Except for Sunday morning worship, Sunday School is about the only ministry in a church that operates 52-weeks-a-year. Some church programs take the summer off. Others operate on semesters, with breaks in between. But the "break" between Sunday School years is seldom longer than about six days! So what are some ways you can make the beginning of a new Sunday School year feel like a fresh start, a new day, a time for starting over? Here are a few ideas:
Enlist and reenlist every worker personally
Some folks try to be efficient in reenlisting workers by sending a letter with a reply card. The incumbent leader can check a box indicating whether they will serve again in the new year, or plan to stop serving. I cannot urge you strongly enough not to do this! First, it makes it too easy to quit! More importantly, every leader deserves a personal contact. Call current leaders and say, "Just wanted to know if you plan to continue in your current role or are interested in doing something different." Don't even mention quitting. (They'll tell you anyway!)
Visit face-to-face with potential new workers. Tell them what is expected, what resources they'll have, and what training you'll provide. Ask if they would be willing to pray about it. Assure them you'll contact them in a few days, and say "Whatever God tells you to do will be okay with me." You'll get more new workers and retain more current ones if you'll invest a little time enlisting them.
Conduct a kickoff event
A week or two before the new year, conduct an event to recognize, motivate and train leaders for the new year. For ideas on such on event, visit 3D Sunday School resource page.
Commission the faculty
In a worship service, ask all Sunday School directors and teachers to stand or come forward for a time of prayer, commissioning them to teach God's Word in the new Sunday School year. Consider preparing a bulletin insert listing their names and the departments or classes where they will be serving. As a bonus, for preschool, children, and youth workers, print the name of the adult department/class where these leaders are associate members. Ask classes to make a new poster or bulletin board with the names - and possibly photos - of all members-in-service and call attention to them on the first Sunday of the new year.
Get the rooms ready
Use the start of the new year as a time to freshen up and tidy up the rooms. Clean out clutter from desks and cabinets. Return materials to the resource room. Get rid of excess or broken toys. Put fresh paper on the bulletin boards. Maybe try to put the same kind/color of chairs in each room! Perhaps schedule a Cleaning Day on Saturday, tidying the rooms during the morning and getting everything set up for Sunday, followed by a picnic lunch.
Make the first day a big deal
Whether you call it Promotion Sunday or Advancement Day or something else, make the first day a big day. Going against the conventional wisdom, I always observed this day on Labor Day weekend. Although attendance would be down somewhat because of the holiday, it provided a way for new teachers and new kids to ease into the transition. New enthusiastic leaders would have absentees to call the next week. The following Sunday would be the bigger day in attendance, but without many of the usual first day hassles. It was like having two Promotion Sundays in terms of the attendance boost!