SundaySCHOOL!...Yipes!

I spent a year as a High School Algebra 2 teacher in South Irving. It was a lot of fun most days, and the other days the students were really…well…”challenging” is what I’m supposed to say. Let me lay out an average day of school.

Students enter classroom, sit in their chair, (aligned in rows and columns), and learn from me; considered to be highly educated in my specific subject (Math). The object of my classroom was for me to pass on to my students the knowledge that I had acquired over the years of studying Math (thank you Mr. Shelton!). The goal was for my students to believe and think in the same manner as me; their teacher. Students are conditioned to learn and expand their mind through information transfer….it worked ok, not great.

Now, as High School Director at FBC Coppell, let me paint a picture that occurs weekly and what I have begun to notice.

Students enter youth room, sit in their chair, (again in rows and columns usually), and learn from me; considered to be highly educated in my specific subject (Yahweh)…laughable I know. The object of youth group is for the pastor to pass on to the student the knowledge that they have acquired over the years of studying their subject (thank you Mr. Bertino…oh, and DTS). The goal is for the student to believe and think in the same manner as the teacher. Students are thus conditioned to learn and expand their faith through information transfer.

Bottom Line: I’ve noticed that students tend to think of church as just another classroom (yikes!). Church is often a place where we want to answer ALL their questions/doubts that they have about God; not a place where they come for self-discovery or a safe place to have doubts. It has become a place where we tell them what we know about the Bible and tell them what to think; and…POW! discipleship! Ha!

…this can possibly lead to my students’ faith in God, not being their OWN faith, but their faith being MY faith in God, or their parents’ faith in God, or their friends’ faith in God. I surely hope not.

I desperately need to learn to balance teaching students and more importantly, just being on the journey with them…desperately. I hope you feel the same way…Pieces!