Developing the Learner within You – Part 1

by | Jul 17, 2009 | What Matters Now

The more research I do, the more I see the role of Chief Learning Officer in business and education.  In fact, I recently came across the “Learning Leaders Fieldbook” developed by the MASIE Center.  From the fieldbook, I culled some valuable insights into learning leadership (which I’ve written about before here).  Here are five to get us started.  I’ll be sure to post more in days to come.

1. Make other people successful: be a trusted advisor

So often children’s ministry leaders are seen as program peddlers or Christian Education trainers.  If others (volunteers, leaders of leaders, and staff) trust you, that will open doors for you to serve as a problem solver instead of being just a solution.

2.  Have a point of view: thought leadership is everything

Your point of view has to be dynamic.  Understanding the culture of your church will be an incredible asset to you as a learning leader.  This type of knowledge can help you gauge the church’s readiness for new programs/initiatives.

3.  Be a connector of talent

In these days, unlike any other, you have the ability to connect to children’s and family ministry leaders with experience, education, and leadership skills for free through social networking tools – without going to a conference, enrolling in seminary, or joining the latest children’s ministry fad.  As the expert in your context, you can connect lots of talent to your ministry.  Take advantage of that!

4.  Provide support tools for learning

Simply, in order to reach today’s digital learners with the truth of God’s Word and the life-changing story of the Gospel we will be required as children’s and family ministry leaders to incorporate new tools and methods to teach.  We must take advantage of digital tools that are available.  Video, design, social networking, gaming, text, Twitter, Facebook – these are all on-boarding tools that will aid learning.  It’s time to give up on full frontal lecturing and static teaching.  It’s time to make our teaching style as dynamic as the powerful message God is using us to communicate to kids and families.