The Image of God: Image Reflectors

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While this article may seem primarily reflective, it is, in fact, highly practical; our understanding of ourselves and others shapes everything we do and the way we do it. At the heart of all self-understanding is that most practical (and important) of all things: “what comes into our minds when we think about God…”[1]. As such, the teacher’s task is prophetic – seeing things and people from God’s perspective; and priestly – leading our people to the Lord and restoration. The teacher’s high calling helps students see and become what God sees them becoming: a unique beautiful expression of His own image, restored in Christ.

At creation new life burst forth from the Father by Son in the Spirit of love. Earth and all in it mysteriously imaged and revealed something of Heaven’s Glory, as the invisible was made visible.

The climax: “let Us make mankind in Our image, to be like Us!”[2] In His most beautiful, exhilarating, joyous and solemn creative act, God shaped us. He made us fruitful, to re-create and co-create from His inexhaustible creative storehouse, to extend God’s eternal creativity in expanding manifestations of His image, loving rule and generative activity, for His greater glory and His creation’s greater good.When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is mankind, that You take thought of him? And the son of man, that You care for him? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.[3]
God directly shaped Adam from the dust breathing Spirit-energy into him; then He crafted Eve from sleeping Adam’s side, breathing His Spirit into her.

Eden—the beautiful, restful, fruitful Garden of God—was a stunning backdrop for the work-play of God’s children. The grandeur of God’s image—mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, creative—was perfectly expressed in Adam and Eve! God’s royal representatives ruled wisely, maintaining the harmony of the Garden of God. Knowing God, they knew the secrets of His creation.

Their prayer life was quiet, brilliant, energising, beautiful, true, kind, restful, comfortable, strong, gentle; deep words interspersed with golden, restful, informative, expectant, receptive, expressive silence.

Our longing for a better world is our shared memory of Eden and a yearning for a future better world – past and future glory in this moment’s disappointment, the awakening of our soul to our true longing.

At the heart of being God’s image is choice, without which love cannot exist. Right choosing means choosing to love, obey, trust, and serve God. Our fullest capacity to create flows from full alignment with our Creator; here we are most creative, joyful, effective and loving, most fully alive as God’s image.

Choosing for self-advancement, self-glory, self-reliance (i.e. against God and His glory in seeking the best for the other and for God’s creation) is sin, a posture and activity whereby we miss the mark, falling far short of the glory of God.

The secret of strength—doing the will of the Father in humble reliance and obedient response to having received all from him—becomes twisted into what Satan calls a weakness. All we are and have is gift and grace.

Because of God’s grace and mercy freely offered by Christ, the way back is always available. Our pilgrimage is all about God restoring us – and through us others and His creation – as His image in Christ, who is the perfect image of God.

Augustine states: “the Godhead of the Holy Trinity and the image to which man is made are one”[4]. God’s will is that we who were created like Him, yet distinct from Him, should be united with Him in fruitful, intimate union. Our destiny is to become reflectors of God’s restored image:
And the glory which You have given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world[5].

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart….”[6]

Howard Dueck, M.A.
Latin America/Beyond Borders Regional Director
TeachBeyond Global
________________________________________
[1] Tozer, A.W. The Knowledge of the Holy. 4.
http://www.fremontalliance.net/hp_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/KotH-Tozer.pdf
[2] Genesis 1:26
[3] Psalm 8:3-6
[4] Augustine. Confessions. Book XII, article 5. Translated by R S Pine-Coffin. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1979.
[5] John 17:22-24
[6] Ecclesiastes 3:11

Photo Credits: Sunlight. Le dahu Flickr via Compfight cc. Sunset. JerzyGorecki via Pixabay.
________________________________________

Howard Dueck (MA, Biblical Counselling), together with his wife Eileen, began their service with TeachBeyond in 1988 in Brazil, where Howard taught, counselled and was involved in leadership at the Gramado Bible College. He continued counselling and teaching when they moved to Germany. He is currently based near Winnipeg, Canada, and serves as the TeachBeyond regional director for Latin America and director for Beyond Borders (TeachBeyond’s education outreach to displaced persons).

Exit slips: your ticket to closure

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Have you ever found yourself rushing through the last bit of lecture so that you can finish up before the bell rings? Calling out homework assignments as students trickle out the door? Ending in the middle of an activity because the specials teacher is waiting? If you are like most teachers, the answer to these questions is probably a resounding yes.

 

 

We all know that bringing closure to a lesson is important. In an ideal world, we would always deliver perfectly paced lessons. Unfortunately, knowing something and actually doing it are two totally different things. Since we aren’t living in an ideal world, and since the pacing of even our most well-planned lessons can be so easily interrupted what can we do?

One thought is to introduce exit slips into our classes. Exit slips allow teachers the flexibility to bring closure to a lesson at any point—a helpful tool for those days when the time has got away from you. They can be distributed (or written on the board) the last 3-5 minutes of class, and collected as students leave the room.
Here are some ways that exit slips can be used:
Consolidating Learning:
• Solve a sample problem
• What you would tell a friend who was absent about class today? What would he need to know?
• Provide a cloze statement for students to complete. [ie: Apostrophes are _______________ marks used to indicate ______________ (as in Hui’s ball) and _______________ (such as can’t or didn’t).]
• Rank what you learned in order of importance.
• Write a tweet about what you learned (140 characters or less).
• List 5 key words (vocabulary) you need to understand what we learned today.

Formative Assessment/Checking for Understanding:

(Some of these can be useful for those days when you have to stop mid-instruction as they encourage students to think ahead and connect to the next day’s learning.)
• Write one question you still have
• Finish the statement: I’m still wondering about…
• What two questions would you think must be included on a quiz over today’s lesson?
• Give an example of what we learned today (ie: write three words that start with a hard c sound.)
• What concept do you need more examples of to really feel like you’ve learned?
• Draw a diagram/illustration of what you learned today.

Connect to Prior Knowledge:
• Finish the statement: I used to think… b/c… but now I think… b/c…
• How did today’s lesson connect to yesterday’s topic?
• What connections can you make with other lessons? With real life? with other subjects?

Activate Critical Thinking Skills:
• Finish the statement: One concept that has been difficult or confusing in this chapter is… b/c… but I overcame my challenge by…
• What did I learn today (not what was the lesson about)?
• How could today’s lesson be applied in the “real” world?
• What are you thinking about after today’s lesson?
• What mistakes did you make today? What did you learn from them?
• Make a statement about the lesson and ask students to respond to that statement in writing. (ie: Global warming is something that all citizens of the world should be concerned about. Based on today’s lesson write 1-2 sentences telling if you agree or disagree and why?)

Evaluate the Effectiveness of Instruction (Metacognition):
• What did the teacher do to help you learn today?
• What would have helped you to learn the material better?
• How effective was __x__ activity in helping you learn the material?
• Name one positive and one negative thing that happened during discussion time in class today.
• How well do you think you understood today’s lesson:

Exit slips are not formal assessments. Instead, they are snapshots of student learning at a given point in time. They are not to be graded, but do need to be reviewed as a way to inform teaching strategies. Exit slips should take very little time to complete (3-5 minutes). They help students reflect on their learning and transition between lessons. Not only do they bring closure, they equip teachers to better tailor instruction to the real needs of students.
If you’ve never used exit slips before, why don’t you give them a try in 2019. And for those of you who are really adventurous, consider adding technology to the mix. Bringing closure to your class has never been this easy!

Becky Hunsberger, M.Ed.
Teacher Education Services
TeachBeyond Global

Photo Credits: School’s Out. Classroom Matters, via Shutterstock. Students Writing. via Shutterstock.

Cultivating our Minds: Active Learning in the Classroom

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Not long ago, one of my students declared in frustration, “Grammar is one of those things that you either get or you don’t.” I’ve heard this explanation of learning applied to a number of disciplines—you either understand maths or you don’t; you are good at art, or you aren’t; poetry makes sense, or it doesn’t. Unfortunately, frustrated students are not the only ones who make such claims. I have heard them from parents, the media, even fellow teachers. What dismays me is the view of learning these statements espouse: learning is something that passively happens to you. Either you were endowed at birth with a magical ability to “get it” or you weren’t and nothing that you can do will change that. What a depressing and misguided thought.

While there are certain cognitive traits that can make learning seem easier for some people, educational research tells us that individuals who take an active approach to learning tend to do better and learn more than those who don’t. This aligns with scripture which reminds us that man was created to cultivate the world around him.[1] The practice of active agency in learning is far more beneficial than passive receptivity. It is a better predictor of success than many other factors. So what does this mean for students?

All of us can improve both our memory and our ability to transfer knowledge to unfamiliar situations with active effort. The most effective learning takes place when students are faced with desirable difficulty—a learning task that requires effort at a level slightly beyond the expected level for students.[2] Unfortunately, this effort is hard and most of us don’t naturally choose to do things the hard way. In fact, in their research, Brown, et al., discovered that most people revert to study patterns that require less effort even after experiencing greater learning using more difficult study techniques.[3] As fallen people, we want to believe that we can somehow get something for nothing—or as close to nothing as possible. We want to abandon our calling to cultivate in favour of an easier path.

As teachers, we can empower our learners to become active agents in their own learning by providing opportunities for students to grapple with difficult tasks and concepts. This might be providing an example of a real world issue as a hook and asking students how they would go about solving it using the concepts they’ve been studying. Or perhaps challenging students to synthesise two previous lessons to come up with a new approach to a problem set. Even asking an open-ended question and encouraging a robust student discussion can trigger the type of mental challenge that we want for our students.

I’ve found that the hardest part for me in designing this type of learning activity is getting myself out of the way. My tendency is to want to jump in and direct the students, to help them discover the answer. I want to prevent them from taking wrong turns or making common mistakes. Unfortunately, when I do this, I am unwittingly preventing my students from doing the work of thinking themselves. I am hindering, rather than empowering, learning.

A second challenge is remembering to set aside enough time to allow students to do this type of active thinking. I need to leave more than the amount of time I think it should take to come up with a workable solution. I also need to build in time to let the students fail, and then try again. This means that I have to watch my own tendency to dominate class time with teacher talk. Preparation—both in instruction and in setting up the learning activity—is key to addressing this challenge.

In the end, however, the learning rewards for the students are worth the extra work. Teaching students to become cultivators of their minds is just one way we can honor the image of God in our students and equip them to become better learners in the process.

Becky Hunsberger
Coordinator of Teacher Education
TeachBeyond Global
________________________________________
[1] Genesis 1:28-30, 2:15
[2] Students should be able to master the task on their own with increased effort. Tasks that students cannot master without outside help or scaffolding are not desirable. Brown, Peter, C., Henry L Roediger, III, and Mark A. McDaniel. Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2014. chapter 4.
[3] Ibid. chapter 3.

Photo Credits: Rock Climbing. C. Hunsberger. 2015. Classwork. GagliardiImages. via Shutterstock.

Life Jacket: a Documentary about Refugees

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A documentary was filmed in July that captures the refugee crisis in Greece from a child’s viewpoint and shows the need for Beyond Borders’ educational programmes in refugee camps.

Mrs. Faten AlFaraj, TeachBeyond associate and film producer, spent two weeks in Greece documenting the educational crisis faced by refugee children on the island of Lesvos.

The production highlights the young refugees’ educational needs and dreams for the future. The full-length documentary will be used for awareness of education among refugees and fundraising events. A short video will be created that can be shown to churches, schools, and groups of people interested in helping support the education needs of refugee children.

For the documentary click the link below-

https://vimeo.com/299280262


If you would like to know more about working with Beyond Borders then get in touch info.uk@teachbeyond.org

Doing Justice

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Justice is close to God’s heart, thus making things right in a broken world should be central to our classroom life. Here are five principles from the book of Micah to help us live out justice in our classes.

Principle One: See injustice and care.

Micah chapters 1-5 explains the mess of the world, and how God’s people were not doing their part. Micah emphasises how personal contentment can keep us from doing the justice that the Lord requires[1]. God’s people didn’t see needs around them. Or, worse, they didn’t care.

As teachers, we should help students see needs of those who can’t help themselves. Perhaps this is as simple as a daily look at the “news.” Maybe it is choosing books that expose students to the struggles of others. However we choose to do this, we may have to break out of our comfortable routines to help students see and care about justice.

 

 

Principle Two: Know how good God is.

In Micah 6:1-5 God reminds His people of all He has done and how it has been good. Doing justice begins with knowing what God has done for us. Just like Israel, we have been rescued and blessed by a great God. We love because He first loved us. We do justice because of what he has done for us.

We can help students respond actively to God’s goodness. Even if you teach in a “closed” context, you can point out how much your students have been given and how they can give to those with less. In our school, we use a programme called “Love in Action” where students and parents collect gifts and deliver them to children in need.

Principle Three: Act, don’t just think or feel sad.

God says in Micah 6:8 to “do justice and to love kindness.” The main verb here is do. Our default response should be action, not just reflection.

As teachers, we can build activities into our curriculum where students can practice justice. Consider picking a project and committing to it for the year with bulletin boards and regular updates[2]. Or encourage your students to respond to a need in your own community. When you hear about injustice, help students to always ask, “What should we do?”

Principle Four: Identify strengths to help the weak.

Micah 6:8 says to “do justice and love kindness.” The terms “justice” and “kindness” (hesed in the Hebrew) are very similar at their core. They have to do with someone stronger making things right for someone weaker, expecting nothing in return.

A great question to ask students is “What has God given you to help make things right?” Certainly, we have Jesus to share. But we have been given other gifts as well. How can we design our curriculum to include opportunities for students to discover their personal strengths and gifts and to use them?

We want each child to recognise his or her positions of strength and think how these can help those who need wrongs made right.

Principle Five: Walk with God to know what to do.

“Walk humbly with your God[3].” Walking here implies taking time to be with God. As we do this, we learn what justice He wants each of us to do. We listen and consider all He says and shows us..

If we are doing a good job helping students see the injustice in our world, there will be too much for them to respond to. Because this can be overwhelming, spending time with God helps each of us to know better God’s plan and how to understand what he wants each one to do.

Our personal example of God teaching us as we walk with him is powerful. We should share with our students about our own walk and what we are learning.

We can also teach students to have quiet time with God by providing personal reflection in class, encouraging students to listen for what God is teaching them. Our goal is to go beyond knowledge into action by asking “what should I do with what I learn?”

The result.

Seeking justice gives an underlying ethos for a transformational classroom. The transformational educator lives out justice before students. He or she encourages students to find practical ways to address injustice and help make things right in their world.

Joe Neff, Th. M.

Coordinating Director of Education Services
TeachBeyond Global

________________________________________
[1] Micah 6:8
[2] One idea is to sponsor a “Ditch Your Desk Day” to help raise funds for and awareness of the needs of students who have been denied basic education because of poverty and other social factors. Open Schools World Wide is a partner with TeachBeyond.
[3] Micah 6:8

Photo Credits: Reading. Pivot Learning/shutterstock.com. Bulletin Board. Ordine psicologi Toscana./Shutterstock.com.

Featured Five

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Your Classroom, A Home Away From Home

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The beginning of the year is an exciting time! It marks new beginnings and, for most teachers, a classroom to create as a home away from home. According Reggio Emilio, the classroom environment is the “third teacher” (with teacher and children being teachers one and two)[1].

So setting up a classroom with care and intentionality is an important and challenging task. Here are some questions to help guide the process and help you create a stimulating, learner-focused classroom environment.

What is your priority?

Student work

In my classroom I want students to feel like they belong, so while planning my room I first designate a spot to display student work. This can be a bulletin board, hanging clips, or just a blank part of the wall. I plan to rotate work frequently, so I want to be creative with a permanent display. I use poster board that has been covered in contact paper so it doesn’t rip with tape stuck to it. My co-worker has glued clothes pins to the wall for easy rotation of work. Regardless of how it is done, students will feel the classroom is theirs when THEIR work is on display for all to see.

Reference points

What are key components to the curriculum that I want to reference with my students?

Since I teach preschool I use a calendar, chart for weather and number cards. As students get older teachers can introduce letter walls, word walls, and number lines. For upper grades word walls and maths reference charts can be used. The idea is it can grow as you go forward with your year, and it is an easy tool for students to reference as needed.

Home-like feel

For all students, the classroom is a home away from home, so it’s fun to personalise it. I like to have a spot where each student brings a family picture. Other teachers will add floor lamps, wall art, woven baskets, or fun rugs. Anything.

What do your students need?

My delightful 4 year olds can be full of energy, but also easily distracted. For me it is important to have a classroom with learning as the focus, but also to incorporate white space so the environment is not overly stimulating. Some students need extra reminders for routines and procedures, so creating posters with pictures helps students reference what is expected of them. By thinking through the individual needs of your students you can create a unique environment for them. Think about how many students you have: are there any physical or emotional challenges that need accommodated? how is the language fluency? etc. Each question can be catered to in the environment.

How can I allow for students to grow in independence?

Throughout the year, I strive for my students to grow in independence. With that in mind, I make sure all basic supplies are accessible to them. I have a shelf with art supplies such as coloured pencils, scissors, glue, etc. that students can access without adult assistance. Additionally I have a designated location for water bottles, backpacks, and lunch boxes. It takes time to teach the routines and procedures necessary for taking care of classroom materials, but with intentionality it is possible.

Whatever the size of your classroom, however many students you have, and whatever level of “craftiness” you possess, it is possible to create a warm, inviting learning environment. Remember your students can spend over half their day in their “home away from home” so use the environment to create a space that is both welcoming and educational.

Sarah Trussell, M.Ed.
Elementary Principal, early childhood teacher
El Camino Academy, Colombia

[1] Loh, Andrew. “Reggio Emilia Approach.” 2006. http://www.brainy-child.com/article/reggioemilia.shtml.

Photo Credits: Sarah Trussell, El Camino Academy

Reflecting on Transformational Impact

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Here at TeachBeyond, our mission is to provide transformational education to the students and communities in which we serve. Transformation—especially Holy Spirit initiated transformation—is not something that is easily measured; however, if we are serious about achieving our mission, then it would behoove us to spend time reflecting on where we are in our pursuit of this mission.

The School Services team, under the direction and leadership of Helen Vaughan, has compiled a list of Transformational Education Indicatorsthat we hope will help you do just that. Since Mark Giebink’s articlelast month focused on the foundational impact of personal transformation, we’ll look at the more professional indicators this month[1]. For access to the entire list, please e-mail schoolservices@teachbeyond.org.

Transformational Education Indicators[2]

Read each statement. Then reflect upon it and answer the question “how frequently is this indicator true in my life and practice?”  Use a response scale of 1) frequently, 2) sometimes, 3) rarely, and 4) never.

Personal Indicators:

  • I meditate on the scriptures, asking God to use them for personal transformation.
  • I truly seek to love all people with the same love Christ has shown me. 

Discipleship Indicators:[3]

  • I ensure that all my students hear about the saving work of Christ on the cross and how to become
    His follower.

I ensure my students have a developmentally appropriate understanding of the implications of the creation, the fall, the redemption, and the restoration of God’s kingdom on earth.

  • I reference scriptural underpinnings relevant to instruction, classroom management, and fellowship with my students.
  • I remind my students of my own brokenness and need for a Saviour.
  • My students see/hear my loving care for people who do not share my faith perspective.
  • I exhibit my intense love for Jesus to my students.
  • I provide my students with defined opportunities to appreciate and express love for God in each unit of study.

Instructional Indicators[4]:

  • I provide my students with lessons which point to the nature and character of God.
  • I provide opportunities for my students to enhance both their local and global community.
  • I ensure that my classroom has a climate of affirming and caring for each other.
  • I use a variety of teaching practices to help uncover different types of student gifting.
  • I teach my students biblical conflict management and ensure that it is used.
  • My students hear me affirming hope in our loving God in the face of a decaying and despairing world.
  • I engage my students in examining, then critiquing, how humankind is making use of the resources that God has given us.
  • I help my students see the possibility of suffering and being joyful at the same time, of turning defeat into victory.
  • I equip my students to swim against the tide in standing up for the oppressed, forgiving others, and having empathy.
  • I ensure that the processes and structures in my class promote the resolution of broken relationships, personal accountability, and restoration of peace.

Community:

  • I lead my class in positively contributing to the well-being of our school.
  • I lead my class in positively contributing to the well-being of our neighbourhood or city.
  • I lead my class in positively contributing to the well-being of our world.

TeachBeyond School Services Team
TeachBeyond, Global

This is our last issue of OnPracticefor the 2017-2018 academic year. Publication will resume in August 2018. Enjoy your summer holidays!

[1]Spending time developing our own personal relationship with Jesus is absolutely crucial to any of the rest of this work. Without our own lives reflecting the transformation brought about by the restorative work of the Spirit, all our efforts are nothing more than resounding gongs and clanging cymbals.

[2]The indicators published here comprise only a selection of the entire list.

[3]To be used in overtly Christian schools.

[4]To be used in all schools, references to God and the Bible indicate the source, but it is understood that in some cases these terms cannot be used with students.)

Photo Credits:Prayer. TeachBeyond Facebook Page, 16 Dec. 2017. Planting. Baby English Club Facebook Page, 4 May 2018.

Featured Five

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Education Specialist
TeachBeyond Borders
Lesvos, Greece
We are looking for a pioneering leader to oversee the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of educational programming for refugees of all ages in Lesvos, Greece. A staff member is particularly needed for October-December 2018 and April-June 2019.

Enquire Now

High School Maths Teacher
William Carey Academy
Chittagong, Bangladesh
Love maths? Love students? William Carey Academy has both! WCA is looking for someone – who has a passion for maths – to come and teach maths courses for the 2018-19 school year. A middle school maths teacher also needed.

Enquire Now

Second Grade Teacher
International Academy of
St. Petersburg
Russia
We are looking for a certified elementary teacher familiar with teaching a wide range of academic and language abilities from a biblical worldview. Class sizes do not exceed 15 students and often are fewer than 10 students.

Enquire Now

Descubre Ingles Teacher
Arbor Christian Academy
San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Descubre Ingles is a programme that teaches English to children and adults in the community. Classes are held a few times per week and focused on conversation and games. The position does not require knowledge of the Spanish language, but it is necessary that you are willing to learn it.

Enquire Now

Middle School Teacher
Black Forest Academy
Kandern, Germany
Black Forest Academy is seeking a middle school teacher. Recent graduates as well as seasoned teachers are encouraged to apply. You will provide a quality education with a Christian worldview to middle school students in grades 5 to 8.

Enquire Now

An exercise in FAITH

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In our exploration of TeachBeyond’s core values, we have now come to faith. Hebrews 11 is the great Bible chapter on faith and there we find a definition of this value: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see[1].” The chapter goes on to illustrate what this virtue looks like using the lives of many of the great heroes of the Old Testament.[2]

There are some common themes that run through the various illustrations. One is that often the goals pursued by these heroes seemed completely unattainable. Think of the stories of Sarah, Joshua, Gideon and others. The thing they hoped for seemed impossible. Another common theme is the lack of resources that these characters faced. How could Gideon possibly win a battle against the vast Midianite army with only 300 men? How could Moses lead the Israelite slaves out of powerful Egypt? And even should they succeed, what was there in the desert to sustain them? A third theme is obedience: these heroes of the faith reached their goal because they did what God challenged them to do. This is true even when they could not see the outcome they were working towards, a final theme of this chapter.

It would be easy to think that somehow these people were special and not like us, but when you read through their stories you see that this is not true. Moses tried all sorts of excuses to avoid facing Pharaoh. Gideon demanded miraculous signs to convince him of God’s clear direction. Even Sarah laughed when she first heard the Lord’s promise. Just as it took these men and women time to grow in their faith, we should take heart in realising that faith is journey and not something that happens to us overnight.

So how does this relate to our work in the classroom? Let’s consider the four themes highlighted earlier.

Do you ever feel the targets you have been set are far too high and unrealistic? Do you wonder if the head of your department or the school principal realises what the children in your class are like? Or perhaps you wonder if your small attempts at Biblical integration or modelling love and discipleship are capable of making an eternal difference in the lives of your students? If so, you are in the same situation as our faith heroes and the good news is that God specialises in helping us reach goals that seem impossible.

What about resources? Maybe you know that your children are very capable, but lack reliable internet or your textbooks are old and out of date. Maybe there are just not enough resources to go around. You are in good company. Thankfully God specialises in using people who feel weak and inadequate to accomplish great things.

Then there is obedience obedience. Jo Schuringa[3] often says, “God has not called you to fail.” What a great reminder: God has called you and placed you where you are now serving, and he challenges you not to dwell on the problems but to look to him in faith and see how He will achieve great things through your ministry.

Finally, the heroes of faith were still living by faith when they died; they did not always see the outcome of their work. There will be children who will challenge you and when they leave they will appear to have taken no notice of many things you have tried to teach them. Don’t lose heart, because the fruit may not come for many years. It is not your job to save your students; that job, thankfully, belongs to the Lord!

Just like the heroes of faith, you may find moving forward in faith a challenge, but remember to keep your eyes on Jesus not on your circumstances. You are not in this position by accident, and the one who has called you will certainly equip you with everything good for doing his will[4]. As your faith grows your life will have an impact on the children you work with, even if it is just because they see you exercising your faith day by day.

[1] Hebrews 11:1

[2] Please make time to read the chapter because the examples we are given are inspiring.

[3] Joe is a member of TeachBeyond’s global committee

[4] Hebrews 13:21

David Midwinter
UK National Director
TeachBeyond