Did you know I teach seminary? It is a scripture study program for high school aged youth in our church. In most areas these youth attend seminary every day, usually early morning before school starts. We study and discuss scriptures and how the youth can apply them to their every day lives. Throughout the year we also memorize 25 scriptures we call scripture masteries. We just finished our study of the Old Testament at the end of May. During the summer I will be busy studying and preparing to teach the New Testament next school year.
I am so excited to delve into the life and teachings of the Savior, Jesus Christ with these youth!
On Thursday I attended a meeting for seminary teachers where we met with out *new CES {Church Education System} director. He gave us a 10 week reading schedule to help us, as teachers, prepare to teach the New Testament. I thought it would be helpful to post it here for other seminary teachers.
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| Click on the image to download the pdf file. |
And now a little story to show how small the world can be. When I arrived at the meeting our new director, Brother Goodsell, introduced himself and asked if I preferred to be called Montse or Montserrat. He even knew how to pronounce them properly! He mentioned he served his mission to Spain. Later on in our meeting we went around the room introducing ourselves and telling a bit of our backgrounds. When I mentioned I had a grandfather from Barcelona Brother Goodsell asked my maiden name. He slapped the table and exclaimed, “Juan and Betty Ventura! He was the branch president when I served in Barcelona.” How fun to meet someone who knew my grandparents back in the early 1970’s!
*Our old CES director has moved to Rexburg, ID to begin teaching religion classes at BYU-Idaho. If you have any college age kids attending there have them take classes from Michael Bolingbroke this coming year. He is great teacher!
Wow! Thanks so much for posting this! This will be my second year teaching seminary and I remember last summer I was so anxious and overwhelmed that any attempt to study went right over my head. This year I feel much more confident so I’m eager to begin studying and preparing. The only addition I’m going to make is studying “Jesus The Christ” with the other material. Thanks again for posting!
thank you so much for sharing. I taught seminary for 4 years, have been in YW for 1 year and now called as a stake seminary advisor. Looking forward to learning from the New Testament again.
How DO you pronounce your name? In my head I pronounce it with a very flat American accent…
Did you get to be a seminary teacher as kind of an extra calling so you could teach your kids at home and they could still get the credit? From what I understand homeschooled kids can’t get the credit for seminary if they don’t join the local seminary group where there is one. I just can’t imagine having my kids in their seats at the church at 5:30 AM every day. It would cause schedule problems for our whole family! But I guess that’s just a whiny ex-Utahn for you.
The other thing is- where do you find 5-6 extra hours in a week to study that?! I’m doing good to get in 10-15 minutes of scripture study! How you get it all done is one of the great mysteries of life to me. ( :
I am a stake called seminary teacher. No we didn’t ask for any special favors. 🙂 I think when the list of prospective students came up the stake president realized there needed to be a teacher in this direction. His wife was a seminary teacher in the same boat. They live an hour from the nearest town and called her to teach the homeschooled kids in their valley.
We could do it any time of day but in talking with my husband we decided it would better to do it first thing in the morning when he can watch the babies. We start at 6:30am. This year I’ll have my oldest three and a niece. We doubled our class size! Now that my oldest can drive, my girls do go in to the seminary in town about once every month. They actually like the smaller class size {ours} better.
I’m a speed reader so it doesn’t take me that long. A lot of those talks and scriptures are also available as mp3 download too so that helps to listen while traveling.
Ha ha, I didn’t mean to imply that you were getting a special favor.(: That’s great that they worked it out that way for you.
Morning really is a great time for it, I just struggle with 5:30. 6:30 I could handle. ( : The poor kids here have to be there at 5:30 and then after seminary sit around for an hour before school starts unless they are in the school band (which is why it’s extra early here.) I’ve talked to a few families who really struggle with the super early schedule and one woman said her son’s health was suffering from lack of sleep. It’s hard to have a teenager go to bed at, say 8:00 in the evening every weekday. There are many things that go on in the evenings that would make it hard to have older kids go to bed THAT early. Mutual, concerts, etc. Yikes.
I’m a speed reader too, but I can’t remember and comprehend that quickly. That’s amazing that you can do it! Lucky. ( : I’m always amazed at your “brainy-ness” and I mean that in the best way possible.
This is great, Montse! I didn’t know you were actually called either, but it would make sense. 🙂 I really ought to read through at least the articles listed. We, of course, aren’t technically doing seminary yet (3 more years!) but we do follow the seminary reading schedule each year in our family scripture study at the beginning of our school day.
I am so glad I found this! I was trying to think of the best way to prepare for the new year. I am starting my second year as well, and feel so much better prepared than I did last summer. This is really going to help! Thanks for sharing your talents!
First year seminary teacher here… thank you.
Thanks for posting the reading schedule. I am enjoying going through the material.
http://backontheflooragain.blogspot.com/2012/07/teaching-new-testament-in-harmony.html
I linked this to my seminary blog: seminarymoments.blogspot.com
It will sure help be prepare for my 4th year of teaching!
Thank you!
I just love that image of Christ calming the waters, especially since my husband is a fisherman ! Where did you find it ? I would love to put it up in my class.
Thanks for your super site ! If only there was “smell-o-vision” so I could enjoy the cocoa essence !
Katie
Will you be putting together a similar schedule for Book of Mormon? I am a Stake Seminary advisor and would love to have this to hand out before this year ends. I still have people that think they can wait until August to prepare for the year! You can email me at dnas1@msn.com
Sharon Haynie
Del Norte CO