Popular Post Avatar4321 Posted January 27, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 27, 2019 I don’t know about everyone else but since the new 2 hr block the elders quorum meetings we have been having are just awesome. The longer class gives us time to watch the conference talk before discussion and almost everyone is sharing comments and insights. We could have easily continued the discussion for another 30 mins. the Lord rocks 7 Link to comment
Hamba Tuhan Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 We actually ran overtime yesterday, and I wondered how we ever got anything done in half the time! 1 Link to comment
mfbukowski Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 4 hours ago, Avatar4321 said: I don’t know about everyone else but since the new 2 hr block the elders quorum meetings we have been having are just awesome. The longer class gives us time to watch the conference talk before discussion and almost everyone is sharing comments and insights. We could have easily continued the discussion for another 30 mins. the Lord rocks Today's lesson was amazing. I literally don't think there was a dry eye in the house. 1 Link to comment
Nevo Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 My experience hasn't been anything like this. What is making these lessons so great, other than the extra time? Link to comment
The Nehor Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 25 minutes ago, Nevo said: My experience hasn't been anything like this. What is making these lessons so great, other than the extra time? A new sense of purpose and everyone not being tired after two hours of church. Link to comment
mfbukowski Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 6 minutes ago, Nevo said: My experience hasn't been anything like this. What is making these lessons so great, other than the extra time? Actually thinking about it a little, it's hard to say if was the format or not. It was just a good talk delivered by a great teacher who was a kind of "dark horse" - a fellow no one particularly thought would be a good teacher, coming back from years of inactivity speaking on a great talk by Elder Renlund - but the longer lesson in retrospect I think did help- more time for personal experience and stories and discussion because most teachers have a tendency to want to "finish the lesson". When the topic is single talk, it is easier to "finish the lesson" and have time "left over" to stretch the lesson through discussion. I think it is the extra time for discussion that draws more out of the quorum- you don't want dead air after all So if the leader just asks a question, he can stand there waiting for an answer until it reaches that awkward time when it seems like no one is going to reply. So you can almost see the wheels grinding - everyone feels forced to come up with an answer, some of which stimulate further discussion That is actually what happened in this lesson. Started out just like the "usual" lesson and then he asked a question and waited.... and waited and suddenly everyone had a comment and it went from there. And there were some great personal experiences dealing with life's difficulties and how the spirit helped the bros learn things they had never learned before. Great stuff. But I think the longer lesson time helped because you HAVE to discuss or face dead air and snores in the back row. Now us old guys are in there after all We have heard it all a million times! 3 Link to comment
Nevo Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) 58 minutes ago, mfbukowski said: Actually thinking about it a little, it's hard to say if was the format or not. It was just a good talk delivered by a great teacher who was a kind of "dark horse" - a fellow no one particularly thought would be a good teacher, coming back from years of inactivity speaking on a great talk by Elder Renlund - but the longer lesson in retrospect I think did help- more time for personal experience and stories and discussion because most teachers have a tendency to want to "finish the lesson". Thanks for taking the time to describe your experience in more detail. I asked the question because I've been the teacher for both EQ lessons this month and they fell well short of being "awesome." Today, about half the quorum seemed tuned out and two brothers fell asleep. We were discussing Elder Renlund's talk too. This is my first experience teaching from conference talks and I confess I haven't mastered the form yet. I'm not much of a personal experience sharer so that could be part of the problem. Anyway, I am all ears to find out what is working well for others. Edited January 28, 2019 by Nevo 3 Link to comment
Meerkat Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 6 hours ago, mfbukowski said: Today's lesson was amazing. I literally don't think there was a dry eye in the house. And this is just the beginning. Imagine where we will be six months from now when people are preparing and participating! 1 Link to comment
mfbukowski Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Nevo said: Thanks for taking the time to describe your experience in more detail. I asked the question because I've been the teacher for both EQ lessons this month and they fell well short of being "awesome." Today, about half the quorum seemed tuned out and two brothers fell asleep. We were discussing Elder Renlund's talk too. This is my first experience teaching from conference talks and I confess I haven't mastered the form yet. I'm not much of a personal experience sharer so that could be part of the problem. Anyway, I am all ears to find out what is working well for others. The trick is to get the quorum to share their experiences if you find it hard sharing your own. That's the key And the ability to remain silent waiting for answers. The tendency is to skip to the next section. Don't. Ask the same question in multiple ways Let them know you are not moving on until they answer. It takes them time to think about it, and then decide to share. That's what invites the spirit. Thinking about it. You've got plenty of time now, use it! Another trick I have learned is to not present that talk in the order in which it is written. Let the conversation lead your presentation. I actually print the talk and then cut it into strips, then write the topic of the subsection on the top of the strip of paper. When you get a comment that is relevant to the talk, look at your subject headings and find the quote that corresponds to the conversation and write at the top "Page three, second paragraph" along with subject, perhaps "Forgiving others". So when the class discussion gets around to something relevant to forgiving others you asked the class to turn to page 3 second paragraph etc. That makes the discussion lead the class and not the talk itself lead the class, Which again is beneficial to inviting the spirit, because the class is already thinking about that subject. I do that also in my high council talks. I take two pieces of paper to the stand. One has the outline of my talk and the other has quotes about the subjects in the outline. I lay them side-by-side on the podium. I do them free form. I start talking about the subjects on the outline and then if time permits or if I want to pulling a quote I do so. But pretty much the goal is to let it come from the spirit while still keeping in some kind of coherent order. you can rearrange the subjects on the fly if you want to if one part of the talks that leads into the other in an expected way. Sorry, I am an old guy with several hundred lessons, and talks over 40 years, probably at least two a month. I don't mean to pontificate. I wish I could do it the way the general authorities do it. They walk in with a set of scriptures and start talking. That is SO COOL !! Edited January 28, 2019 by mfbukowski 3 Link to comment
randy Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Amen to all that has been said! I can also report that as our Wards Teachers Quorum Advisor...that out meetings have also been stellar. The boys are attentive, they're engaged....they seem to be genuinely enthusiastic about being there..and learning! This type of response and level of participation was what was hoped and prayed for. Prayers answered. The wisdom of the change being realized. 2 Link to comment
pogi Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 12 hours ago, Nevo said: What is making these lessons so great, other than the extra time? It can't hurt that the class has used the extra hour on Sunday to prepare for next weeks lesson. People have studied it out and have been thinking about it for a week and are prepared to discuss. That makes a big difference when the class is prepared. Link to comment
Avatar4321 Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 For us I think the fact that we take the first part of the class to listen to the talk helps. That way even if not everyone prepared we know where we are coming from. i was teaching Elder Soares talk. My first question was “what thoughts do you have about what we just listened to?” And it opened a flood gates. I could have easily not said another word and we would have had an edifying experience. Link to comment
Avatar4321 Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 1 hour ago, randy said: Amen to all that has been said! I can also report that as our Wards Teachers Quorum Advisor...that out meetings have also been stellar. The boys are attentive, they're engaged....they seem to be genuinely enthusiastic about being there..and learning! This type of response and level of participation was what was hoped and prayed for. Prayers answered. The wisdom of the change being realized. My six year old daughter has been excited about studying the New Testament this year. I’m happy about that Link to comment
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