Reach Me with SMILES

The SMILES concept recognizes that learners are a priority. Teachers deliver the lessons to their students so that they grow or mature. To assist with growth, the teacher should Stimulate, Motivate, Involve, Love, Encourage and Strengthen all students.
USING THE SMILES CONCEPT
SMILES can be incorporated into teacher development or training sessions, focusing on one aspect at a time. Weekly, monthly or quarterly intervals depend on the needs of particular groups. I recommend monthly sessions to allow time for practice and self-evaluation. Teachers can interact with one another to reviewing progress at general meetings regularly.
An overview of the SMILES process and review of the aspect being emphasized takes place at the regular teachers’ meetings. (I may be making a giant assumption that your church holds regular teachers’ meetings.) The leader facilitates discussions so that the teachers’ strengths become building blocks and weaknesses are improved with the support of the team. Teachers use SMILES with all church auxiliaries and committees regardless of their age. When the teachers and learners blend or mesh, the impact is phenomenal (review the chart). I have used this approach in urban and rural churches, in a juvenile prison, as well as in all levels of public and private education. It was also effective when I taught preachers in a seminary.
As the teacher stimulates learning, students become interested and curious. When the teacher is motivated and motivates the learner, knowledge and wisdom increase because the Word of God is studied. As a teacher teaches the students how to study the Bible, believers will sense that the teacher is a disciple, also. With intentional involvement of all persons in a class session, the attendance becomes more consistent or steady. For example, in a typical setting the enrollment may be 12-20 persons and the average attendance might be 5-9 students weekly. Attendance, at a glance, may not be encouraging. However, when you take time to look at the frequency of an individual’s attendance per month and dialogue with them about their personal study, you may find that the learners are still in the Word weekly for personal devotions, growth and study. We cannot separate the tie between motivation and involvement. Their involvement creates a desire for more. Are they studying the Word even when they are not with you?
…one of the best techniques for reaching someone for spiritual growth is by modeling the desired outcome. The teacher leads by demonstrating the preferred behavior (such as Christian love) and the learners practice the biblical application in their everyday lives. The result will be Christians becoming reconciled to the Lord through the teacher’s encouragement and continual affirmation walking together in the way of the Word. When life becomes bumpy along the way, the teacher encourages the learners; the teacher lifts them by reminding them of the living hope that is found in Jesus. …In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:3b-4).
The final stage in the development of the SMILES concept is to strengthen the learners…
Using SMILES will help disciples become more effective disciple makers. Disciple makers are Christians who have consciously decided that they want to not only strengthen their personal relationship with Jesus, but also want to help others to grow. The disciple maker teaches others to not only follow, but also study the teachings of Jesus to become more like Him. Reach Me with SMILES is designed to help you spur persons who work with you along a pathway that is Christ-centered and other-centered. Effective disciple makers either assist a non-believer or encourage a believer to move toward Jesus. Either may be sitting on the pew beside you, singing in the choir, ushering or participating in various ministries in the church. Effective disciple makers are able to teach people to develop a better relationship with Jesus. Sharing the Word of God with those who want to learn more is exciting and will keep you smiling.
Re-Visioning with Purpose
…When a church leader re-visions, care must be taken to make the process meaningful for the people. It is important to use familiar language and updated worldviews. Engage diverse life experiences so as not to limit the biblical, historical, and theological meanings for the average person. In other words, people are different. Engaging them requires diversity so they are given multiple opportunities to learn. Individuals understand best through varied teaching and learning styles. Leaders must provide opportunities and sources for meaning that answer the questions the people are asking, since the people are on a quest for faith. Leaders or teachers must avoid using too many examples of his/her own life situations that occurred during the week. While sharing personal testimony and experiences with the Divine in your weekly routine is of critical importance, over emphasizing personal concerns can hinder the participation of others. Those who continue to come will not come expecting the opportunity to share their experiences. People receive greater meaning when they participate in the process of teaching and learning. When teachers realize during a class session that theirs is the only voice being heard for an extended time, the teacher must pose appropriate questions to encourage more student participation. Teaching must be student-centered, more Christ and congregation, less you.