Investigator have needs. We have doctrines, principles, and commandments. But that is not enough, we have to invite people to act on doctrine to make changes or to repent and come unto Christ.
Needs-Doctrine-Invitations
Identify the needs of the investigators
What are the needs of our investigator?
Why does out investigator have this need?
Discern what doctrines, principle, or commandments from chapter 3 can meet the needs
What doctrine from chapter 3 of PMG can meet those needs?
Why will this doctrine meet the needs of our investigator?
Make the connection to know which invitation to use, to help overcome needs
What invitations will help our investigators overcome their needs?
Why will this invitation hep our investigator overcome their needs?
This is a simple process I go through in my own life to understand how I can change. I have also used this in coaching missionary study, and have seen awesome results.
I like this simple process/activity.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick question: do you ever feel the need to address the difference between needs and concerns with the missionaries? It would seem to me that the very first question of "what are the needs of our investigator?" (coupled with the follow-up question about why) implies a quick discussion or distinction between the needs and simple concerns/curiosities of our investigators.
Such a distinction, I feel, is pretty essential for missionaries to confidently teach the doctrine in a way that meets needs rather than simply teaching doctrines that are semi-connected to a concern/question of an investigator.
In response to your question, if there is not a clear understanding of needs ot concerns or others like it, I use pmg 177 to help clarify.
DeleteI recently observed a great Lessons in Chapter 3 that helped the missionaries get a jump start on teaching the doctrine. As the teacher (Bro Vogt) taught, he focused on how this lesson would help build someone's faith in Jesus Christ and the Atonement. Even during the "question on the board" section, he had the missionaries study out the answers to the questions in Chapter 3, L1 and then role-play teaching their investigator in such a way that builds their faith in Jesus Christ. Because that was the only point of reference for all of the studies and all of the practice, the missionaries began using the DOCTRINE to resolve concerns.
ReplyDeleteAlso, when it was immediately followed by the Plan/Study/Teach cycle, they got another chance to use their newly acquired focus:
1. As they planned they focused on what were the investigators needs and what invitations they would extend and which lesson would best help that investigator.
2. Then as they studied that lesson, they sought to FIND their investigator IN the lesson.
3. And thus the inspiration that they brought to companionship study was inspiration on how to tailor the doctrine in the lesson to the investigator so that they would want to accept the planned invitation and take a step towards Christ.
It was an amazing thing to see happen in the first week. I'll post this on the blog too, but I just wanted to share with everyone the new insight that when used effectively, the Lessons in Chapter 3 are foundational to the missionaries knowing how and why to use the doctrine to meet the needs of the investigator, and especially how this all connected to the Plan/Study/Teach Cycle and their purpose.
As missionaries begin to understand needs, doctrines, and invitations, I feel that they can sometimes be caught in a trap of incorrect understanding concerning these principles. Many missionaries that I have observed begin to understand this process and translate the doctrine into an application that would be phrased something like "because I love my investigator, I will teach them like an object in order to help thim." I feel that this idealogy comes in large part because of our demonstration of it as teachers. We love our missionaries, but I feel that we often treat them like an object in our efforts to "meet their needs." What can we do to raise our vision and teach our missionaries that treating investigators like an object in this way is not the best way to help them come unto Christ?
ReplyDelete