God deserves our best effort all the time. This is even more true for those who are called to be teachers. We should remember the warning given in James 3:1 (HCSB):
Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment, for we all stumble in many ways.
With that in mind, we should pay special attention to the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 (HCSB):
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
As we approach a new year, it is a good time to pause and evaluate your calling and efforts with the purpose of improving so you can give God your best. In that vein, I share the following self-evaluation tool. With minor additions, the tool comes from my friend, Robert Stewart, who is the former state Sunday School director for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. It comes from his personal website in an article entitled How Well Am I Doing in Fulfilling My Calling to Service? You will want to check out Robert’s whole article.
Evaluate your effort as a Sunday School teacher by placing a mark on the scale which represents who well you are doing. Consider these self-evaluation statements:
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Check #1 if you feel you have not really done very well at all.
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Check #2 if you feel your work this year has been passable but mediocre.
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Check #3 if you feel your ministry has been okay, not bad, but nothing really special either.
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Check #4 if you feel your work has been fairly good, you’ve worked hard and are seeing results.
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Check #5 if you feel you’ve done your very best.
| Evaluation Area | -1- | -2- | -3- | -4- | -5- |
| Prayer: Am consistent with daily devotions. Seek a personal encounter with God. Pray for members and leaders regularly. Lead class in prayer. | |||||
| Preparation: Begin preparation early and am always ready to guide interesting and life-changing study experiences with God in His Word. | |||||
| Learning Styles: Am aware of members’ needs and select methods to address those needs using their preferred learning styles (verbal, visual, and experiential). | |||||
| Transformational Teaching: I teach and lead in ways that move learners from where they are toward their potential in Christ. | |||||
| Member Care: Maintain regular ministry contact with my members. Make contacts regularly, especially on birthdays and special days. | |||||
| Reaching Out: Lead the class to pray for, relate to, and invite guests to class fellowships, projects, and Bible study sessions. Focus on follow up. | |||||
| Organization: Enlist and train class leaders to serve as a class leader to enable the class to be more effective in growth and ministry. | |||||
| Growth/Learning: Attended a worker training event and/or read a book about teaching, caring, or reaching. I am open to new ideas and more effective ways of teaching and leading the class to grow. |
Review your results. Where do you need to focus in the coming year? What actions can you take to give greater energy and effort in the area deserving focus? Write out an action plan and share it with someone. Ask him or her to encourage you to maintain your focus by asking you how you are doing every month during the year ahead. Give God your best effort. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!
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