Transcript Sunday School Basics - aba

BASICS FOR
SUNDAY SCHOOL
DIRECTORS
Altamaha / New Sunbury
Baptist Association
Compiled By Jim Elliott
Associational Missionary
You Want to Live
a Safe Life?

Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible
for 20% of all fatal accidents.

Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the
home.

Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all
accidents occur to pedestrians.

Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all
accidents involve these forms of transportation.

You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths
occur in church.

Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at
any given point in time is at church!
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
There is a Tremendous Need for Improvement
America’s Churches Are In Decline
 Across this nation about 85% of our
churches are plateaued or in decline.
 Of the remaining 15%, about 14% are
growing through transfer growth.
 Only 1% of churches in America are
growing by conversion growth.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
10 “Must Do” Duties
1-
Know the 10 Bottom Line Numbers [slide 6]
2-
Establish, Develop, Maintain and Guide use of Sunday School
Prospect Files
3-
Create and Guide the Sunday School Leadership Team (faculty)
4-
Visit in Homes of your Sunday School Leaders
5-
Establish a Prayer Ministry with Sunday School Leaders (lists)
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
10 “Must Do” Duties
6-
Establish New Units and Restructure your Sunday School at least
every 2 years
7-
Set Annual Goals for the Sunday School
8-
Conduct Annual Planning Retreats for your Team
9-
Provide for Training of your Sunday School Leaders
(and keep records)
10- Give Recognition to your Sunday School Leaders (formally and
informally)
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
10 “Bottom Line” Numbers
1-
Sunday School Enrollment
2-
Sunday School Average Attendance
3-
Enrollment / Attendance Spread
4-
Number of Prospects
5-
Possibilities (enrollment + prospects)
6-
New Enrollment Required to Gain
7-
3 Sundays and You’re Out ?
8-
Sunday School Attendance to Baptism Ratio
9-
New Units
10- Unsaved Enrollment to Baptism Ratio
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Flake’s Formula
 He did not give us a “magic formula,” but he
did give us 5 timeless principles for Sunday
School growth that are still relevant today.
 Flakes formula does not work, you have to work
the formula.
 Remember, all great ideas eventually erode into
hard work, Flake’s formula is no exception.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
1- “Know the Possibilities”
 Keep definite records of enrollment.
 Continue to find prospects.
 Know the difference between a prospect and a suspect.
 Keep an accurate visitation file of these prospects for
each age group.
 Continue to cultivate new ways to discover prospects.
Flake’s Formula
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
2- “Enlarge the Organization”
 Sunday Schools must continue to create new classes
and departments (units) if they are to grow.
 New units typically grow faster because they are
smaller and want to grow.
 New units are usually more focused on outreach and
evangelism, and have higher rates of baptisms.
 New units are better at assimilating new members than
established classes.
 New units open more doors for ministry opportunities
to individuals and their families.
Flake’s Formula
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
• 3. Enlist and Train Workers
• Enlisting workers properly and enlisting proper
workers is a critical element in growing a church
through the Sunday School
• Provide each potential teacher with a job description
of the expectations of them
• Train them through specific training events and
consistent teachers & workers meetings
• Always maintain a proper teacher – pupil ratio in
fairness to both teacher and pupil
Flake’s Formula
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
4- Provide the Space & Facilities
 You can only put so many people in one room.
 When the room is full growth stops.
 The proper facilities and adequate space must be
provided in order to grow.
 Like all of Flake’s formula, growth will not
automatically happen when you provide great
facilities, all the principles of Flake’s formula must
be followed to sustain long term, healthy Sunday
School growth.
Flake’s Formula
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
5- Go After the People
 Visitation of prospects and constantly contacting
absentees and members for ministry, witnessing, and
spiritual nurture is critical to growth .
 Follow-up is the key to reaching people in this busy
culture we live in.
 “Open enrollment” means there are no qualifications for
membership in a Sunday School class, they don’t even
have to attend before they can be enrolled.
Flake’s Formula
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Barnett’s
Principles of
Enlargement
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
• 1. “The Principle of Leadership”
Reaching prospects depends upon an adequate ratio of workers
to enrollment & upon the degree of commitment these workers
show toward their tasks.
• 2. “The Principle of Delegation”
Reaching prospects depends upon the effective delegation of
responsibility to Sunday School Workers
• 3. “The Principle of Grouping”
Reaching persons depends on using a grading & grouping plan
that respects the individual’s developmental stage and provides
for annual promotion in all groups.
• 4. “The Principle of Involvement of Learners”
Reaching prospects depends upon the degree and quality of
involvement which teacher and class members achieve in their
Bible Study.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
5. “The Principle of Organization”
Reaching prospects depends upon the creation of new
units designed to meet the growth potential at hand.
6.
“The Principle of Space and Facilities”
Reaching prospects depends upon the expansion of space
and other facilities as growth potential suggests the need.
7. “The Principle of Relationship”
Reaching prospects depends upon balanced, consistent,
prayerful action in accordance with all the principles of growth.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Ten Characteristics of the
Purpose-Driven
Sunday School
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
1.
The intent and focus of Bible Study is to bring about life change
through an encounter with God’s Word and to help members
understand and live out their mission.
2.
Every Bible study presents an evangelistic focus in content or
application.
3.
Unit leaders and members regularly contribute to the evangelistic
prospect list, select visitation teams and participate in weekly
visitation.
4.
Age appropriate curriculum is chosen to accomplish the mission of
the church by a team of staff and laity following a developmental
process designed for personal and corporate growth.
5. Teachers are certified through a formal apprentice program, being
mentored by an experienced teacher (s) combined with an
appropriate personal study program.
Purpose-Driven
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
6. Leaders & members are led to maintain a dated prayer list of
persons & needs, recording prayer results & sharing answered
prayers as appropriate.
7. Fellowships are planned and conducted at least monthly for the
purpose of developing friendships, involving members, guests &
in-service members as appropriate.
8. Class enrollment is maintained at a number that facilitates growth,
with apprentice leaders assigned to each unit ready to begin the
next group as soon as the enrollment reaches the birthing level.
9. Units are structured with a ministry/care team that maintains a
weekly contact with members & has an action plan for meeting
immediate & long term members’ needs.
10. Each teaching unit plans and conducts appropriate service
projects designed to penetrate and impact the community for
Christ, providing for the involvement of all members.
Purpose-Driven
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
An Overview of the
Ten Best Practices
of Sunday School
The best practices of Sunday School as strategy are presented
here as 10 brief, concrete, imperative statements.
They are not a mechanical formula for success, but describe the
process of designing an effective Sunday School strategy.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
1- Commit to the Strategy
We will commit to Sunday School as the foundational strategy in a
local church for doing the work of the Great Commission by —
 Developing an annual plan that supports the church’s thrust to lead people to
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and build on-mission Christians.
 Including as key elements of the plan ongoing & short-term open Bible study
groups & additional Bible study events, such as Vacation Bible School, that
focus on foundational evangelism & foundational discipleship.
 Providing the best-possible financial support to implement the strategic plans.
 Implementing the plan through specific monthly and weekly actions.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
2. Organize with Purpose
We will organize our Sunday School ministry to accomplish the
objectives of leading people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and
building on-mission Christians by —
 using the concept of age-graded, open Bible study groups as the
primary organizing principle for Bible study groups.
 providing groups for all ages and generations, including preschool,
children, youth, young adults, and adults.
 relying on sound learner: leader ratios proven to be effective for each
age group in developing the age-group organizational structures.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
3. Build Kingdom Leaders
We will build kingdom leaders who are committed to Sunday
School strategy as an expression of faithfulness to Christ, His
church, and the mission mandate He has given by —
 Praying for God to call out leaders for kingdom service through
Sunday School ministry.
 Implementing a leader-enlistment approach that focuses on helping
people respond to their personal call from God rather than an
approach that is primarily concerned with filling church or
organizational positions.
 Enlisting leaders who themselves are committed to cultivating and
multiplying new leaders.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
3. Build Kingdom Leaders
Continued…
We will build kingdom leaders who are committed to Sunday
School strategy as an expression of faithfulness to Christ, His
church, and the mission mandate He has given by —
 Devoting major attention to leadership meetings that focus on the
mission, on relationships, and on Bible study.
 Providing training that equips leaders for their work and enhances the
quality of their leadership.
 Calling out people who will give their lives to evangelizing the lost
and who are willing to participate in ongoing evangelism training and
multiplication of evangelism leaders.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
4. Develop Soul Winners
We will lead leaders and members to become soul-winners and
witnesses for Christ in all life settings, including the home, by Teaching members to view being a practicing soul-winner as the role of every
believer.
 Challenging members continually to be aware of the spiritually lost people
they encounter daily.
 Focusing attention on the responsibility of Sunday School leaders and
members to lead people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
 Training leaders and members how to share the gospel through an
intentional, ongoing strategy.
 Providing regular opportunities for leaders and members to share the gospel
as part of personal home visits.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
5. Win the Lost
We will engage in evangelistic actions that result in winning
the lost to Christ, as well as in other actions that target the unchurched and reclaim the spiritually indifferent, by —
 Involving members in discovering individual and family prospects.
 Maintaining up-to-date master and working prospect files and
implementing an ongoing approach for making evangelistic prospect
visitation assignments to members.
 Providing regular, specific times for evangelistic, outreach, & ministry
visitation.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Continued…
5. Win the Lost
We will engage in evangelistic actions that result in winning
the lost to Christ, as well as in other actions that target the unchurched and reclaim the spiritually indifferent, by —
 Committing ourselves to witness for Christ in all life settings,
including the home.
 Teaching evangelistically, including foundational teaching, especially
with preschoolers and children, that becomes the basis for a later
conversion as the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin.
 Challenging un-churched or spiritually indifferent individuals and
families to commit to living as followers of Jesus Christ.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
6. Assimilate People
We will assimilate individuals and families into the life of the church
and facilitate their growth as disciples of Christ by —
 Encouraging new believers to identify with Christ and His church through
baptism and church membership.
 Emphasizing regular participation in systematic Bible study as the
foundational step of discipleship.
 Enrolling people anytime, anywhere in ongoing Bible study and other shortterm Bible study groups.
 Providing an atmosphere for building relationships with one another in an
environment of grace, acceptance, support, and encouragement.
 Encouraging all believers to strengthen their walk with Christ by
participating in other discipleship opportunities.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Continued…
6. Assimilate People
We will assimilate individuals and families into the life of the
church and facilitate their growth as disciples of Christ by —
 Developing a system for tracking individual and family participation in
ongoing Bible study and in discipleship groups.
 Developing a system for tracking actions that serve as indicators of spiritual
growth and personal spiritual vitality.
 Providing opportunities for new Christians and church members, and their
families, to discover how they fit into the life and ministry of the church.
 Planning opportunities for individuals and families to pray together and to
work together toward fulfilling the Great Commission.
 Promoting systematic, biblical giving and the stewardship of life as the norm
for believers.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
7. Partner with Families
We will partner with parents and families to build the home as
the center of biblical guidance by —
 Providing an appropriate open Bible study group for every member
of the family, including family members with special needs.
 Providing training and resources to help parents fulfill their
responsibility as the primary Bible teachers and disciplers of their
children.
 Developing family-oriented evangelistic and ministry strategies that
help families to reach other families for Christ and the church and
minister to their needs.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
7. Partner with Families
We will partner with parents and families to build the
home as the center of biblical guidance by —
 Building a leadership team that believes in and models the essential
partnership of home and church in Bible teaching.
 Providing Bible study and devotional materials that encourage and
support family worship and Bible study in the home.
 Exploring the possibilities for intergenerational ministries that
enable the different generations to interact with each other rather
than being isolated from one another.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
8. Teach to Transform
We will engage individuals and families in the biblical model of
instruction that leads to spiritual transformation by —
 Preparing faithfully for the open-group Bible teaching session, including
personal spiritual preparation and participation in leadership meetings.
 Encountering God’s Word in a Bible study group guiding learners toward
spiritual transformation.
 Continuing to guide learners toward spiritual transformation in daily living and
family relationships.
 Centering the transformational teaching learning process around these Bible
teaching elements: acknowledge authority, search the Scripture, discover the
truth, personalize the truth, struggle with the truth, believe the truth, and obey
the truth.
 Preparing open-group lesson plans to teach in a variety of ways (relational,
musical, logical, physical, reflective, visual, verbal approaches).
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Continued…
8. Teach to Transform
We will engage individuals and families in the biblical model of
instruction that leads to spiritual transformation by —
 Looking for opportunities in other settings to both teach and model the
message of the Bible.
 Equipping parents to be the primary Bible teachers in their homes.
 Choosing open-group Bible study curriculum materials that lead learners to
explore the entire counsel of God during their life stages.
 Providing the best-possible teaching resources that enable teachers to teach
for spiritual transformation.
 Providing the best-possible space and equipment as appropriate for agegroup teaching and learning.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
9. Mobilize for Ministry
We will take deliberate actions to mobilize people to meet with
compassion the needs of individuals and families by —
 Remembering that the greatest need is to be in right relationship with the
Lord.
 Helping identify ministry needs and informing leaders and members about
ministry opportunities.
 Equipping individuals and families to minister to others in need in all
settings.
 Leading members and their families to be involved in ministry and mission
projects as a continuation of Sunday School Bible study.
 Involving the church family in supporting missionaries and mission work
through prayer and giving.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
10. Multiply Leaders and Units
We will develop and implement an intentional process for
continually multiplying leaders and units by —
 Communicating the key relationship that multiplication of leaders and
units has to the overall mission of Sunday School as strategy.
 Teaching every believer to be in service and on mission and to multiply
themselves.
 Developing a potential leader-training ministry that helps members
explore their leadership potential and possibilities.
 Making leader enlistment and multiplication of units an ongoing
process rather than annual actions.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
10. Multiply Leaders and Units
We will develop and implement an intentional process for
continually multiplying leaders and units by —
 Encouraging and supporting the initiative of existing Bible study
groups to reproduce themselves through new open Bible study
groups that increase the opportunity to evangelize and disciple
more people.
 Encouraging and supporting the efforts of leaders to identify
prospective leaders and guide them toward service for Christ and
His church.
 Engaging the church to start a new Vacation Bible School, start a
new Sunday School, or help to plant a new church mission.
Ten Best Practices
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Sunday School
General Officers
Job Descriptions
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Sunday School Director
 Being responsible to the church for all phases of Sunday
School work including outreach, Sunday School teaching
improvement and worker training, witnessing,
ministering, and Bible teaching projects such as
Vacation Bible School.
 Seek counsel and leadership from the pastor or Minister
of Education.
 Lead the Sunday School Council in planning and
evaluating the work of the Sunday School.
 Represent the Sunday School on the Church Council.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Sunday School Secretary
The Sunday School Secretary is
responsible to the Sunday School
Director for compiling and maintaining
weekly, quarterly, annual records, and
reports for the Sunday School.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Outreach-Evangelism Director
 Be responsible to the Sunday School Director
for planning, conducting, and evaluating the
Sunday School in reaching, witnessing, and
ministering to those who are not members of
the Sunday School.
 Be responsible for training of outreach leaders.
Coordinate plans for prospect discovery.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Vacation Bible School Director
Responsible to the Sunday
School Director for planning,
promoting, conducting, and
evaluating the church's Vacation
Bible School.
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Sunday
School
Worker’s
Covenant
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Believing that the privilege of guiding people in the Christian
way of life is worthy of my best, I covenant, as a worker in the
Sunday School of my church to…
•
Order my conduct in keeping with the principles of the New
Testament, and seek the help of the Holy spirit that I may be
faithful and efficient in my work. (Eph. 4:1)
•
Be regular and punctual in attendance; and, in case of
unavoidable absence, give notice thereof as far in advance as
possible. (I Cor. 4:2)
•
Make through preparation of the lesson and for my other duties
each week. (II Tim. 2:15)
•
Attend the regular planning meetings. (Luke 14:18-20)
•
Use the Bible with my group on Sunday morning, or other
meeting times, and help them to understand and love it.
(Psa. 119:16)
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
• Contribute my tithe to my church’s budget. (Mal. 3:10)
• Visit prospects frequently and make a special effort to contact
absentees each week. (Acts 2:46)
• Study one or more books from the Church Study Course each year.
(Prov. 15:28a)
• Be loyal to the program of the church, striving to attend all worship
services. (Heb. 10:25)
• Make witnessing a major endeavor. Prov. 11:30)
• Seek to discover and meet the needs of those with whom I come
into contact, especially fellow church members and prospects for
my church. (Gal. 6:2)
• Pray regularly for the church, the Sunday School, the officers and
teachers, and for the pupils and the homes from which they come.
(I Thess. 5:17)
BASICS FOR SUNDAY
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
• Cooperate wholeheartedly in the plans and activities of the church.
(I Cor. 3:9)
• Apply the teachings of Christ in moral and social issues of my
everyday life.
(James 1:22)
• With the help of God, I will do my utmost to keep this covenant:
____________________________
Name
Date
Additional Assistance
• Additional Assistance is available through
our Association
• We will come to your church for individual
training etc
• Also assistance is available from GBC
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FOR INFORMATION OR TO SCHEDULE
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