Seven Tips to Lead Students toward Spiritual Transformation

Written by Sherry Spillman

Do you find that your students have a wealth of Bible data and information but a lack of visible life change? Here are 7 things you can do as a leader to facilitate spiritual transformation in students as they participate in Bible study...

1. Acknowledge that the Holy Spirit who teaches adults and leads them into truth is the same Holy Spirit who teaches and ministers to the students. Watch to see what He wants to teach the students on any given weekly session.
2. Make sure the meat of the session actually searches the Scripture and is spent in examining God's Word and is not just a discussion of students' and leaders' opinions or beliefs. It is only by having hands on Gold's Word that students will discover real truth.
3. Be careful not to answer your own questions. Give students time to think when you pose a question. Let students know that the quietness that follows your question is OK. (That will help settle your own uneasiness when your question is followed by that silent sound!) When we answer our own questions, we teach students that they do not have to respond and that their answer probably was not important anyway.
4. Work toward using activities that lead students to discover what we already know or found out during our personal study and preparation. When we lead them to discover truths out of God's Word for themselves instead of telling them what we know, we allow opportunity for the Spirit to do His work. As we pair students up in groups of two or three to complete an activity, the Holy Spirit makes the Biblical Truth relevant to each of their individual lives. He is freed up to do this when students are allowed to make application to what is going on in their personal lives.
5. Watch for those times that the Holy Spirit makes Himself known within the session. Those times, very frequently, take place as students share results of their group work or report on their findings in the Word. Be ready to help students make connections with God during those times.
6. Prepare your heart for worship to take place during the Bible study session. When we think of worship, we traditionally define it by the hour set aside for "worship" identified by the components we are used to experiencing. Real worship takes place any time we come face to face with God and leave His presence transformed or changed. So actually, worship should take place in our Bible studies. Sometimes when students share from their assignments and small group work, they will say things that are totally profound. When God grabs your heart as that happens, be transparent and let your students know that you just had a connection with God.
7. Make sure that your students are given an opportunity to measure their own lives up against the Biblical Truth of standard of God you have studied. When they take the time to examine their lives, compare themselves to a Holy God, realize that they fall short, and make a commitment to Him and His truth...then true worship takes place.

Adapted from How-To Sunday School Guide: Curriculum Workshop for Student Leaders by Sherry Spillman.

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