On any given Sunday, the class numbers between 130 and 160, which suits Bookshaw’s teaching philosophy just fine. "Get as many people in there as possible," he says with a laugh. Some of the big questions that have been discussed at length include a central question of the study, "Where do you live?" which leads to questions surrounding the creation and its Creator.

The class is now working through the second article of the creed, in which students learn what the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus really mean for them. Bookshaw says that he hears a lot of "ahas!" during this time of the study.

He also says that the depth of the questions being asked by the students constantly surprises him. Most are intrigued with the material because they have never delved into the theology of their faith are now doing some inner wrestling about how Christianity affects their daily lives.

Pastor Bookshaw recommends taking the time to become immersed in the material to prepare to teach the course. He adds, "When teaching, don’t shy away from the difficult questions. In my experience, people tend to be very gracious to a response of 'I don’t know.'"

In the congregation at large, Bookshaw says he sees an enormous difference in the tenor and demeanor of the congregation since the introduction of Crossways studies to the church. The prevailing attitude is no longer "this is what I want." Instead, people have taken on the attitude of a servant, trying to meet the needs of others.

Behind the Desk: Preparing and Teaching Crossways

Pastor Marty Roberson is a 1999 seminary graduate, in his first call at Port Royal Lutheran Church, Port Royal, PA. Pastor Roberson started teaching Crossways and The Divine Drama® this year after attending a Living Word Workshop in Montgomeryville, PA, last year. Pastor Roberson says that he felt like he was "back in seminary" with all the notes he took at the workshop, but the experience and knowledge he gained were invaluable in helping him prepare to teach his Crossways classes. Currently, Pastor Roberson teaches two sections of Crossways , with about 22 people attending one or the other session, He also teaches The Divine Drama® to 18 teenagers in confirmation class. He begins his Crossways classes with Scripture reading—right now the class is working through Psalm 119 a few verses at a time—and then the class spends some time in contemplation and prayer. The group reviews the previous week’s material, making sure to answer questions and trouble spots.  Then they dig into the new lesson, spending an hour and a half, with a break in the middle. Pastor Roberson says he loves questions and comments, as they tend to generate good discussion. To prepare the lessons, Roberson says he goes through the manuals as if he were a student.  He then goes to the leader’s guide to fill in the gaps.   He tends to follow the manual closely because he finds it very well laid-out as is. The biggest help to him in preparation, however, was the Living Word for Leaders Workshop he attended last year. Roberson says it gave him the understanding and the knowledge to be an effective teacher of Crossways and The Divine Drama®. He had to become a student first, and a teacher second.

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