I can still remember filling out those Sunday School offering envelopes as a child and checking the boxes on the front as a part of the six point record system. One of the boxes was for Worship. It was a statistical way to see how many people attending Sunday School were also attending worship. That was in the day when Sunday School was still the main entry point for church participation, because Sunday School evangelism was done properly, encouraging every member to bring a friend. Somehow that movement has shifted.
Today, worship is the primary point of introduction to church. Today individuals come worship to look the church over to see if they like what they experience. If they have a positive experience, they may return. How can we make sure that happens?
1) Every church needs a Welcome Center at well identified locations. If there are different entry points for different age groups, have one at each location.
2) Make certain you have friendly greeters who get accurate information from each member of the family and give the guests good information about the church and appropriate Sunday School classes for each family member.
3) Since some guests might be a few minutes late for worship, make sure there are Greeters at entry points of the Worship Center giving guests information about Sunday School as they give them a worship bulletin.
4) Sunday School must be celebrated and encouraged in every worship service to raise the level of importance of those in the pews. The pastor is the best person to champion Sunday School.
5) During worship, celebrate significant accomplishment by Sunday School classes. This may include ministry projects, mission projects, new classes, classes starting new classes, and classes which have seen members baptized recently. Celebrations done right produce multiplied results.
Great Sunday Schools always compliment great worship and vice versa. Both are essential to growing mature disciples.
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Kiely Young
Director, Sunday School
Mississippi Baptist Convention Board
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