A Dozen Reminders for Ministers of Education

Written by Bruce Raley

I am often asked to give advice to new ministers of education based on my experience and my observation of the work of other effective Minister’s of Education. Take a look at these twelve reminders regarding your life and the work of your ministry.

As a Minister of Education, you are in the “people business.” While you will always face office work, personal Bible study, and event preparation, time must be intentionally set aside for being with people. You can make being with people a simple part of your lifestyle. Meet leaders or peers for lunch. Use the time before and after church services to plan lunch and coffee meetings.

Never forget the first word of the title “Minister of Education.” Ministry is the priority. At times, a Minister of Education must set aside the immediate work and rearrange a schedule because of the needs of ministry.

Realize Sunday School (the Bible teaching ministry) is the heart of the church. As the Sunday School goes, so goes the church. Other ministries, including the music and worship service ministry, are impacted by the Sunday School. Therefore, make the Bible study ministry the primary focus of your ministry.

Since the purpose of the education ministry is to “make disciples” (which means we see people saved and growing in their faith), be sure the Bible study ministry is always foundational discipleship.

Make the Bible the focus of Sunday School teaching. Be cautious in allowing classes being involved in other studies (even if they are good studies). Keep the Bible the center of the teaching. There are 167 other hours in a week to study other topics, but in Sunday School, study the Bible.

Always be looking to see where you can start new small groups. A new class will increase attendance by 10 within a year when properly started.

Carefully enlist key Sunday School leadership. Invest time and resources in your Sunday School leadership. Insure these leaders know the purposes of Sunday School and the direction of the ministry.

Make continuous training a priority. All Sunday School and Bible teaching leaders should be in ongoing training. A developed systematic multi-year approach would be advantageous.

A Minister of Education must be concerned about spiritual, personal, and professional growth. Find the best training available. Develop relationships with those who are doing the work well. Learn from others. Train and network!

Be careful of the latest fads. Develop a philosophy of ministry and stick with it. Fads do not produce continuous growth or discipleship. A steady course of action is much better than a “start and jerk” method.

Realize the relationship to the pastor is essential to effective ministry. The Minister of Education and Pastor must be working toward the same priorities.

The Minister of Education is in a position of leadership. However, position alone does not guarantee leadership. Leadership is earned by:

• tenure…planning to stay to see things through
• integrity…knowing that what you do is more important than what you say
• expertise…being recognized as the most knowledgeable in the church concerning your area of ministry
•  reference…knowing the people who can help you be the best leader possible
•  presence…letting people see you, know you, touch you, and be available to you
•  initiative…making sure that you are consistently the initiator of new events, ministries, and ministry initiatives
• support…being part of a team leaders work together, love one another, and serve together as one.

As you think about these suggestions, are you reminded of a specific area in which you need to focus or refocus? Think about what you need to do to strengthen your ministry. As you begin to plan, invite your pastor to join you in dreaming big dreams for your ministry this year. Ask God to give you a passion for your current ministry with a renewed vision and plan for seeing people coming to know Christ as Savior and then growing in their faith.

Bruce Raley is an experienced church leader serving as a Christian education minister for 24 years. In 2006, he was named Director of Leadership and Evangelism Training and Events at LifeWay Christian Resources. Married to Donna Wright, they have two young adult children. Bruce also enjoys outdoor sports, particularly hunting on his family farm in Arkansas.

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