A Strategy for Growth Deserves Weekly Planning

Written by Ameal Jones

If the Bible study ministry is going to be valued and seen as a strategy for growth, the pastor must cultivate the kind of atmosphere in the congregation that will be open and receptive to Sunday School. Pastors who have invited Sunday School to take a front seat alongside worship have experienced a tremendous difference in the life and growth of their churches. Yet, too many pastors and other leaders still remain unaware of the potential of this sleeping giant.

Ten Best Practices To Make Your Sunday School Work – Resource Book

Sunday School is one of or the most effective strategies for church growth. Sunday School as strategy becomes a means to accomplish a specific goal: to involve the entire church in Bible study for the purpose of doing outreach.

Sunday School as Strategy: Make It Happen

Sunday School has to be purpose-driven.

Mission: Enroll everybody in the school of Jesus Christ and enlist them under His Lordship (Matt. 28:16–20).
Strategic Planning: Bring the entire leadership team to the table so that all leaders can be educated to the game plan. The pastor serves as the “general” and the Sunday School director, as the “commander.” The team should meet weekly to pray, plan, promote, train, and develop its strategy for success and effectiveness. Here the team visualizes and dreams of its possibilities, for this is the planning and preparation phase of the mission.
Inventory of Assets: Resources are needed to meet the needs and accomplish the mission. God has given His church the Holy Spirit, prayer, people, gifts, and material resources to accomplish the mission. (See the online Curriculum Guide to help you plan.)

Time Line: When will these things be accomplished? The strategy should be a process with measurable steps. The leadership team should use its weekly meetings to plan, evaluate, and set goals and dates, using an operational agenda - one that can be put into practice.

Each step of the process or what is to be accomplished and results desired should follow a time line. The time line is used to show and tell where you want to be in the process.

Deployment of the Workforce: The Leadership Team knows its mission and now is ready to execute its plans by releasing the workforce into target territories. An assessment of resources and gifts has been made and coordinators of operations have been assigned to lead the church forward.

Sunday School is a lay-movement. The church is not at work until it returns to being a ministry of the laity. Sunday School is the most effective way to involve the entire church. The workforce is deployed onto the field of service and is called into accountability during the leadership team’s weekly meetings.

Building Morale
The journey to our destination is beset with challenge and obstacles. The pastor edifies, builds up, and encourages the team with passionate preaching on the cruciality of Sunday School, by giving the teacher high profiles, and by rewarding the workforce. The workforce is sustained through prayer and nurturing worship.

Sunday School ministry enables the church to grow from within by involving everyone in transformational Bible study and to grow without by connecting to new people and reaching and winning them to Jesus Christ.

Ameal Jones, Sr., is pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Alexandria, Louisiana.

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