TREASURY OF SERMONS
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Without Learning, How Can They Teach?
By Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow
(Preached at Combined Sunday School, BPCWA, 4 June 2000 )
There are two flaws in the running of Sunday Schools today:
- Teachers who are not volunteers, who are devoted to their ministry, but are "drafted," like some hireling pastors. After some time they get tired and they drop out.
- Teachers who are "trained" in the method of teaching, but not in the Word, who merely rely on what teaching materials they have. Many have inferior stuff.
A Sunday School teacher must be a devout Christian and he must like teaching as a hobby. In order to teach, he must learn. But who is to make them teachers? The pastor, head of the Church. Thus, Paul commissioned Timothy, his close companion, successor and student to teach other faithful men who should pass the torch of knowledge to others also.
As for Life B-P Church , Singapore we are fortunate to have Far Eastern Bible College on our premises. Would-be Sunday School teachers can come to study in the Evening Classes. Several Lifers have persevered to take enough credits to entitle them to a Certificate of Religious Knowledge or of Biblical Studies. These Evening Classes are so popular that members of other B-P Churches and non B-P Churches have joined up. Together with regular FEBC students they exceed a hundred.
Now, when they become FEBC students, they must devote themselves to the learning process. They must equip themselves with tools. Theological books, dictionaries and commentaries are their tools. Soon they begin to have a little library of their own. To learn the art of teaching, or even preaching, they come to the early Wednesday morning homiletics class before going to office, in good time. With such training, they begin to qualify to teach others, young or old.
Since you cannot attend FEBC in faraway Singapore , your Pastor who was trained in FEBC is well able to teach you. The best hour is before the Worship Service when the Sunday School is on. Before there was FEBC, I used to teach an adult class before the Worship Hour. This was quite demanding, but it could not be helped. That is why Paul urged his successor Timothy to be strong in the grace of the Lord, to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. The work of the Lord is likened also to the work of a husbandman, that is, a farmer.
The Pastor is the first to run the S.S. Teachers Training Class. If he has an assistant pastor, he can logically commit this class to him. Those whom he has trained and have become Sunday School teachers can move up the echelon "to teach others also."
The Sunday School is the right arm of the Church. It is in fact part of the Church. Church members who bring their children to Sunday School and attend as well are regular Church members who keep up Church attendance. They are the mature ones, the most enlightened, the mainstay of the House of God. Amen.
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