You love God's word and feel called to teach the Bible. Maybe you just don’t know where to start, or maybe you have been teaching the Bible for years but can’t get rid of the concern that you’ve never been formally trained to teach other women.
Through Trained to Teach, experienced Bible teachers Kelly Needham and Lindsay Schott will coach you, helping you grow in confidence and skill. As you work through this book by yourself or alongside other Bible teachers in women’s ministry, you’ll cover…
Whether you are teaching a large women's Bible study, a handful of children in Sunday school, or a small group in your home, this down-to-earth guide will shape your heart, develop your skills and confidence, and equip you to serve faithfully in your local church as you move from "I don’t know how" to "I’m ready to serve".
Introduction
Section 1: Why Teach
1 - You Can Do This, And I’m Not Just Saying That: Five Reasons You Can Teach
2 - Safety Instructions Included:Three Warnings for Teachers
3 - “God Has a Crush on You” and Other Bad Teachings: Avoiding Eisegesis
Section 2: What to Teach
4 - Channel Your Inner Sherlock: Investigate the Text
5 - Don’t Miss the Forest for the Trees: The ABCs of Exegesis
6 - Forks in the Road: Apply Your Text
Section 3: How to Teach
7 - No Woman Left Behind: Four Myths About How to Teach
8 - Throw a Softball, Not a Fistful of Sand: Develop a Thesis
9 - Clubbing Baby Seals and Other Terrible Tasks: Organize Your Message
10 - The Art of Baking: Write Your Message
11 - What Do I Do with My Hands?: Deliver the Message
Section 4: Everything Else Nobody Talks About
12 - This Means War!: Five Battles You Fight as You Teach
13 - Don’t Forget to Stretch: What to Do Right Before and After You Teach
14 - Friends in Foxholes:Community Is Non-Negotiable
15 - Run Your Race: Moving Forward in Joy
More Resources to Help You Teach
Appendix 1: Discussion Questions
Appendix 2: Tips for Topical Teaching
Appendix 3: Note Styles
Appendix 4: Practical Help Before You Take the Stage
Appendix 5: Feedback Form
Appendix 6: Free Resources
Acknowledgments
End Notes
“Teaching the Bible requires a strange mix of fear and fearlessness. We must be sober-minded and reverent about the task, and we must simultaneously strive to step into the work with confidence and joy. Kelly and Lindsay know these two poles firsthand, and they offer the aspiring teacher time-tested tools, practical wisdom born of local church experience, and just the right recipe of carefulness and courage. This is a book I wish someone had handed me thirty years ago when I began fumbling my way forward with teaching the most important book of all. I pray it spurs a generation of women to teach the Bible, and to teach it well.”
“The desire to teach Scripture should be met with the desire to handle it well. Trained to Teach helps women do just that by combining faithful study, thoughtful communication, and attention to the heart of the teacher. Kelly and Lindsay have given women a practical resource that will strengthen both their confidence and their care for God’s word.”
“Trained to Teach speaks to every consideration—from calling, motives, and insecurities to the nuts and bolts of actually preparing and delivering a faithful message. Encouraging, practical, and deeply grounded in a desire to serve God rather than build a platform, this is the kind of resource that helps women move forward with both humility and confidence.”
“An incredible resource for any aspiring (or experienced!) Bible teacher. Rigorous and thorough, it takes you from the basics of exegesis, through careful application, to crafting a clear, simple, and faithful talk. Kelly and Lindsay combine serious pedagogy with remarkable creativity. I laughed, cried, and learned loads along the way.”
“Reading this book felt like listening to my seminary bestie recap her biblical hermeneutics class—clear, accessible, and full of practical wisdom. I will be giving copies to my Bible-teaching buddies and women’s ministry friends!”
“Kelly and Lindsay provide excellent practical wisdom for new and veteran Bible teachers, but they also address the internal questions and wrestlings every teacher faces. I will be giving this book to every woman on our teaching team!”
“This book is jam-packed with tried and tested wisdom, as Lindsay and Kelly draw from a wealth of experience and write with candor and confidence. I love how they carefully and winsomely walk their readers into the place of being able to teach God’s word. I can’t wait to put this book into the hands of many women in my church and wider circles.”
“As a women’s ministry director, I have trained many women to teach over the years, and this is the resource I have been waiting for. In the past I’ve pieced together various chapters, articles, and videos, but this book has everything I need in one book for a teacher-training cohort. As women Bible teachers, it’s crucial that we reproduce ourselves and raise up more women to do what we do—this is THE resource for that mission.”
“Trained to Teach is a resource that I will return to again and again. The wisdom and experience Kelly and Lindsay generously share in these pages will help any teacher grow in their ability to mine God’s word, shape content, and deliver it with faith. This is the book I’ve been waiting for, and I’m excited to share it with friends, no matter whether they are taking their first tentative steps in teaching or have years of experience behind them.”
“To my pastor friends: you can trust Kelly and Lindsay. I’ve had the privilege of watching these ideas develop long before they became a book. I’ve watched this material help women in our church handle the Scriptures carefully and teach them clearly.”
“What a brilliant resource! Whether you’re confident in sharing the Bible with others or feel like it’s beyond you, this book will encourage and equip you. Kelly and Lindsay have years of experience in teaching God’s word, and they share their wisdom in a way that’s honest, engaging, and accessible."
