Study Curriculum.  But it is also very likely that you will not be the one communicating it.  You may be the education or small group minister and merely in charge of finding the curriculum, but the responsibility of teaching it goes to others.  If this is the case, do your leaders know why you chose the curriculum?  Do they know what your hopes are for it?  Do they understand the finer points of teaching it?  These are important questions.  You chose the Adult Bible Study Curriculum you did for a reason, and it is important that you give your teachers training so that the reasoning you had comes through.  Plus the time spent in training will make your teachers and leaders feel valued.  Yes no one really likes meetings.  But if you do it properly it can be a wonderful, refreshing time where you can build relationships and spur one another on.  Besides, the people who will be leading the Bible Studies may be brand new to teaching and have some concerns.  And even those who have been in it a while always have something to learn.  Train and invest in your leaders.  It is on of the most worthwhile investments you can make in your ministry. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- It's Not About You

Remember, teaching adult bible study curriculum is not about you. It's about the people in your group learning and experiencing life change.

Adult Bible study Curriculum- Eternal impact

Teaching adult bible study curriculum isn't just about changing people's lives for the weeks and years to come but for all eternity. 

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Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Eternal Impact

Teaching adult bible study curriculum isn't just

Adult Bible Study Curriculum-Don't Assume Anything

One of the toughest things in teaching an Adult Bible Study Curriculum, or anything for that matter, is trying to gauge the present knowledge level of the people in your group.  And depending on the relationship you have with people, this task can be very frustrating.  I have discovered one good rule of thumb though:  do not assume any prior knowledge.  This rule is great whether you have been with a group for a while or you have not.  If you have been with a group for a long time, you should know them pretty well and do not have to assume what they know or do not know.  If you are with a new group, this rule can be even more helpful as you prepare to communicate the Adult Bible Study Curriculum.  Far too often we and the people in our circle have known certain things for so long that we take the information for granted.  But we did have to learn it at some point.  Whether I am teaching little kids or adults, I am always amazed by the things that people do not know that I think they should.  But it  serves as a constant reminder that I need to make sure and build foundational information into my teaching and not take for granted that they already know it.  Do not harp on the simple things, but if they are necessary to understanding a passage or idea throw them out there and see if people understand or if they are blown away by the new info.  Then you will know where to go from there.  I want the Adult Bible Study Curriculum you use to have it's full impact, and remembering this important part of teaching will go a long way in that.

Adult Bible Study Curriculum-Make A Connection

For your Adult Bible Study Curriculum to be effective you have to make a connection.  Well many connections.  Some of them we have already talked about.  There is the connection with people.  We looked at how important the relationships are that you form in your bible study or Sunday School.  Next, we discussed prayer. If you are not connected with God and you are communicating in your own power and will be weak and ineffective.  There are more connections though.  You need to be connected with the Adult Bible Study Curriculum.  You need to prepare and make it your own so that you can communicate naturally and powerfully.  You need to come as close as you can to becoming an expert on what the topic is.  While it is hard to rank these, and I honestly do not know if you really should, there is another extremely important connection out there that I would rank right at the top.  That is the connection with the community.  Many leaders in the church will teach on Sundays, or whenever you meet together, and never actually get out in the community and make connection with people throughout the week.  It is hard to share lessons that will move people towards life change and lessons that just might change the world around you, if you are not aware of what is going on in the world.  Find some way to make a connection.  You may be bi-vocational or a volunteer and this connection will be easy for you.  But if you are on staff you may have to work extra hard on this.  Either way, make it a priority.  Because being connected will greatly multiply the effectiveness with which the Adult Bible Study Curriculum is communicated and received. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Flexibility

Our Adult Bible Study Curriculum, like any other, does have a calendar and a schedule.  And there is a purpose for each lesson being where it is.  But one of the important factors in any Bible Study or Sunday School is being flexible.  Each group is unique, and each time you get together it will be unique.  Needs will change.  People's situations and interests will change.  Maybe one week someone had a great week and even shared Christ with someone.  Maybe the next week they stumbled in sin or hit a major bump in the road with their health or finances.  There is a good chance that one week the lesson will be easily understood and lived out and the next week your group may be slightly confused or just need an extra week because of time constraints.  The big thing is to be flexible with the Adult Bible Study Curriculum.  If you need to take two weeks on something, take two weeks.  If you need stop covering the curriculum one week and just pray for someone do that.  The Curriculum is good, and I have often found that miraculously what you are covering from week to week is just what people needed.  God is big that way.  But God expects you to listen and to be sensitive to what the needs of your group are.  You do this through the prayer and relationships we have talked about over the past couple of days.  You must do more than study the Adult Bible Study Curriculum.  You must also study your group and spend time building your relationship with God.  Listen to what God wants, and know the needs and situations of your group.  Then adjust accordingly. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Relationships Matter

The Adult Bible Study Curriculum you choose is very important for the success of your bible study.  But it is not the most important thing.  Over the next few blogs I want to look at other things that are of great importance in making your bible study or Sunday school successful.  Today we are going to look at relationships.  People will be drawn in, challenged, and taught by the Adult Bible Study Curriculum that you choose.  But they will come back and truly be transformed because of relationships.  People in our world desire to be connected with others.  Make sure you are offering them that connection.  Build time into your Bible studies for relationship building.  Train your leaders and members to be aware of new people and create a safe and welcoming environment.  Because you can have the most talented teachers.  You can have flashy attractions.  You can also have the best Adult Bible Study Curriculum in the world.  But if you do not offer people the opportunity for relationships, the rest will not matter much to them. 

Adult Bible Study Curriculum- Who are we?

Welcome from Adult Bible Study Curriculum.  Any time I go to a new site or new store I want to know who the people are that run it, what they are about.  I also want to know why I should buy from them and not someone else.  These are valid and good questions.  While you can not answer all of these questions in one posting, I want to try and answer a few of them.  We at Adult Bible Study Curriculum are just people in the ministry like you who have used a lot of different curriculum.  We also are heavily involved in our communities and have begun to see how we can and must build the gap between the community and the church.  Our passion is to provide churches all over world with curriculum that is  high quality and affordable.  As we have spent the past years teaching bible studies and talking with others in ministry, it seems like every curriculum is missing something and some are missing a lot.  We decided to stop complaining about and discussing the problem and find solutions.  We firmly believe that our Adult Bible Study Curriculum is easy to teach, but still give your adults deep truth and knowledge of scripture.  It will also challenge and empower them to get passed just believing and knowing God and move them to start living.  We hope you will look at our curriculum and consider implementing it in to your bible studies.  Please sing up for our email list and check out the site. Also, contact us with any questions and to let us know how to better support.  Let's see how we can partner together to work towards fulfilling the great commission and inspiring others to do so.