Yesterday I used the term “shelf” without really explaining what I meant. In the context yesterday a shelf is a topic. For instance “Quiet Time.” On that shelf I develop several tools, small exercises that would help a person learn how to have a Quiet Time.
There may be a devotional book on that shelf. It may be that one of the things on the shelf is a personal testimony of how quiet time has helped me. There may be a message that I would recommend or a book to read.
People learn in different ways. The idea behind the shelf is to have many ways to approach the same topic so that I can tailor time with a person to their best learning style.
When all that is prepared beforehand it allows us to think and engage with the other person without much thought about what we are going to say. We can listen better. That may lead, and often does, as I mentioned yesterday, to putting what I was going to talk about back on the shelf and bringing something else into the conversation.
People learn in different ways. The idea behind the shelf is to have many ways to approach the same topic so that I can tailor time with a person to their best learning style.
When all that is prepared beforehand it allows us to think and engage with the other person without much thought about what we are going to say. We can listen better. That may lead, and often does, as I mentioned yesterday, to putting what I was going to talk about back on the shelf and bringing something else into the conversation.
I like the analogy with shelves. And the idea to be prepared for helping people depending on their needs and learning style. And being attentive to the Spirit and flexible as we listen.
ReplyDeleteNot original with me. It is what we learned from Larry Whitehouse at the MSU training center. The main idea here is that you prepare packages, "cans" to put on those shelves. Things like the messages from Prof at Discipleship Library, or a simple way to get people engaged in personal Bible study... Then when you meet with them, you are not having to try to come up with something to say to them you have a whole set of shelves prepared and you just pull the "can" you need off of the shelf...
DeleteWe built our initial cans, packages around the things new believers needed. Things like assurance of salvation, how to have a quiet time, how to memorize scripture, how to share your testimony, how to make the most out of a Christian meeting, how to keep a prayer journal, and the Lordship of Christ.