There is a photo from the first few months of our ministry here in Hollabrunn, Austria. It shows me in the Bible round in Hollabrunn with an open Bible in my hand. I teach the group by introducing them to the Bible using questions. In the end we arrive in life with the question: “How do I live what this text teaches me”? During my training I had already learned that teaching plays an important role in Jesus’ mission. Jesus wants life-changing and life-shaping teaching (Matthew 28:20).

Jesus taught constantly

Missionary work without teaching is not possible! Or can I go so far as to say that without teaching it is not missionary work? Let’s see. The matter is self-evident: Jesus, as God’s missionary, constantly taught. How else are people supposed to know who he is, what his good news is, and what claims God has on their lives? His lifestyle and his miracles, even the execution of his death sentence, would otherwise have been incomprehensible or misleading.

Mission work today in all its facets involves teaching. This is the essence of the Christian faith. Christian faith is not based on experiences or feelings, but on spiritual realities (about God, about man, about the path to God – all things that one needs to know something about). Believing means being convinced. Conviction requires understanding and ultimately knowledge. Christians know who they believe in and why they believe – because they are taught. Teaching means conveying the biblical content and context and thus guiding people to learn. This is how faith is established, convictions are strengthened, the determination to follow Jesus increases and skills for service are developed.

Communicating the gospel is teaching

Regardless of whether my task in the mission is to make Christianity credible (for example through diakonia), to give people access to the Gospel, to instruct Christians, to train employees, to train theological teachers – teaching is always in demand.

Teaching takes place in the form of a conversation, for example in a Viennese coffee house with a piece of Sachertorte. Teaching takes place through group discussions in the home group. Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3:16 “teach one another” comes into play very well. The teacher provides inspiration for the group, but is not the lecturer. Teaching happens through workshops or seminars. Preaching means (at least also) teaching. Teaching takes place in mentoring and yes, lectures and lessons are also teaching. Even the exemplary life teaches (although it needs interpretation through words).

Personally, I have taught in a variety of ways during my ministry: through leading group Bible discussions, through sermons, through lectures and seminars, through teaching at the academy, through writing courses, through personal conversations and discussions, through personal counseling with pastors, and Christian leaders, through articles, even through my photos. No matter what job I’ve had so far, I teach (perhaps because I can’t do anything else). In community consulting work with a core team at a church, I received the feedback (it was positive) that “You teach all the time.” Some time ago I was asked by a congregation to preach on conflict. I taught using the example of Paul and Barnabas. I am currently teaching Psalm 146 under the theme “God’s Power in Times of Powerlessness.”

Teaching has an impact

Teaching requires perseverance. As we all know, fruits don’t grow overnight and people don’t change overnight either. The strong global Christianity today exists because countless, mostly nameless collaborators have taught others all over the world for centuries. Teaching is not always noticeable at first glance and neither are the results; but the gospel we teach always has an impact.

I conclude: all of my colleagues in the contact mission are teachers in some way. They convey the Gospel to a wide variety of target groups (refugees, beggars, children, community members, students) through speaking, through writing, through diaconal acts, through art, through social media, through therapeutic work with animals, through action and adventure, through conversations. I wish my colleagues that they recognize more and more clearly their best form of teaching and become masters at it.

Now I dare say: without teaching it is not missionary work.

How and who do you actually teach?
(Every Christian has a teaching job 😉)

Christoph Windler
Country head of the contact mission for Austria and Italy, head of studies