Page 64 - Youth Discipleship Student Textbook

Study Section 11: Effective Teaching Principles with Youth

11.1 Connect

Probably the biggest job for a youth pastor is to teach God’s Word to the youth. One of the
qualifications of a youth pastor is that they are “apt to teach.” That means they have
developed teaching skills but does not mean they have to have the spiritual gift of teaching.

Everyone is a teacher. As soon as you open your mouth in the presence of others, you are
teaching them something. You can be lazy and just give teaching your best shot. You can copy what
other teachers have done. Or you can develop and refine certain skills that great teachers hone over the
years. This lesson seeks to begin that process. You want to be an effective and trained teacher? Well,
pay attention to some of the principles we will share with you in this lesson…

11.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to explain how a good teacher understands the students whom
he teaches.

2. The student should be able to explain how teaching is hard work and that most that is
preparation.

3. The student should be able to describe ways to improve teaching skills by thinking outside the box.

4. The student should be able to explain why attentions spans are important in teaching.

11.3 How to Teach Youth.

Part of the Great Commission is the mode in which to carry it out. The verse in Matthew
28 says that we are to make disciples by TEACHING them to observe the
commandments of Christ. The principle activity of discipleship is TEACHING.

There are hundreds of verses in the Bible about teaching. In fact, there are over 200 verses
that directly or indirectly describe the duty or the results of teaching. The children of Israel were
commanded to teach their children throughout the day and night to walk in the ways of the Lord (Deut.
11). Some generations did this effectively, and the next generation obeyed God. But some neglected
the duty to teach, and as a result, whole generations would turn from God to idols. One king was godly,
but his son was wicked. Why? He may have been so busy running the country that he did not teach his
son God’s ways. Perhaps his son rejected the teachings of his father. We really don’t know. But we do
know that Scripture makes it VERY clear that is our duty to teach and train our children to walk with
God, with the promise, that as they mature, they will not turn from it (Prov. 22:6).

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