Elementary Education

The Call to Teach

By Roselyn Smith

As the New Year begins, it’s a good time to reevaluate our positions as Christian leaders in faith formation. If you’ve never thought of your job of teaching as a ministry, it is perhaps time to consider that. If you have been teaching children about their faith and are reading this article, you are probably a dedicated instructor who has, indeed, been called to teach.

This is not an endeavor to be taken lightly. In a keynote address given a few years back by the Most Rev. Gregory Aymond, to the Department of Chief Administrators of Catholic Education, he said we are “called to be courageous moral leaders who teach by word and by example.” He suggested several characteristics that should be found in leaders today of our schools, religious education programs and other diocesan programs. They are as follows:

• Leaders must know and teach the Gospel message in its entirety, not watered down version for popularity.
• Leaders must see themselves not only as prophets but as stewards. . . of God’s mission, not our own.
• Leaders must be patient, knowing the right time to speak and act. . . having discernment.
• Leaders must persevere, not expect instant results
• Leaders must have the courage to be different and willing to be countercultural. Sometimes being politically correct can be morally incorrect

Bishop Aymond, who has written a book titled, Courageous Moral Leadership (available through the NCEA website), warned that “it is hard for us to compete with the media and to present Christian morality, but we cannot give up.” He encouraged teachers to teach with conviction and clarity showing there is a definite right and wrong. He continued with encouragement for Christian leaders to find their strength in prayer and to support each other in a strong community faith life. Bishop Aymond goes on to say leaders should read the Gospel daily and ask the question, “Am I truly following in his footsteps?”

These are important reminders to all of us involved in faith formation. It is not an easy job and our dedication is likely to be tested at some point. Remaining faithful in our prayer lives and continually working at our own relationships with God is absolutely vital to our calling as Christian leaders. We should consider with this new year upon us, what methods we are using to grow in our faith lives and how we can continue our best response to God’s call to teach.

If your parish has an adoration chapel, one idea for increasing your prayer life might be to schedule an hour a week to visit the Blessed Sacrament. You can use that hour to say a rosary, do lesson plans, plan a children’s Mass, or just sit quietly before the Lord. It is amazing what can come of this time and how helpful you will find it in your ministry.

Staying in community with other faith instructors and continually reading and studying about your faith can keep your interest and enthusiasm for what you do. Whatever you do this year, dedicate yourself to a year of following God’s call to teach. It is an awesome responsibility and admirable calling.