Grow Your Sunday School by Teacher/Worker Training

Training is essential in order help workers understand their responsibilities. It is needed to raise expectations. It helps to affirm and reinforce good work. Training helps teams of workers to accomplish more together, leads to a common language, and helps to launch new ideas and leaders.

Question 33 Growing vs. Declining

In a recent survey, one difference discovered between growing and declining Sunday Schools was the importance of training. Here is the survey statement, responses, and percentages:

How do you express your expectation for Sunday School teachers/workers to participate in training? (Require participation in training annually, Strongly encourage participation, Encourage participation but keep no records, We do not provide training)

• Require participation in training annually 1.6% 1.5%
• Strongly encourage participation 21.3% 16.2%
• Encourage participation but keep no records 31.1% 32.5%
• We do not provide training 41.0% 45.7%

Even though few churches require teacher/worker training, more growing churches strongly encourage participation. The difference in numbers is not huge because many Sunday Schools(including declining ones) realize that training is essential. But more growing ones consider it important.

Want to Raise the Level of Training?

How can we raise the level of training in our Sunday Schools? Here are a few ideas:

• listen and observe to discover needs;
• then train to meet those needs;
• ask teachers/workers for needs, and plan to address them in training;
• focus the training on narrow responsibilities: care group leaders, class secretaries, etc.;
• keep the training balanced, focusing on reaching, teaching, and caring through the Sunday School;
• develop relationships with your teachers and workers so you can refer to successes, affinities, and concerns;
• plan the training together with your leaders;
• get your leaders involved in the training by giving them a responsibility in the event;
• offer a variety of training delivery methods (check out Creative Ways to Train Sunday School Teachers)
• raise expectations for involvement in training through the enlistment process, job descriptions, and regular training;
• ensure you choose the best time/day for your training in order to get the most people to your events;
• make what you do excellent and relevant;
• provide childcare and food;
• invite potential teachers and workers; get your pastor to promote it and get involved in it; and
• extend personal invitations and avoid relying on public announcements.

What would you add to this list to raise the level of training in our Sunday Schools? Pray. Plan. Train. Grow. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!