Mission possibilities: leadership training

Over the last couple of years I’ve made a several visits to Iquitos
and been involved in a number of training events.

My input has usually aimed at giving an overview of the
Bible and Christian Doctrine; helping people to read and interpret the Bible and
use it in preaching and pastoral leadership. I don’t want to simply give information but help them to grow in understanding so they can apply it in their
situation.

One issue I keep grappling with is learning methods. Many of
the people who come to the events have limited formal education; often the only
book they posses is a Bible and their experiences of learning and education are
very different to mine.

I’ve often thought that much of what I’ve been doing is
simply re-inventing the wheel. I’m not the first person to do this sort of
thing and there must be people with more experience than me. But I’ve also
learned the issue is not just knowing stuff but being able to
adapt it; being a resource to help others learn.

But the process has also got me thinking. Is there anything
I’ve done, or things I’ve learned which can be of use to other people? In
particular, are the basic building blocks of what I’ve done something which
could be worked into a resource to help others create their own learning events?