Sunday School Becoming More Intentional about Inviting

In a previous post entitled, Questions about Making Disciples Through Sunday School, I asked twenty questions about how Sunday School can help the church carry out the command of the Great Commission.

Here are the final words of Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV):

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

One of the twenty questions I shared in that post is this one:

How can Sunday School be more intentional about inviting?

I can hear the grumbling and questions already. What does inviting have to do with making disciples? Don’t we just need to do better at teaching? I wish it were that simple. The answer is emphatically, “No!”

When you take a grammatical look at the Great Commission, the command is “make disciples of all nations.” In the original language, “go” is actually the phrase, “as you are going.” Hmmm. Wait. Jesus actually assumed we would be going? Yes!

We are not to wait until people come to the church, our classes, or even come to us to disciple them. We are not to wait until people clean up their act, get it together, or become interested. As we are going through life, wherever we are, we are to be making disciples.

Well, then, what does that have to do with Sunday School? Good question. If there is one thing that I am sure about, it is that revolutionary Sunday School is really good at both parts of making disciples? Wait. Did you say parts? Yes, Jesus listed the two parts: (1) baptizing them and (2) teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded us.

Notice I said “revolutionary” Sunday School. Too many mediocre Sunday Schools have no lost people in their classes. It is impossible to baptize them or teach them to obey if they are not there. What can we do to help our Sunday Schools raise the value of inviting? Consider this beginning list of ideas:

1. As a leader, model it.
2. Teach them how much Jesus cared for lost people. Lead them to take steps to be caring.
3. Lead them to pray for lost and unenrolled people by name.
4. Challenge attenders to invite lost and unenrolled people over for a meal or dessert, out to eat, or to a class activity.
5. Take a lost or unenrolled friend with you on an errand, to a ball game, or to some other activity.
6. Lead them to practice inviting people.
7. Teach them to share a Sunday School testimony. Practice during class. Lead a member to share his/her testimony each month.
8. Ask a lost or unenrolled person to help you prepare for the Sunday School lesson (whether you are the teacher or a class member).
9. Share with attenders the value of enrolling lost and unenrolled people. It raises attention, care, prayer, and fellowship opportunities.
10. Set a class goal for the number of invitations extended each week or month.
11. Have a contest between classes or between halves of a class to see who can invite more people to a fellowship, to class for an emphasis, or to class for a period of time.
12. Focus efforts on following up on all guests in worship. Extend a warm welcome. Answer any questions. Invite to a class activity. Invite to a class.
13. Check the sanctuary for attenders who are not enrolled in Sunday School. Personally invite them.
14. Start a new class at church or away from the church. New classes often attract more new people.
15. Lead them to think about different categories of lost and unenrolled people: friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. Think about different times of the day and week and those they encounter.
16. Help every class develop a prospect list from which to pray, contact, and care for lost and unenrolled people.
17. Make weekly assignments for class attenders to contact people on the prospect list.
18. Make sure every adult and youth class has someone (besides the teacher) whose job is to keep the class focused on inviting. This can be a reaching team, an outreach leader, or care group leaders.
19. Plan quarterly reaching/ministering class projects.
20. Point to an open chair. Ask who they will invite to fill the chair. Lead them to pray for the individuals they will invite. Email, call, or mail a reminder.

What would you add to this list? Which of the items in the list can you implement in your Sunday School? in your class? this month? Pray. Lead them to invite. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!