Cheer for the Team: Motivating Your Sunday School

Written by Tim Smith

Coaching a winning Sunday School requires that Pastors and other leaders motivate their team members to achieve more than they thought possible. The most successful Sunday Schools are often those that comprised of ordinary believers who are highly motivated to do a great job for God's glory.

The question to consider is: "How can Pastors cheer their Sunday School teams on to victory?"

Remember the Call

The most thrilling experience in any believer's life is the call to salvation. A person who is newly saved has a high appreciation level for God. As time passes, many Sunday School leaders fall out of this spiritual honeymoon into a quagmire. They lose the joy and enthusiasm of their call - and it shows. Pastors need to remind Sunday School leaders about their call to service. To think that God has called every Christian to be involved in His kingdom work is exciting. Knowing that God has issued a call to service is perhaps the only thing that keeps faithful servants moving forward in the face of adversity and discouragement.

Remember the Commission

Keeping the church's mission on the minds of Sunday School leaders is also essential for motivation. Leaders should know that the Great Commission instructs Christians to "go into all the world." Every local church should make an effort to reach its area with the gospel. If a church is not willing to reach across town, it will never reach around the world.

Pastors must also teach that the Great Commission requires winning people to faith in Christ. Sharing the gospel, in the power of the Spirit, results in converts. Leading new believers to follow the Lord in baptism is also a part of the Great Commission. Baptism testifies of the convert's identity with Christ in His sinless life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection. Baptism is also a visible expression of church inclusion.

Remember the Cross

The greatest source of motivation for Sunday School leaders should be the cross. Pastors must regularly remind team members of four truths about the crucifixion of Christ:

1. It is the ultimate example of faithful service. Knowing that Jesus left the splendors of heaven to descend to this lowly earth should motive even the most uninspired of Sunday School leaders.
2. It is a place of surrender. People who give up their plans for the sake of the kingdom lead healthy, growing Sunday Schools.
3. It is a place of sacrifice. People must sacrifice their time to do the work of God. Since Jesus made such a great sacrifice, those who follow Him should do the same.
4. It is a place of suffering. Jesus experienced suffering far greater that anything His people will ever encounter. Realizing the agony Jesus endured ought to challenge Sunday School leaders to give their best to the Master.

Remember the Companionship

No leader faces the challenges of ministry alone. Pastors need to remind their leaders their work is important to everyone else's success. Pastors can greatly encourage leaders by helping them to understand that Sunday Schools rise or fall together. Realizing that ministry companions are available for support and encouragement will often inspire greater service.

Remember the Champions

Hebrews 11 contains what some call "the hall of faith" because it lists the names of believers who remained faithful to God despite difficult situations. Pastors can use these and other biblical models of faithful servants as examples to inspire leaders to excel in their ministries. Recalling modern day examples of faith - including those in your own church - is also beneficial.

Remember the Consequences

Leaders need reminders of the consequences of doing poor Sunday School work. There is too much at stake for God's people to have a half-hearted commitment to service. Sometimes leaders get so caught up in the busy details of life they forget that people around them are lost. Many of these people are interested in talking about spiritual matters. Christians have the message the lost need to hear. The problem is as Jesus said in Matthew 9:37b: "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

Remember the Crown

When a sports team wins a championship, it receives a trophy. Coaches, players, and fans share in the glory that accompanies the victory. Throughout the season, there were many difficulties that could have led to defeat. Yet, the team members kept their eyes on the prize until they won the trophy.

Leaders can be motivated to continue the race by Pastors who remind them that Jesus will be at the finish line to say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." One day, the Master will award a crown to every Sunday School leader who faithfully served the Lord. The greatest reward for serving believers will be the opportunity to cast their crowns at the feet of Jesus. On that day, Sunday School leaders will be thankful for every visit, every lesson, every training session, every class fellowship, every gospel presentation, and every other act of service performed on behalf of the Lord Jesus. In order to experience the joy of victory, leaders must be motivated to stay in the game until the final buzzer.
 

Dr. Tim S. Smith serves as the Team Leader and Consultant for the Sunday School/Open Group Ministries of the Georgia Baptist Convention. He served for 15 years as a minister of education in churches in Georgia and North Carolina. Tim earned his Doctorate of Ministry degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and his Master of Divinity with Christian Education from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He and his family live in White, Georgia.

 

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