Develop High Impact Sunday School Teachers

Written by Wayne Poling

In a recent seminar all of the 100-plus participants had been asked to share with someone at their table a description of the most life-changing teacher they had ever experienced.

A lady stood up and tenderly told about the Sunday School teacher she had as a newly married young adult. Quietly she told how she had been married for 25 years. She went on to describe how instrumental that teacher had been in her marriage, not only through the powerful way the teacher taught God's Word in class but also through the personal interest the teacher took in her outside of class.

When she finished, there was silence in the room. Everyone was obviously moved. Everyone knew they had just heard a clear example of how Sunday School can transform lives and how teaching can and should move beyond Sunday morning. The teacher who had been highlighted truly understood the role of Sunday School in discipling the members of her class.

Think About Your Sunday School
Do you know what kind of teaching is taking place in your Sunday School? Can you share stories about teachers in your Sunday School who are making that kind of impact in their classes? As a general leader, you need to know what kind of teaching is taking place to be able to share similar stories.

Stop for a moment and do some "spiritual dreaming." Imagine what it would be like if your Sunday School were filled with teachers like the one described. What would happen if all of your teachers were committed to seeing lives be spiritually transformed through God's Word? What if every teacher saw his or her role as one of helping engage members in God's Word in ways that would transform their lives? What would happen if all of your teachers saw their teaching relationships as extending beyond Sunday morning?

Do You Know What Kind of Teaching Is Taking Place in Your Sunday School?
Do you just hope that good teaching is taking place and that lives are being changed, or do you know? Do you have firsthand knowledge of the impact of the teaching in your Sunday School?

Here are some actions you can take to increase your own awareness of the teaching being done in your Sunday School ministry.

• Get to know your teachers. Visit with them individually. Be aware of their desires and goals for their Sunday School class/department. Determine how they view teaching; is it a way to impart information or to bring about spiritual transformation in the lives of class members?
  
• Engage your teachers in discussions regarding what they see taking placein the lives of their members as a result of the teaching and ministry of the Sunday School class. What type of changes would they like to see take place?
  
• Arrive early on Sunday mornings to observe. Intentionally observe teachers' room preparation for teaching. Are the facilities and equipment appropriately arranged for teaching? Appropriate for the age group? Suitable for the attendance and enrollment? Observe how pupils are received and engaged by the teacher/other leaders.
  
• Observe the ways in which teachers use their resources for teaching-learning. Do teachers know how to use their curriculum? Do they understand how to use their resource kits and other learning resources?
  
• Look to see whether pupils are being actively involved in the teaching process. Are methods appropriate to that age group being used with variety and interest?
  
• What is the general attitude of workers on Sunday morning? Is there evidence that teachers know what they want to accomplish? Are they targeting their teaching toward that outcome?
  
• Watch to see whether teachers relate to their class members beyond Sunday morning. Do they see their members in their homes, visit with them by telephone or email, and take an interest in their families and personal concerns?

Your interest also will show your support of teachers, as well as give you much-needed information. Talk about what you observe and learn with other leaders in regular leadership meetings. Plan training and budget-related issues based on what you learn.

It is an exciting journey to work with teachers one-by-one and to see them catch the vision of their role in transforming lives through Sunday School ministry. These teachers are making a difference in the lives of others!

Wayne Poling is Sunday School/FAITH ministry specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources, Nashville, Tennessee.

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