In a series beginning with Steps Toward Sunday School Change, Part 1, I shared eight steps toward change: prayer, attention, evaluation, motivation, commitment, ownership, action, and repeat. I pointed out that leadership is the medium in which those steps are carried out. Without leadership, those steps will fail to be carried out.
In this series, I will apply each of these steps to the context of the Sunday School class. Change is needed there as well. Leadership to accomplish that change is needed. Most class change will be led by the teacher, but most class change will need to involve others in the class besides the teacher. In other words, ownership for the change will help create motivation and momentum for the change. In the first three posts of this series, First Step Toward Sunday School Class Change: Prayer, Second Step Toward Sunday School Change: Attention, and Third Step Toward Sunday School Change: Evaluation, I set the change in this common class change scenario: leading the class to shift focus to prospects and people not in the class.
In this blog post, I will use the same scenario to look at the fourth step: motivation. The first three steps of prayer, attention, and evaluation are preparation for change. But how do we get the class motivated and excited about the change (focusing on prospects and people not in the class)? The class may have spent time praying and seeking God’s leadership. The teacher may have called attention to the need and possible solutions. Working together, the teacher and class may have spent time looking at progress toward goals and current reality, but without motivation these efforts may end short of change.
What can be done to motivate God-led Sunday School class change (focusing on prospects and people not in the class)? Let me list a few of the hundreds of possibilities:
- share testimonies about classes who are praying for and reaching out to unenrolled people;
- share about how God is impacting lost and unenrolled people;
- talk about demographics of the local church community, especially as it relates to the age group assigned to the class;
- list projects conducted by classes in other churches which are impacting lives;
- share video about lostness and need;
- display pictures of people and/or peopel in need from the community;
- brainstorm people’s situations which are in need of the care of a class;
- brainstorm actions which might motivate and mobilize the class into response;
- give each attender $5-10 and ask him/her to touch a person in Jesus’ name;
- and many, many more.
What would you add to this list? How has your class been motivated to focus on prospects and people not in the class? Press Comments below and share your ideas. Without prayer, attention, and evaluation, there is no starting line for the race toward the change our Lord desires for your class. But how can you motivate the change? Don’t rush and head the wrong direction. Time for these four steps is time well-spent.
What change does God desire for your class? The place to begin the change is in prayer, attention, evaluation, and motivation. Pray for the change. Give it attention. Stop to evaluate. Motivate attender to focus on the change. Lead others t o join you. Listen to God. Follow His leadership. Help others to see the need for change and invite them to join as you gain their attention and their involvement in evaluation. Be revolutionary!
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