Beyond the Basics of Sunday School Work

Written by LifeWay.com Staff

BASICS! Military recruits must complete basic training. Musicians must master basic scales. Mathematicians must memorize basic principles. Basics are the foundation of a superstructure, the fundamentals of a philosophy. You cannot circumvent basics.

Basics must be mastered. Every discipline has them, and Sunday School is no exception. What is basic to Sunday School? This is the question you must answer before dreaming beyond the basics.

More than twenty years ago, Sunday School leader Harry Piland identified nine basics of Sunday School. He included in his list making a commitment to growth, discovering prospects and enrolling them, starting new units, enlisting and equipping leaders, providing adequate space, visiting prospects, and teaching evangelistically.

Fifty years earlier Arthur Flake described the basics as knowing possibilities, enlarging organizations, enlisting and training workers, providing space, and going after people.

Today, LifeWay Sunday School Director David Francis has included a combination of elements as the basics of Sunday School.

What is basic to your Sunday School? Recently, some seminary students responded to the same challenge. Their conclusions included: build relationships, present the gospel, love the people, organize, assimilate people into the church, teach, develop leaders, and worship.

Every Sunday School leadership team must cover the basics. Without a firm grasp of the minimum standard, you cannot dream beyond the basics. Here is a way to get started.

Make a list of each task in your basic Sunday School work. Under each task (category) identify criteria that you consider basic. Then suggest additional criteria that might represent the next step for moving your Sunday School beyond the basics. Consider the following example for an adult class:

Reach
• Send one card or make one phone call to a  prospect each week.
• Enlist and equip an outreach leader.
• Make a prospect visit each month.
• Attend weekly visitation.

Teach
• Attend 75 percent of workers meetings.
• Arrive 10 minutes early each week.
• Devote 25 percent of class time to application.
• Attend an additional training session or read an assigned book this year.

Witness
• Attend one witness training event per year.
• Present the gospel in class at least once per quarter.
• Make two evangelistic visits this year.
• Participate in FAITH Training.

Care
• Organize some form of care ministry in the class.
• Contact care leaders each week in order to be informed about members’ needs.
• Be involved in one ministry opportunity each quarter.

Fellowship
• Visit with (at home, at lunch, etc.) each class member personally this year.
• Lead the class to plan four fellowship building events this year.
• Build accountability teams with members.

Lead to Worship
• Dismiss Bible study in time for members to attend worship.
• Establish a class prayer ministry.
• Plan Sunday morning worship experiences for the class.

Identify the basics first. Set goals for exceeding them. Then, from the bedrock of basics, take the next step!

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