Process for Starting New Units - Part 1

Many churches may use the beginning of a new church year as they are enlisting leaders and evaluating the current organization as the time for focusing attention on starting new units. That timing certainly is appropriate. However, starting new units is an ongoing action that can be done at any time. The key question is: When can we start the new unit?

Recognize the Importance of Starting New Units
Plan intentional steps to make the church aware of the value of new units in reaching people for Christ and engaging people in Bible study and ministry. These steps can include emphasis from the pulpit, articles on the values of new units, recognition of successful new units, stories about people reached through new units, and emphasis on the growth caused by new units.

Study Your Sunday School Organization
A thorough study of your Sunday School organization will identify many opportunities for beginning new units. Opportunities will include many of the following plus many more:

• Classes or departments that exceed suggested enrollment ceilings
• Age ranges, and life transition stages (newly married, recently divorced, widowed, college students, etc.) that are not being reached effectively
• Areas with lots of prospects but little attendance
• Classes where the space is continually filled
• Special needs - mentally handicapped, physically handicapped
• Homebound, shift workers
• Other locations - home, apartment, office, recreational site, residential institution

Identify a Target Group
Although every believer and every church is to be on mission to reach anyone and everyone, according to the message of the Great Commission, realistically, each Bible study group needs to focus on a specific target group. The target group may develop around such influential factors as age range, gender, school grade, marital status, life status, or transitional point (such as newly married, recently retired, recently widowed, new parent, and so forth).

Discuss the Need with Sunday School Leaders
Hopefully Sunday School leaders were involved in identifying the need for the new unit. Once it has been identified, sit down with Sunday School leaders and discuss the need and the viability of beginning the new unit. Discuss the steps it will take to begin the new unit successfully.

Seek Sponsorship
A successful new Bible study group needs a support system. Leaders need encouragement that comes from knowing that others are praying for them. Such support comes naturally when leaders and the core for the new unit come from an existing class.

An existing class can help the new class to discover, contact, and enroll prospects. Members from an existing class can “adopt” members and prospects from the new class and provide prayer and ministry, particularly until the class grows and can stand on its own. Leaders from an existing class can work alongside one or more leaders from a new class, especially providing help in planning, teaching improvement, evangelistic outreach, and administration.

Enlist and Build the Leadership Team
New leaders are needed to birth new units; new units require leaders. The two are so closely related. Enlist at least two leaders and two prospective members as the core group for starting a new unit. The two leaders will generally include the class teacher and the class administrator. The core group may be larger for adult coeducational classes and single adult classes. The core group needs to meet together several times prior to the start date to plan actions for building the class and to plan for the first session.

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