Beyond the Classroom

By Terri Elton

In a world that’s constantly changing, we have accepted the idea that we all have to become life-long learners. But what does that mean?

For most of us, "school" was the primary place for our learning. It included a classroom in a school building where we focused on a teacher who would share his or her knowledge with us, and then we would be tested to see how much "knowledge" we retained. The formula only varied slightly as we moved into advanced learning arenas. The test, perhaps, became papers and we were required to mix the knowledge we’d found from other experts with what our professor knew, and hopefully add in some ideas of our own. At the end, we were awarded something – a grade, passing the class, or even receiving a degree.

While the "school" model of learning served us for many years, we are in a time of transition. This model of learning is limiting for our time in history. As we seek to discover what new model of learning will emerge, I want to suggest that we develop our own "classrooms" for learning. These are a network of learning relationships based in the world in which we live.

Our past world told us that the past is where we look for wisdom today. The modern world said that what’s important is the now. The post-modern world suggests that we need to make decisions today that will move us closer to the future in which we believe. As Len Sweet says, "the time zone of today is a future time zone." Or, in the words of the Lord’s Prayer, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Our job is not to disregard our past learnings, but to keep them fresh by continuing the learning journey and eyeing the future. It is the weaving together of these ideas that is the magic. If we are to be effective leaders in today’s world, we need to move our focus off the past, move into the present, and eye the future.

So, what does this network of learning relationships look like, and how do these relationships serve our learning process? While there are many relationships that may help you create your own network, I want to challenge you to think about five different types of relationships that can help you get started.

#1 – Learning relationships with regard to your spiritual growth and personal accountability. This first learning relationship is focused on someone (or a group of people) who will walk with us in this spiritual journey and hold us accountable to our relationships and our spiritual health. Honesty is the key to this learning relationship. In these relationships, we will be asked the hard questions about how we deal with the real issues we are facing. In this time, as leaders in the church we need to pay attention to our spiritual health. As we move to lead others in their spiritual journey, we need to model spiritual health in our lives. My past experience has given me guidelines for my spiritual life, but knowing we are all sinners, it is impossible for me alone to keep myself accountable. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity a man who falls and has no one to help him." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) Leaders need to have learning relationships where they can be honest with those who will keep them accountable as they practice daily to be spiritually healthy amidst the pressures of our current times.

#2 – Learning relationships with regard to our Biblical understanding. We cannot overlook one of the most basic learning relationships – learning relationships focused on Biblical understanding. These relationships are different from those based on spiritual growth. Spiritual growth-learning relationships focus on the leader’s personal spiritual health, while learning relationships on Biblical understanding focus on studying God’s Word with regard to teaching, preaching, or presenting it to others. In other words, the first is focused on the heart while the latter focuses on the head. Biblical understanding, or knowing about God, is not equal to a personal, active relationship with our Creator. As disciples of Christ, we need to center ourselves in God’s Word. These learning relationships may take many forms, from Bible studies with peers to pastors’ ministeriums. It may be groups of people all from one "flavor" of Christianity, or a mixed-faith group. The goal is not to come up with a common theological approach, but to see how the Word of God is alive and relevant today. Biblical understanding takes a lifetime and learning relationships focused on Biblical understanding will help leaders to continually learn new insights for teaching, preaching, and presenting God’s Word.

#3 – Learning relationships with regard to our personal needs. This third learning relationship is focused on one’s personal health and taking responsibility for our past issues as well as reclaiming our future. This may be the silent force that, if tended to, empowers us for ministry or, if ignored, can become a crippling force in our ministry. Developmentally, we tend to help young people move through appropriate stages. Once adulthood hits, we place everyone in a similar category and move these issues to the side. After ten years of working with junior high young people, I have shifted to ministry with adults. My greatest learning from this shift is that though we have become adults, we are still developing and moving through stages in our lives. Many of us, at some point in our adult lives, made the assumption that when we reached adulthood we should be fully "mature" and able to help ourselves. Yet, any adult that has experienced sudden grief or loss, depression, divorce, addiction, burn out, or the roller coaster of personal relationships knows that adulthood is a life-long developmental process that can’t and shouldn’t be done alone. We need relationships that allow us to deal honestly with the "black hole" issues of our lives. These issues often are the external face of deeper internal issues. It is these internal issues that are the "black hole" issues. These are the issues that need to come to the surface and be dealt with. These learning relationships may be peer/friendships or they may also be professional counselors or support group opportunities. Whatever our issues are and whatever their depth, in order to grow and heal, we need to discover places where we can allow ourselves the safety and the freedom to address these areas of our personal lives. As leaders we are not exempt from these "black hole" issues; we must be willing to look for learning relationships that help us take responsibility for our issues and work through them so we can begin healing and reclaiming our future.

#4 – Learning relationships with regard to mentoring. This fourth learning relationship is focused on our leadership ability and being effective in our setting. These "mentor/mentee" relationships weave together the other learning relationships so that one might be an effective ministry leader. We are in a leadership crisis in ministry. If we are going to continue to share the gospel with people, we need effective leaders to do so. We cannot leave this leadership development to chance. We need to be diligent in identifying people with gifts and leadership potential. We need to be pro-active in giving them our time and attention. These learning relationships may be formal – such as internships or mentors or event sabbatical opportunities. They also may be informal – such as giving attention to a teenager or words of encouragement to a volunteer leader in your congregation. Either way, mentoring is going to become more and more important. This is the "mentor" aspect of mentoring. There is also the "mentee" aspect of mentoring as well. Who are some people you look to for encouragement and challenge? Are any of them potential mentors for you? We are never above being mentored. All of us can use people to help us be the best "leader" we can be. Think back to the influential people in your leadership development. How did they shape your leadership? Imagine how your ministry would be different today without their influence. Now transfer those learnings to others.

#5 – Learning relationships with regard to the current culture. This final type of learning relationship is focused on keeping your perspective real and in touch with what most of the people we minister to experience every day. The culture is constantly changing. Each of our ministries is affected to varying degrees by these cultural changes. There are so many aspects of culture that there is no way we can keep on top of it all. But, if we do not have a sense of what the culture is experiencing, we will miss the mark in ministering to people who live and breathe that culture every day. We need to be aware of what’s happening outside the "church world" if we are going to connect with people. Think of some people who live smack dab in the middle of the current secular culture. How might you build relationships with some of these people? The head pastor of a church in Colorado is a Harley biker and a member of a Harley bikers club. As you might imagine, the Harley crowd is not necessarily the same crowd he experiences on Sunday mornings. He uses his passion for biking to build genuine relationships with people "outside" his church circle. These relationships become touchpoints for him into the secular culture. Matthew and Luke wrote the gospels with different audiences in mind – Matthew was writing to Jews and Luke was writing to the Gentiles. While the message was the same, their approach was different because they knew how to reach the cultures to which they were speaking. Leaders need to build learning relationships with those outside the church culture in order to understand how to reach the secular world. Within these learning relationships, however, lies a danger. We, as leaders, need to be keenly aware of who we are and what we stand for. If we are not, we become vulnerable and may be swayed in our belief in who God is and what power God truly has in this world.

Finally, what’s the point? Are you striving to be a life-long learner? Do you have a network of learning relationships wide enough to stir your imagination and challenge your thinking and practice? Are you investing in others and are others investing in you? How is your soul? What’s keeping your heart fresh for ministry?

Good news – Relationships are at the heart of what ministry is about. This is a challenge to invest (or reinvest) in relationships.

Bad news – Relationships take time. There is no way to shortcut this process.

Bad news – Unless we create learning relationships that touch base in the culture, we will miss the opportunity to share with people the greatest news there is – the Gospel.

Good news – We are not alone. God promises to be with us every step of the way.