Pastor Martin Johnson of Washington Church in Toledo, Ohio, tells us this story:

"We’ve been using Crossways as a special one-hour 15-minute adult Sunday School class to help promote biblical literacy and excitement about spending time in God’s Word. We started two classes of 40 people each, and after 20 weeks still run 30-35 people in each class! We assumed, incorrectly, that the attrition would be much higher due to the intensity of the study, but our people just love the knowledge.

"Teaching is a treat for me. I’m getting more from my own preparation and sharing in class than in all of my own past attempts at study. The class is at least as valuable to me as it is to the adult learners who come to my class.

"I can prepare to teach in as little as two hours a week, but I love it when my study expands and takes new direction under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Even if my study or prep time takes 10 hours a week – I love every minute of it!

"It is clear to me that Crossways has some wonderful advantages over other studies I’ve been a part of in the past. The best part is to watch the adult learners come alive with new and exciting ideas and threads of theology that they’ve never thought about before. And the best thing for me is that these people are reading every Word from Scripture to prepare for and review their lessons. That alone is worth every penny of investment and every minute of commitment to study and preparation. In three years, 80 adults of our church will have read every single word of Scripture, and understand the major themes and threads of God’s Word. We’re studying the Bible instead of just studying a book about the Bible.

"When my colleague and I came to the [Living Word workshop] training seminar in Detroit, we anticipated a dull lecture on teaching techniques and classroom logistics. We signed up for the 2-1⁄2-day training and dreaded the daily two-hour drive to and from the training. After the first hour, we were so impressed with the materials and captivated by Tim [Schaefer’s] incredible grasp of Scripture, and personable and interactive teaching style, that we immediately signed on for the full week! We wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

"Not only did we learn about the Crossways materials, but we had a firm grasp on how to study, how to impart what we were learning, and how to bring the major themes and connecting threads of God’s Word alive for our adult learners. There is no doubt that our ability to teach this material effectively as well as the learner’s interest level would have been severely hindered had we not taken this vital training.

"Because of the training, my own understanding of biblical themes has increased. My weekly teaching preparation has positively impacted my ability to share biblical truths. Suffice to say my overall ministry has improved dramatically due to my involvement in the training and teaching of the Crossways course.

"The overheads and the pictures, maps and diagrams in the printed materials are incredible helps to learning and teaching.

"It’s amazing to see the way adults learn, acted out dramatically before my very eyes as I combine speaking with visual reinforcement and interactive questions, answers and information exchange. It makes what could have been boring lecture become and exciting time of discovery. Many times, the visuals provide the needed push to make a confusing issue become an 'aha!' moment."

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Please contact us with your questions (& pictures!) and tell us about your own experiences with Crossways International's materials and resources.