Back to basics in SRE

Over the last few years, SRE teachers have had less time with students. It can be discouraging. Yet I regularly hear stories that demonstrate God is still at work — a student who is still singing the songs from SRE to himself more than a year later, a child’s whispered bedtime prayers to the God who she knows is listening because the SRE teacher said so. These glimpses of growing faith spur us on to persevere in SRE ministry.

We persevere because many students will not learn about Jesus elsewhere. SRE is a precious opportunity. We also persevere in seeking to grow and improve our teaching skills. We do this through annual development training, sharing ideas, encouraging each other and observing one another.

As a new year begins and the SRE Teacher’s Manuals are pulled out and dusted off, it’s a great time to remember the basics of an effective SRE lesson and set a goal for continued improvement.

The Basics

1.      Be Praying – Ultimately, we remember that it is God who gives the growth (1 Cor 3:7) and changes hearts. Although he graciously chooses to use us and our efforts, it is his work. Set up a routine that reminds you to pray for your classes, each student, fellow teachers, school staff and yourself.

You can’t take a photo of your class, but you can take a photo of the names on the covers of the Activity books or stick up your own list somewhere at home. Put a sticky note on the front of your Teacher’s Manual to remind you to pray before opening it. Ask that specific SRE prayer points are included in congregational prayers in Sunday services. Model prayerfulness in your SRE classes both regularly and as a spur of the moment response.

2.      Be Word-centred – To put it simply, SRE teachers are there to teach the Bible to their students. We do this as guided by the authorised curriculum in age-appropriate and educationally suitable ways. We do it by:

-        Keeping the bible passage central in every lesson;

-        Referring to the Bible when answering questions;

-        Teaching memory verses;

-        Singing songs that articulate Biblical truths;

-        Ensuring our creative teaching strategies and games don’t distract from our Bible teaching; and

-        Preparing lessons well by spending time digging into the Bible.

It is through His Word, through the Gospel message that God chooses to accomplish his purposes and bring salvation (Isaiah 55:11, Romans 1:16-17, 2 Timothy 3:15). We can trust that God is at work when his Word is clearly taught, even when it is invisible to us.

3.      Be loving – The content of our lessons is reinforced, or undermined, by how we speak and relate.  SRE teachers are genuine believers who know Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour. So, our Saviour’s love should shine through us. Whether we are gifted teachers or not, it is love that should characterise our words and actions in the classroom (1 Cor 13:1-3). We show love to students as we:

-        Show interest and care for each student by listening to them and learning their names;

-        Respond with patience to setbacks and difficulties whether it be the lost box of activity books or a student’s misbehaviour;

-        Speak respectfully of parents and school staff;

-        Model welcoming grace when a student returns to join in after being disciplined; and

-        Ensure no one is left out or left behind in class activities.

There are so many stories of people in our churches who remember their SRE teachers from their time at school. It’s not often their words, but the love of God that they lived out.

These are the basics of SRE: prayer, God’s Word and love. Getting these elements right is the firm foundation upon which we can continue to improve as SRE teachers. But how could you build on this foundation?

Set a Goal to improve

This year, I’m going to work on using music well in my lessons. Both children and adults often remember songs long after we’ve forgotten other things. Now I’m a terrible singer so I do need to be brave and intentional about how to use singing in my lessons.

Here are some of my considerations.

-        I need to keep an eye on the COVID restrictions. As I write this, I will need to be wearing a mask in SRE but the class and I can sing.

-        I need to choose songs that match the lesson content. I’ll start with the suggested songs in the Teacher’s Manuals and then check options on the myconnect website.

-        Are the actions easy and suitable? I need to know them well so I can teach them well.

-        Where will this fit into my class routine? I’ve decided I’ll do singing first. It gives the students something active to start with and if some are late getting to the room, then missing the first verse doesn’t matter. It also keeps those who arrived first engaged.  

I’m also planning to decide on all the songs for the whole year in advance, so I don’t get slack when it’s the middle of year and my motivation is lower. These are the ways I’ll aim to improve how I use music in SRE this year.

What about you? If you’re just starting out, then keeping the basics in mind might be enough of a goal for this year. If you’re more experienced, now is a good time to check those foundations and then set one clear goal for improving your SRE lessons this year. It could be music, memory verses, using big questions or something else.

My suggestion is that you choose one area to grow in each year. What will you choose?