Sunday School’s Alive at 9:45!

I like to do “Sunday School’s Alive at 9:45” campaigns in a church to emphasize starting on time.

The children and students make posters and put them all over the church.  It’s printed on name tags or stickers, etc.  The “slogan” appears in the church bulletin, the newsletter, email messages, Facebook, the church website, and Care Group Leaders emphasize this when they call weekly.

Then we do it!  We start Sunday School at 9:45 am which gets people in the habit of being there on time.  Don’t punish the early-arrivers for the sins of the late-comers.

I also like to start with the “Beginning Activity” of the lesson at 9:45 or earlier as soon as the first learners arrive, and I do the announcements and prayer requests BRIEFLY at another time either in the middle or at the end.

My usual session agenda is as follows:

• Motivation – Beginning activity as soon as the first learner arrives  (10 min.)
• Introduction – Use the focal wall to introduce the session as a part of the unit  (5 min.)
• Preparation – Illustrated mini-lecture to set the stage for the Bible study and prepare learners to examine the scripture.  Usually the first Bold Print part of the Leader Guide commentary.   (5 min.)
• Time Out – Brief announcements and prayer requests (5 min. tops)
• Transition – Game or activity to re-motivate the learners for the lesson; e.g. agree or disagree, etc.  (5 min.)
• Examination – Usually some team work in which participants discover from the passage the biblical truth(s) and then tell back and demonstrate creatively to the group what they discovered.  I use the other three (3) Bold Print sections of the learner guide commentary for three (3) team assignments.  (15 min.)
• Presentation – Teams present their demonstrations and discuss where the biblical truths and their life experiences intersect – Stories.  The leader the leader guide commentary and ties it all together and brings it to application.  (10 min.)
• Application – General:  How can we all apply this truth (brainstorm-list on wall paper)   to – Specific:  How will you apply this truth this week (write on stick note)  (5 min.)
• Appropriation – How might the class live out the biblical truth in a missional project in the community  (outside of class)

Another pet peeve of mine is “The Grand Exodus” of the choir.  This usually comes during the lesson application step when the Holy Spirit is working.  I’ve served many churches as worship leader.  I’ve always told the choir members, “Don’t you dare leave Sunday School before the lesson is completed and interrupt the Spirit’s work in application.  If we don’t ‘get it ready’ during Wednesday night rehearsal, we won’t get it right five (5) minutes before the service begins.”  My Sunday School teachers knew that I valued there ministry of making and growing disciples and transforming lives.

If “Sunday School’s Alive at 9:45” there won’t be a problem of ending on time.  But remember, that hour is sacred unto God for Bible study.  Great fellowship can happen around the Word.