Pioneer Christian Monthly - December, 1997

Teacher Training Report
Glynis Belc

Report--Let Those Who Have Torches Pass Them On! Design Team for Teacher Training Workshops

The Design Team for Teacher Training, a subdivision of the Discipleship Committee of Classis Ontario, was getting a little nervous the morning of September 17, 1997. Registration was complete and participants were savouring sips of freshly brewed coffee, but still there was no sign of the keynote speaker.

Undeterred, Christine Strong, administrations expert and chief optimist, cheerfully greeted everyone and directed eager participants to be seated in the beautiful sanctuary of the Bethel Reformed Church in Brantford (Ont.). Committee member Chris Rynberk, workshop leader and gifted musician, caused sweet music to fill the sanctuary as he led everyone in a time of praise and worship through song.

Chairperson of the Design Team, Pete Burrill, welcomed everyone and encouraged participants to mingle and get to know one another through a mind-stretching "ice-breaker" game. Then, as if precision planned, moments before the opening exercises were completed, keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Neal Hegeman arrived. Committee members breathed a collective sigh of relief!

Although he had just flown in from California that morning, Dr. Hegeman's jet lag was far from evident as he spoke words of encouragement and inspiration to Sunday School teachers and superintendents alike.

"If God commands it, He gives us the ability to do it!" said Dr. Hegeman, director of Ligonier Ministries. He challenged teachers to set goals and objectives and stressed the importance of passing the Word of God from generation to generation.

"Although attendance was down," stated Christine Strong, "the teachers who were present were keen." With 42 registrants and 10 different workshops offered, there were plenty of possibilities for cozy discussions and opportunities to compare notes.

"I enjoyed the Crafts in the Classroom workshop," commented Jerry Hesselink, who doesn't usually consider himself a very "crafty" person. Jerry also managed to attend two other workshops later in the day--Reading and Interpreting the Bible, led by Pete Burrill, and Go Ye Therefore. . . Telling His Story, a storytelling workshop with Glynis Belec.

Debbie Rae, Sunday School superintendent from Drayton Reformed Church, found the Superintendent's Workshop, led by Eldean Kamp, both comforting and informative. "It was somewhat reassuring to discover that in other churches, despite their sizes, they were experiencing the same struggles," she said, commenting on concerns about teacher recruitment.

Eddie Aleman, a second year member of the Design Team for Teacher Training and an elder at La Senda Reformed Church, led an afternoon session--Methods of Teaching and Student Centred Learning--in Hispanic; Chris Rynberk conducted the same workshop in English, in an adjacent room.

Hands on, "make and take" craft classes were popular sessions with teachers clutching assorted creations made from Styrofoam, coloured paper, plastic lacing, and other easily attainable items. Chloe Chamberlain showed class participants how practical handcrafts can enhance a Sunday School lesson.

Other Design Team members, Annette Tinholt, Harriet Rynberk, and Richard Boesveld, shared their gifts and love for Jesus as they, too, conducted workshops throughout the day, covering topics such as teaching disabled children, discovering learning styles, and hands on basic training for Sunday School teachers.

From Drama to discipleship training, from administration to interpreting the Bible, teachers and leaders from near and far, from churches large and small, each went home that afternoon a little weary perhaps, but filled with new ideas, tips, stories, strategies, and challenges.

Dr. Hegeman had pointed out earlier that Christianity is not a self-improvement course and that the goal of teachers is not to be satisfied with providing only head knowledge and a basic awareness of Christianity, but to challenge their students to ultimately make a decision for Christ. The Design Team for Teacher Training produced an opportunity for teachers and leaders to feel encouraged in the great task God has placed before them.

Glynis Belec is a member of the Drayton Reformed Church. She lives near Drayton with her husband and two children. Glynis is a freelance writer, home educator, and drama leader.

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