Christian Education in the Small Membership Church
Karen B. Tye
Chapter Two Review by The Mustard Seed
“We teach people, not
lessons. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are teaching, people are at
the heart of the educational endeavor. This is especially obvious in the small
membership church. We can’t hide behind numbers and assume people will be there
to take part in whatever is planned. In the small membership church, we have to
think about the people, who they are, what they want and need, and what we can expect
of them.” (p. 19)
We must always consider
the “who” when discussing Christian education: the participants. In the
second chapter, the author proposes that the discussion begin by reflecting on
“our general commonalities as human beings. What do we have in common that
impacts the work of education?” (p. 19) After establishing how we are alike, we
then carefully study our differences. “What is different about people in the
small membership church that affects Christian education there?” (p. 20) When considering
the commonalities and differences, group the members of the parish in order of
children, youth, and adults to better recognize the specific and differing
needs of these individual groups.
Understanding the
commonalities we share is vital to the work of education. The author highlights
three of these commonalities and urges educators to remember these
commonalities as they will fundamentally influence our efforts in developing a
solid Christian education program:
1. People
are biological beings. “It is important to remember that the people we work
with in education in the church are biological beings. This affects the way
they interact with the world and the way they learn.” (p. 20) Everyone has
biologically based abilities and limitations, and depending on which stage of
biological development a person has reached, certain tasks are not yet possible
or are no longer possible. Young children may not have developed fine motor
skills yet, so Bible lessons using whole-body, big movements may be more comfortable
than cutting and pasting intricate figures. Studies suggest that adolescents
operate on a different internal clock than children and adults, which can
explain lack of energy on Sunday mornings – “finding other times to involve him
in church may be an important education move based on biology.” (p. 21.) And
adults experience a decline of sight and hearing with age. Plan accordingly for
adult education events by ensuring that they can hear what is being said and
can see what is printed on handouts.
2. People
are on a developmental journey. This is our “cognitive development”,
knowing and understanding. “Think carefully about what children will hear and
how they are developmentally ready to interpret what they hear when working
with the Bible with them.” (p. 22)
3. People
are learners. We all have a brain. We all use our brains to learn. “Our
work in education is to help [people] learn in ways that are brain-friendly,
that work with their brains and utilize all the rich potential in those brain
cells.” (p. 23)
Now, let’s
move on to the differences we share. The author focuses on two areas in which
people in a small parish are different from those who attend a larger church.
These differences cannot be ignored because they are significant and shape our
work in education.
- Numbers. “Small membership churches have to think outside the
box in terms of Christian education. The difference in numbers challenges
us to be creative. If structured, age-graded classrooms are your only
image of Sunday school, it generally won’t work in smaller churches.
Drawing on images of the one-room schools or homeschooling offers greater
potential for our context.” (p. 28) We must think of new ways to structure
Christian education for the participants AND in terms of teachers and
leaders. The author discusses education models for the small membership
church in the next chapter, so for now let’s consider the next difference
that small membership churches share.
- Everyone is family. Just as one of the qualities of a small membership
church is that everyone is like family, this is also a difference in
comparison to a larger church. This difference provides the unique and
special opportunity for multiple generations to regularly interact
together. “Family education is more like an apprenticeship, where one
learns through doing and from the guidance of one who knows the way.” (p.
30)
After
taking time to study our commonalities and differences, we find the need to
group people in ways to best help us provide for their particular educational
needs and interests. As stated earlier, these groups are children, youth, and
adults. Fully digest and analyze the author’s words below and think about how
they apply to the Christian education program already in place in your parish,
perhaps sparking ideas on how to grow and improve.
Children
Children
are the church of today. “Children
aren’t simply Christians-in-training; they are full participants in the Body of
Christ now. In the small membership church, we are easily able to include
children in the ongoing daily life of the community of faith at every
opportunity.” (p. 32-33)
Children
are on a developmental journey.
“With limited people resources, the small membership church also offers
opportunity for children to take on necessary tasks and feel truly needed. When
they do these tasks well, they develop a sense of competency that contributes
to their overall sense of worth and well-being.” (p. 34)
Children
are active learners. “We need to involve all of the
senses in our educational activities.” (p. 34)
Youth
Youth
are also the church of today.
“While youth are indeed growing and maturing in their capacity to think and
make wise choices, they still have much to offer out of their own perspective
and experience. The small membership church provides just the right setting for
youth to see themselves as leaders and capable participants in the church
today.” (p. 35)
Youth
are looking for more than entertainment.
“Teenagers are at the stage in life where they are searching, testing, and
looking for something of lasting value and importance. They are open to risking
and thinking new ideas and thoughts, trying out new beliefs, but they need
guidance…Small churches are indeed the right size to offer youth a place to
know and be known, to find mentors and guides who walk with them and work
alongside them and give them opportunities to lead.” (p. 35-36)
Numbers
are not important. “Any church with at least one young
person has a youth ministry already, whether it knows it or not…Be creative,
and you will see the multitude of ways even a single youth can learn and grow
in the small membership church.” (p. 36)
Adults
“The
small membership church has a unique opportunity…In many of our small
congregations, the membership is skewed toward older adults. A large percentage
of those in the pews are senior citizens. We can dispel the myth that Christian
education is only for children and youth by creating vital and dynamic
educational opportunities for our adults.” (p. 37)
Further Reflection (p. 38-39)
In what ways has your church dealt
with the issue of numbers when planning for Christian education?
What do you think is important to
know about the children, youth, and adults in your church?
- Plan one-on-one conversations
with your children and youth. What did you discover that you didn't know?
What difference can this knowledge make in your educational ministry?
Summary
People are the heart and focus of
Christian education in the small membership church. We -children, youth,
adults- are all the church of today, even though members of these groups are at
different stages of their biological and developmental journey. These
differences, along with our commonalities, must be considered when planning
Christian education. We celebrate the inter-generational educational
opportunities provided by a small church's family-like dynamics, with knowledge
that these opportunities likely would not be possible in a large membership
church. Small numbers provide promise, not problems!
Up Next...
We'll continue exploring Christian
education in the small membership church by learning about the where and when
of education, which whenever possible should always be more than traditional
Sunday School classes that last one hour each week. We need more than that! And
the small membership church is capable of more than that! In the next chapter,
the author provides further insight on building a successful Christian
education ministry within a small membership church, so the next post in this
series will highlight teaching and learning methods that fit the circumstances
of a small parish.
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