The Play Book: Understanding the Fundamentals of a Healthy Sunday School

Written by Tim Smith

Fundamentals are critical to winning a football game. The occasional quarterback sneak or double reverse would be of little consequence if the team could not catch, tackle, block, and hold the ball. When pastors are looking for ways to grow their church, they often settle for trick plays, such as new programs or large, one-time events. While these may be fine in their proper place, they will never take the place of executing the fundamentals of Sunday School.

Every church is unique, but healthy Sunday Schools will have some fundamental things in common. When these essential elements are missing the Great Commission will go unfulfilled. No single ministry is equipped to more fully accomplish the church's mission than Sunday School.

Evangelize Enrollees

Evangelism can occur in several ways through the winning Sunday School class.

Open enrollment - You can enroll anybody, anywhere, anytime, as long as they agree to it. Churches that require a person to attend the class prior to enrollment are missing a tremendous opportunity to reach the lost. A skeptic will ask, "What if they don't commit to come?" The answer is simple, yet contrary to the way most church members think. Enrollment is not their commitment to us. Enrollment is our commitment to them - a commitment from the class to care, encourage, and minister.

Bible study - Sunday School is not about teaching the Bible, it is about teaching people the Bible. The purpose of doing so is to promote life change. One blessing of teaching the Bible to people in Sunday School is that some of the people in the class will be saved.

Group openness - Every member or prospect can easily be included in the ministry. The saved and the lost, the young and the old, the charter member and the first-time guest can all find a place in a class. From the newest believer to the most mature disciple in the church - Sunday School can minister to everyone.

Prospect assignment - A critical piece of the puzzle is the accountability for and responsibility to prospects. It has been rightly said, "Everyone's job is no one's responsibility." Once you've recruited teachers and enlisted class members, prospects assignment is incredibly easy.

Assimilate New Members

Many churches with evangelistic growth struggle with "closing the back door." Our struggle is how to get new members connected with the church. Sunday School can be that ministry vehicle that reaches and assimilates.

Building new relationships - Through an annual reorganization and "Promotion Sunday" an age-graded Sunday School can encourage members to break free from their existing relationships and get to know new people within the fellowship.

Discouraging cliques - How do you distinguish a clique from a class? Try to change something about the group. That is when its true nature will become evident. New members have an instinctive ability to discern whether or not they are being welcomed and assimilated into the congregation.

Creating places to serve - Few things will help a new member stay plugged in like finding a place to serve. Adult Sunday School classes can become an effective recruiting arm for the other Sunday School areas. Preschool, children's, and youth workers normally come from adult class membership.

Study Scripture

Proclaiming God's Word will ultimately produce the life-change that Sunday School is designed to accomplish. Without sound doctrinal Bible teaching Sunday School is no more than a religious social club.

Commitment - Most church schedules provide an hour or more for Sunday School. Yet many classes begin late and end early. In between are fifteen minutes of prayer requests and ten minutes of discussing weekend events. An unprepared teacher often causes this scenario. The prepared teacher will remain committed to the centrality of the day's Bible study.

Competence - Bible teaching is a serious matter. James 3:1 warns Bible teachers that a stricter judgment awaits them. It is impossible for a doctrinally confused Christian to be an effective teacher who properly equips learners.

Curriculum - The importance of an approved curriculum cannot be overemphasized. Some of the benefits include
The promotion of doctrinal integrity

• Encouragement for members to stay in their assigned classes
• Facilitation of teachers' meetings and organizational leadership
• Inspiration for learners to engage in personal daily study.
• Ease of transition for substitute teachers.

Multiply Ministry

Hands-on ministry was a hallmark of the first-century church. Conducting ministry through Sunday School assigns responsibility. This approach to ministry will require recruiting and training Sunday School leaders who accept the responsibility to lead their class members to minister to others. It is this personal touch of ministry that draws and activates non-attending members and prospects.

Update

Here's Tim's response to Hazel Cooke's comment, which appears at the bottom of this article page:

Hazel,

That is a great question and one that I get a lot. Time is so precious in our classes and we must use every second wisely. Here is what I've found to be helpful. It may sound simple but I think you and your class will benefit from it. Use a variety of methods when it comes to your prayer time. I think that speaking to the Creator of the this universe is a great and awesome task, but when we do it the same way all the time it becomes routine. Try different approaches with your class. Look at these ideas.

1. Have people write their prayer requests on index cards as they arrive.
2. Break the class into smaller groups for prayer time. Those in the groups pray only for each other's requests.
3. Use guided, conversational prayer time. Allow each person in the class to actually pray for their own requests. What an idea!
4. Spend time in prayer for specific needs. Pray for the leaders of our nation, state, city, and church.
5. Have a Sunday when the only requests that can be voiced are those related to the spiritual condition of others.

These are just a few but be willing to try something new and your class will be blessed. Keep up the good work Hazel, we need more dedicated teachers like you!

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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