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In This Issue...
Articles
- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
Resources
Book Reviews
- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
- The Purse-Driven Life by Anita Renfroe
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Developing the “Learner” Within You
We were created to learn!
Biblical Basis for Learning
Creation is dynamic! Change and movement are fundamental to its nature. Although not all change is positive, evidence in both God’s universe and God’s Word points to a divine intent for a developmental view of creation, both the inanimate and animate. For example, a seed becomes a seedling which becomes a tree. When carbon is exposed to heat and pressure, it becomes a diamond.
We were created by God in the image of God (Genesis 1:26,27; James 3:9), and this makes us unique in His creation. Human development is part of the divine design and can be seen as a reflection of the image of God. We are creatures in a continuous maturation process and development is one way of describing the processes of change and growth that we experience throughout our lifetimes. Developmental theorists suggest at least six domains of human development: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, moral, and spiritual.
Luke 2:52 tells us: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in the favor of God and men.” In the New Testament, Christians are admonished to “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). As Christian leaders, we know that an individual does not emerge from the experience of being born again as a fully mature child of God, but rather as a child of God who must grow into maturity. Paul says, “It is God’s will that we become mature” (Ephesians 4:13), and this becoming involves a process. Professor Ted Ward expresses God’s intent for us: “Every developing person is capable of communion with God because of the created characteristic of God’s own ‘breath’ within, signifying a spiritual essence within the flesh and blood.” 1 The challenge for each of us is to honor God’s blueprint for the Christian life as a process of growth and development and to work with the Holy Spirit in actualizing our potential in Christ.
The writer of Romans issues a strong admonition to Christians regarding the development of our minds: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world—this age, fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs, but be transformed [changed] by the renewing of your mind—by its new ideals and its new attitude. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2, NIV and Amplified Bible)
Learning is an integral part of our identity as Christians. We were created to learn and to grow in our faith. Wisdom begins with knowledge and leads us to the fear of the Lord (Job 28:28), and to ongoing development of the whole person in Christ (Ephesians 4:15,16). To think and learn, to create, to become all we were created to be make us potentially compatible with our Creator.
Basic Assumptions About Learning
Learning is life long. The term lifelong learning was coined in the 1970s to describe the concept of adult learning. Adults have been “going to school” for centuries; however, it is only in the last 35 years or so that there has been special focus on the adult learner and the realization that adults grow and change all during adulthood. As our society increases its pace of change and technology creates advance after advance, adults in leadership roles require more education and training to stay in step. Lifelong learning best describes the needs of our present information society.
The term continuing education implies that the adult learner is pursuing education beyond the point where he or she left formal schooling, thus underscoring the ideal of continuous learning throughout the life span. The need for continuing education for those in ministry suggests that we cannot “bank” all of the knowledge that we will need to do ministry, nor should we try. Rather, we commit ourselves to the exciting process of lifelong learning!
The process of learning and the product of learning are two different concepts. Process is an ongoing experience; product is an “outcome” of the learning experience. Thus, we do not graduate from learning (process); we celebrate the completion of a particular educational goal or accomplishment (product) in the journey of lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is a perpetual ingredient in life planning and ministry development.
Individuals must learn for themselves. The Holy Spirit will guide, teach, and be with us at all times to help us in our learning endeavors. However, we must learn our own lessons. Thus, learning how to learn—the skill of self-directed inquiry—is important learning for adults who desire to be intentional lifelong learners. Theories of adult learning place great emphasis on the initiative and self-motivation of learners.
To learn is to change. In the field of human development, the intent of learning is to bring about change in the life of an individual. Educational psychology emphasizes human growth—maturation—as four kinds (or levels) of learning: (1) Cognitive learning—change in one’s knowledge, understanding, and intellectual skills. (2) Affective learning—change in one’s being; this involves character, attitudes, values, and emotions. (3) Behavioral learning—change in what one does; this includes development of specific skills, habits, and abilities. (4) Dispositional learning—change in what one desires to know, feel, or do; each of us must discipline the will to act in accord with the indwelling Spirit of God in becoming all that He desires for us.
Change often comes hard and we can either embrace change or resist it. Sometimes we may need help in making changes (either external or internal ones). But in order to move to new levels of maturation in our lives, we must take those steps necessary to dislodge us from our comfort zones and to activate a plan for intentional development.
Learning may be incidentalor intentional. Both are viable. But let’s suppose you want to be intentional. Begin by recognizing the importance of both lifetime training and planning of experiences that address developmental needs and ministry issues. Next, create a personal learning plan that includes the following steps: (1) Define your learning goals, long range and immediate. Be specific. (2) Decide what you need to learn. (3) Decide where and how you can best learn it. Your approach may include formal (academic), informal (environmental experiences), or non-formal settings. (4) Determine when to learn it.
Back to School
Does your plan include going back to school? If so, what specific goal do you have in mind? Maybe you desire to learn Spanish so that you can minister to the flourishing Hispanic community in your city. Or, perhaps you would like to serve as a licensed Christian counselor, or in some other capacity that demands specific skills and credentials. In each case it is important to know why you want to go back to school, and what you need in order to reach your specific goal in ministry development.
Being a continuous learner, however, is not limited to going back to school, or to acquiring discrete blocks of information. Continuous learners seek out a variety of learning environments to provide information, training in skills, and the feedback necessary for personal and professional growth.
Adult educators Merriam and Caffarella present a framework for three types of opportunities within which learning occurs for adults: formal institutional settings, non-formal settings, and informal or self-directed contexts.2 This template serves to organize the diversity of educational delivery systems although there will sometimes be overlaps among the three major categories.
Formal education is “the institutionalized, chronologically graded and hierarchically structured educational system, spanning lower primary school and the upper reaches of the university. This category refers to organized institutional education recognized by the society for granting [diplomas and] degrees.” 3 Formal education is an effective way to learn new information, to develop critical thinking skills, and to acquire validation, credentials, or degrees needed.
In this age of extension studies and schools without walls, many opportunities exist for church leaders to enroll in continuing education programs on the undergraduate and graduate levels. It has never been easier to find a program that can meet your specific ministry needs, timeframe, and budget. While a degree may not be necessary in order for you to minister effectively, it can open the door to new possibilities and the learning experience itself can serve to enhance your mental, emotional, and social skills.
Going back to school does not mean that you must enroll in a degree program. Most colleges, universities, and seminaries can help you create a learning experience that fits your needs.
Non-formal education describes learning opportunities outside formal education settings that complement or supplement the needs of adult learners. It combines characteristics from both the formal and informal modes. Typically, non-formal education is less structured, more flexible, more responsive to localized needs, and is learner-centered. Models include workshops, seminars, conferences, convocations, church training programs, etc.
Informal education (i.e., in the home, church congregations, communities) is learning that occurs naturally within the context of people’s lives and is initiated and carried through by the learners themselves. It is “the lifelong process by which every person acquires and accumulates knowledge, skills, attitudes, and insights from daily experiences and exposure to the environment.” 4 Sometimes Christian leaders may not recognize that they are learning even though they may be engaged in informal or self-directed learning activities at home or in a ministry setting.
Informal learning is the normal, and most effective, way to acquire personal values and to learn to express them as relational skills. In ministry training, informal education is important to achieving those goals aimed at developing character qualities. For example, leaders may find themselves daily in situations where they can nurture humility, compassion, a spirit of reconciliation, genuine faith, hope, and love. These attitudes are more easily formed in informal settings than in classrooms.
All three of these categories are important in one’s plan for lifelong learning.
Lifelong Learning Opportunities Come in All Shapes and Sizes |
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Becoming
Bravo, if you have decided to take intentional steps toward developing the “learner” within you. Nike says it best, “Just do it!” And remember:
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11, The Message).
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:6, NIV).
Cited References
Wilhoit, J.C. & J.M. Dettoni, Eds. Nurture That Is Christian. Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1995. p. 12.
Merriam, S.B. & R.S. Caffarella. Learning in Adulthood. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 1999. pp. 26-35.
Labelle, T. J. Formal, Nonformal, and Informal Education: A Holistic Perspective on Lifelong Learning. International Review of Education, 28, 161-2. 1982. Ibid.
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