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WHY CO-TEACH?
There are five different reasons to co-teach. The first four deal with the desire to impart something of value to the co-teaching partner. These four align with the progressive growth needs of all Christians. Christians must be strengthened in their walk with God, encouraged to serve, equipped with ministry skills, and discipled. The diagram shows the first (strengthening) at the bottom as the others build upwardly upon it. We will cover them in this order.
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Strengthening Believers: Christians need to be strengthened in their walks with God. Co-teaching allows you to study scripture together (during lesson preparation) so you can model how to glean truth from it and personally apply it. This will enhance your trainee's devotional life and produce spiritual growth.
Encouraging Lay-Participation: Christians need to be challenged to get involved in Christian ministry. Co-teaching allows them to participate in a ministry that they are not yet able to do on their own. They can discover if it is an area where they are gifted and determine if they should pursue further training. And even if they discover that teaching is not their calling, their being faithful in little is a prerequisite for being entrusted with more. Those inspired to serve will find many ways to get involved.
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Teacher Training (Equipping): Christians who are called to teach need training – and on-the-job training is the best kind. When you meet to co-plan a lesson you can pass on many important methods of Bible study and lesson preparation. When you share in a lesson’s delivery you can pass on many teaching methods and techniques. The person will gain experience and can grow into the job.
Discipleship: Discipleship involves Spiritual Strengthening, Encouraging Participation, and Skills Training. The disciple is also held accountable. Discipleship can delve into every area of a Christian’s life. Those who wish to establish a discipleship relationship with another person will find that co-laboring in a ministry (especially one that has them study scripture together and minister to others together) is a great way to establish that relationship. This is how Jesus started with Peter, James and John.
Quality Teaching: There is one other reason to co-teach, a reason that has nothing to do with passing anything on to the other teacher. When two people co-plan a lesson they can use each other as a sounding board and this results in lessons that are better organized and more poignant being created in much less time than when working alone.
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