Adult Education Ministry

At Lord of Life, we believe in "growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18). We offer Scripture-based instruction and training opportunities for all adults. See the current adult classes being offered on Sunday mornings. Contact: Kymberly Kuebler.

The Adult Education Ministry exist to help Lord of Life Lutheran Church in fulfilling the Great Commission, which explicitly mentions teaching as part of the process of making disciples of Jesus Christ. While the primary emphasis of the Adult Education Ministry is in the "Reach In" to God's Word portion of the Lord of Life Lutheran Church mission statement, the Ministry also works in the "Reaching Up" and "Reaching Out" by providing training for these activities.

What is the Scriptural Basis for this Ministry? The Great Commission is found in Matthew 28: 18-20: "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Furthermore, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are told to be follow in His ways (1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Peter 2:21). As Jesus was a teacher, we also should teach. We, as a church, should teach one another, among other things (Colossians 3:16).

Whom Does this Ministry Serve? The Adult Education Ministry serves God by providing education to adult members and guest of Lord of Life Lutheran Church.

What Spiritual Gifts, Training, and Other Abilities would be of Benefit to this Ministry?

Teachers - The spiritual gift of teacher would be the obvious first one on the list. The gifts of prophecy and discernment would be helpful to distinguish truth from error in discussion, but these should be tempered with mercy to avoid discouraging the adult learners. Training and experience as a teacher would also be helpful. Furthermore, there is no substitute for familiarity with the subject matter being taught. Teachers are very special ministers of the Word of God. They are willing to be held to a higher standard (Colossians 3:16).

Curriculum writers - The curriculum writer should have a passion for the subject and for sharing the knowledge with others. These ministers will work in the background if they are not also the teachers of the course. Writing skills are helpful. The curriculum writer should be familiar with the subject area of the course and be willing and able to research a topic to bring more information to the course. Often, the curriculum writer will learn more than the students.

Director - The Director of Adult Education should be passionate about the process of discipling his or her fellow members of Lord of Life Lutheran Church. He or she should be organized, able to delegate, able to train and encourage teachers and curriculum writers.

What Training is Available?

Teachers - Taking the higher level courses on a particular subject will be helpful in knowing the subject matter. The Director of Adult Education, or his or her designee, will sit in classes (if the teacher desires) to provide confidential suggestions for improvement.

Curriculum writers - Curriculum writers are trained primarily in one-to-one settings. The Director of Adult Education will arrange assistance to those who wish to write a curriculum that fits into the education program. This may be by providing an experienced coauthor, by suggesting an outline of the course for the curriculum writer to fill in, or by just providing editorial service after most of the work is completed

What are the Duties and Responsibilities of this Ministry?

The duties and responsibilities of the Adult Education Ministry are to arrange learning opportunities for the adult members and guest of Lord of Life Lutheran Church. These learning opportunities are to be balanced between the study of God's Word (including doctrines derived from the Word) and training for Christian living (including ministries that the members undertake). There is also to be a range of levels of courses, from ones which are not intimidating to new Christians up to in depth Bible study and ministry training.

What are the Time Commitments for this Ministry?

Teachers - In addition to the scheduled class time, teachers should plan on being in the classroom 10-15 minutes before and after the class. The presence before class assures students that there will be a class and gives the teacher time for small talk to help get to know his or her students. Proper class preparation from a prepared curriculum normally takes two to three times the amount of class time.

Curriculum writers - To write a curriculum from scratch is a significant time commitment, probably 15 to 20 times the number of hours in the course. The time required will vary depending on upon the portion of the curriculum comes from the writers personal knowledge versus the portion that is the result of research and study.

Director - The position of Director of Adult Education requires a significant time commitment even with substantial delegation of the teaching and curriculum writing. He or she should be ready and able to assist those working as teachers and/or curriculum writers. In addition, he or she needs to spend the time developing the overall plan for the Adult Education Ministry.

What is the Accountability Structure for this Ministry?

The Adult Education Ministry is one of the ministries within Board of Education. The Staff liaison for the Adult Education Ministry is the Director of Worship, but this ministry will interface significantly with other staff due to the heavy use of Staff members as class leaders. It is also expected that members of the Board of Elders will often function as teachers, since one of the requirements for Elders is to be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2, 2 Timothy 2:24). This Ministry works with other ministries that include an education component in their activities, facilitating their ability to provide education to the rest of the congregation.