In many ways, I dislike the word, “routine,” in the title. I dislike getting in a rut. You can ask my wife. I like variety. But some routines are helpful for us. Having a bedtime routine that includes brushing our teeth can be a good routine. Establishing a regular routine for taking medicine, studying for school, and so many more daily and weekly tasks can be helpful for us.
Routines (or habits) are also helpful in the spiritual and ministry realms. But we must always maintain flexibility and sensibility to allow the intervention of God. For instance, when it comes to preparing a Sunday School lesson, you should have a regular pattern of preparation steps, but no lesson should ever be routine for a Sunday School teacher. That’s because each lesson is a fresh opportunity to encounter God in His Word. It is a fresh opportunity to experience the landscape of His intervention in human history in biblical days and its impact upon us personally as teachers. And all that comes prior to making the lesson plan for leading class attenders to do the same when you get together!
In the title, I used the word, “preferred,” because I know some weeks are crazy, requiring change and flexibility. Using the word, “routine,” in the most positive sense to refer to that regular pattern of preparation steps, I would like to hear your response to this question:
What is your preferred routine for Sunday School lesson preparation?
What do you do first? When do you start? How much prayer is involved? What Bible study tools (commentaries, Bible dictionary, concordance, etc.) do you use? Where do you get your questions? Do you use icebreakers? Where do you get your ideas for how (methods) to teach the Bible truths? How much do you study/prepare during the week? Do you spread it out over several days or do it more on one or two days? Do you us a template (check out Sunday School Lesson Planning Tips)?
Would you share your answers to those questions? Please press Comments at the top of the post and share your responses to one or all of these questions. You will encourage other teachers all over the world! Pray. Seek God in His Word. Prepare well. Give God your best. Guide attenders to meet Him.
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Darryl Wilson has served as Director of the Sunday School Department for the Kentucky Baptist Convention since 1997. He served as Minister of Education in five churches in Kentucky and South Carolina. He is the author of The Sunday School Revolutionary!, a blog about life-changing Sunday School and small groups.
Eight Steps to Preparing a Sunday School Lesson
1. Prayer is vital for good lesson preparation. Prayer is actually a “step” that needs to be part of each step of preparation.
2. Start your lesson preparation early in the week. Sunday afternoon is a great time to get started for many serious teachers. It is amazing how you become more alert to good illustrations you may spot in the daily routine of life when you already know what you are teaching on early in the week.
3. Allow God to speak to you from the Bible text before you look at a quarterly or a commentary. Many times it is easier to open up the teaching quarterly and basically teach what God has put into somebody else’s heart. The problem is that the lesson becomes less passionate for you and sounds kind of “canned” to the hearers. Starting with the text allows the Lord to speak something fresh into your own soul. Someone has said, “A lesson prepared in the mind can reach another mind. A lesson prepared in the heart can reach another heart. But a lesson prepared in one’s life will reach another life.” So before consulting something written by a human author, consult the Bible itself.
4. Jot down principles, ideas and thoughts as you study the text. It has been said that the difference between reading the Bible and studying the Bible is the use of a pencil. You can also write down questions you have about a particular word or phrase in the text.
5. Use your resource material to clarify the passage you are studying and develop your teaching outline. Now you’re ready to break out your teacher’s quarterly as well as a Bible dictionary or a commentary. You may even use the outline in the teacher’s quarterly, but now the passage is much more alive and real to you as God has used it in your own heart and life.
6. Find ways to illustrate the truths you wish to teach. You may use articles, games, activities, quotes, video clips, songs, writing projects, drama, brainstorming, list making, stories, etc. to illustrate your point. With children and teens you will want to use very visual methods of illustration, but no matter the age you teach, the principles are the same. You simply put the principles and the illustration materials/activities on the appropriate level. Teacher’s quarterlies are an excellent resource for this. If a point is worth making, it is worth illustrating, whether you are teaching preschoolers or senior saints. If you don’t illustrate, you will lose the attention of your pupils, so this is vital.
7. Develop applications for your pupils that will relate to their lives and frame of reference. Think of actions they need to take and attitudes they need to develop in light of the main points of the passage.
8. Finally you select an introduction and conclusion to your lesson. Your introduction must capture the attention of your students and the conclusion needs to call for a response. You’re now ready for the final draft and the coming Sunday.
David, that is a great set of eight steps. Thanks for contributing them! Good order to them. Simple yet important. So much wisdom. Hope ministry is going well for you!