Relational Teaching

By Steve Atkerson & Graham Old

Just as there are two different kinds of churches (which we might call, program churches & relational churches), there are also two ways of teaching: program or relational.

Think of all the preachers & teachers you've heard. You may have noticed that they employed one of two opposite teaching methods. Besides being either boring or interesting, relevant or irrelevant, what two opposite methods were typically used?

1. LECTURE — A monologue or sermon wherein the teacher shares information. This is the program approach. It is one-way communication and involves the art of oratory.

2. DISCUSSION — A dialogue with group participation, wherein the teacher leads students to discover truth for themselves. This is the relational approach.

NOTE: Neither style is necessarily bad. In fact, Jesus used both methods in His ministry.

Which method is better suited to a large audience?

Lecture. (Example: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.)

Why?

1. It allows for a large volume of information to be imparted in a relatively short time.
2. One of people’s greatest fears is public speaking. A discussion format would be impractical. The larger the crowd, the less likely the average person will want to speak up. And, people will have trouble hearing each other.
3. Large crowds are magnets for the unbalanced who, if given a chance, can wreck the meeting.
4. Be aware that it takes a special skill to be able to sermonize effectively and hold people’s attention.

Which method is better suited for small groups (like a house church meeting)?

In my opinion, the interactive, question and answer, discussion method is best. This is also known as the Socratic method, because Socrates supposedly taught by asking questions of his disciples.

When Jesus was with small groups of people, He was constantly asking questions to the people around Him. There are over 100 recorded questions asked by Jesus in the Gospels. In fact, H.H. Horne observed that Jesus "came not to answer questions, but to ask them; not to settle men’s souls, but to provoke them." Questions make up the core of Jesus’ teaching methods.

It seems clear to us, from 1 Cor. 14, that New Testament church meetings were interactive. Thus, discussion-centered learning is in keeping with the principles of 1 Cor. 14. Active participation by the whole church helps people retain what is being learned. Significantly, it also helps develop believer’s confidence in their ability to study the Bible.

What are the advantages of discussion-centered learning?

1. Allows people to discover truth for themselves.
2. Forces people to think as the analyze the text, figure out what it really means, and apply it to their own lives.
2. Creates & holds the student’s interest and attention. By way of contrast, monologues can be very boring & the listener’s minds often wander far away . . .
3. Helps people better remember what they learn.
4. Exposes the learners to the ideas & insights of other group members.
5. Allows the Holy Spirit more freedom to speak through the contributions of all present.
6. Allows the teacher to evaluate what people are really thinking, revealing their needs & maturity levels.
7. The Socratic method fits well with a relational church model. 1 Cor. 14 church meetings were clearly interactive. Thus, interactive teaching is in complete harmony with a 1Co 14 church meeting. To stand up and “preach” to a living room of people can be artificial, awkward, and unnecessary.
8. Accountability — allows people to challenge the teacher’s presentation. Truth is then discovered corporately rather than in a vacuum of isolation.