Reach People through Special Sunday School Events

Written by Jay Johnston

One of the greatest opportunities for reaching people for Christ is a Sunday School special event. Special events, properly understood and conducted, provide your church with not only an exciting day in Sunday School, but also the potential for real and lasting growth. If you want to use special events to reach the lost and help produce lasting growth, there are several key principles you must follow.

Remember the Purpose Of Special Events
The primary purpose of a special event is not church growth. The primary purpose of a special event is actually three-fold.

1. Special events should be planned to bring glory to the name of Christ.
2. A special event should be designed with the goal of presenting the Gospel to as many lost people as possible.
3. Special events should be planned so as to provide new prospects for your prospect file.

If these goals are kept in the forefront in planning, church growth is usually a by-product of the event.

Remember To Be Creative
Creativity breeds excitement and excitement breeds participation. Simply announcing that your church is having a high attendance day does not create excitement. Consequently, few people will become involved in the effort. However, if you announce that on a given Sunday you will be observing Friend Day, people will generally participate. After all, who wants to be known as the only person without a friend? Do not stop at Friend Day, however. Conduct Grandparents Day, or Police Department Appreciation Day, or Armed Forces Appreciation Day. These events cause excitement and will usually attract people who customarily do not attend your services. For an extended special event, combat the summer slump with a Summer Jump event.

Remember To Plan
Do not expect a special event to be successful without weeks of planning and preparation. A successful special event requires at least eight weeks of planning and promotion. Your planning should involve a step-by-step plan sheet describing exactly what should be done and when.

Remember To Follow-Up
The key to any successful special event is follow-up. Suppose 100 new people attend your church the day of the special event. Do you think they will return simply because of the great teaching, wonderful, music, and inspiring preaching? No! They will return when they realize that they are loved and cared for by your church. Nothing says we care like a personal visit. If 100 new people attend your church because of the special event, then 100 new people should be added to your prospect file and be visited within two weeks of the event.

Remember To Pray
Excitement, planning, and preparation are important, but power only can be found in prayer. Since the goal of your special event is of a spiritual nature, then the power of your special event must be of a spiritual nature. Total dependence upon God through prayer is the only assurance you have of success.

Get Started Now
Meet with your Sunday School leadership and begin to share a vision for the people God wants you to reach through a special event. Calendar the event and begin planning. Of primary importance, plan now the visitation strategy you will use to follow-up on guests your event attracts. Remember, when visiting the guests, let them know they are loved and share Christ with them.

Jay Johnston is associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Covington, Louisiana. He served for 20 years in Evangelism & Discipleship ministries at LifeWay Christian Resources.

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