I've got to say that in general, the church is rubbish at learning styles! There is this expectation, albeit that maybe attached to the generations - "maybe", that seems to think that one size fits all. And it doesn't!
In other words, it expects everyone to come along to the traditional features of church life - a congregation, to stand in a line, sing, and then sit and listen to a sermon, dribbled out by a mono-tone voice, that is seemingly unending for 30 minutes, or even worse! I suppose that some may jump up at this point and attempt to mitigate - "Oh but we have powerpoint now" [aka 'death by powerpoint'], "and we even show video, and stuff like that", but to be honest that's as far as it goes as an attempt in this direction. Oh by the way, the church's decision to "go multi-media" was never a primary response to learning styles, it was more a case of "everyone's got it, so we'd better have it!" But enough of this TV generation twaddle, because learning styles "stuff" is far more than anything to do with a screen.
To be honest, I was cheated and badly in my school upbringing. There was only one learning style in the 70's and 80's, and that was sit down, face the front, learn by heart, repeat parrot fashion, write in neat lines, remember, and most of all - reproduce all that twaddle in the exam. And, success was judged on whether you did well in that exam. And in those days, if you didn't fit into the Grammar School framework of this one learning style, then you got relegated to secondary modern school, and deemed unfairly by the populous to be "not bright". As for me, I was forced and squeezed by my parents into the then changing environment from Grammar to Comprehensive education system, but which in it's transfer was largely still of that one same learning style. Essentially all the teachers who had been in the Grammar School were switched into the comprehensive system, but kept teaching the one learning style. That's why I flunked not once, but twice my O levels. And Maths too - 4 times! I should have been in the secondary mod stream by all rights, but my parents couldn't face the realities of this, and so "hit with the hammer" the small nail which was me, into the system, and it was flipping painful. But I left college later with A's in a good few O levels, 9 if I remember rightly, and maths - a B, and head held high. But to this day, I remember the agony of walking to the window of the school to see my results with my mum, knowing what they would say, and just wanting to die.
My learning style is quite practical actually. I learn by both doing, watching, listening and then reading - in that order. I don't think it's just a man thing. Schools are big now - and have been for oodles of years, on finding out what your learning style is, and then going with it. No shame, we're all different.
So why doesn't the church adapt and take this "no-brainer" stuff on board? For example, I know that if I don't preach exegetically - in the standard "Spurgeonic" way, that I will get complaints. I've somehow committed the 8th deadly sin somehow by having the same aim of teaching the bible and it's principles if I go about it differently in a small group study or discussion. Same result? You bet! If not better than the one church learning style of the sermon!
Am I having a downer on the sermon? Yes, no, maybe! There are thousands upon thousands of better preachers than me. I've noticed different congregation reactions in 25 years of preaching. How lovely and wonderful= naff sermon Pastor! Silence - nothing said = you possibly borred me! Anger and animated responses = you really hit home, and because of that I'm cross with you, so you'd better hear what I've got to say!
I have a love-hate relationship with the exogetical sermon. Spurgeon's spewed us all out of the college sausage machine saying "this is it, walk ye in it!" [or else]. I'd probably get criticised left, right and centre in the sermon class we all underwent. But hey, ho! This last sunday I merely preached on a difficult passage, didn't go to the door and went quietly to my office and desk, sat for 5 minutes, then put my coat on, gathered the kids, and went home. I didn't want to hear anything feedback. Not sure why, but I just needed to.
So what's your learning style?
Sam Griffiths Pastor of Wellington Baptist Church, Somerset.
