Tad R. Callister Training
Sunday School Presidents Training in Lake Oswego - June 2015
Training Handout: Link
Then he asked: "Where should they be?" He then had us read D&C 50:19-22 to show that they should be equal.
- Participation, by assignment... Adults too
"Every stone a sermon" ... From the Salt Lake Temple. Well, it could also be "Every saint a sermon", since we all have a well of experience to draw from and as teachers need to recognize the experience of our students.
He told the story of Belle Spafford, who complained to Heber J. Grant that it wasn't worth it to travel far and wide to attend RS meetings. He then asked her to go and attend, understanding that what you put into the meetings is what you get out of them... and then to come back and tell him what she learned.
If classes are boring, did you prepare? Did you take notes? Did you go home and share those things with your family? .... If you do all that, you do get a lot out of it.
- how do I liken this spiritual principle to some worldly thing, or real life experience. Eg the savior likening the kingdom of heaven to 13 things!
Likening baking a cake to explaining why it took 17 centuries. 17 year old girl explained.
Recognize the Spirit, teach them what those feelings mean,... My comment.
"It sounds like you know more about that .... Tell us more" ... What if the teacher missed it by being so intent on asking the next question.
- Silence: let me rephrase the question ...
Before you answer or raise your hand, take 30 seconds to think about it.
- Softballs
- Elder Scott once told Elder Callister: "RECORD EVERY SPIRITUAL IMPRESSION YOU HAVE"
- D&;;C 76 ... The Lord tells JS to write it down "while you are in the Spirit".
Mark Twain: "When I was 14, I was embarrassed at how ignorant my father was. When I was 21, I was amazed at how much he learned in 7 years."
By recording your impressions, you will invite revelation:
1. You will collect ideas for use in the future
2. You will get more impressions because of it
Both Teachers and Learners should do this.
Then share them ... It enlightens both
Mormon, when he was 10, the Lord told him to record events of his people. ... And then called him "Quick to Observe", three times.
Gordon B. Hinckley was with Elder Callister, in a RS room, with the chairs in a U shape configuration; their chairs were against the wall. The Stake President asked him a question and he replied: "The answer to that is in the stitching on the RS wall behind me" -- Notice everything, glean insights from all you see.
"Tune up the learning dial"
"I find that I enjoy Church more, now that I take notes"
Hitler, Stalin, Khan
- Each had a clear vision
- Each had an unwavering commitment
- Each demanded accountability
- Each had the ability to motivate
In fact, if Hitler was in charge of HT in your Ward ...
So, worldly leadership seeks "horizonal influence":
Knowledge
Power
Fame
Wealth
But Spiritual Leadership seeks "vertical influence":
- Elevate people to be like Christ
- if you're going to lead by the spirit, you have to prepare by the spirit
Preparation:
Think about what you're going to ask specific people, give the Lord a chance to work through you .... 2 weeks in advance if you can. Ideas and thoughts will come to you... Not just 2pm-4pm on Saturdays.
You have to live what you teach, or your words have no power
- Read the scriptural material BEFORE you read the rest of the material. What questions, what invitations, what insights, etc ... Would you ask? If you do that, You will set yourself spiritually for life... Than, after you have received personal impressions, read the rest of the material.
This is wrong ... We must go out and find the 1 ... "UNTIL you find them."
Don't just make one phone call, hang in there.
He showed a video of Elder Mervyn B. Arnold from April 2004:
(https://www.lds.org/general-
Teach those who are present, reach out to those who are not.
Tell EACH ONE of them you love them...
He finished by citing a story David O. McKay told in the April 1964 General Conference:
Many years ago there was a story told in one of our early school books about some young people who were sailing down the river towards Niagara Falls. A man on the shore cried out to them: "Young men, Ahoy, the rapids are below you!"
But they heeded not his warning call until they realized too late that they were in the midst of the rapids. With all the power at their command they failed to turn their boat upstream, "So," said the man who tried to warn them "shrieking and cursing, over they went!"
The lesson left an indelible impression upon me, but today it seems incomplete. It is one thing to stand on the shore and cry, "Young men, Ahoy—there is danger ahead," and it is another thing to row into the stream, and, if possible, get into the boat with the young men, and by companionship, by persuasion, by legitimate force, when necessary, turn the boat from the rapids. Too many of us are satisfied to stand on the shore and cry, "There is danger ahead."
Introduction:
Brother Callister began by drawing a graph that had on the Y axis: expectations and performance, and on the X axis: Learner and Teacher. The teacher block was 3x the height of the learner block.... which is what he said most people's answer would be.Then he asked: "Where should they be?" He then had us read D&C 50:19-22 to show that they should be equal.
How do we improve?
- Communication, email, etc.- Participation, by assignment... Adults too
"Every stone a sermon" ... From the Salt Lake Temple. Well, it could also be "Every saint a sermon", since we all have a well of experience to draw from and as teachers need to recognize the experience of our students.
He told the story of Belle Spafford, who complained to Heber J. Grant that it wasn't worth it to travel far and wide to attend RS meetings. He then asked her to go and attend, understanding that what you put into the meetings is what you get out of them... and then to come back and tell him what she learned.
If classes are boring, did you prepare? Did you take notes? Did you go home and share those things with your family? .... If you do all that, you do get a lot out of it.
Participation
- how did it affect you?, What did you learn?- how do I liken this spiritual principle to some worldly thing, or real life experience. Eg the savior likening the kingdom of heaven to 13 things!
Likening baking a cake to explaining why it took 17 centuries. 17 year old girl explained.
Recognize the Spirit, teach them what those feelings mean,... My comment.
Questions
Iceberg ... There's a lot more underneath. Their answer only reveals about a tenth of what they feel."It sounds like you know more about that .... Tell us more" ... What if the teacher missed it by being so intent on asking the next question.
- Silence: let me rephrase the question ...
Before you answer or raise your hand, take 30 seconds to think about it.
- Softballs
Recording Impressions
- Document what you hear, you translate what you hear, what your spirit hears, into new personal insights, etc. that you can use.- Elder Scott once told Elder Callister: "RECORD EVERY SPIRITUAL IMPRESSION YOU HAVE"
- D&;;C 76 ... The Lord tells JS to write it down "while you are in the Spirit".
Mark Twain: "When I was 14, I was embarrassed at how ignorant my father was. When I was 21, I was amazed at how much he learned in 7 years."
By recording your impressions, you will invite revelation:
1. You will collect ideas for use in the future
2. You will get more impressions because of it
Both Teachers and Learners should do this.
Then share them ... It enlightens both
Mormon, when he was 10, the Lord told him to record events of his people. ... And then called him "Quick to Observe", three times.
Gordon B. Hinckley was with Elder Callister, in a RS room, with the chairs in a U shape configuration; their chairs were against the wall. The Stake President asked him a question and he replied: "The answer to that is in the stitching on the RS wall behind me" -- Notice everything, glean insights from all you see.
"Tune up the learning dial"
"I find that I enjoy Church more, now that I take notes"
The essence of leadership is teaching.... GB Hinckley
3 Effective LeadersHitler, Stalin, Khan
- Each had a clear vision
- Each had an unwavering commitment
- Each demanded accountability
- Each had the ability to motivate
In fact, if Hitler was in charge of HT in your Ward ...
So, worldly leadership seeks "horizonal influence":
Knowledge
Power
Fame
Wealth
But Spiritual Leadership seeks "vertical influence":
- Elevate people to be like Christ
- if you're going to lead by the spirit, you have to prepare by the spirit
Preparation:
Think about what you're going to ask specific people, give the Lord a chance to work through you .... 2 weeks in advance if you can. Ideas and thoughts will come to you... Not just 2pm-4pm on Saturdays.
You have to live what you teach, or your words have no power
His challenge on preparing for lessons
- Resist the temptation to look up answers in the commentaries...- Read the scriptural material BEFORE you read the rest of the material. What questions, what invitations, what insights, etc ... Would you ask? If you do that, You will set yourself spiritually for life... Than, after you have received personal impressions, read the rest of the material.
Loving those we teach
We love those we teach, AND we reach out to those who don't attend.... Some say the teachers teach whoever shows up, and that's the end of the story.This is wrong ... We must go out and find the 1 ... "UNTIL you find them."
Don't just make one phone call, hang in there.
He showed a video of Elder Mervyn B. Arnold from April 2004:
(https://www.lds.org/general-
Teach those who are present, reach out to those who are not.
Tell EACH ONE of them you love them...
He finished by citing a story David O. McKay told in the April 1964 General Conference:
Many years ago there was a story told in one of our early school books about some young people who were sailing down the river towards Niagara Falls. A man on the shore cried out to them: "Young men, Ahoy, the rapids are below you!"
But they heeded not his warning call until they realized too late that they were in the midst of the rapids. With all the power at their command they failed to turn their boat upstream, "So," said the man who tried to warn them "shrieking and cursing, over they went!"
The lesson left an indelible impression upon me, but today it seems incomplete. It is one thing to stand on the shore and cry, "Young men, Ahoy—there is danger ahead," and it is another thing to row into the stream, and, if possible, get into the boat with the young men, and by companionship, by persuasion, by legitimate force, when necessary, turn the boat from the rapids. Too many of us are satisfied to stand on the shore and cry, "There is danger ahead."
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