This is why I am so thankful you post. Totally, you are right. Note taking as a learning style. I get that…that’s why I took notes when I was studying for exams, etc.

I was more concerned about people who I worked with who didn’t feel like if they walked out of a service with tons of notes, they somehow didn’t learn. It was a comparison on their part of other Christians…but that might not have been their learning style.

But I get what you are saying, and I agree.

rhett

Wow! Awesome view points that I haven’t considered at all.

JD: It’s interesting how when we work with youth we do a lot more small group teaching, interactive engagement…but somehow, we assume as kids get older and move into adulthood, that gathering on the floor in small groups or whatever is below them. I love how you break up your teaching and I have no doubt the kids are learning a lot from you and Annie. I think it can be done in a large church setting, it just involves us being more creative on the front end and better prepared, etc. It involves a long process of retraining the pew sitters as well. People might balk at it, but I would love to see some large churches attempt it.

Ryan: I love the point about receiving the message, and are we even able to receive it. Learning styles are very important, and I think that our typical 40 minute sermon/homily is really designed for one learning style…and it’s delivery methods seem to be outdated in some ways, as well as more academic, school, classroom oriented. You are asking good questions. Keep dialoguing with me on it.

Also, I’m not a note taker in sermons. I have a couple of thoughts on that.

1) When you are taking notes you are usually not engaged with the message. You are too busy waiting to fill in that line, or draw up logical notes.

2) I think note taking is a hindrance to receiving as well. I think Christians have assumed that being a good Christian means taking notes…from a psychological perspective, I wonder if us taking notes serves as a barrier to receiving that we unconsciously,or consciously erect for ourselves. It’s a way of saying, I will put things on paper, but I won’t let it touch my heart, emotions, etc.

Taking notes is a very logical process, and I think keeps us distanced from a message. I have more to say on that. But I see note taking as usually a “mistake” or non-productive spiritual practice in the sermon setting….and I really dislike bulletins that are handed out with outlines where the “right answer” is to be filled in.

If we leave church on Sunday with a lot of notes, then we somehow feel like we have done a great job…I think it’s misleading.

And I’m saying that as someone who has taken notes, someone who has provided those same bulletins, etc.

And hear me on this: writing down a thought or passage of scripture is not note taking…you know what I mean when I say note taking…when the whole sermon is consumed by you writing notes, or listening for the right cue to right something down.

I wonder if pastors start to re-think the sermon if they begin to question what they do, and how they do it. Pastors have always been able to justify their position or salary usually based on a Sunday performance. But tinker with that, and pastors get uneasy.

Also, I would like to do a study someday on a pastor’s identity being tied to his role on Sunday as the upfront preaching pastor. My belief is when that is taken away (retirement, loss of job, etc.) there is a loss of identity a lot of the times. Pastors are often unable to form an identity outside of their Sunday role.

rhett

I mention this not to brag or say this is right or THE way, but lately what I have been trying to do is prepare an opening talk that takes about 10-15 minutes (hopefully 10)and introduces the scripture and topic. I then break my students into their small groups where I have given the leaders discussion questions and some more passages (if necessary) and give them 20-30 mins to wrestle through some (hopefully) challenging open questions. I then close up the time with a 5 minute closer talk, just to hopefully wrap things together.

My personal goal is not to tell these teens my 5 points or tips. My goal is to ask questions that they need to spend time thinking about, even after they leave (I know this isn’t always the case, but that is my goal).

I will say this, though. I don’t know how you make this type of thing work for adults who are at church for the “entertaining experience” and who will be comfortable being put into discussion groups with others. That is let alone to mention the fact of how on earth do you facilitate this at somewhere like BAPC (to use a model we both know) where the sanctuary seats thousands and the pews don’t move.

I do agree with you though. we need to rethink and re-examine what we ministers put out as ‘the sermon’. It just seems like it is too easy to go into any church on Sunday morning, here good or great worship, hear an educated, well prepared man tell me what the bible says to me and how it applies to my life and then leave and act no different.

thanks for bringing this up, your words challenge me to more. also, sorry this comment is so long. I hope others respond and challenge us.
Only In Love
JD