You Too, Can recruit!
By Mr Ian Keast
Posted on 03 March 2009
It was at the end of a Year 12 Chapel service.
I had been speaking to the students, along with a good number of teachers, about the importance of having Christians as teachers in our schools. How teaching is a valuable profession, unique for the opportunities it offers Christian teachers to speak about, and also show, the Lordship of Christ to a new generation.
One of the teachers came up to speak as the students were leaving.
“Thank you for coming to speak today to the students. Thank you too, for speaking to us as Christian teachers.
In all my years of teaching, I’ve never really encouraged any of my Christian students to consider teaching.
I’ve encouraged them to think about law, medicine, business, journalism and so on. All valuable areas where we need Christians.
But never teaching.
Yet, as you’ve reminded us today, teaching does provide opportunities for Christians to have a big part, a real part, in helping to shape the next generation.”
He voiced a common concern:
How often do we commend teaching as a vocation to our students?
How often do we highlight teaching as a significant and strategic ministry to them?
How often do we pray that God will raise up Christian teachers?
Here are some ways to begin:
1. Consider your own networks: these might be with students you teach at school; or the Christian group at school; or the fellowship group at church.
2. From these networks, who has the gifts to be a teacher? Who relates well to children, to young people? Who can communicate with others? Has an enthusiasm to do so? Who is teachable?
3. Pray for these contacts you have and the one(s) you are thinking about and the career choices they will make.
4. Is there an opportunity for you to speak to them about teaching? Of them observing your work in a school? Is there an opportunity to mentor them?
5. Is there a way in your church to highlight the vocation of teaching? A special “teacher Sunday?" Items in the newsletter? Interviews with teachers as part of the service? Praying specifically for teachers and schools in their important work?
These are starters... I am sure there are many ways by which we can emphasise the significance of teaching.
Can I encourage you in this?
Ian Keast heads up the Christians in Teaching Project at the Anglican Education Commission. He is available to speak in schools and churches about teaching. Contact Ian Keast.
