I have been involved in education virtually my whole life. Since I was five years old, I have either been a student, teacher, coach, or administrator. Teaching and learning have always been passions of mine. They have not only been my career, but also something in which I find pure joy.

In Matthew 22:37, Jesus commands us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. If we are going to love God the way He instructed us, then we must use our minds and think. When you really consider it, thinking can only happen when learning is present. After all, if you are not learning, eventually you will run out of things to think about. Learning, then, is the catalyst for thinking, and the more one is willing to go through the process of learning, the more thinking will be required.

In my years as both a teacher and school administrator, I have seen educational fads come and go. Some educators are always looking for the next best thing, new methods of teaching and learning to replace the old. They pride themselves on being progressive-minded when it comes to education, and if a teaching method was used 20 years ago, it must be ineffective and therefore replaced with something newer. Other educators take a different approach, focusing on tradition and rejecting the idea of change. They argue that the methods used on them and their peers worked, so no change is necessary. In fact, some go so far as to suggest that new methods are ineffective simply because they are new and different.

Both approaches have limitations because they de-emphasize learning and the learner while drawing false conclusions about the methods themselves. The effectiveness of a teaching and learning method is not determined by its newness or tradition, but by its impact on the learner in relation to the learning targets.

So how does this relate to the Christian church?

When Christians gather for worship, we come to honor our Heavenly Father, and our worship takes various forms. In most churches, we worship through singing, prayer, liturgy (in some traditions), and preaching, often referred to as the teaching of God’s Word. It is this teaching portion of worship that I want to address.

What exactly is the goal during the preaching and teaching of God’s Word? It seems the goal should be for listeners to learn the content being taught by the pastor or teacher and then apply that content to Christian living for the glory and honor of our Savior, Jesus Christ. If that is indeed the goal, then why is so little emphasis placed on best practices in teaching and learning from Christian pulpits and in church classrooms across our country? Should we not research carefully and think deeply about employing the most effective methods of teaching and learning to communicate the most important message ever proclaimed; The Gospel? Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important, but they do not hold the keys to eternal life.

When we ask how people learn best, is the answer through long lectures with little to no engagement from the learner? Research on teaching and learning would suggest otherwise. Yet this reality often seems overlooked during the preaching portion of a worship service and neglected in many Sunday school classes as well.

School systems frequently invest significant time and resources into helping educators improve their instructional practices in subjects such as reading and math. Yet the average Christian church often spends more on meals and events than on training those who teach. If churches were to examine their mission and vision statements closely, I am convinced this misalignment would become evident.

One educational practice that has consistently produced positive results in student outcomes is data-driven instruction (DDI). The concept is straightforward: educators collect and analyze student data, plan instruction based on that data, and then monitor and adjust teaching accordingly. Research has repeatedly shown that when these methods are applied with fidelity, student outcomes improve. Teachers gain a clearer understanding of what students know and do not know, making planning more purposeful and instructional adjustments more effective.

The concept of DDI is not complicated; it is common sense. However, implementing it well requires training, practice, and hard work.

When I observe education in many churches, I see little to no instruction driven by data that has been intentionally collected and analyzed. More often than not, the education provided is driven not by the needs of the learner but by the preferences of the teacher or leader. I know many church leaders cite prayer as a guiding force in their preaching and teaching, and rightly so, as prayer is of utmost importance. Yet Scripture also calls us to teach and admonish everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28). Is it possible to teach everyone with wisdom and not use data to drive what you are teaching?

Interestingly, Jesus often demonstrated what we would now call data-driven instruction. In the Gospels, we see Him collecting “data” through His questions, designing His teaching (often in parables) based on the responses He received, and adjusting His approach through private explanations, miracles, or rebukes when necessary. For these reasons, it would benefit the church to consider how we might thoughtfully use data to inform instruction in the local congregation.

Learner engagement is also critical for maximizing retention. The widely cited Learning Pyramid suggests that individuals who sit passively and listen retain only a small percentage of what they hear. While the exact numbers are debated, the principle is clear: passive listening produces limited long-term retention.

I have often been guilty of listening to a powerful sermon on Sunday morning, only to forget the main points days, sometimes even hours later. I remember that the sermon was good, but without learning and applying the content to my daily life, what have I truly gained? Perhaps the better question is: What has my Heavenly Father gained? I hear words that give life, the words of the Author and Sustainer of my soul, yet hours later I struggle to recall them.

Jesus told stories, used object lessons (such as washing His disciples’ feet), and ultimately sent His disciples out to practice what they had learned. He empowered His followers and consistently engaged them in the learning process. Did they listen to Him? Yes. But they were never meant to be passive observers; He was training them to be active doers.

As I reflect on the educational methods of the local church, I believe there is significant room for growth. All truth is God’s truth, and if principles such as data-driven instruction and learner engagement increase learning in academic subjects, they can also increase learning in the most important subject of all.

The question is this: Will we, as Christians, honestly evaluate our teaching and learning methods in the church? Will we invest in developing strong teaching practices with the same intentionality we see in schools? If we do, I am convinced the local church will have a greater impact on its community, our nation, and ultimately the world, and we will glorify our Heavenly Father in the process.