"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching..." Acts 2:42

Who was the most formative influence in your life? Most people would answer that their parents are. The next most popular answer is that of a teacher. A teacher influences lives. US professor of the year 1983, Peter Beidler said in his Alumni Magazine short essay, “Why Do I Teach?” , " I teach because I see people grow and change in front of my eyes." He continues, "I teach because, being around people who are beginning to breathe, I occasionally find myself catching my breath with them."

Paul and Barnabas majored on teaching (Acts 11:26). The church at Antioch had a list their teachers (Acts 13:1). Here at Norway we have many gifted teachers. We see the spiritual gift as teacher as incredibly important and seek to involve in many ways the teachers among us. Moses was a teacher as well as a prophet and lawgiver (Exodus 18:20, Deuteronomy 6:1). Jesus was a rabbi, a teacher (Mark 1:38), and commanded his followers to go into the world and teach all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). The early Christian churches took seriously the function of teaching (Acts 13:1, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11, 2 Timothy 1:11). Paul later wrote "The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things,..."Philippians 4:9.

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5

Bible teaching is more than a head full of facts: it's meant to produce better-behaved rather than merely better-informed Christians.
Here at Norway we have many outlets for teachers and students:

• -Systematic Sunday School Classes taking our young people through the Bible in a 6 year program
• -Adult Sunday School Classes that take us through the Scripture in a six year plan and cover 10 branches of Systematic Theology
• -Monday Night Topical Bible Studies
• -Sunday Morning Expositional Preaching
• -Wednesday Night kid's Club
• -Wednesday Night Preaching/Teaching
• -Ladies' Bible Study
• -Men's Bible Study (seasonal)
• -Personal Discipleship
• -Biblical Counseling

If you could choose one verb to describe what the elders do in our church it would be teaching. Teaching is a huge part of the shepherd's role. Christian leaders should be able, or apt to teach (1 Timothy 3:2 and Norway is blessed to have pastor-teachers (Ephesians 4:11) who take their teaching role seriously. In addition we have many gifted teachers in our body to encourage people to mature in the faith, serve others, and become equipped for ministry.