The Teaching Church

This article appeared in 1969 in Christianity today and it is even more relevant today

Among priorities for the local church today, none is more urgent than teaching. A church that fails here is delinquent at the heart of its mission. During his earthly ministry, our Lord was the master teacher; in his post-resurrection appearance on the Emmaus road, he expounded the Scriptures (Luke 24:27); the central emphasis in his Great Commission is upon teaching (Matt. 28:19, 20). And in Paul’s list of the gifts of the Spirit, teaching is indissolubly united with pastoral work—“he gave some … pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11).

The Church, particularly on the local level, needs to look critically at the way it is fulfilling its Lord’s commission to make disciples (learners) and to teach them to observe what he has commanded.

Concordia University
Library Irvine
Holdings On The
Teaching Church

In the 20th century there was considerable interest in the idea of a teaching church patterned after the early 1st century  church which was a teaching church..   By the 1980’s the interest suddenly began to disappear . Pastors in recent years have again revisited the teaching church  see: https://faithinactionaz.org/about/

  The teaching church article titles listed below are from the Concordia library 

Most relevant titles dealing with the teaching church entries 1-7

1 The teaching church : moving Christian education to center stage / Eugene C. Roehlkepartain ; forewo Roehlkepartain, Eugene C., 1962- Nashville, Tenn. : Abingdon Press, c1993. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV1471.2 .R645 1993   —  AVAILABLE

2 Developing leadership in the teaching church / Jan Chartier. Chartier, Jan. Valley Forge, PA : Judson Press, c1985. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV652.1 .C5 1985   —  AVAILABLE

3 The pastor in a teaching church / David M. Evans. Evans, David M., 1929- Valley Forge, PA : Judson Press, c1983. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV4360 .E9 1983   —  AVAILABLE

4 The Teaching church at work : a manual for the board of Christian education / Kenneth D. Blazier edi Valley Forge, PA :bJudson Press, c1980. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV1471.2 .T44   —  AVAILABLE

5 “Paul’s vision for the teaching church” / David L. Bartlett. Bartlett, David Lyon, 1941-2017. Valley Forge, Pa. : Judson Press, c1977. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BS2655.C5 B37   —  AVAILABLE

6 Psychology and the teaching church / Jesse H. Ziegler. Ziegler, Jesse H. New York, Abingdon Press [1962] Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV1471 .Z5   —  AVAILABLE

Highly relevant titles entries 8-9

8 On the way : the teaching church / edited by Frederick R. Trost. Minneapolis, Minn. : Kirk House Publishers, c2005. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BX9886 .O5 2005   —  AVAILABLE

9 The gospel in history : portrait of a teaching church : the origins of Christian education / Mariann Sawicki, Marianne. New York : Paulist Press, c1988. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BR148 .S34 1988   —  AVAILABLE

Very relevant titles entries 10-17

11 Enlarging the story : perspectives on writing world Christian history / Wilbert R. Shenk, editor. Maryknoll, N.Y. : Orbis Books, c2002. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BR138 .E55 2002   —  AVAILABLE

12 Crisis in the church : the plight of theological education / John H. Leith. Leith, John H. Louisville, Ky. : Westminster John Knox Press, c1997. 1st ed. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BX8969.6 .L45 1997   —  AVAILABLE

14 Augustine, the harvest, and theology (1300-1650) : essays dedicated to Heiko Augustinus Oberman in h Leiden ; New York : E.J. Brill, 1990. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BT26 .A84 1990   —  AVAILABLE

Relevant titles entries 18-105

18 An examination of the teaching of missional concepts of christian discipleship and their potential f Tiaden, Kevin. St. Louis, Mo. : Concordia Seminary, 2017. Rating:     Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Archives – See Staff for Access  BV4070.C69 D68 2017 no.9  LIB USE ONLY

22     LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV600.3 .N936 2007   —  AVAILABLE

24 Reimagining the teaching of ecclesiology in youth Confirmation classes of the Lutheran Church–Misso Taylor, Dien Ashley. c2005. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BX8074.C7 T39 2006   —  AVAILABLE

26 Preaching and teaching from the Old Testament : a guide for the church / Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Kaiser, Walter C., Jr. (Walter Christian), 1933- Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Academic, c2003. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BS1191.5 .K35 2003   —  AVAILABLE

28 Christ and the church : in Orthodox teaching and tradition / Gregory Afonsky. Afonsky, Gregory, 1925- Crestwood, N.Y. : St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BX323 .A336 2001   —  AVAILABLE

29     Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  Concordia Historical Institute – Stacks  BV825.7 .L88 2000   —  LIB USE ONLY  Concordia Historical Institute – Stacks  BV825.7 .L88 2000 c.2 —  LIB USE ONLY  CSL Closed Reserves  BV825.7 .L88 2000   —  AVAILABLE There are additional copies/volumes of this item

30 Epistemological beliefs about teaching and learning among professional church workers / by John Ober Oberdeck, John W. (John William), 1952- c1999. Rating:     Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Archives – See Staff for Access  BX8012 .O24 1999   —  LIB USE ONLY

31 The vital church : teaching, worship, community service / Clark M. Williamson, Ronald J. Allen. Williamson, Clark M. St. Louis, Mo. : Chalice Press, c1998. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV600.2 .W543 1998   —  AVAILABLE

34 Rightly teaching the word of your truth : studies in faith and culture, Church and Scriptures, Fathe Brookline, Mass. : Holy Cross Orthodox Press, c1995. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BX323 .R54 1995   —  AVAILABLE

37 Theological resources for church leaders : for devotional messages and preaching, teaching, evangeli Fort Wayne, IN : Concordia Theological Seminary Press, [1993] Rating:     Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  Concordia Historical Institute – Stacks  BV4011 .T42 1993  LIB USE ONLY

38 44 ways to expand the teaching ministry of your church / Lyle E. Schaller. Schaller, Lyle E. Nashville : Abingdon, c1992. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV1471.2 .S26 1992   —  AVAILABLE

39 A teachable spirit : recovering the teaching office in the church / Richard Robert Osmer. Osmer, Richard Robert, 1950- Louisville, Ky. : Westminster/John Knox Press, c1990. 1st ed. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BT91 .O75 1990   —  AVAILABLE

42 Reaching and teaching Black young adults : an exposition toward strengthening the church through min McCray, Walter Arthur. Chicago : Black Light Fellowship, c1986. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV1485 .M39 1986   —  AVAILABLE

44 Creative Christian education : teaching the Bible through the church year / Howard Hanchey. Hanchey, Howard. Wilton, Conn. : Morehouse-Barlow, c1986. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV1471.2 .H374 1986   —  AVAILABLE

45 An investigation of contemporary feminist arguments on Paul’s teaching of the role of women in the c House, H. Wayne. St. Louis, Missouri : Concordia Seminary, 1986. Rating:     Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Microfiche  BV4070.C69 D6 1986 no.2   —  LIB USE ONLY

46 An investigation of contemporary feminist arguments on Paul’s teaching of the role of women in the c House, H. Wayne. St. Louis, Missouri : Concordia Seminary, 1986. Rating:     Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Archives – See Staff for Access  BV4070.C69 D6 1986 no.2  LIB USE ONLY

47 Teaching authority in the early church / by Robert B. Eno. Eno, Robert B. Wilmington, Del. : M. Glazier, 1984. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BT88 .E56 1984   —  AVAILABLE

50 Teaching the way : Jesus, the early church and today / Joseph A. Grassi. Grassi, Joseph A. Washington, D.C. : University Press of America, c1982. Rating: Request   Copies LOCATION CALL NO STATUS  CSL Open Stacks  BV1465 .G7 1982   —  AVAILABLE