second practicum joe. 2 hours church. 3 hours wednesday night

This was my second week and I was hoping that I would actually become friends with these kids. The first week it was kind of awkward because the kids didn't know me so they didn't talk to me.

The kids this week were more friendly and started talking to me. We had fun we chilled and I got to know them. We went and picked up some kids at their homes. They were a couple of kids who had bad attitudes but they were hilarious. One wanted to slap me and the other wanted to punch me. I laughed and they laughed too, it was cool connecting with them. One girl turned 16 and was asking me where she should work, Sonic or McDonalds? I told her Sonic. We chilled out and finally got back to JC body shop. Charlie introduced and then we all started doing the Electric slide, a couple of the bigger youth started dancing with me. It was hilarious, they took it seriously then they saw me just fooling around so then they started fooling around. It was awesome.

The message was short, I always wished they would make it a little bit longer, but they would lose the kids attention, but I don't know.

I look forward to this part of the week every week.

blogger!

hours: 1-youth group, 1.5-church, .5-worship practice, 1-sunday school = 4 hours.

This sunday, I felt was kind of pointless, to be honest. It was an "intro to ephesians" but as we read in Hendrick's book, i feel that it could have been something we could have done for homework. We talked about how in revelation, the church of ephesus had lost their 1st love - their love for eachother. We then started Ephesians chapter 1... how Paul started with spiritual dealings, instead of the typical worldly problems he usually starts with. Basically, for the next couple weeks we are going to be talking about Ephesians, the topic of love, redemption, and how the spiritual world runs parallel with ours. One of our main focuses is going to be on how we see the Spirit leading us. Do humans under analyze the Holy Spirit? Underanalyze the Holy Spirit? What do you think? Do people think their thoughts are the Spirits, and push of the leading of the Holy Spirit as merely their thoughts? And on the topic of this class in particular, how could this have been taught better? How could we have been given sufficient homework to discover the "intro to ephesians" for ourselves.

Report 5... word!

This week in post script (the name of the sunday school class) we talked about a sermon on 1 Timothy 6. We talked for quite a while on what is going on in our lives and how this certain passage associated with us. To me, after verse 11 was very light-sheading on my life. It says, "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things (previous passage is talking about love of money being evil). Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith." I most relate with the part about fighting the good fight for faith because i have been learning a lot about how as a guy i am to be a warrior for God in my life, internally and externally. But ya, we just went around, talked about what we have been learning as well as things that we would want to share with the others in the group. We also talked extensively about the money passage talking about maybe what we are supposed to do and be as christians. It was a good week at church, i enjoyed spending time with people after the service.

This week for my practicum, I spent 4 hours (1.5 at Sunday service, 30 minutes at worship music practice practice, 1 hour at Sunday school, and 1 hour at our Wednesday night class). 

In Sunday school class we started our new series on Ephesians. The pastor talked about chapter 1 within that book; however, he pretty much just read the chapter and talked about it...it was like a sermon. There was no group discussion at all. Because of this I had a hard time focusing in on what was happening during the lesson. I hardly remember anything that he said during Sunday school. As a result, however, I learned more about running a Sunday school class than I did about Ephesians chapter 1. A Sunday school teacher should keep a class discussion oriented to engage the students. Otherwise, students are in danger of zoning out. I was one of those students this week, and I was also not the only one. I noticed about to other students flipping through other books in the Bible, one student looking out the window the entire class period (or so it seemed) and even a student who fell asleep! As a teacher, you have to get the students involved in the lesson or engaged in discussion or the teaching will completely be lost in my opinion. 

Questions:

1) How are we supposed to engage students in Sunday school?

2) If you do have a lesson that requires a lot of talking on your part as the teacher, how can you keep the lesson informative while also keeping the students engaged in the lesson?

Practicum 5

For last week's practicum, I spent 3 hours (1.5 hours at servive, 1/2 hour at worship practice, and one hour at Sunday school).

In class we talked a lot about Paul's calling and Ananias' calling from God. Paul was called on the road to Damascus. Jesus showed up to him, Paul was blinded, and then Paul was changed. There was no confession of sins or anything. God just changed him. Then we talked about how Ananias was called to pray for Paul's eyesight to be restored. Ananias questions God about this calling because Saul was arresting Christians, but God again told him to pray for Paul, so he went and did so. After discussing these calls in detail, we talked about other callings from God like Moses and the burning bush, Gideon, Samuel, etc. All of these men did what God wanted them to do even tough some argued with God, questioned God, or doubted God being able to work through them in their weakness. After discussing these callings, we were asked how we should respond to God's calling in our lives. God has called us all to greatness and to minister to people for the glory of his name. So, are we willing to trust God with everything to follow his calling, even if it can endanger our lives?

Questions:

1)How do you think we should respond to God's call?

2)Do you think people are right to struggle with and question God's call?

yet another

Last sunday we talked about something that i don't understand. Something that a lot of people don't understand. God's calling. And how different people respond. And then how God responds to their responses. We talked about how in Acts, Saul was a "Godly man" but not a Christian. His calling was definately unique, but he made no confession. At the same time, Ananias was told to go and pray for Saul - no other direction. Saul has no further confession, but has a changed life. God calls Ananias to do something crazy, and he questions God. After that question, he goes. God nudges, and he simply goes. What does it take for us to hear from God? It may be that we need to either to be so lost - Saul - or so close - Ananias - that we than hear Him. Basically, we were trying to figure out how to hear God and how to respond. We talked about Elijah, and how he prepared himself before God spoke. We also talked about how we talk too much. Some people argued with God, and some didn't. Some were punished, some weren't. Did Abraham act in obedience? Sarah laughs at God's message and is punished. Gideon bargens with God for proof (with the felt cloth) and God offers no such punishment. When we believe and something doesn't work out we are discouraged, but when we don't believe ad it does, we are humbled. How do we make sense of this all? Moses questions and God confirms his call. Job questions and god says, who are you to question me? Ananias prays, Saul serves. Honestly I can't make sense of all of this, but I do know that if God places something on our hearts, we need to listen to that calling and follow it. No matter what. I think i've listed enough questions in here for you to answer, so answer away if you can!
-Kara

Practicum Report Number 4

This week at sunday school class i lead the class. During the sermon i wrote up some questions and just led a discussion on a few different things. We talked a lot about the enemy and his impact on our lives, so that was a good conversation and a time of being vulnerable and sharing things that are going on in life. We also talked about tithing, the importance of it and the different ways to do it... maybe. A few of us in the group struggled with tithing at our home churches because the tithe money went to making a new church and not actually serving the community; we saw a lot of hypocrisy in that. We also had a good turn out for the group; usually we only have like 5 people, but this time we had like 10 people - that was encouraging.I will update this with the questions that i asked and the notes that i took; right now it is back in my room in my notebook.

Some Questions for yall:

What do you think about spiritual warfare?

What do you think about tithing?

Blogger!

This week I spent 4.5 hours at church: 1 hour for worship practice, 1.5 hours for the sunday morning service, 1 hour for leading the preteen group wednesday night, and 1 hour for sunday school.

This week we had a missionary speak at our sunday school class. He wanted to get to know us all a little, so the first thing we did was go around the room and introduce ourselves, and tell him something about us. He then gave us an assignment - to write down all the bible verses about missions that we could in about 10 minutes. We took this time to look them up, then shared what we found. Among these verses were Matthew 25:31-40, and 2 Corinthians 7:15. His main point, however, was the great commission - to go into **all** the nations - all!. His point was that missions means everywhere, not just overseas. Everyone should go somewhere, even if it is close. He was a missionary to Australia, a country where only 2-5% people claim to be Christian or attend church. This is in comparison with the United States with its 75-80% attendence. People told him it was a lost cause, but that sometimes fuels him to to more for Christ. He believes that powers and leaders will come and go, but the word of the Lord will endure forever. His longing is to raise up "but" churches like the church in Acts 12 - Peter was imprisoned, *but* the church prayed. While they were praying, God released him for his imprisonment. The church prayed, and God responded. He wants our churches to be these "but the church prayed" churches.

1. How do you think we can make our churches more of a center of prayer?

2. What can we do to be better missionaries? (as in reaching our nation and other nations)

Practicum Report Number 4

For my practicum this week, I spent a total of 4.5 hours (1 and a half for Sunday service, 1 hour for worship practice, 1 hour for Sunday school, and 1 hour for the class we teach Wednesday night). 

In Sunday school this week, we had a missionary come in and lead class. He basically had the class find as many passages in Scripture about missions that we could. He gave us 30 minutes to find passages and then he had us read them aloud. We found over 30 verses as a class. The missionary used this fact to show us the importance of missions. However, the main thing he taught us in class was from the Great Commission. When we read the Great Commission, we tend to forget about the word "all". Christ wants us to go to "all" nations and baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As a result, he told us that the United States was a part of "all" the nations. We do not have to go oversees or become career missionaries to make disciples of all nations. We can also make disciples of Christ in our home nation. This was encouraging to the class, it seemed like the class didn't realize they could be missionaries here. I think he inspired the class. 

The other thing he emphasized was prayer. He challenged us to be people that intervened through prayer because things change when people pray. He told us about how the church of acts prayed for Peter when he was in prison after James was put to death. The church prayed and Peter was freed by an angel. He challenged us to be "but the church prayed" people. Peter could have died in Jerusalem at the hand of King Herod "but the church prayed" and he was freed. He used this to show us the importance of the church praying for amazing things to happen and then he requested that we, the church, pray for him in his ministry in Australia. 

Questions

1.) What do you guys think about the power of prayer? Discuss it's implications with missions.

2.)How do you guys think we can be missionaries "baptizing people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" and make disciples of Christ in America?

Practicum Report 3

Hey! So this week at my bible study after church we talked about 1 Timothy 4. It was an interesting discussion about marriage and things like that. In church the service was primarily about how asceticism was a major sin in the early church where people would deny the physical because it was supposedly evil, but the spirit was good. This undermines the nature and creation of God because when God created everything he made everything good, not just the spiritual. We talked about in our group how we deny ourselves different things that maybe we shouldnt be all uptight about. All in all it was an interesting time of talking about God's word and what he has called us to in our lives.

The first blog of Joe fo sho. 5 hours. 2 at sunday schoo and 3 at wednesday night church

I started my practicum this past sunday at JC body shop. It was pretty sweet. When I first came into the class there were kids from ages 12-17 or 18. They were all socializing with each other catching up with each other. I joined in and tried to make friends with a couple of them. They all seemed pretty shy or just didn't seem into talking to me but thats ok there high schoolers. Soon Charlie split the group of kids into two groups, senior high youth and junior high youth. I stayed with the high schoolers.

It as interesting to here what Charlie Alcock said about how the youth group was growing. When he first took over last semester on Sunday mornings there were only 17 kids. Now they run close to just over a hundred. He talked about how he talked to the board at the church about how the youth group is growing. He talked to youth about how impressed with the youth at super bowl party. How they were bringing their friends who didn't know Jesus and how they were witnessing to them.

After Charlie had done this he went on in the lesson. He brought up a senior at IWU whose major is Adolescent Ministry and interviewed him in front of the kids. He asked him questions about his school and how non-christian it was and how this guy came out of the school a strong christian. The point was to inspire or build up the kids confidence in being a christian in their school. I liked the point and I think the kids understood it.

Soon we prayed and everyone was dismissed. I enjoyed that Sunday and look forward to keep going with it.

So questions:

1. do you believe kids grow stronger in their faith by being a public school then those who aren't?

Zach's 3rd Practicum Report

This week I spent a total of 3.5 hours doing my practicum between Sunday school class (1 hour), posts (30 minutes), church services (1.5 hours), and worship practice (30 minutes).

Stuff in class:

We primarily went through the faith chapter in Hebrews (chapter 11 and a little into chapter 12) for our discussion. For this discussion, we continued talking about persecution. With this chapter, we saw that the main characters of the OT were persecuted for their faith, but they keep their loyalty and faith with God. As a result, we determined as a class that persecution is a possible result of following God. But the main theological principle that stuck with us was that we need to keep following God by faith even if we suffer from persecution.  

Questions:

1)   What do you guys think about following God even if you have to suffer for it? Is that something you personally are willing to do?

2)   When you read Hebrews chapters 11 and 12, do you see the theme of following Christ by faith even through persecution?

Practicum numero 3

This week I spent 3.25 hours at church. Worship practice (.5), church (1.5), sunday school (1), and Posts/Response (15 min) Just as a forward, we're still talking about persecution... Last sunday, we went through Hebrews, chapter 11 and 12, and found the common theme to be - endure hardship as discipline. We discussed how people in the Old Testament chose to be persecuted because they felt the call to be faithful to God. Their challenge (as well as a challenge to us) was to be faithful and stand up for the will of God, and to do what is right in faith. So, the question seems to be reoccurring - what do we do? One thing would be to be in a relationship with God where we would be willing to be in situations of persecution. Even though we may think none of this applies to us, because of where we live, it does. Nathan asked if we should put ourselves in the way of persecution to follow God. Steven and Tony responded with saying that we don’t necessarily have to intentionally put ourselves in a position to be persecuted, but if we do, it should be something that God has called us to do. On top of that, my thoughts are still that if we are called to suffer, we should praise God in and through it because it should be our joy to suffer for the Lord. At the end of class, the common thought was we should incorporate every part of our lives in our faith, including being willing to suffer for Christ. The way I look at it is, if we are fully surrendered to God, and not just "comfortable" with our faith, God will use us, even if that means we are persecuted for it. How do you think persecution has changed to effect us today? Or maybe a better question...Do you think we should be placing ourselves in the way of persecution to serve Christ?