Life Impact after the Sunday School Session

In many ways, this is Part 11 of a twenty-part series answering the questions from Questions about Making Disciples Through Sunday School. Because making disciples of all nations includes baptizing and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded us (Matthew 28:18-20), There is much Sunday School can do to help the church carry out this work.

In this post, we will consider question eleven:

What should happen in the life of attenders after the class session which would magnify the impact of the session?

In other words, what could attenders do as a result of Sunday School which would help them grow as disciples? Ideally all of these actions will result from the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Some of these actions will be chosen spontaneously by attenders. Others will be encouraged by the teacher and the lesson.

Consider the following list of possibilities:

1. continue to think about the truth and lesson,
2. continue to pray about the truth and lesson and how to respond obediently,
3. talk to class members about the truth and lesson,
4. encourage and pray for class members to respond in obedience,
5. gather together between Sunday School sessions to talk about the lesson and its application,
6. talk to others not in the class about the truth and lesson,
7. seek the Spirit’s leadership about the preferred option for application of the truth of the lesson,
8. commit to responding as God leads,
9. pray for strength and help in making life adjustments necessary to be obedient,
10. patiently await the Lord’s response about timing of application of the lesson’s truth,
11. live it out–apply the truth of the lesson,
12. have a daily quiet time (encounter with God) including prayer and Bible study,
13.  invite an unenrolled person to a class fellowship,
14. invite an unenrolled person to attend Sunday School,
15. actively show God’s care for someone by meeting a need,
16. gather the class together for further study of the lesson or truth or of other age group need,
17. meet together to talk about how best to challenge one another to grow as His disciples,
18. challenge each other to practice a spiritual discipline,
19. help the class prepare for the launch of a new group at or away from church, and
20. study the lesson for next week.

What would you add to the list? Can you imagine what might happen in the life of attenders if they began carrying out the actions on this list? Can you imagine the impact on the class, the church, and community? How could the teacher and class move in this direction? Which of twenty actions is most needed by your class? What can you do this week? Reach. Care. Disciple. Target changed lives. Be revolutionary!