Today at Catalyst in Atlanta, I heard Seth Godin, the author of the book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. Godin defines a tribe as "any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea" (inside front cover). The cause of Christ is our idea. Learning more about God, His Word, and His will for our lives and how to serve Him together is our idea.

Sunday School classes tend to be connected to one another around an age group, a life-stage, affinity, gender, marital status, or topic. But they don't stay together if there are no connection efforts made. Fellowships and projects help. Open sharing during class helps. Name tags and care groups help. But a leader is essential.

While the Leader (capital letter "L") of your Sunday School tribe should be God, the leader (small letter "l") can be the teacher or another individual in a Sunday School class. Leadership of sheep is essential, or left unattended they will wander off, be scattered, and get hurt. The same is true of a tribe and of a Sunday School class. Your leadership is essential.

Godin is clear: "A crowd is a tribe without a leader. A crowd is a tribe without communication....But tribes are longer lasting and more effective." Do you want your Sunday School class to be "longer lasting and more effective?" Then you must lead.

There are some natural questions that result from a realization that a Sunday School tribe needs a leader. How can you build the trust necessary to become the leader? Where are you leading them? How will you do so? How can you hold up the idea (Jesus Christ and living for Him) in your leadership in such a way that the tribe comes together. (Now, I have not read Godin's book yet, so I cannot recommend it, but he started me thinking.)

If you are not leading your class, who is? If no one is, then be prepared for the connections to disintegrate, for the group to disburse. They will find another leader. They will find another tribe to which to join themselves. Sunday School teacher, lift up the cause of Christ. Lead. Be revolutionary!

In our world today, there are many easy measuring methods. We can use scales and tape measures. There are programs to measure distances between two addresses. There are tools to measure cubic airflow, diameter (see above), angle, and more. Other tools measure speed, brightness, temperature, and more. Surveys are done continuously prior to elections to measure to see which candidates are ahead.

Some behaviors and attitudes are a little more challenging to measure. One way to do so is to survey people to discover their range of practices. Then you can compare your actions to the groups' actions. This is called benchmarking. In 2007, Dan Lentz wrote an interesting article entitled Benchmarks: Growth in Small Groups which seeks to get a "finger on the pulse of small-groups ministry." He refers to survey results from SmallGroups.com on the subject of what goes on during typical small-group meetings.

Lentz states that "benchmarking—or comparing your small group to other small groups—is not intended to be a substitute for the Holy Spirit's work and guidance in your group. However, knowing what other small groups are doing can be a helpful diagnostic tool and can show what God is up to within the larger small-group movement." Consider how your small group compares in these areas:

FELLOWSHIP.  Lentz said, "Seventy-three percent of groups begin their discussion time with an icebreaker question or activity. Seventy-eight percent said, 'There is a lot of joy and laughter in our small-group gatherings.'"

• 70% of groups feature a snack or refreshments at nearly eveyr meeting
• 19% eat a meal together at every gathering
• 11% do not eat at all when they are together

When asked, "When was the last time your group ate a meal together?", 43 percent responded "last week"; 33 percent responded "last month"; 13 percent in the "last year"; and 11 percent have "never" eaten a meal together.

DISCIPLESHIP/STUDY FOCUS. When asked what groups were doing "right now" for a study focus:

• 40% were doing a published study guide or authored book the group had selected
• 16% were doing a curriculum developed by their local church or the group leader
• 13% were doing a curriculum based around their pastor's weekly message
• 3% have an open discussion format with no formal curriculum
• 28% were doing other things or a combination of things (service groups, for example)

Of the total amount of time the group met together:

• 42% said the study focus consumed 1/2 of their group time
• 29% said the study focus only consumed 1/4 of their group time
• 21% said the study focus consumed 3/4 of their group time
• 5% said the study focus only consumed 1/10 of their group time
• 3% said the study focus consumed 9/10 of of their group time

WORSHIP/PRAYER. When asked what intentional thing groups did most frequently to promote worship during the group time:

• 41% sing together
• 36% take time for prayers of praise
• 4% read Psalms or scriptures of praise
• 19% do not have regular, intentional worship activities

As far as the amount of time a group spe nds in prayer together:

• 36% spend 5–10 minutes in prayer during group gatherings
• 31% spend 5 minutes or less
• 20% spend 10–15 minutes f or prayer
• 13% spend 15 minutes or more in prayer time

OUTREACH/SERVICE. Here are the responses when asked, "In the past 12 months, how many evangelistic service projects has your group done?":

• 45% of groups had done zero
• 12% had done one
• 17% had done two
• 10% had done three
• 2% had done four
• 14% had done five+

When asked about the most recent type of service project the group had done:

• 25% served a meal to the hungry
• 17% did an act of service for the poor
• 12% provided cleaning services to someone outside the group
• 8% provided childcare as an act of service
• 7% did some type of construction
• 4% painted as an act of service
• 3% visited the sick
• 3% provided transportation as an act of service21% did some other kind of service

Where would you rate your group? What are your group's strengths? weaknesses? How balanced are you in carrying out the five purposes of the church through your group: worship, discipleship, fellowship, evangelism, and ministry? What might happen as a result of intentional actions to strengthen one of the purposes? What is the next step you need to lead your group to make? Pray. Measure. Challenge. Encourage. Grow. Impact. Be revolutionary!

During this past weekend, I spent some time helping some Sunday School leaders understand the importance of multiplying themselves. We must prepare and send more workers into the harvest. The main reason we don't have more classes (and people) in Sunday School, is that we have not prepared more teachers and workers.

I read an interesting blog entry by Sue Mallory entitled Turbocharging Your Volunteers. She shares about a leader helping another individual move from inactive to very involved. While the setting is different, her four key principles also apply to training (apprenticing) potential Sunday School leaders. Want to know how to apprentice potential leaders? I will share Mallory's four principles in all capitals followed by my commentary applying them to the adult Sunday School class:

• IDENTIFY THE REAL PERSON. Help him/her to see the potential. Lead him/her to recognize how gifts, experiences, and personality, and passions can be released in a specific Sunday School role. I like the suggestion of allowing the person to sample opportunities to serve. Ask him/her to serve in small ways to see how they respond and to give you opportunity to affirm. Mallory also encourages discovering more about the person through a relaxed setting such as lunch.
• DRAW THEM INTO THE MINISTRY TEAM. Help him/her to see the difference that Sunday School makes. Share your vision. Share the importance and potential impact of serving in a Sunday School role as a teacher, care group leader, greeter, outreach leader, fellowship leader, secretary, or other Sunday School leader. Ask him/her to join you when you have a class leader retreat so that he/she can see how the team works together. I like Mallory's suggestion: "Make sure your volunteers know when and where you'll be available when they need coaching."
• HELP THEM GROW AS INDIVIDUALS. Share your high expectations, and as Mallory puts it "pull your volunteers toward growth." Expect a lot. Hold him/her accountable. Check on assignments and how he/she is doing in the Sunday School role. Mallory suggests these actions: nurture their faith, help them set boundaries, encourage them to take charge, and help them to ease up when they need to do so. He also encourages releasing a potential leader when the ministry does not fit or he/she is not setting the right example.
• GIVE THEM THE KNOW-HOW TO ASSURE SUCCESS. This calls for you to break the Sunday School role into its important elements. Make sure to give him/her exposure to every important aspect. In fact, a checklist may ensure that you won't forget one or more task. Show the task while he/she observes. Do tasks together. Let him/her do the task while you observe. Debrief each time. I like suggestions that Mallory shared: keep training brief, can the lecture, teach outside the church walls, discover who [adults] are today, go online, role play difficult situations he/she may face, and act as a mirror for him/her. After a Sunday School service opportunity, help him/her to reflect on what happened and why it was important.

Begin now praying that God will help you to identify a potential apprentice--otherwise you may miss many with great potential. Who is God placing on your heart? Identify his/her potential. Draw them into the class, task, and team. Help him/her to grow. Provide bite-sized practical training. Release him/her into the harvest. Encourage. Support. Be revolutionary!

I worked with a great church this weekend. The pastor cares for the people. He believes in Sunday School. I had the privilege to evaluate and plan with most of their Sunday School teachers and leaders. They were honest, open, and full of questions. I don't believe I heard any phrases like, "We've never done it that way" or "That won't work here."

We talked about some basic Sunday School assimilation practices: class greeters, name tags, arriving early, care groups, open classes, participatory teaching methods, open arrangement, comfortable space, welcome center/signs, good records, open enrollment, and high expectations. They evaluated themselves honestly. We talked about some basic measures and goal areas for Sunday School growth: enrollment, attendance, ministry contacts, workers/classes, and prospects.

They set goals for the next six months. Their vision, their hopes, and their confidence in God and His mission for them were high. In fact, in a Sunday School averaging 93, their goal for attendance increase in six months was 70 more for a total of 163. Wow! They currently have 77 parking spaces. Today at one point they had 62 cars (which is 80% of capacity). Since they are averaging 2.2 persons per car, that means they would need 32 parking spaces to accommodate the additional 70 people they want to reach in six months. They had 15 free today, but they will need to do something creative to make 17+ more available during that period or their growth will slow or stop.

Their class for ages 3-5 is currently at 80% of capacity (which is considered full). If they want to continue to grow, they will need to move the class into a larger space (swap with another class) or start another class for the age group (perhaps one for boys and one for girls, or one for threes and the other for fours and fives). A sanctuary or pastor's class could be started.

The church currently has two unused classrooms. But they could add a fourth class to the three that already meet in the fellowship hall. Also, since their schedule includes worship before and after Sunday School, they could start one or three classes in the sanctuary--perhaps by beginning a pastor's class (don't start two in an open space because they will compete for sound, but three or more will create a low roar/background noise like some restaurants).

There are currently no new teachers waiting in the wings. Each teacher needs to begin now to identify, pray for, and train apprentices in small doses. These apprentices would be shown how to be an effective teachers, encouraged to study/train, and be given opportunities to practice all phases of teacher duties--from teaching, to reaching, to caring, to fellowship planning, and more.

In order to be effective  in caring for the people they want to reach, invite, minister to, pray for, and enroll in Sunday School, they need to put additional people to the task. Class greeters and care group leaders need to be enlisted. The more people they have with jobs that are important to the success of the Sunday School, the more people they will have who will stay connected. Drop outs will decrease. Attendance will increase.

What do you need to do to take your Sunday School to the next level? What goals do you need to set? What barriers are making progress difficult? What can you do to plow around the stumps? What classes need to be started? What classes can be moved into space that will allow them to grow? What future plans require action now in order to be prepared for them then? What are you doing to identify, enlist, and train apprentices and new leaders?

Where does God want you to be in six months? in a year? What must you do to get there? Pray. Evaluate. Dream. Identify priorities. Set goals. Make action plans. A ssign the plans to res ponsible people with deadl ines. Do it. Start the cycle all over again. Be revolutionary.

In Part 1, I began by asking some questions: What is the desired result of all of our efforts in Sunday School? What outcomes are we working to produce in members' lives? How are we expecting them to behave as a result? Assuming an ideal Sunday School class, what would the members be doing? In Part 1, we looked at the first of twelve behaviors. In Part 2, we will look at the final six ideal behaviors of adult Sunday School class members. Consider the following beginning list:

Look back at Part 1. How are the members of your class doing in the twelve ideal behaviors of adult Sunday School class members? Measure yourself. How are you doing in these six areas? How is your class doing? Which one needs priority attention? What can you do to strengthen this behavior for yourself? for your class? What can you do this week? Expect the best. God deserves nothing less. Be revolutionary!

I mentioned in Part 1 that many Sunday School teachers begin serving without training. That means that they can only build off of what they have experienced. Most witnessed their Sunday School teachers lecturing each week. And we should not be surprised if they don't know the best ways to facilitate discussion which can be a great method. It involves more people than lecture and can bring more collective intelligence and experiences to bear.

What can be done to create a safe environment which results in healthy, productive discussion in Sunday School/small groups? In Part 1, I shared a helpful blog post by Grahame Knox entitled 10 Ways to Encourage Discussion in Your Small Group. While Knox applies his post to teenagers, his simple points apply to adults as well. In Part 1, I shared the first five ways to create a safe environment which encourages discussion: a positive environment, icebreakers, it's okay to talk, open-ended questions, and listening. In Part 2, we will look at Knox's final five ways which are in all capitals followed by my commentary:

• BE INCLUSIVE. Without embarrassing anyone, try to include everyone. Discussion in a large group can make this difficult. You may find it helpful to break the group into smaller groups. In groups of 3-6 almost everyone can participate. And almost everyone will feel safe doing so. I like Knox's admonitions, "Don't allow one person to monopolize the conversation. Don't be content with one answer." Discussion that is inclusive is much richer and leads to greater learning.
• BE CREATIVE. Planning is key here. Look for unique ways to start the discussion. I like Knox's suggestions, "Instead of starting with a question, use a role play or case study to bring about a response. Use a group survey to provide a platform for further discussion." Read an article from the newpaper. Change up the time you use discussion. Instead of discussion in the large group, move to small groups. Involve a panel of "experts." Lead them to listen, think, and participate because variety added interest.
• BE AFFIRMING. This does not mean you have to affirm wrong answers. But you can affirm the effort to respond. Don't force responses. In Knox's words, "Acknowledge all contributions. Avoid any put-downs....Allow young people the right to pass and not share." Thank responders. Encourage participation in the discussion. Get ideas on the table.
• THE SOUND OF SILENCE. Give them time to think. Some need time to process before responding. Others enjoy "thinking out loud." You may even give them permission not to respond for 15 seconds. Don't fill in the blanks for them. If necessary, ask the question or situation in another way. They may not understand. When a positive environment has been established that encourages participation in discussion, silence is very healthy.
• SUMMARIZE. Catch the group up on what has been said to that point. Or better yet, ask someone in the group to summarize the discussion. This can serve as a launching point for the next discussion direction. As Knox said, "This helps draw various ideas together, gives continuity to the study and keeps the discussion on track." At minimum, summarizing is a great way of strengthening memory and learning. But it also says to the group that you have been listening. And that in turn encourages future participation in discussion.

Many teachers begin serving without training. That means that they can only build off of what they have experienced. Most witnessed their Sunday School teachers lecturing each week. We should not be surprised when that is the method they choose to employ. And we should not be surprised if they don't know the best ways to facilitate discussion.

Discussion can be a great method. It involves more people than lecture. It can bring more collective intelligence and experiences to bear upon the subject at hand. What can be done to create a safe environment which results in healthy, productive discussion in Sunday School/small groups?

I recently read a helpful blog post by Grahame Knox entitled 10 Ways to Encourage Discussion in Your Small Group. While Knox applies his points to teenagers, his simple points apply to adults as well. In Part 1, I will share the first five ways to create a safe environment which encourages discussion. Knox's five ways are in all capitals followed by my commentary:

• A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT. The bottom line: provide a comfortable environment that is free from distraction. Make sure that visual and sound interruptions are minimized. Check the room temperature. Make sure lighting is adequate. Make sure equipment and furnishing are appropriate. If seating is uncomfortable, then give breaks by moving the group around. Make sure there is enough space for an open discussion, preferably circle or semi-circle. Help the group to benefit by being able to see one another--since 93% of communication is nonverbal.
• BREAK THE ICE. I have written about the importance of icebreakers before. Check out Five Suggestions for Using Icebreakers Well in Sunday School/Small Groups, Nine Reasons to Use Icebreakers in Sunday School/Small Groups, and Using Icebreakers Purposefully in Sunday School/Small Groups. I enjoyed Knox's list of ways icebreakers and games can get things moving and encourage interaction: (1) helping new members integrate into the group; (2) helping the group feel comfortable together; (3) encouraging cooperation; (4) encouraging listening to others; and (5) creating a good atmosphere for learning and participation. You can even download a free resource called 40 Icebreakers for Small Groups. Knox also mention providing food which can relax a group and give them some casual social interaction time.
• IT'S OKAY TO TALK. This is a great suggestion. Give the group permission to talk from the beginning. Try to get everyone to participate (without embarrassing). One way to get everyone involved would be to divide into smaller groups (3-6 people). In groups that size, those who are introverts will not be as intimidated about talking. This means the teacher/facilitator has to keep the group moving toward its objective.
• USE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. Avoid using questions which ask for yes, no, or one-word answers. Get them thinking. Encourage the group to ask good questions. Feel free to turn the questions back toward the group. Ask questions which bring out knowledge and experience. He shared a he lpful post called That's a Good Question. Also, check out Keys to Increasing Verbal Participation in Sunday School. I like Knox's final statement here: "Help them to discover and apply what the Bible says for themselves." Lead the group to help each other to do this!
• LISTEN. As the teacher/facilitator, your example is important. But you also need to lead the group to learn how to listen well to each other. Give the group time to think and to respond to your questions. As Knox said, "If necessary, rephrase them until they are clearly understood." Ask the group to tell you what they just heard. Teach them not to cut each other off. Don't rush. Check out Improve Your Small Group by Listening Better, Part 1, Improve Your Small Group by Listening Better, Part 2, and The Best Sunday School Teachers and Leaders Are Great Listeners!.

Discussion is an important tool in the teacher's planbook. Used well, it can produce amazing results in group interaction as it advances knowledge and commitment to obedience of God's Word. In Part 2, we will look at Knox's final five ways to create a safe environment which encourages discussion: be inclusive, be creative, be affirming, the sound of silence, and summarize. For more information about discussion, check out Effective Discussion in Your Sunday School Class, Part 1, Effective Discussion in Your Sunday School Class, Part 2, and Effective Discussion in Your Sunday School Class, Part 3. Create a safe place for discussion. Be revolutionary!

I spent the weekend with a pastor and set of Sunday School leaders. The church averages under 100 in Sunday School. They have 15 classes: 2 preschool, 3 children, 3 youth, and 7 adult. Evaluation was honest. Ideas were free-flowing. Everybody seemed to be stretched in the course of the weekend. Hope and expectations seemed to be high.

But the weekend got me thinking about Kingdom growth and the impact of Sunday School addition versus multiplication. Let me explain what I mean. Just for the moment, let's ignore the obvious space problem that will occur. The church currently has 15 classes.  Allowing 35 square feet for preschoolers, 25 square feet for children, and 15 square feet for youth and adults, they had room to grow in every class except for toddlers (need to start another class there). Let's assume that every class set a goal to reach 4 people in the next 12 months. That would only be one person per class per quarter. For 15 classes, that would add 60 people by the end of the year. If those 15 classes did that every year for 10 years, they would have an additional 600 people attending.

But let's compare that to multiplication. What if one class and one teacher would double every year, teaching the new teacher and class to do the same each time. After two years, there would be two classes and teachers who plan to double. After four years, there would be four classes and teachers. After six years, there would be eight. After eight years, there would be 16. After ten years, there would be 32 classes and teachers. Since classes on average grow to 10 in attendance and 20 in enrollment in 12-18 months, that would be 320 in attendance and 640 enrolled.

Okay, so after 10 years there are 600 people attending with addition and only 320 attending with multiplication. But what happens in the second 10 years? The addition process produces another 600 people; that's a total of 1,200 attending over 20 years through addition.

The multiplcation process produces 64 classes and teachers in year 12; 128 in year 14; 256 in year 16, 512 in year 18; and 1,024 classes and teachers in year 20. Now with 10 persons in attendance and 20 in enrollment per class, that results in 10,240 in attendance and 20,480 in enrollment after 20 years. Wow! What a difference! That is a difference of 9,040 people!

Too many leaders don't understand the difference. We don't have to do one or the other, but we really do need to make sure that part of our strategy is starting new classes that will intentionally multiply. In the above example, if we added the two together, we could have had more than 11,400 more people in Sunday School in 20 years. Wow.

What are you going to do with them all? Better start a building campaign now! Better start preparing for multiple Sunday School. Better start praying for God's presence and leadership. It can happen. People need Jesus. The harvest needs workers. Sunday School needs leadership and expectation. Be revolutionary!

Sunday School is a great tool in the hands of a revolutionary for carrying out the Great Commission. Jesus told His disciples, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV). That is a God-sized vision!

What would happen if Sunday School really took that command seriously? What if Sunday School leaders and members believed that He is with them? What goals would they set? What plans would they make? How much more closely would they listen to, talk with, and walk with God? What if each leader and member started by impacting their own circles of influence? What if they all gave their best efforts to God? What might be possible?

Raise your vision. Share it. Challenge leaders and members to raise their vision. For some ideas which may help, check out the following:

• Raise the Vision That Sunday School Can ’Make Disciples of All Nations’!
• How BIG Is God’s Vision for Your Sunday School/Small Groups?
• What Does Your Church Need Small Groups to Do?
• How Far Should Sunday School Go to Make Disciples of All Nations?
• Doubling Sunday School Classes Really Works!
• Kingdom Vision: Start New Churches Through the Sunday School
• Next-Level Sunday School
• When Pastors Attend Sunday School/Small Groups, It Is Contagious!
• Growing Your Sunday School by Increasing Your Budget
• For What Is Your Sunday School Known?
• Sunday School Change Is Needed But Should Not Be Rushed
• Top Priorities of a New Sunday School Director
• What Would You Include in Your Book about Sunday School?
• Would You Like to Double Your Sunday School Class?
• Pastors, Directors, and Teachers Can Lead Their Sunday Schools to Double
• How Can Sunday School Enable the Church to Witness to the Ends of the Earth?
• Take th e Challenge: Outrgrow Your Current Sunday School/Small Group Ministry
• Sunday School Health Checkup, Part 2
• What Might Happen If You Offered Sunday School on Tuesdays?
• Aerobics and Weight Training for Sunday School
• Sunday School New Birth Stories, Part 3
• Starting a New Sunday School Year with Momentum
• Calendaring Sunday School Growth
• Feature a Different Sunday School Class in Worship Each Month
• Sunday School Checkup: Are You Growing?
• Is Your Sunday School Healthy?
• Comparing Revolutionary and Mediocre Sunday School
• High Expectations Are Necessary for Sunday School’s Mutiny Against Mediocrity
• Making the Greatness of Sunday School Known
• Steps to Start a Sunday School, Part 1
• Steps to Start a Sunday School, Part 2
• How Many People Does It Take to Change Sunday School?
• Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 2
• Planning Questions for Moving to Multiple Sunday Schools, Part 1
• 5 Goals for Sunday School Growth This Year
• Measure Your Sunday School Strengths and Opportunities, Part 1
• Measure Your Sunday School Strengths and Opportunities, Part 2
• Benefits of H igh Attendance Sunday

• Nine Key Healthy Sunday School Issues, Part 3

How big is your vision for your Sunday School? The better questions is how big is God's vision? Where does He want you to go? What does He want you to do? Who does He want you to become? Who will go? Who will you reach? What Kingdo m impact will you have? Respond to the vision He gives you. Trust Him. Believe Him. Follow Him. Obey Him. Be revolutionary!