I think mine was the same thing -Chapter one of the blue book--It was almost a requirement to "teach" that.
It wasnt really a teaching at all imo, the guy who witnessed to me was pressuring me so I basically memorized the chapter and the main points and spewed it out to quiet him down and get him off my back.
He thought it was "great" I was just glad it was over and I didnt puke---any enjoyable part for me was a few years later when I had bought into it more and felt more comfortable.
I dont mind public speaking but it as to be something I believe in or it is a nightmare
I was so scared and tongue tied I can't remember. What surprised me over time was how well I learned to speak publicly, and became a pretty good teacher of that stuff. At least that's what I'd often been told at the time. I couldn't , and wouldn't want to do it again for anything, but it did help me to develop skills I had no idea were there. That I wasn't believing half of what I was 'teaching' is another topic.
Oh, the blue book chapter 1 teaching. Of course that has to be the #1 most repeated teaching in the whole TWI. Actually, it's funny, because I remember reading Norman Vincent Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking" around the same timeframe, and that had a lot of similar concepts, except a lot more incidents and it was better written.
I can hardly bear to think of it. I'd teach the concept of believing from almost any other perspective now.
"A camera offers an appropriate analogy. First you focus on the tool you are imitating from TWI. Then you become them."
Yep, blue book chapter one. It was supposed to be a lightly attended fellowship, so I could get some practice. Next thing I know 20-25 people from high school show up (I have no idea how they heard, as I was terrified of witnessing). Needless to say, I was scared to death, no public speaking experience, basically choked the words out in a small, scared voice.
The WOW's who had set this up were none to happy with me, they saw a great chance for selling PFAL, and the teacher chokes.
I don't remember what I first "taught", but I learned fairly quickly that I should never, ever show a bit of real emotion or let on that I'm just a human being.
Burford, welcome. You've been a lurker for some time (judging by when you signed up), so welcome to the hurly-burly of joining in the conversations here.
My first (and only) teaching was on "bowels of compassion (or mercies)," which I taught as having the compassion that Jesus had towards others. That it wasn't something that came naturally - that one had to really go down deep to bring that out. And it was picked apart.
The WOW's who had set this up were none to happy with me, they saw a great chance for selling PFAL, and the teacher chokes.
Interesting time
Losers. Typical. When I was wayD my first go round it was all about signing up people for the way class. A few months after way disciple was over of the 16 new people we had, only one remained.
I don't remember my first one, but I would bet it was something out of the Blue Book. I do remember my first teaching after I "came back" to TWI, after being gone a number of years (from 76 to 88) and having no idea of what had happened. I just when back to only place I had heard the word taught. With everything I found out later had gone on, I'm surprized they let me teach at all. I taught on "The Whole Armor of God." and taught completely contrary to the Athlete fo the spirit teaching. When they instructed me more fully, I set a letter to HQ about how it appeared they had take the many clear verses and interpreted them in light of the a dificult verse elsewhere and that they had gone against everything they taught us in PFAL. I didn't stay long after that, but interestingly enough the response from HQ was well worded, thought out, polite and completly wrong according to my Greek Dictionaries.
I really don't remember my first teaching...too much water under the bridge.
However, I do remember another, when it would have been early days. Immature believer that I was, I thought that "make it your own" meant understand it and be able to express it in your own words, use your own expressions, choose appropriate examples from wherever seemed appropriate in the Bible - not recite word for word somebody else's work. So that's what I did. The bemused or bewildered faces of those listening showed me clearly that they didn't follow my train of thought and this was not what they expected. Don't think I was ever invited to teach there again.
Had they wanted a parrot, they should have bought one.
Mine was on the love of God and how to manifest it toward our brothers and sisters. I printed out copies of the son "They Will Know We are Christians by our Love" and passed them around and taught the song.
These were medical WOWs who were being really ....y to each other, infighting and complaining and a couple of them thought because they were WOW ambassadors they were too cool for school.
They all stared at me in silence at the end. Got up to get coffee or go outside and smoke, except the coordinator, my future brother-in-law, who at last could not contain his laughter, gave me a big hug and told me I did real good!
I remember exactly what I did. i used a teaching from the ROA that year. I did not know how to teach. The assis FC asked me to teach last minute since the FC had been called to the limb home. I just parroted what was on the tape, too afraid to admit I did not know how to put a teaching together.
Everyone told me I did a great job and they were really blessed by it. But the FC later interogated me on what I taught, he wanted so many details I panicked. I was afraid to admit what I had done.
He wanted me to show him how I had researched it. I freaked out and asked why. He kept saying he needed to make sure he was protecting the fellowship. We got into a big argument and I never told him I had just repeated what was said on a tape. I thought it was a huge disgrace to not be a researching teaching maverick.
Recommended Posts
OldSkool
I don't remember my topic only that I had a "coulda done better" session with my FC afterwards.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mstar1
I think mine was the same thing -Chapter one of the blue book--It was almost a requirement to "teach" that.
It wasnt really a teaching at all imo, the guy who witnessed to me was pressuring me so I basically memorized the chapter and the main points and spewed it out to quiet him down and get him off my back.
He thought it was "great" I was just glad it was over and I didnt puke---any enjoyable part for me was a few years later when I had bought into it more and felt more comfortable.
I dont mind public speaking but it as to be something I believe in or it is a nightmare
Link to comment
Share on other sites
hiway29
I was so scared and tongue tied I can't remember. What surprised me over time was how well I learned to speak publicly, and became a pretty good teacher of that stuff. At least that's what I'd often been told at the time. I couldn't , and wouldn't want to do it again for anything, but it did help me to develop skills I had no idea were there. That I wasn't believing half of what I was 'teaching' is another topic.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
waysider
I have no idea. I didn't have any reservations, though, about being in front of an audience. I'm sure it must have been something fairly basic.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cheranne
There is nothing new under the sun. I loved the book of Ecclesiatics,it was the first book that caught my attention.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
chockfull
Oh, the blue book chapter 1 teaching. Of course that has to be the #1 most repeated teaching in the whole TWI. Actually, it's funny, because I remember reading Norman Vincent Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking" around the same timeframe, and that had a lot of similar concepts, except a lot more incidents and it was better written.
I can hardly bear to think of it. I'd teach the concept of believing from almost any other perspective now.
"A camera offers an appropriate analogy. First you focus on the tool you are imitating from TWI. Then you become them."
Link to comment
Share on other sites
burford456
Yep, blue book chapter one. It was supposed to be a lightly attended fellowship, so I could get some practice. Next thing I know 20-25 people from high school show up (I have no idea how they heard, as I was terrified of witnessing). Needless to say, I was scared to death, no public speaking experience, basically choked the words out in a small, scared voice.
The WOW's who had set this up were none to happy with me, they saw a great chance for selling PFAL, and the teacher chokes.
Interesting time
Link to comment
Share on other sites
OldSkool
yikes, amazing how revered the blue book is.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
penguin
I was 16 and terrified! I taught on some of the promises of God related to our identity as His kids.....
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bolshevik
I think I did one with my brother on lions.
Lions roar really loud. Don't F' with them.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
dmiller
I surely don't remember my first teaching I did (I wasn't asked to do so very often and that was long ago), but I remember my last one. :)
I took a quote from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as the topic for the teaching,
used some bible verses that coincided with the quote and did a 10 or so minute teaching, and was done with it.
I had both the twig's attention as well as the "leadership" there that night!
I was never asked to "teach" again, which was fine by me!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Oakspear
Link to comment
Share on other sites
potato
I don't remember what I first "taught", but I learned fairly quickly that I should never, ever show a bit of real emotion or let on that I'm just a human being.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Twinky
Burford, welcome. You've been a lurker for some time (judging by when you signed up), so welcome to the hurly-burly of joining in the conversations here.
Let me welcome you in good old GSC style:
(edited to overcome my temporary dyslexia)
Edited by TwinkyLink to comment
Share on other sites
Tzaia
My first (and only) teaching was on "bowels of compassion (or mercies)," which I taught as having the compassion that Jesus had towards others. That it wasn't something that came naturally - that one had to really go down deep to bring that out. And it was picked apart.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
OldSkool
Losers. Typical. When I was wayD my first go round it was all about signing up people for the way class. A few months after way disciple was over of the 16 new people we had, only one remained.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Keith
I don't remember my first one, but I would bet it was something out of the Blue Book. I do remember my first teaching after I "came back" to TWI, after being gone a number of years (from 76 to 88) and having no idea of what had happened. I just when back to only place I had heard the word taught. With everything I found out later had gone on, I'm surprized they let me teach at all. I taught on "The Whole Armor of God." and taught completely contrary to the Athlete fo the spirit teaching. When they instructed me more fully, I set a letter to HQ about how it appeared they had take the many clear verses and interpreted them in light of the a dificult verse elsewhere and that they had gone against everything they taught us in PFAL. I didn't stay long after that, but interestingly enough the response from HQ was well worded, thought out, polite and completly wrong according to my Greek Dictionaries.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Twinky
I really don't remember my first teaching...too much water under the bridge.
However, I do remember another, when it would have been early days. Immature believer that I was, I thought that "make it your own" meant understand it and be able to express it in your own words, use your own expressions, choose appropriate examples from wherever seemed appropriate in the Bible - not recite word for word somebody else's work. So that's what I did. The bemused or bewildered faces of those listening showed me clearly that they didn't follow my train of thought and this was not what they expected. Don't think I was ever invited to teach there again.
Had they wanted a parrot, they should have bought one.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Watered Garden
Mine was on the love of God and how to manifest it toward our brothers and sisters. I printed out copies of the son "They Will Know We are Christians by our Love" and passed them around and taught the song.
These were medical WOWs who were being really ....y to each other, infighting and complaining and a couple of them thought because they were WOW ambassadors they were too cool for school.
They all stared at me in silence at the end. Got up to get coffee or go outside and smoke, except the coordinator, my future brother-in-law, who at last could not contain his laughter, gave me a big hug and told me I did real good!
WG
Link to comment
Share on other sites
crystalclearblue
I remember exactly what I did. i used a teaching from the ROA that year. I did not know how to teach. The assis FC asked me to teach last minute since the FC had been called to the limb home. I just parroted what was on the tape, too afraid to admit I did not know how to put a teaching together.
Everyone told me I did a great job and they were really blessed by it. But the FC later interogated me on what I taught, he wanted so many details I panicked. I was afraid to admit what I had done.
He wanted me to show him how I had researched it. I freaked out and asked why. He kept saying he needed to make sure he was protecting the fellowship. We got into a big argument and I never told him I had just repeated what was said on a tape. I thought it was a huge disgrace to not be a researching teaching maverick.
How dumb.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.