I like ambiguous statements: ones that could mean more than one thing. The title of this blog post is ambiguous. It could mean that a teacher/leader is thinking about Sunday School experiences. On the other hand, it could be more literal. It could be examining whether Sunday School and leaders look like their leader. For this blog post, both meanings are appropriate.
What started me thinking about this subject is an early statementin Tim Elmore’s book, Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits & Attitudes. On page 1, Dr. Elmore shares a leadership image called the Mirror Effect:
As a leader, your followers will be a reflection of you. Not only will you attract others like yourself, but over time, those who follow you will mirror both your negative and positive characteristics.
If you are a pastor, Sunday School director, teacher, or other leader, someone is following you. A leader will have followers. If no one is following, you are not leading. But Elmore’s point is important. Leaders will tend to gather followers who look, think, and act like them. Unfortunately, that means followers will reflect good and bad habits, attitudes, and practices of their leader(s).
With that in mind, here are some questions to check on your reflection:
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What Sunday School leaders/members are following you? watching you? reflecting you?
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Which of your positive habits, attitudes, and practices are they reflecting? which of your negative ones?
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Who are you reflecting? God? other leaders?
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How do those reflections impact your Sunday School habits, attitudes, and practices?
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What adjustments do you need to make to adjust your reflection and your impact upon your Sunday School followers?
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Who do you need to spend time with, what do you need to read, and what do you need to practice, in order to raise the lid of your own Sunday School leadership? (John Maxwell)
Pause. Pray. Reflect upon your leadership. Reflect good images. Lead with impact. Follow the Lord. Lead others to Him. Be revolutionary!
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