Preparing for Transformational Teaching

1. Begin on Sunday night or Monday morning.

   Study the lesson in your leader guide. Pray, asking god to begin to show you what He wants you to teach on Sunday morning and how your life needs to change through the studying of God’s Word. Let the ideas serve as reminders about the work of the class. Plan appropriate actions for involving class members in evangelism, ministry, and fellowship and communicate those plans to the class leaders.

2. Early in the week, begin to study the lesson devotionally.

   Let the Bible speak to you first. Read the passage several times, noting words or phrases you may not completely understand or concepts you want to explore later. Read the Scripture in more than one translation of the Bible. As you begin to read, seek to answer the questions in each section as you allow the Scripture to speak to your heart and your mind. Meditate on the passage throughout the week.

   • Analyze the passages.

     Use a Bible dictionary to look up unfamiliar words. Write questions that come to mind. Make notes about new insights you’re gaining. Look up parallel passages marked in your study Bible. Ask yours: What does the Bible say? What does the passage mean? What does that mean for me and my class members?

   • Use additional resources to gain deeper understanding.

     Review resources such as:

     Family Bible Series - The Herschel Hobbs Commentary and the Advanced Bible Study Commentary

     Explore the Bible Series - Adult Commentary, Discovery Study Guide (new Fall of 2011), and Quicksource for Leaders

     Related articles for both series can be found in the Biblical Illustrator, a magazine that features articles on biblical backgrounds and archaeology.

3. Prepare the lesson.
   • Review resources in the leader pack, such as posters and maps, to determine which could be used to enhance your learning environment.
   • Review the CD in the leader pack.
   • Review the EXTRA! @ www.lifeway.com/n/type/EXTRA!-Sunday-School-Helps?type=learn. Other online resources may be found as well at www.lifeway.com.
   • Develop an outline of your lesson.
   • Review the learner guide to determine how the content in the learner guide may be used during the class and to continue the Bible study in the days following the session.

   Prepare a Bible study lesson that lasts between 45 minutes and one hour (depending on your church’s schedule). Your Bible study plan should follow a logical flow, from introducing the lesson to wrapping it up in such a way that learners will continue to study and learn on their own throughout the days following the Bible study session. Consider the following as a possible way to organize your plan for teaching:

   • Build relationships and create readiness for Bible study.

     The introduction of the lesson should motivate learners toward the content by creating an interest in the Bible study. This may be accomplished by helping adults recognize how the biblical truth will answer a life question or meet a life need they have.

   • Examine and apply God’s Word.

     The heart of the lesson seeks to lead learners to discover the answers to several basic questions: What does the Scripture say? What does it mean? What does it mean to me?

   • Encourage life change through spiritual transformation.

     The lesson should move learners to answer the question: What should I think, feel, or do as a result of understanding this Scripture?

4. Review the leader guide to determine a plan of action for leading the group to continue Bible study, ministry, evangelism, and fellowship.
   • Assign or suggest one activity for the group to do during the following week.
   • If learner guides are not available, determine ways to conclude each session with at least one way in which the lesson should be used during the week.
   • Provide opportunities for feedback relating to how God used the Bible study lesson in their lives during the week.
   • Emphasize weekly the study of God’s Word using the learner guide and devotional materials such as Open Windows, Stand Firm, or Journey.
   • Determine whether suggestions relating to ministry and evangelism can be used by class leaders. If so, communicate those ideas to leaders immediately following the session.
5. Review, rehearse, and setup.