It is becoming one of my favourite teaching sessions. The goal is to shed light on a critical word in the character of a preacher and then to open a window on the places in the preaching ministry where this word has relevance.

We start by splitting people into pairs. “I am going to put a single word on the whiteboard and in your pairs I’d like you to agree on another single word that describes its meaning for you. OK?!” This past Thursday I had the mother of all whiteboards with which to work. It covered an entire wall. Pedagogical heaven.

Up goes the word: integrity

Shedding Light

After their discussions, each pair is invited to write their word nearby to ‘integrity’ on the whiteboard. Always, always, always—the range of words is fascinating. Rarely is there much repetition. ‘Integrity’ has so many layers and nuances. The semantic range is wide. The connotations are endless. Each pair speaks to their word. The conversation gets started, as we listen and learn from each other.

What I didn’t say is that I ensure that each pair shares the same mother tongue, or heart language. In this country there are plenty of languages from which to choose! So the next thing I ask them to do is to agree on the word in their own language that best describes integrity. Up on the board it goes, as you can see above—placed next to their earlier word for ‘integrity’. People love their own heart language. It is fun to hear the settings in which this word is used by their people. Through all of this interaction, light is shed on the meaning of integrity.

Opening Windows

I like to turn to the Bible for a few minutes (although I forgot to do this on Thursday – gulp?!). I like to have each pair agree on three people in the Bible known for their integrity and three people known for their lack of integrity. Get the names up on the board, but there is a catch. No person’s name can be mentioned twice on the board. Then it is about drawing out of the class the reasons why each name is in each column. It is a great discussion. I still find a smile comes across my face when I consider this response from a participant in Papua New Guinea

… and, once this exercise is completed, the attention turns to the preacher and the preaching.

(Added on 24/03/25) Learning exercises like this one evolve over the years.

In more recent years I’ve been more directive about asking students to consider the challenge of integrity in five specific areas: with God, with the text, with listeners, with resources and with self. It is the most fabulous exercise as we gradually move across the whiteboard, from left to right. Then it helps to pause — and to share in small groups about where people find the challenges to integrity lie for themselves.

Then, in the last two years, I’ve finished the exercise with prayers of petition and intercession—working through all those issues, one by one, word for word, on the far right of the whiteboard. “Please, Lord, help me”. It has provided some of the most hushed and sacred moments in my life as a teacher. Here is the focus of our prayers from just last June, with a group of pastors and church leaders here in New Zealand.

Then I close the time with the quiet reading of Scripture. Various possibilities, but I gotta be honest. I find it hard to see past 1 Thessalonians 2.

Ahh, it is such a special time of learning together as we offer ourselves afresh to God in such a critical area. ‘Twill always be for me a favourite time as learners together in God’s presence.

Have a try!

nice chatting

Paul