Transcript Developing Sunday School Leaders

Dr. Tim S. Smith
Sunday School/Small Groups
Specialist
State Missionary
Georgia Baptist Convention
Developing Sunday
School Leaders
The “NOT-SO” Top 10 Excuses People Give for
Not Teaching a Sunday School Class
#10 “I don’t enjoy spending time with people.”
#9 “That’s not my spiritual gift.”
#8 “I am too busy!”
#7 “I would have to be there every week.”
#6 “I’m afraid of speaking in public.”
#5 “I have no one to watch my kids while I’m teaching.”
#4 “Some people are weird and I wouldn’t know what to do.”
#3 “I don’t know what to teach or how to teach.”
#2 “I didn’t know we needed more volunteers.”
#1 “I don’t know how to sign up.”
Why your church needs new Sunday
School teachers and leaders….
•Attrition
•Starting new
classes/groups
Jesus’ Leadership Strategy
• He preached to the multitudes.
• He sent out the seventy-two. (Luke 10:124)
• He mentored the twelve. (Mark 3:14–19)
• He befriended the three. (Matthew 17:1-3)
• He loved the one. (John 13:23)
Jesus’ Training Process
1. I do, you watch.
2. I do, you help.
3. You do, I help.
4. You do, I watch.
5. You do, someone else watches.
Skills needed to be a successful
Sunday School leader/teacher…
a. Spiritual growth = personal Bible study plan
1. Observation – what do I see?
2. Interpretation – what does a passage
mean?
3. Application – how do I get the Word of
God into my life in a practical way?
Skills needed to be a successful
Sunday School leader/teacher…
b. How to teach the Bible
(teaching for spiritual transformation
and life change, not just to cover
content or treating the Bible like a
history or literature book)
1. preparation
2. presentation
Skills needed to be a successful
Sunday School leader/teacher…
c. Caring for members
1. personal prayer time for members
2. expressions of care and concern
3. constantly communicating through
text messages, emails, phone calls,
cards, etc.
4. spending time with them individually
and as a group
Skills needed to be a successful
Sunday School leader/teacher…
d. Reaching new members
1. develop a prospect file for you and
your class/group
2. help your members write their
testimony
3. train them to use a marked new
testament
4. help to memorize a gospel presentation
My BEST 5 Ideas for starting
new classes/groups
1. teacher/leader trains an apprentice
2. class/group starts a new
class/group
3. class starts a new group
4. life stage or life skill class/group
5. an affinity group
Top 10 reasons church leaders have heard for
people not serving…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
too busy - 42%
bad past experience - 11%
too many family pressures - 11%
don't want to be tied down - 9%
don't know what there is to do - 7%
feel unqualified - 7%
need fellowship myself - 4%
never asked - 4%
already served my time - 4%
fear of failure - 1%
What is your plan for
developing new leaders?
My BEST 5 Strategies for NEW
Sunday School Leaders
1. ask your people and involve your
leaders
2. establish team-based ministries
3. enlist mentoring teachers
4. use on-line resources
5. develop a leadership course
ADMINISTRATIVE
• Developing a Purpose/Mission Statement for Your
Sunday School
• Determining the Leadership Structure for Your Sunday
School
• Developing General Sunday School Leader
Expectations and Specialized Ministry Descriptions
• Discovering Potential Sunday School Leaders
• Deploying the Promotion for the Sunday School
Leadership Development Course
TEACHING
• Session #1 “The Basics of Sunday School Ministry”
• Session #2 “Sunday School Organization and Worker and
Leader Responsibilities”
• Session #3 “Reaching People and Developing Witnessing
Skills”
• Session #4 “The Sunday School Leader’s Spiritual Life”
• Session #5 “Leading the Bible Study in a …
Preschool, Children’s, Youth and Adult Sunday School Class
• Session #6 “Observing in a Class”
Dr. Tim S. Smith, State Missionary
Sunday School/Small Groups Specialist
Georgia Baptist Convention
6405 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097-4092
770.936.5287 or 1.800.746.4422 ext. 287
[email protected]
sssg.gabaptist.org
gabaptistsundayschool.org
facebook.com/GABaptistSundaySchool
twitter.com/GBCSundaySchool
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