My dad was the Sunday School Director of the church that I was a member of as a child. When I felt called to the vocation of Minister of Education, he instructed me, “Son, Sunday School works if worked.” My dad taught me what it takes to grow a Sunday School, but when you boil it down, it takes work.
At the Sunday School in H.D. Conference at First Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA last year, Allan Taylor proclaimed, “Sunday School might not be sexy, but it is effective.” Many pastors and leaders are looking for the next edgy, trendy strategy. They see Sunday School as old fashioned and outdated.
Allan and my father are absolutely correct…Sunday School is effective if we work Sunday School. However, most churches want to do Sunday School and not work Sunday School. They see Sunday School as an event that happens on Sunday morning. Very little work is required on anyone’s part except the nominating committee once a year to enlist teachers and on the teachers part each week to prepare a lesson. I recently attended one of these Sunday School classes and thought to myself, “I wouldn’t attend Sunday School either if this was my regular Sunday School experience.”
My challenge to you is to see Sunday School not as an event that takes place on Sunday morning but a strategy that enables the church to fulfill the Great Commission. The work of Sunday School is done throughout the week…On Sunday mornings, the event still takes place and the Bible is taught, but relationships are built throughout the week.
Take the Challenge: Sunday School works if worked!
Mark
Your daddy was right on target! I think Sunday school may take some work to do right, but the results you get when it is worked properly make it seem like “play.” It’s enjoyable to see Sunday school done well. We had a lady in our church in Des Moines who started attending our Sunday school soon after she attended the first time. Maria is a single mom with a 6-year old boy. She jumped right into the discussion in the class and participated (I was pleasantly surprised at her enthusiastic involvement). A few weeks later she accepted Jesus as her Savior. The other day we noticed she was writing out a check to put in the church offering plate. She’s going to be baptized in a few more weeks. Isn’t it great that she “connected” with our church and got involved with our Sunday school class! Thanks for the article Mark. Your daddy was right on target!
Mark,
You are spot on about it being hard work. I pray that we will have a new generation of ME’s ready to do the hard work!