Ten Considerations When Starting a New Sunday School

Written by Jim L. Harvey

1. Consider the needs. Which age-group needs Bible Study? A new Sunday School needs to provide weekly Bible study for all of the age-groups available. If a new church is meeting in a home, than each room of the house could become an age-group class. This works out to be a very good beginning for a new Sunday school.

2. Consider the leadership issue. Teaching the Bible is made quite easy with good dated curriculum. Your leadership does not have to be a college graduate but if they are, that's fine. Using good curriculum makes the task of enlisting and training leadership much easier. There are some very important guidelines in enlisting leadership for each age-group. The security and safety of children is always a major concern.

3. You will need a manager or coordinator of your new school. We call this person the Sunday School Director or maybe an age-group director such as the Preschool or Children's Coordinator or Director. At first this person may be the only teacher you have for the age-group so just use the title of "leader."

4. Where will you conduct the new Sunday School? If you are having a worship service, try to locate the Sunday School in or very near the same location as your worship center. This makes it easier for people to find the Sunday School and to just park once. If that is not possible, then make very sure that the church communicates information about the Sunday School locations, times, and choices available.

5. Try to start a new Sunday School for all ages that are present. Adult Sunday school classes are very important because future workers for youth and children Sunday School will usually come out of adults classes. Starting a new Sunday School without adult classes will usually result in not having enough adult leadership for all the age groups. Remember that adults are very important to having a lasting Sunday School that will reach new adults and families.

6. Plan to have Sunday School every week. Remember that it doesn't have to be done on Sunday. It may sound strange to have a Sunday School on Friday or Saturday, but it works just fine.

7. Remember that teaching the Bible to unsaved and new believers is part of The Great Commission. He told us to "make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19,20). Where are his teachings and commandments? They are in The New Testament. This is not an option to teach His teachings and to teach people to follow Jesus, it is a mission and a commandment from our Lord Jesus Christ.

8. Just having Sunday School once a week will not do it all. There must be home visits, fellowship, and ministry. Sunday School is actually mobilizing a church for action as well as teaching the Bible. If the ministries of home visits, reaching new participants, building the fellowship of believers, and ministry to persons is not effectively accomplished the Sunday school will be ineffective and willprobably die.

Ministries are dependent on keeping very accurate records of contacts, visitations, attendance, and needs. If records are neglected, then evaluation is impossible. Use your records to see how muchpeople are attending, absent, enlisting, and serving. Every absentee and prospect need to have a significant contact every week to grow and strengthen a Sunday school.

9. Train and develop your new workers and leaders. Every quarter, thereshould be a curriculum preview where every teacher, leader, and worker is brought together to examine the units and lessons to be taught for the next three months. This is an excellent opportunity to add additional training for workers. Often the first meeting for a new Sunday School is this "preview of the next three months of lessons." If you don't support the new workers with encouragement, training, and ample supplies, they will usually become discouraged and quit.

10. Pray continually for your new School School's prospects, workers, leaders, and teachers. Ask God to bless them with insight to His Bible and to the needs of their participants. Ask God to draw people to the Bible studies and to give the teacher's the heart and desire to serve Him through these new Sunday School classes. It is God's Ministry which you are doing. He will bless you if you seek to serve Him with all your heart. He will give you faith to accomplish His will in the lives of your prospects and members.

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