Introduction
Faith formation is about change in the heart and head. Faith formation—that process of growing one’s reliance on the God of the Bible—impacts and is impacted by other life levels or dimensions: physical or biological, mental or psychological, moral and social. The disciplines of medicine, psychology, even organizational development, increasingly reference a “holistic” focus: Multiple factors contribute to improvement and health. The Bible points to holistic growth in a person, and therefore, holistic teaching.
My intention here is not to examine each life level or facet of human growth. Instead, I seek briefly and boldly to explore the interconnection and interaction of the psychology and biology (head) and the spirituality (heart) of learning. You can say the intent is to get to the heart of how teens learn, the purpose being to inform necessary holistic teaching of teens to promote formation of their faith in Christ. The framework or context for this exploration is a proposed lesson scheme in teaching youth the Bible.
Catch, content, create and commit comprise this proposed lesson scheme. As I discuss each element of this scheme, I’ll explain the interconnection and interaction of each between psychology, biology and spirituality. Related to psychology and biology, I am speaking about brain functioning in learning. Pertaining to spirituality, I am addressing that part of human beings that exists after death, drives us to connect with what is beyond the physical, and has the capacity to make the right choices because God breathed into us “the breath of life,” making us in His “image” and “likeness.” The term spirituality often is used in our culture with various meanings. As I speak of spirituality here, I mean biblical spirituality — inner growth in reliance on the God of the Bible and outward expression of this reliance in life. It is the essence of faith formation.
Lawrence Richards (1998) offered the lesson scheme hook, book, look, took. His lesson scheme, including schemes suggested by others in the field of Christian Education, generated in my thinking different ideas and issues related the development of a lesson scheme for teaching youth. The scheme I submit has some parallel to Richards’ proposed scheme, though not exactly. I utilize different verb forms and base the scheme I propose on brain functioning in learning and related biblical teaching and learning themes and language. I recognize the genius of Richards’ scheme and what I view to be his significant contribution to Christian Education.
Catch (Sensory Functions)
Catch relates to the process in teaching of “catching” the attention of youth. What the teacher attempts to achieve here (at the start of the Bible lesson or talk) is stimulating sensory input. The back of the human brain is comprised of the occipital and parietal lobes, where sensory functions occur: sound, sight, smell, touch, taste. The aim is to stimulate students’ senses, catch their attention. It is the way we get information into the brain. It is at this level we want to provide experience in the classroom or teaching context which peaks their interest, draws them to the topic, causes some serious firing and wiring of neurons, a rock-their-world kind of occurrence in which they “feel” the experience. This feeling consists of event (senses are stimulated) and emotion (anxiety, anger, remorse, sadness, happiness, hilarity is an evoked response), all of which increase reception and subsequent response to information. Opening or introductory activities or approaches (e.g., story, skit, song, movie scene, role play, game, change in environment) need to stimulate input of information in the brain where the body language of your teens say, “OK, you’ve got my attention.”
I observe from the biblical content related language forms which highlights this process of “catching” students’ attention. Such language forms as “heard, said, called, inside the fish, eat, drink, see” signifying sensory functions of sound, sight, smell, touch and taste. The titans of faith in the Bible literally heard the voice of the Lord. They saw incredible acts of power by the Lord. The Israelites saw and felt the crumbling of the wall of Jericho. Jonah saw, smelled and felt the inside a great fish. Thomas felt the holes in the hands and side of Jesus. The disciples saw, had breakfast (smell, taste, touch) and heard the voice (sound) of the risen Lord.
We are talking about some serious firing and wiring of neurons due to multiple stimulation of human senses which lead to input of information into their brains. God got their attention, and they were never the same.
As teachers of youth we must appreciate and apply the need for stimulation of our students’ senses and emotions to literally enter their minds. We cannot afford to under-appreciate and under-activate the affective domain of youth in our teaching. When emotional response or human feeling is attached to information or ideas, retention of that information or idea is hugely maximized. It is interesting that human emotions are associated with brain activity in the temporal and frontal lobes where “thinking” activities occur.
Content (Verbalization, Generation of Words)
Dr. Phil Briggs, former professor of youth ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said, “We teach youth the Bible.” We consider developmental needs of teens as we teach the Bible, but the content of our teaching is the Bible. We seek to impart and instill in the lives of teens biblical principles and promises. In the lower mid-section of the brain (temporal lobe) and front part of the brain (frontal lobe), activities of verbalization occur (mental verbalization or generation of words). These mental activities represent the psychology of human functioning. Pertaining to the activities or processes of generating words, such include mental activities of recalling, reviewing and reflecting on information. Also, it consists of creating new ideas. This activity of creation or formation of new ideas corresponds more specifically to the step of “create.” In relation to the step content, guiding students in recalling, reviewing and reflecting on the biblical content indicates the crucial processes of this step. It is a process of “watching” or observing the biblical content (i.e. focal passages of the lesson). Such questions as, “What is this passage saying? What does it mean? What is the writer speaking about? What is the writer saying?” identify the form and focus of this step. Related biblical language forms which correspond to this step are “meditate, consider, open the book, read, instruct, teach, listening.” They denote activities of reviewing and reflecting on—observing—God’s Word.
Create (Verbalization, Generation of New Ideas)
Activities of creating or forming new ideas are indicative of frontal lobe functioning. The frontal lobe consists of higher-order thinking and reasoning, referred to as executive functions where judging of information occurs (decision making). Like the temporal lobe, this part of the brain generates or creates words or ideas but on a higher level of functioning. It is where a synthesis of information takes place, where new ideas are developed.
Related to teaching youth the Bible, it is the essential step of leading youth to create principles for life based on the biblical content. This creation of principles (new ideas) connects the biblical content to life issues and needs of youth where they are. Thinking about the biblical content as it relates to what youth face and feel characterizes the step of create.
It is in this step that their worldview is nurtured, grounded in the biblical perspective, where they grow in knowing the reasons for their beliefs. In this step of teaching, we guide youth in developing a faith in God that is not a result of cultural or community expectations or norms, but is the result of personal choice. They choose to believe and follow Christ and know the reasons for their choice. It is a faith they own, not just made known to them — more essentially, one they own that is grounded in and guided by the Bible. This teaching of youth toward a higher level of thinking is iterated by such biblical words as “wisdom, study, asking questions, understanding, answers, examined, knowledge and insight.” The Bible calls teachers of youth to ascend youth to higher thinking about the biblical content.
Commit (Motor Functions)
This step in the lesson scheme involves leading youth to commit to live out the biblical content they’ve explored during the lesson time. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., defines commit as “to carry into action deliberately.” Recently, I listened to an interview on National Public Radio with a pastor in his 70s. The interviewer asked this pastor, now retired, to share the most significant thing he learned during his ministry. This pastor said that it was when he came to a point in his life when he stopped preaching the gospel and started living the gospel. The life we live is the real Bible lesson. This step or process of leading youth to live out the gospel should not be minimized via our teaching. I am not speaking about asking youth to fill out a commitment card in the class or during small-group time. It’s not an altar call at the end of Bible fellowship. It does consist of leading intentional discussion among youth in your class or small group to explore how to live out biblical truth (i.e., principles or new ideas discovered in the previous step, create).
This step correlates to motor functioning of the brain, the motor cortex, the upper-top section of the brain. This part of the brain allows speaking and physical functions and actions. Those physical actions include writing and touching. Certainly speaking is physical activity. For the Christian teen, these physical activities or functions are expressed in his or her praise, proclamation and practice in the world; it is the doing — the application — of the Word of God in one’s life. It is taking the new principles and ideas discovered and applying them to real-life situations youth face and feel via discussion, role plays or case studies (all physical activities).
I encourage teachers of youth to teach for one aim. Whether the teaching aim is for knowledge, attitude, behavior or skill, we are asking youth to commit to do something with what they’ve learned. For instance, if the aim is knowledge (e.g., learning the Ten Commandments), the teacher can lead youth to commit to learn them, engaging them via discussion (physical activity of speaking) in ways they can best retain memory of the Ten Commandments. Then apply these ways during the week via activities that may consist of physical activity (motor functions) such as writing them out or saying them aloud alone or with others. If the aim is attitude (e.g., understanding the meaning of servanthood), the teacher can facilitate discussion among youth to discern attitudes in the world that are contrary to biblical servanthood and how they can show servanthood in their lives.
One critical facet of the step commit is follow-up. I suggest that to enhance the impact of youths’ learning that teachers must guide them to discuss their experiences of striving to apply the biblical content at the start of the next class or small-group meeting before proceeding to start the small-group time with the new lesson theme or focus. This practice indicates a crucial and credible procedure. This debriefing time, though not intended to be overly consuming of the lesson time, allows for reflection on issues and problems youth faced in their efforts to do or follow God’s Word. It allows for problem-solving and affirmation. (Living out God’s Word is not easy and can be quite painful at times). Such discussion highly values this critical dimension of Christian living (orthopraxis) as the Bible does, evidenced in such biblical language forms as “practice, obey, follow, love, do, imitate.”
Conclusion
I have offered a lesson scheme for teaching youth the Bible, one based on brain functions of learning. My intent via this scheme is to intersect biblical truth with the biology of learning to promote quality Bible teaching of youth to aid formation of their faith in Christ. For each element of this scheme, I have offered a rationale for its application in light of brain science and the biblical perspective.
Certain implications are worth noting in light of what I have discussed. First, we must rely on the work and power of the Holy Spirit to change minds and hearts.
Second, the biology of learning and the need for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our teaching remind us that quality teaching of youth demands quantity in time for preparation and prayer. We need to prepare the type of lessons that appreciate and appropriate brain functioning in learning. We must immerse our preparation in prayer to the Holy Spirit, asking “that whenever [you] open your mouth, words may be given [you] so that [you] will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (
Third, we must understand that the brains of the youth we teach are still growing physically. With the prominence of Piagét’s theory on cognitive development, it was believed that the physical growth of the human brain ended at age 11 or 12. Modern medical research, specifically utilizing FMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imagery), has conclusively shown that the physical growth of the brain continues into the early 20s. This means that intellectual capacity continues to grow. Of course, each teen is different with some teens able to function at a higher level of thinking compared to others. Regardless, the general population of teens are experiencing physical growth of the brain, therefore, capacities for judging and decision-making are continuing to grow.
The continuing physical growth of the brain is not about capability to decide but capacity for decision-making. This reality iterates the promise and power of community (peer and adult relationships) as a protective factor for youth. It illuminates the need for balance of teaching to ascend youth to owning their faith (the intent of the lesson scheme I offer) and fostering nurturing, encouraging and caring relationships in their youth group and church.
REFERENCE LIST
Richards, Lawrence O., Gary Bredfeldt, and Larry Richards, 1998, Creative Bible Teaching, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.
