"Hands-On Learning"
When I was a boy, I spent my summers building forts in a locust tree grove. The setting was just across the street from where I lived on an uncleared vacant lot. I never knew or even thought about who owned the property, but I have a feeling that the lot owner was grateful for the industriousness of the neighborhood boys. After all, we were saving him the trouble and cost of clearing out those thorny little trees! 😊
We used
our imaginations every time we went to work. Usually, we were building a small
community of shelters with a barrier or fence around it for protection. We
pretended to be a party of hardy explorers setting up camp and building defense
structures to protect it against any enemies, real or imagined! Hours of work
sawing, knife scraping, trimming, and rope tying were invested in the project
each day.
We did not
care how hot it was or how much we sweated! In our minds, we were adventurers
creating a new world! At the end of the day, we would bathe, eat dinner, and retreat
to our comfortable beds to fall fast asleep. In the morning, we would head back
to the fort and continue our building with hammers, hatchets, shovels, and pocketknives
in the ready!
One of the
most popular approaches in the news lately is STEM education. It involves science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics in its curriculum. My son-in-law, Dan
(the grandsons’ dad!), has been invested in “hands-on” education for years now.
Back in the day, he never used chairs in his classroom. He wanted his students to
be up on their feet using their heads, hands, and imaginations! Mr. Hartman was
hugely popular with his classes, and everyone wanted to be in those chair-less classrooms
under his tutelage!
Today, he and
our daughter, Michelle, offer flexible options for homeschool and public-school
students through their not-for-profit, Heritage Ministries Incorporated.
HMI is committed to a process of discipleship education that helps kids form a Christian
worldview for all their life choices. Recent courses have included: engineering
in the classroom, leatherwork, and woodfire cooking. The mission of HMI is to
“provide students with knowledge and skills that will help them to navigate the
21st century by serving their families and friends well.”
Jesus
Christ modeled hands-on learning with His Disciples. You see Him in action the
first time He called to them on the Sea of Galilee, “Follow me, and I will make
you fish for people.” (Mark 1:17, NRSV). It was an invitation to be with
Him during the next three years of instruction and mentoring in ministry. They
would listen to Him teach and pray. They were with him as he healed the sick
and raised the dead. They were by His side as He dealt with opposition and saw
how He faced death on the cross.
Their
development was a process in three stages: 1) Jesus does ministry
and the disciples watch Him. 2) They do ministry together with Him. 3)
They do ministry on their own and Jesus watches them! The goal of mentoring them
was to one day release them for their own ministry. With this level of investment
in them, it’s no wonder that The Seventy returned from their mission joyfully exclaiming, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” (Luke 10:17). These
disciples had been mentored well and were equipped, encouraged, and empowered
for ministry!
Who are
you helping to grow in Christ? Have you added value to someone’s life lately? Let’s
continue to mentor others for the Glory of Christ and His Coming Kingdom!
Check out Heritage Ministries Inc.…
https://www.facebook.com/heritageministriesinc/
Contact: danh.psalm127@gmail.com
Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
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God bless them in their ministry
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