Dance instructors and disciple-makers find lecture to be ineffective. Instead, they demonstrate, involve people, and coach them. I believe that church would be much more effective at making Spirit-led disciples if pastors would teach like dance instructors instead of like college professors.

To teach like a dance instructor a pastor could show the congregation the basic steps, let them practice together, coach them as they do, then oversee them as they go into Spirit-led action. Lecture alone can’t teach dancing or Christian discipleship. People need to be shown and trained, not just endlessly told.

If church would become like a dance studio, Christians could practice and learn to move to the Holy Spirit’s music. Instead of song and sermon, church could be song, awe-filled heart-dance, and Spirit-led sharing.

Perhaps churches could begin to make Spirit-led disciples instead of making audiences. Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things.” If we’re not being trained to be taught by the Spirit something’s off base in church.

Christianity isn’t about everlasting weekly sermon-hearing. It’s about everlasting life! When it replaced discipleship with lecture it began to rely on human wisdom instead of on the presence of the risen Jesus. It’s time to train people to follow and obey the risen Jesus the way dance instructors train people to dance.

Jesus isn’t myth, theory, or religion. He’s reality, but a closed heart seldom experiences Him. Church needs to train Christians to open our heart and be taught by the Spirit.