End Strong

In the past year I've been working on stronger class endings. Lots of times we wind up asking -- with about 30 seconds of official time left -- "Any questions?" Of course we, and everyone in the room, secretly hope there are none, so we can go through the perfunctory prayer and get on to the next thing.

Here's a strategy that may help.

Plan for a strong ending statement -- a summary of the key points from the lesson, an application or assignment before the next class, or a challenge to godly living. This should be 90-120 seconds, tops.

Before you ask for questions, say something like, "I have something else to say to you, but let's take a few minutes here for questions and your comments."

Then end with your strong statement or challenge.

This strategy lets you have more control over what tone the class ends on. So many times the questions you get in class are not in line with the key ideas you want people to leave with.

Give it a try, and let me know how it works for your classes.