In Grow Sunday School by Inviting People in the Sanctuary, I began the post this way:
Many churches today have attractional worship services. Attenders know that the music and message will be excellent, so they are unafraid to invite friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. How can you use that fact to grow your Sunday School?
Most churches today have more guests in worship than they do in Sunday School. The services are attractional. How can Sunday School harvest that interest? How can Sunday School capitalize upon that fact?
Recently, I shared about a survey of growing and declining Sunday Schools beginning with Initial Reflections on Sunday School Survey Results, Part 1. Here is the survey statement and table of response comparison:
When a guest attends worship, his/her guest registration information is shared with the age-appropriate Sunday School class who is expected to contact the guest within a few days.
Question 30 Growing vs. Declining
- Never 30.3% 36.5%
- Sometimes 34.4% 31.5%
- Usually 22.1% 18.3%
- Always 9.8% 10.2%
Growing Sunday Schools are more likely to register worship guests. They are more likely to share that contact information with the appropriate Sunday School classes. They keep good records. They realize that guest contact information is gold.
Growing Sunday Schools are more likely to have teachers and members invite those worship guests to class during the welcome time and following worship. They are more likely to receive that information and make contact by visit, call, card or letter, or electronic contact (text, email, Facebook, etc.). In fact, they are more likely to make contact in multiple ways. Growing Sunday School classes will often be organized to reach out and follow up. They are more likely to have an outreach leader or care group leaders who is responsible for making contact or asking others to do so. They are more likely to check on guest follow up assignments because they take it more seriously. But they not only follow up because they are organized, but they follow up because they care. That care is more than emotion; it is action.
Care. Care enough to seek guest contact information. Care enough to get that contact information into the hands of Sunday School classes. Care enough to expect them to make contact. Care enough to follow up. Pray. Care. Contact. Invite. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!
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