I am back in Lubbock and have just begun my second week of school. This term the classes I’m taking are: Old Testament History with Victor Ellison, Ephesians and Colossians with Ed Wharton, Preaching from the Gospels (this terms preaching lab) with Charles Cook, and the Sacrificial System with Gerald Paden (a class that I have wanted to take ever since I was an AIMer; it is for the most part a study of the book of Leviticus and is also a pre-requisite to the book of Hebrews, which is also taught by Gerald).
AIM started last week! There are 58 AIMers in the new class. The group comes from 18 different states and two of them are from Brazil. Since it has only been a week I’m still barley getting to know the class. One of the things that I think is really neat about AIM is the diversity. The AIMers come from a wide variety of different backgrounds; some have grown up in the church all their lives and others have only been a Christian for a matter of weeks. Hearing how God has been working in their lives has been very encouraging. I am looking forward to sharing stories with you about what God will be doing through these young people.
Later this month the AIMers will be beginning their Sharing the Word class. Sharing the Word is the AIMers’ version of Preaching Lab. In this class they learn how to teach the Bible in various settings (e.g. preaching/public speaking, teaching youth, teaching children’s classes and teaching the Bible one-on-one). This class is a unique one because it is not taught by the Sunset Instructors but rather us AIM Assistants. This year I will be teaching the seminar on how to conduct one-on-one Bible studies. Just knowing that I’m going to be teaching the AIMers directly in their classroom sends me a rush or different feelings and emotions, most of them positive --feelings of excitement and joy. There is so much that I would like to share with them. There are so many things that I know would benefit them in their walk with the Lord. The thing is, I only have two days to teach them. Thankfully, those two days only represent the two days that I will be “officially” teaching them how to teach (with me standing before them as they take notes). The other Assistants and I will still have eight months to show them by example how to teach, serve, submit and love as they are preparing for what lies ahead, and knowing that gives me great ease. My hope and my prayer is for the AIMers to see that I am not someone who merely talks about teaching the lost, serving, and loving the outcast, but rather that I am one that practices these things in my own life.
