Domino of Care: Sunday School

What is the domino that impacts all we do in Sunday School? Could it be the domino of care? As part of consulting with a church, yesterday I did some training for adult class member care leaders. I began by asking participants to finish this song lyric:

And they’ll know we are Christians by….

They’ll Know We are Christians by Peter Scholtes

Several answered correctly: by our love. Then I asked for scripture references which undergird that phrase. 1 John 4 was mentioned. Then I read these words from Jesus:

I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34-35, CSB

4 Domino of Care Ideas

Notice the results of love for one another (domino of care): “all people will know that you are my disciples.” Jesus didn’t say this was a good thing. He commanded it. But…we are to love one another just as he loved us. What might that look like? Consider the following four practical ways:

1. praying for one another results naturally in caring for and praying for people along our path and in the circles of concern for one another; praying for others produces active care in meeting their needs
2. regular fellowships and projects with one another become natural opportunities for us to invite unenrolled and lost friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors; when they join us, they can see our love for each other and see Jesus in us
3. when guests attend our classes, they can see and hear our love for one another through greeting, interaction, biblical lessons, and prayer requests
4. when we ask people if we can add them to our prayer, fellowship, and care list (class roll), we show that we care for them like we care for each other; we are asking for permission to show them our care

On the other hand, it is selfish to limit our love for one another. Jesus intends for our love to be seen by the world and to point to Him. Our love needs to be different. It needs to look like him. Our domino of care should be agape: self-sacrificing love, love that is selfless and unconditional.

When our love for one another looks like that, the world will be attracted to Him. They will want to be around us. They will want to be part of our classes. They will want Jesus and want to share His love with yet others.

The domino of care will continue. For more ideas, check out Does Your Sunday School Class Really Care? Care for other another. Care for others. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!