Training that Multiplies
A few years ago on a pleasant autumn evening, I was splitting the last of the wood that would carry me through the winter. As the sledgehammer crashed against the metal wedge for the umpteenth time, a piece of tempered steel flew off and lodged in my left thigh. I went to our family doctor, a general practitioner. He made an incision and then used his probe to try and locate the metal. A little more cutting, and a little more probing. A little more cutting, and a little more probing. Nothing was said about an x ray. He finally closed the incision, unable to locate the metal chip. Today I still carry a scar of that trial-and-error experience. In two weeks I am facing knee surgery I have put off for more than a decade. If I keep stalling, says a medical friend, I could be the proud recipient of a plastic knee down the road. So I've decided to take the step. A man in my congregation who had arthroscopic surgery recently has recommended his specialist, a highly trained surgeon with the University of Pennsylvania's sports medicine clinic. Which doctor do you think I have chosen—my hometown G.P. or the specialist in Philadelphia? The answer is obvious. Competence is valued in all professions. When your automobile has a carburetion problem, why do several friends suggest J & J Mechanics? The difference, even beyond natural ability, is training. Pastors realize there is no short cut to competence. We want teachers to grow continually in the skills of teaching. We face several problems, however, in trying to provide training. For some churches, the cost of seminars, workshops, and materials is a hurdle. Others find the clock their worst enemy, not being able to find times when their people are available. While these issues are real, I ...
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