Measures of an Effective Sunday School Director

One of the key differences between an average Sunday School and a revolutionary Sunday School is leadership. Many average Sunday Schools have managers at their helm. These managers are simply maintaining the organization. They fix what breaks, order what is needed, replace leaders who quit, and submit the same budget.

Managers have a place in life, but Kingdom-impacting work in revolutionary Sunday School needs leaders. In Jesus’ parable of the talents, why is the servant condemned as a “wicked, lazy servant” (Matthew 25:26)? As a steward, he had successfully maintained what the master had entrusted to him. But the master expected more. He expected initiative and leadership relative to what was entrusted to each of the servants.

God wants Sunday School leaders who do more than only manage. Effective Sunday School demands more than maintenance; it requires bold action. Stefanie Reubell has written a web article based on a workshop by Clancy Hayes. The article is entitled, Top Ten Priorities of a New Sunday School Leader. In the article, she lists ten priorities that I believe can serve as measures of leadership for a revolutionary Sunday School leader. How do you rate on each of these measures of leadership on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 meaning you do a great job? Take a few moments to consider the following:

1. Set the vision.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
2. Recognize the importance of your spiritual life.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
3. Focus on growth.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
4. Develop a plan for recruiting and retaining volunteers.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
5. Motivate teachers and volunteers.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
6. Manage your ministry.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
7. Communicate.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
8. Evaluate and develop facilities.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
9. Organize calendars and budgets.  1     2     3     4      5     6     7     8     9     10
10. Train and be trained.  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10