Theory, Action, and Reflection are the three components of Praxis. Praxis, as the author states, is to "Learn by Doing." I like how he says that, "it's the ongoing collision of theory, action, and reflection."
All three of these components can stand alone, but in Praxis, their interaction is key. They each have unique roles in this method, but they are most fully engaged when they use the others.
The first of these is theory. Theory is important in youth ministry because it gives us somewhere to start. Without theory, we would be building from scratch in every situation that we came into contact with. However, because of those who have ventured into the dangerous waters of youth ministry before us, we can start with what they found useful, and then build out methods out of that.
We see this constantly in youth ministry. If something works, we use it. However, we have to be careful not to rely too much on the work of others. We need to make theory our own, altering it depending on the context. So, we can't go solely on theory, and we can't go without it. We need to find a middle balance between what is known and what we can change to make it our own.
The author points out, however, that life isn't always clear cut into theory. Life is messy, and we need to me flexible in our ministry to deal with the mess and reevaluate our theory to best glorify God in our situation.
The second is action. Action is the "doing" of ministry. Is ministry was all theory, we'd never get anything done. In action, our unique gifts and abilities surface as tools to be used to accomplish God's will.
In this area, we need to embrace our individual capabilities and understand that what we can do important in God's work. When we work to utilize our individuality in Christ, great things can be done.
In the same way, we need to realize what we are not. We need to understand Paul's writing in I Corinthians that tells us that we need each other to fully be the body of Christ. This interdependence rests a lot in the area of action, in my opinion. I believe that we need do what we are capable of, as well as encourage others in their abilities.
The third is reflection. Reflection deals with allowing time for your action in ministry to take meaning in people and impact their lives. It deals with slowing down to let people process what is going on, and their understanding is key to their reception of your message.
Basically, if you don't give people the time to think about the truths of God or life or struggle that you are presenting them with, then you have just taught yourself and maybe a few others who pick up and comprehend ideas exceptionally quickly.
It is simple to forget this stage because it doesn't occur to us unless we are focused on the receiving end of our ministry. If we get too caught up in the self, we ignore the fact that people need to understand your message of hope, or it is just a bunch of words to them. The author explains that ministries can exist without reflection, but they lack power and depth.
The three of these work together by using each other to be more complete individually. I believe the book states it perfectly: "Theory needs action to make it practical and reflection to make it personal. Action needs theory to give it direction and reflection to give it compassion. Reflection needs theory to give it content and action to give it application. When theory, action, and reflection interact, the result is a powerful learning environment in which lives are transformed."
Yes, they can each exist separately, but God has designed them to bounce off of each other in such a way that He is glorified.
Just a side note: I really enjoy this author. All of this is practical and easy to understand. Good pick for the book, Jeremy!!
Oh, and sorry this one wasn't interesting like last week, but I couldn't think of any personal life application that would be interesting to share with you.
As we get to know Teens and Children we can develop theories how to teach them in the best way. As we teach we need be reflective on how we could be better teachers to these teens as a group or individual. The action is the teaching and reflecting on how thing went and how we can do that better.
It's interesting that we're talking about this because we talked about it in another class just yesterday. Our prof was talking about how a lot of churches just let each of their teachers teach whatever they want... No curriculum or overarching structure is present. Theory tells us that it's ok to draw from the experiences of others! That means that we can use resources available (be that curriculum or other types of teaching materials). However, you got it right when you said that we can't stop with theory (which a lot of people do). Learning is so much more than theory or even action or reflection. All three MUST work together.
By the way, I loved that quote too that shows how the three work together and need each other. I wanted to write about it but it didn't really work with my question :)
Katie, I love the comparison to the 1 Corinthians scripture.
When we think of youth ministry often times we think of a set way of doing things, and as long as we know how to "do" then we are fine. So, in my opinion, I believe a lot of ministries focus so much on the action that the group is not reaping any long term depth and insight.
With theory, action, and reflection, we are able to use these three together to form the most efficient ministry, therefore, leaving the students with a valuable foundation of learning.
As a student in an amazing group growing up, I was able to witness my leader use these three in sync with one another. I can say that reflection is so important with any lesson or activity. My leader would ALWAYS have journals for us, and we would spend a portion of every lesson or activity day writing in our journals, then we would reflect openly with the group. I can say that I believe this one aspect helped form a bond between us, and maximum learning was able to take place.
Also I appreciated the author's illustration of the lenses. I believe this brought the message of theory, action, and reflection working together across perfectly.
Liz, I like how you referred to Joe's class. I also was thinking the same thing. Brie, at my church we also did journals which was a great way to reflect and bring the story to us and how it can apply to our lives. It is also nice to go back again and reflect on what you wrote. I think leaders need to use a second reflection of going back into those journals to reflect again on what they have learned.
These parts of the Learning Loop of Depth remind me of how we love God with our hearts, mind, and strength. We informed in our minds by theories. We act with our strength. We reflect with our hearts.
i really enjoyed what everyone has said so far. Katie really nailed everything about each of the three parts in her response. One thing that came to my mind in where i can really see these three ideas is in a mission trip. The theory is based on the fact that there are still people in the world that need to hear about the Gospel. The action is the actual sending of the team to the place where the need is. The reflection would be the debriefing that happens when the team returns from the trip.
In this example of the mission trip all three parts are needed. If you just have the theory aspect of it then sure it is a good thought but what good does it do? Unless you have the action of the thought it doesn't benefit anyone. The action needs the thought to get started and if you only have the thought with out the reflection/debriefing then you will soon forget what the trip meant to you and to those that you served.
So these three elements of theory, action, and reflection all fit together to form a triangle of experience.
i agree with the book when it talks about how the three praxis' they feed off each other and become one another. however they also distinguish each other and create a clear pattern of where one stops and another finishes.
what carolyn said about the the trips was spot on! (ya british term) it is so imporant that all three are taken to heart and get the same amount of thought put into them. it would be pointless to try to have mission trips without the reflections afterward. this is often the left out part. i mean we see a need and take action on it then we meet to try to "reflect" on what happend as an after thought.
this is sometimes the most helpful part of any work done and we tend to just throw it togather. something is wrong there!
well... everyone has said great things and I agree with them...
taking some of my knowledge from teaching the bible - and you say that taking info from classes like that is not possible, lol, that everyone learns differently. By taking all three aspects of the Praxis you are hitting all three learning styles - visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. Theory will cover the visual and auditory and the action will cover the kinesthetic. Reflection can bring it all together for each learing style.
Well as Jeremy warned, this question is not the most exciting one, so lets just start into it. I feel these three components of ministry are basic and almost goes without saying. But then I reflect on the idea of a youth group that leaves out one of these components.
A youth group that doesn't use theories. I would think of this youth group as one that just tries to come up with ideas and games on the fly. They don't prepare, which can be heard in the worship and is inconsistent and has no central theme. As they reflect, they see that all though the kids had fun and was entertained, it seems they could care less about what you want to teach them.
A youth group that doesn't act is one that makes deep commitments to do something and does not act on them. They think it would be a great idea to have a missions trip or community service but it just never happens. As this youth group reflects they see that the youth use to be exited about making plans, but now know that its all hot air.
A youth group that doesn't reflect has great ideas and acts on them, but they do not reflect. Even though great ideas from the ministry team seem like they hit the bullseye, they don't realize that sometimes what they plan on doing is not what the youth are interested in at all. this youth group has there good nights, but they seem to keep around ideas and events that are long past any use for the youth and the youth are tired of it.
I agree with all of the above.. The three components work best when they are interacted with one another. One without the other just isnt complete. The bottom line is, God is to be glorified. As previously stated, each component can exist with one another, but it works best with one another. That is when God's glory is shown.
Theory and action are both vital to youth ministry because without well developed and thought out theory we are nothing but loose cannons shooting off in reaction to whatever the latest fad is in theology or culture.
Without action our theory is worthless. For example look at the passage in James 2 that talks about faith and works. Our theory is a form of faith, in this case faith that a certain framework for thinking about things is correct, and our actions are obviously the works. James says that faith without works is useless and dead. In the same way our theories are worthless unless they are put into action.
Honestly, I would incorporate reflection into theory, because every good scientific theory evalates itself and checks its predictions against the data obtained through experimentation. If the data doesn't correspond, the theory is adjusted. I don't see why our youth ministry theories should be any different.
Theory, Action, and Reflection are the three components of Praxis. Praxis, as the author states, is to "Learn by Doing." I like how he says that, "it's the ongoing collision of theory, action, and reflection."
ReplyDeleteAll three of these components can stand alone, but in Praxis, their interaction is key. They each have unique roles in this method, but they are most fully engaged when they use the others.
The first of these is theory. Theory is important in youth ministry because it gives us somewhere to start. Without theory, we would be building from scratch in every situation that we came into contact with. However, because of those who have ventured into the dangerous waters of youth ministry before us, we can start with what they found useful, and then build out methods out of that.
We see this constantly in youth ministry. If something works, we use it. However, we have to be careful not to rely too much on the work of others. We need to make theory our own, altering it depending on the context. So, we can't go solely on theory, and we can't go without it. We need to find a middle balance between what is known and what we can change to make it our own.
The author points out, however, that life isn't always clear cut into theory. Life is messy, and we need to me flexible in our ministry to deal with the mess and reevaluate our theory to best glorify God in our situation.
The second is action. Action is the "doing" of ministry. Is ministry was all theory, we'd never get anything done. In action, our unique gifts and abilities surface as tools to be used to accomplish God's will.
In this area, we need to embrace our individual capabilities and understand that what we can do important in God's work. When we work to utilize our individuality in Christ, great things can be done.
In the same way, we need to realize what we are not. We need to understand Paul's writing in I Corinthians that tells us that we need each other to fully be the body of Christ. This interdependence rests a lot in the area of action, in my opinion. I believe that we need do what we are capable of, as well as encourage others in their abilities.
The third is reflection. Reflection deals with allowing time for your action in ministry to take meaning in people and impact their lives. It deals with slowing down to let people process what is going on, and their understanding is key to their reception of your message.
Basically, if you don't give people the time to think about the truths of God or life or struggle that you are presenting them with, then you have just taught yourself and maybe a few others who pick up and comprehend ideas exceptionally quickly.
It is simple to forget this stage because it doesn't occur to us unless we are focused on the receiving end of our ministry. If we get too caught up in the self, we ignore the fact that people need to understand your message of hope, or it is just a bunch of words to them. The author explains that ministries can exist without reflection, but they lack power and depth.
The three of these work together by using each other to be more complete individually. I believe the book states it perfectly:
"Theory needs action to make it practical and reflection to make it personal. Action needs theory to give it direction and reflection to give it compassion. Reflection needs theory to give it content and action to give it application. When theory, action, and reflection interact, the result is a powerful learning environment in which lives are transformed."
Yes, they can each exist separately, but God has designed them to bounce off of each other in such a way that He is glorified.
Just a side note: I really enjoy this author. All of this is practical and easy to understand. Good pick for the book, Jeremy!!
Oh, and sorry this one wasn't interesting like last week, but I couldn't think of any personal life application that would be interesting to share with you.
As we get to know Teens and Children we can develop theories how to teach them in the best way. As we teach we need be reflective on how we could be better teachers to these teens as a group or individual. The action is the teaching and reflecting on how thing went and how we can do that better.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that we're talking about this because we talked about it in another class just yesterday. Our prof was talking about how a lot of churches just let each of their teachers teach whatever they want... No curriculum or overarching structure is present. Theory tells us that it's ok to draw from the experiences of others! That means that we can use resources available (be that curriculum or other types of teaching materials). However, you got it right when you said that we can't stop with theory (which a lot of people do). Learning is so much more than theory or even action or reflection. All three MUST work together.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I loved that quote too that shows how the three work together and need each other. I wanted to write about it but it didn't really work with my question :)
Katie, I love the comparison to the 1 Corinthians scripture.
ReplyDeleteWhen we think of youth ministry often times we think of a set way of doing things, and as long as we know how to "do" then we are fine. So, in my opinion, I believe a lot of ministries focus so much on the action that the group is not reaping any long term depth and insight.
With theory, action, and reflection, we are able to use these three together to form the most efficient ministry, therefore, leaving the students with a valuable foundation of learning.
As a student in an amazing group growing up, I was able to witness my leader use these three in sync with one another. I can say that reflection is so important with any lesson or activity. My leader would ALWAYS have journals for us, and we would spend a portion of every lesson or activity day writing in our journals, then we would reflect openly with the group. I can say that I believe this one aspect helped form a bond between us, and maximum learning was able to take place.
Also I appreciated the author's illustration of the lenses. I believe this brought the message of theory, action, and reflection working together across perfectly.
Liz, I like how you referred to Joe's class. I also was thinking the same thing. Brie, at my church we also did journals which was a great way to reflect and bring the story to us and how it can apply to our lives. It is also nice to go back again and reflect on what you wrote. I think leaders need to use a second reflection of going back into those journals to reflect again on what they have learned.
ReplyDeleteThese parts of the Learning Loop of Depth remind me of how we love God with our hearts, mind, and strength. We informed in our minds by theories. We act with our strength. We reflect with our hearts.
i really enjoyed what everyone has said so far. Katie really nailed everything about each of the three parts in her response. One thing that came to my mind in where i can really see these three ideas is in a mission trip. The theory is based on the fact that there are still people in the world that need to hear about the Gospel. The action is the actual sending of the team to the place where the need is. The reflection would be the debriefing that happens when the team returns from the trip.
ReplyDeleteIn this example of the mission trip all three parts are needed. If you just have the theory aspect of it then sure it is a good thought but what good does it do? Unless you have the action of the thought it doesn't benefit anyone. The action needs the thought to get started and if you only have the thought with out the reflection/debriefing then you will soon forget what the trip meant to you and to those that you served.
So these three elements of theory, action, and reflection all fit together to form a triangle of experience.
i agree with the book when it talks about how the three praxis' they feed off each other and become one another. however they also distinguish each other and create a clear pattern of where one stops and another finishes.
ReplyDeletewhat carolyn said about the the trips was spot on! (ya british term) it is so imporant that all three are taken to heart and get the same amount of thought put into them. it would be pointless to try to have mission trips without the reflections afterward. this is often the left out part. i mean we see a need and take action on it then we meet to try to "reflect" on what happend as an after thought.
this is sometimes the most helpful part of any work done and we tend to just throw it togather. something is wrong there!
well... everyone has said great things and I agree with them...
ReplyDeletetaking some of my knowledge from teaching the bible - and you say that taking info from classes like that is not possible, lol, that everyone learns differently. By taking all three aspects of the Praxis you are hitting all three learning styles - visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. Theory will cover the visual and auditory and the action will cover the kinesthetic. Reflection can bring it all together for each learing style.
Well as Jeremy warned, this question is not the most exciting one, so lets just start into it. I feel these three components of ministry are basic and almost goes without saying. But then I reflect on the idea of a youth group that leaves out one of these components.
ReplyDeleteA youth group that doesn't use theories. I would think of this youth group as one that just tries to come up with ideas and games on the fly. They don't prepare, which can be heard in the worship and is inconsistent and has no central theme. As they reflect, they see that all though the kids had fun and was entertained, it seems they could care less about what you want to teach them.
A youth group that doesn't act is one that makes deep commitments to do something and does not act on them. They think it would be a great idea to have a missions trip or community service but it just never happens. As this youth group reflects they see that the youth use to be exited about making plans, but now know that its all hot air.
A youth group that doesn't reflect has great ideas and acts on them, but they do not reflect. Even though great ideas from the ministry team seem like they hit the bullseye, they don't realize that sometimes what they plan on doing is not what the youth are interested in at all. this youth group has there good nights, but they seem to keep around ideas and events that are long past any use for the youth and the youth are tired of it.
I agree with all of the above..
ReplyDeleteThe three components work best when they are interacted with one another. One without the other just isnt complete. The bottom line is, God is to be glorified. As previously stated, each component can exist with one another, but it works best with one another. That is when God's glory is shown.
Theory and action are both vital to youth ministry because without well developed and thought out theory we are nothing but loose cannons shooting off in reaction to whatever the latest fad is in theology or culture.
ReplyDeleteWithout action our theory is worthless. For example look at the passage in James 2 that talks about faith and works. Our theory is a form of faith, in this case faith that a certain framework for thinking about things is correct, and our actions are obviously the works. James says that faith without works is useless and dead. In the same way our theories are worthless unless they are put into action.
Honestly, I would incorporate reflection into theory, because every good scientific theory evalates itself and checks its predictions against the data obtained through experimentation. If the data doesn't correspond, the theory is adjusted. I don't see why our youth ministry theories should be any different.