Husfloen, Richard L.

English

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 25
Issue 2 The Arts and the Church Article 3
11-1-1999
The Eye of the Beholder: The Artist as Leader
Richard L. Husfloen
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Articles is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Husfloen, Richard L. (1999) "The Eye of the Beholder: The Artist as Leader," Consensus: Vol. 25 : Iss. 2 , Article 3.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol25/iss2/3
132 Consensus
Equipping The Saints: Teacher Training in the Church
Sara Covin Juengst
Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998
141 pages, $23.95 Softcover
How to prepare those who feel called to teach within the Christian church?
This is a critical question and an on-going challenge facing practically all teaching
ministries within the Christian church, especially mainline denominations.
Sara Covin Juengst, a Presbyterian ordained minister and a Christian
educator, knowing only too well from personal experience that frequently the
church asks people to fulfil a task without providing the appropriate training
support, commits herself in this text to do something about that. In a creative and
constructive manner, she offers a year-long process of teacher training - a
process which she says: “1 have tested in four congregations”. One congregation
in South Carolina notes that fifty people are excited about being a part of the
saints’ journey.
“The heart of the process is a nine-month teacher training course, offering
segments in biblical background, basic beliefs, and teaching techniques. Each
segment contains thirteen sessions (three months of weekly sessions) of
interactive study (7). That means a one-year commitment, including study
assignments between sessions.
The author is convinced that quality in teaching must be demanded and she
sees this disciplined approach to teacher training as a helpful way of assuring
such quality. “Teaching requires special gifts: knowledge, aptitude, patience,
enthusiasm, eagerness to learn and grow. How does the church go about finding
persons with such gifts and extending to them a call to each?...The best, most
theological sound approach to identifying and recruiting leaders, especially those
who will serve as teachers, is one that will equip the saints for the work of ministry
before asking them to consider a call to a specific task” (22). “1 am convinced,”
says Juengst, “that a course such as this, taught by well-trained teachers using
the best educational methods and offered on a regular basis, can provide an
answer to the perennial problem of securing quality teachers for our church’s
educational work. The program stresses call and commitment rather than
desperation and duty” (7).
This is a well-researched, carefully-planned and engagingly-written text.
Chapter 1 provides a biblical foundation for the program, and explores the nature
of “traditioning” in passing on the faith from one generation to another.
“Traditioning is done largely through the telling of family stories”(10).
“Traditioning both binds and reminds" (9). Chapter 2 examines the importance
of recapturing a “theology of vocation”. Chapter 3 presents thirteen lesson plans
Book Reviews 133
for the segment on biblical foundations. Chapter 4 does so for faith foundations.
Chapter 5, through thirteen sessions on methodologies, identifies and works with
and critiques a variety of teaching techniques. Chapter 6 underscores the
importance of apprenticeship, affirmation and support. Although reading this
book is an involvement with interactive learning, the intention of the author is
clearly to make this a group process workbook - inviting people who wish to
strengthen themselves as potential teachers as well as those who desire to
improve themselves in the teaching they are already doing. Within each
segment, and for each session, Juengst identifies resources that may be found to
be helpful. The text also includes a “Mutual Agreement of Service” and a “Service
of Consecration of Teachers”.
Juengst is deeply committed to the importance of teacher training. At one
level her commitment is shaped by the fact that frequently in the church persons
are asked to do a job without either training for or support in that job. This is
putting “the cart before the horse”. At another level, her commitment is informed
by her exciting sense of the purpose for Christian education. Here are two
samples: “Church educators have always debated among themselves about the
primary purpose of Christian education. Some have emphasized instruction,
others becoming part of the faith community, others spiritual development, and
still others education for justice and social change. Recent years have seen the
emergence of a new emphasis on Christian education as ‘traditioning’, passing
on the meaning of the faith community from one generation to the next. This is
a task of both the home and the church” (82). “The purpose of Christian
education is not to fill people’s heads with biblical trivia. It is to tell the family story,
that story we find in scripture, with such imagination and verve that lives are
illuminated and changed” (82). To fulfil these purposes calls for a firm
commitment to both the importance of and the need for intensive teacher
training!
Richard Osmer, professor of Christian education at Princeton Theological
Seminary, in his book A Teachable Spirit says: “Mainline Protestantism is at a
crossroads. The path it chooses to travel today will be of great consequence well
into the next century.” Both Osmer and Juengst hope that we will see not only
the challenges for qualitative and effective teacher training, but also the needs
and the opportunities as well as the necessity to respond with a plan of action. In
my view, Juengst puts forth a commendable program and session plans in
Equipping The Saintsl
Arnold D. Weigel
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Waterloo, Ontario


The Eye of the Beholder: The Artist as Leader

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 25Issue 2 The Arts and the Church Article 311-1-1999The Eye of the Beholder: The Artist as LeaderRichard L. HusfloenFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Articles is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationHusfloen, Richard L. (1999) "The Eye of the Beholder: The Artist as Leader," Consensus: Vol. 25 : Iss. 2 , Article 3.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol25/iss2/3132 ConsensusEquipping The Saints: Teacher Training in the ChurchSara Covin JuengstLouisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998141 pages, $23.95 SoftcoverHow to prepare those who feel called to teach within the Christian church?This is a critical question and an on-going challenge facing practically all teachingministries within the Christian church, especially mainline denominations.Sara Covin Juengst, a Presbyterian ordained minister and a Christianeducator, knowing only too well from personal experience that frequently thechurch asks people to fulfil a task without providing the appropriate trainingsupport, commits herself in this text to do something about that. In a creative andconstructive manner, she offers a year-long process of teacher training - aprocess which she says: “1 have tested in four congregations”. One congregationin South Carolina notes that fifty people are excited about being a part of thesaints’ journey.“The heart of the process is a nine-month teacher training course, offeringsegments in biblical background, basic beliefs, and teaching techniques. Eachsegment contains thirteen sessions (three months of weekly sessions) ofinteractive study (7). That means a one-year commitment, including studyassignments between sessions.The author is convinced that quality in teaching must be demanded and shesees this disciplined approach to teacher training as a helpful way of assuringsuch quality. “Teaching requires special gifts: knowledge, aptitude, patience,enthusiasm, eagerness to learn and grow. How does the church go about findingpersons with such gifts and extending to them a call to each?...The best, mosttheological sound approach to identifying and recruiting leaders, especially thosewho will serve as teachers, is one that will equip the saints for the work of ministrybefore asking them to consider a call to a specific task” (22). “1 am convinced,”says Juengst, “that a course such as this, taught by well-trained teachers usingthe best educational methods and offered on a regular basis, can provide ananswer to the perennial problem of securing quality teachers for our church’seducational work. The program stresses call and commitment rather thandesperation and duty” (7).This is a well-researched, carefully-planned and engagingly-written text.Chapter 1 provides a biblical foundation for the program, and explores the natureof “traditioning” in passing on the faith from one generation to another.“Traditioning is done largely through the telling of family stories”(10).“Traditioning both binds and reminds" (9). Chapter 2 examines the importanceof recapturing a “theology of vocation”. Chapter 3 presents thirteen lesson plansBook Reviews 133for the segment on biblical foundations. Chapter 4 does so for faith foundations.Chapter 5, through thirteen sessions on methodologies, identifies and works withand critiques a variety of teaching techniques. Chapter 6 underscores theimportance of apprenticeship, affirmation and support. Although reading thisbook is an involvement with interactive learning, the intention of the author isclearly to make this a group process workbook - inviting people who wish tostrengthen themselves as potential teachers as well as those who desire toimprove themselves in the teaching they are already doing. Within eachsegment, and for each session, Juengst identifies resources that may be found tobe helpful. The text also includes a “Mutual Agreement of Service” and a “Serviceof Consecration of Teachers”.Juengst is deeply committed to the importance of teacher training. At onelevel her commitment is shaped by the fact that frequently in the church personsare asked to do a job without either training for or support in that job. This isputting “the cart before the horse”. At another level, her commitment is informedby her exciting sense of the purpose for Christian education. Here are twosamples: “Church educators have always debated among themselves about theprimary purpose of Christian education. Some have emphasized instruction,others becoming part of the faith community, others spiritual development, andstill others education for justice and social change. Recent years have seen theemergence of a new emphasis on Christian education as ‘traditioning’, passingon the meaning of the faith community from one generation to the next. This isa task of both the home and the church” (82). “The purpose of Christianeducation is not to fill people’s heads with biblical trivia. It is to tell the family story,that story we find in scripture, with such imagination and verve that lives areilluminated and changed” (82). To fulfil these purposes calls for a firmcommitment to both the importance of and the need for intensive teachertraining!Richard Osmer, professor of Christian education at Princeton TheologicalSeminary, in his book A Teachable Spirit says: “Mainline Protestantism is at acrossroads. The path it chooses to travel today will be of great consequence wellinto the next century.” Both Osmer and Juengst hope that we will see not onlythe challenges for qualitative and effective teacher training, but also the needsand the opportunities as well as the necessity to respond with a plan of action. Inmy view, Juengst puts forth a commendable program and session plans inEquipping The SaintslArnold D. WeigelWaterloo Lutheran SeminaryWaterloo, Ontario

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The Eye of the Beholder: The Artist as Leader

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