The Sunday School Revolutionary!

Three Simple Strategies to Increase Sunday School Attendance, Part 3

Darryl Wilson — Thu, 4 Mar 2010 18:35:00 -0400

In Three Simple Actions to Increase Sunday School attendance, I shared this picture and question: Picture your home, whether a house, condo, or apartment. Let's assume you set a goal of getting ten people crammed into your living room. What do you need to do in order to achieve your goal? While there are many strategies, let me boil the possibilities down to three actions:

get nine people besides yourself in the front door,
make sure they don't go out the door,
and make sure you get them all at the same time into the living room.

Those simple actions can be translated into the context of the Sunday School to help us increase Sunday School attendance. In Part 1 of this series, I shared Front Door strategies. In Part 2, I shared Back Door strategies. In Part 3, I will share Living Room strategies

LIVING ROOM. While the Front Door is focused on connecting to prospects and guests and the Back Door is focused on preventing dropouts, the Living Room is focused on regular attendance. As was stated in Three Simple Actions to Increase Sunday School:

Disciples grow better when they consistently are part of a group. Irregular attendance results in irregular or poor growth as disciples. It produces weak leaders. It reduces relationships and service opportunities.

What are some Living Room strategies for Sunday School classes which can improve the regularity of members? I shared a good beginning list in Irregularity: Addressing Every-Other-Week Class Attenders:

follow up every time persons are absent;
when they miss, express your genuine care and let them know they were missed;
ask key class members to invest in relationships with some whose attendance patterns are beginning to change;
use care groups to make weekly contact with members and prospects--can lead to some additional relationships over time;
contact, pray together, and remind them of the next class fellowship;
plan regular class fellowships and make sure absentees get written and phone invitations/reminders;
plan outreach and ministry projects where participants can get to know one another differently than they would in social times;
give every member a class responsibility--this will often increase faithfulness;
develop prayer partners who pray together before class begins and between classes;
communicate how upcoming lessons will help them to live out their Christian lives in the world;
explain the benefits of regular attendance for themselves and their children;
have an attendance and/or contact competition with another class during a quarter;
use icebreakers to help class members get to know one another in fresh ways (can lead to affinity discovery); and
divide the group during the Bible study into small groups (3-6 persons) for discussion.

In addition to that list, let me add five more Living Room strategies:

set high expectations for attendance--explain why it is important;
lead members to agree on/sign a class involvement covenant challenging members to have daily devotions, read lessons weekly, and be present;
encourage them to bring their friends;
give individuals assignments related to the lesson; and
make sure to use fun, participatory teaching-learning activities to involve everyone in every lesson.

What would you add to this list? Press C omments below and leave your thoughts. Give focus to these three actions in your Sunday School and watch your attendance increase. As you are faithful at caring for God's sheep, He will entrust you with more. Where do you need to start? Just don't forget that all three of these actions are needed for your Sunday School to reach its potential. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about increasing Sunday School attendance, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School Training at Six Locations of the Growing Ministries Tour

Darryl Wilson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:31:00 -0400

Are you seeking improvement in the overall health of your church? Desiring to grow strategic ministries in your church?

Pastors, church staff, and leaders/workers in the areas of Stewardship, Discipleship, Assimilation, Sunday School, Youth Ministry and Preschool/Children Ministry are invited to come together to be challenged and better equipped for sharpening the effectiveness of these key ministries. Sessions include (Sunday School training is highlighted:

SESSION ONE:

Meeting the Resource Challenge Through a Stewardship Strategy
The Velcro Church
Sunday School Momentum: Six Steps Forward This Year - Move attendance and attitude from stagnant to growing by addressing prayer, enrollment, prospects, contacts, workers, planning and training.
Discipleship from the Inside Out
Retaining 16-19 Year-Olds
Transforming Preschoolers and Children

SESSION TWO:

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Our Stewardship Ministry
The Velcro Church
Sunday School Multiplication: Three Critical Issues - Reach, care for, andmobilize more people as new teachers, leaders, and classes are launched.
Discipleship from the Inside Out
Retaining 16-19 Year-Olds
Empowering Parents

The schedule for each location begins at 6:30 PM local time and concludes at 9:00 PM. Participants will be able to choose one of the six conferences to attend for each session. The cost for the training is $10 per person or $50 maximum per church.

Click your prefered date/location below for more information and to register:

April 12, 2010 in the Oldham-Trimble Association
LaGrange Baptist Church
1139 Commerce Pkwy, LaGrange
April 13, 2010 in the Bracken Association
Mayslick Baptist Church
5105 Main St, Mayslick
April 20, 2010 in the Wayne Association
First Baptist Church, Monticello
2124 E Highway 90, Monticello
April 22, 2010 in the Blackford-Breckinridge Association
Hawesville Baptist Church
125 Jefferson St, Hawesville
April 27, 2010 in the South District Association
First Baptist Church, Danville
1570 North Danville Bypass Danville, Kentucky
May 10, 2010 in the Caldwell-Lyon Association
First Baptist Church, Eddyville
216 Jenkins Rd, Eddyville

Add this to your schedule. Plan to bring a group from your church. Bring a van load! See you there!

Three Simple Strategies to Increase Sunday School Attendance, Part 2

Darryl Wilson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:36:00 -0400

Three Simple Strategies to Increase Sunday School Attendance, Part 1, I began expanding on actions I shared in Three Simple Actions to Increase Sunday School Attendance: front door, back door, living room. Check it out. In Part 1 of this three-part series, I began by sharing strategies for focusing on front door Sunday School action strategies.

In Part 2, I will expand on back door strategies: When people join, care for them. When they are absent, contact them. Do it out of concern for them as persons rather than simply an attendance number. Organize the class to respond in care. What goals do you need to set? What plans and assignments need to be made? Consider the following back door strategy ideas:

pray for/with each other, focus on real needs;
enlist prayer partners;
enlist and train care group leaders;
give time on Sunday morning for care groups to meet/pray together;
take roll in care groups;
contact absentees every week;
respond quickly to discovered needs;
establish good communication channels for sharing prayer requests and for mobilizing the class to meet a ministry need that is bigger than the care group can handle;
give as many attenders as possible a responsibility in class sessions and class ministry;
use name tags;
call people by name;
seek to deal constructively with conflict;
plan regular class fellowships/projects to develop relationships in new ways beyond Bible study session time;
utilize small group activities and participatory teaching-learning activities to foster relationships and affinity-discovery; and
ask class greeters to help the class notice when members are absent.

How are you doing with that list? The more you implement, the more your Sunday School Back Door will begin to close. The more you close your Back Door, the more involved and growing will be your attenders. They will be more likely to feel good about their experiences and to invite others to join them. What would you add to the list? Determine the top three which are needed by your class or Sunday School. Number them in order of priority. Then commit to and pursue implementation of that strategy. Then move on to the second strategy. Don't try to do too many at once--which would likely result in failure. Pray together. Enlist care group leaders and greeters. Keep good records. Respond to needs and absences. Communicate regularly. Use names and name tags. Be revolutionary!
For more ideas about back door issues for increasing Sunday School attendance, check out these blog posts:

Three Simple Strategies to Increase Sunday School Attendance, Part 1

Darryl Wilson — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:22:00 -0400

In Three Simple Actions to Increase Sunday School Attendance, I mentioned these actions which can lead to increased Sunday School attendance:

FRONT DOOR. Personally invite and enroll new people. Invite them to class fellowships and projects. Get to know people in the community and in your home.
BACK DOOR. When people join, care for them. When they are absent, contact them. Do it out of concern for them as persons rather than simply an attendance number. Organize the class to respond in care.
LIVING ROOM. Make attendance and involvement meaningful. Set high expectations for attendance. Challenge members to have devotions, read lessons, and be present. Lead them to encounter God. Give assignments. Call when they miss. Encourage them to bring friends. Find them places of service.

When we give focus to all three of these actions, Sunday School attendance will naturally increase. As you are faithful and faithful at caring for God's sheep, He will entrust you with more.

In this three-part series, I want to expand on those actions by offering strategies for accomplishing each of those actions. In Part 1, we will focus on Front Door action strategies. What goals do you need to set? What plans and assignments need to be made? Consider the following twenty strategy ideas:

pray for God's leadership, for those in the class, and those not yet reached;
set, check on, and adjust annual and quarterly God-sized goals for attendance, enrollment, and invitations/contacts;
prayerwalk your community;
invite friends, relatives, and neighbors to class fellowships, projects, and homes (focus on a different group each month);
challenge members to invite prospects when they are at work, at play, and in the marketplace;
enlist greeters to welcome, register guests, and help with name tags;
follow up with every guest in worship, Sunday School, and other church ministries;
plan for, start, and announce new groups at and away from the church regularly;
announce upcoming class or age group study topics monthly to members, absentees, and prospects as well as from the pulpit;
assign class members to sanctuary sections to seek out and connect with guests who may be prospects for the class;
develop an active prayer, ministry, and fellowship list of unenrolled/unconnected people;
set up a system for assigning unenrolled people to class attenders to contact, care for, pray with, and invite each week;
make contact with prospective members by visit, phone, card/letter, and/or email;
enroll and contact every new church member;
seek a list of all church members not enrolled in Sunday School; pray, care for, and invite them regularly;
make a list of all unenrolled family members of Sunday School members; pray, care for, and invite them regularly;
make class session exciting, participative, and guest-friendly; avoid embarrassing or using "churchy" words;
invite worship guests every week to get connected in Sunday School;
share regular Sunday School testimonies from the pulpit; and
register guests for church-wide and community events and ministries; make class assignments to follow up.

How are you doing with that list? The more you implement, the more your Sunday School Front Door will be open. The more open your Front Do or, the more guests who will connect with your class, enroll, and take steps with Jesus. What would you add to the list? Determine the top three which are needed by your class or Sunday School. Number them in order of priority. Then commit to and pursue implementation of that strategy. Then move on to the second strategy. Don't try to do too many at once--which would likely result in failure. Pray. Invite. Enroll. Grow. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about increasing Sunday School attendance, check out these blog posts:

Three Simple Actions to Increase Sunday School Attendance

Darryl Wilson — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:44:00 -0400

I want you to picture your home. It may be a house, condo, or apartment that you own or rent. It is the place you lay your head at night. Let's assume you set a goal of getting ten people crammed into your living room. What do you need to do in order to achieve your goal? While there are many strategies, let me boil the possibilities down to three actions:

get nine people besides yourself in the front door,
make sure they don't leave,
and make sure you get them all at the same time into the living room.

Those simple actions can be translated into the context of the Sunday School to help us increase Sunday School attendance:

FRONT DOOR. Invite and enroll new people. This is essential in order to have more people in Sunday School. Invite them in person, by card/letter, by phone, by email, by social media, etc. The more personal, the more effective will be the invitation. Invite them to your class fellowships and projects. Get to know people in the community and in your home. Invite them to class. Invite them to enroll--add them to the prayer and care list for your class. How can you address the front door in order to increase your attendance?
BACK DOOR. When people join, care for them. When they are absent, contact them every time, every week. Do it out of concern for them as persons rather than simply an attendance number. Organize the class to respond in care. Keep good contact and attendance records. Provide regular fellowships to deepen and expand the network of relationships. Pray together. Use name tags, greeters, and care group leaders. The goal is to have none to drop out. Never allow someone to miss without knowing why they are away and responding out of care when needed. How can you address the back door in order to increase your attandance?
LIVING ROOM. While the back door is focused on preventing dropouts, the living room is focused on regular attendance. Disciples grow better when they consistently are part of a group. Irregular attendance results in irregular or poor growth as disciples. It produces weak leaders. It reduces relationships and service opportunities. Set high expectations for attendance. Challenge members to have daily devotions, read lessons weekly, and be present. Encourage them to bring their friends. Call them when they miss. Give them assignments related to the lesson. Find them places of service in the class. In an article called, The Missing Metric, Thom Rainer of LifeWay Christian Resources said: "If the frequency of attendance changes, then attendance will respond accordingly. For example, if 200 members attend every week the average attendance is, obviously, 200. But if one-half of those members miss only one out of four weeks, the attendance drops to 175." How can you address the living room in order to increase your average attendance?

Give focus to these three actions in your Sunday School and watch your attendance increase. As you are faithful at caring for God's sheep, He will entrust you with more. Where do you need to start? Just don't forget all three of these actions or your attendance will not reach its potential. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about increasing Sunday School attendance, check out these blog posts:

Infusing Sunday School with C.A.R.E.

Darryl Wilson — Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:24:00 -0400

The more I observe and write about Sunday School, the more I am convinced that an important key to the effective functioning of Sunday School is care. Care is essential for connecting and reaching new people. Care is vital in starting and growing friendships. Care is important during the teaching and learning environment.

Care enables reaching, teaching-learning, and caring. When each of these are infused with care, Sunday School becomes an effective tool in carrying out the Great Commission. Through care, Sunday School grows disciples, leaders, and classes.

Sunday School care is three dimensional: upward-directed, outward-directed, as well as self-directed (love God, other, and self). As a result, Sunday School care takes many forms in the lives of classes and small groups:

prayer,
relationship-building,
ministry in time of need,
presence during pain,
encouraging words,
listening,
pointed challenging teaching,
discipleship discussion,
accountability,
acts of service,
fun and fellowships,
invitations,
conversation and interaction,
covenants,
and so many more.

Consider this Sunday School C.A.R.E. equation:

Great Sunday School = CONNECTION + AGAPE LOVE + REACHING + EQUIPPING.

Until there is attempt to connect, there is no context for agape (selfless) love. (Remember God made the first step to love us.) Loving connections result in reaching and enrolling new people. And these connections enable lives to be equipped and mobilized to make more loving connections which in turn reach new people. Teach your class to C.A.R.E. Teach your Sunday School to C.A.R.E. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about caring, check out these blog posts:

Is the Average Sunday School Class Too Complicated?

Darryl Wilson — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:44:00 -0400

Today complicated is frowned upon. Simple is "in." For some, Yahoo is complicated. Google is simple. Apple has worked to become the king of simple: Ipods, Iphones, etc. Many simple products and books are selling well.

Rainer and Geiger wrote Simple Church which presents a simple but successful model for discipleship. Their research showed a simple design tended to produce more growth. Many churches are too complicated. The discipleship process has too many options. The ministry has too many competing programs. Staff and members are pulled into directions. This results in "fights" for calendar, budget, and volunteers. In the meantime, other research has shown little discipleship progress in many of these "complicated" churches.

So here are the questions of the day:

Is the average Sunday School class too complicated? Is the class trying to accomplish too much? Is the discipleship path in the class too complicated, too unclear? Are expectations unclear and/or uncommunicated? Is class organization too complicated? Or are class teachers and leaders simply untrained and not held accountable for carrying out the work?
Would a simpler discipleship process through the Sunday School be more likely to produce results (help attenders make spiritual progress)? If so, what would that discipleship process look like? Would a simpler class organization be more likely to enable better results? If so, how might that class organization look?

Chew on those questions. Leave your thoughts--even incomplete ones--by pressing Comments below. This issue needs serious conversation, thinking, and response. Let's give God our best efforts through the Sunday School. Let's strive for changed lives. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about simple class organization, check out these blog posts:

Reflections of a Sunday School Teacher/Leader

Darryl Wilson — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:00:00 -0400

I like ambiguous statements: ones that could mean more than one thing. The title of this blog post is ambiguous. It could mean that a teacher/leader is thinking about Sunday School experiences. On the other hand, it could be more literal. It could be examining whether Sunday School and leaders look like their leader. For this blog post, both meanings are appropriate.

What started me thinking about this subject is an early statementin Tim Elmore's book, Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits & Attitudes. On page 1, Dr. Elmore shares a leadership image called the Mirror Effect:

As a leader, your followers will be a reflection of you. Not only will you attract others like yourself, but over time, those who follow you will mirror both your negative and positive characteristics.

If you are a pastor, Sunday School director, teacher, or other leader, someone is following you. A leader will have followers. If no one is following, you are not leading. But Elmore's point is important. Leaders will tend to gather followers who look, think, and act like them. Unfortunately, that means followers will reflect good and bad habits, attitudes, and practices of their leader(s).

With that in mind, here are some questions to check on your reflection:

What Sunday School leaders/members are following you? watching you? reflecting you?
Which of your positive habits, attitudes, and practices are they reflecting? which of your negative ones?
Who are you reflecting? God? other leaders?
How do those reflections impact your Sunday School habits, attitudes, and practices?
What adjustments do you need to make to adjust your reflection and your impact upon your Sunday School followers?
Who do you need to spend time with, what do you need to read, and what do you need to practice, in order to raise the lid of your own Sunday School leadership? (John Maxwell)

Pause. Pray. Reflect upon your leadership. Reflect good images. Lead with impact. Follow the Lord. Lead others to Him. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about Sunday School leadership, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School Avoiding Deadman’s Turnabout

Darryl Wilson — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:06:00 -0400

During the month of June, I took a sabbatical to begin writing a book about Sunday School. (It now looks like it will be three books.) For my sabbatical, my wife and I travelled to England (including Gloucester, home of Robert Raikes, see picture above) where Sunday School had its start. While there we made a three-night jaunt to Wales and Scotland and even managed to stay in a castle.

During the month and specifically on that trip, I did some driving (on the other side of the road). Entering highways on the exit ramps (from an American's perspective) was the scariest part of driving. The second most scary was roundabouts. A roundabout is a junction in two or more roads (as many as a dozen exits), sometimes with lights or stop signs and sometimes without. Traffic always went clockwise around the roundabout. It was every man (or woman) for himself.

Some roundabouts had clear signs about which of the three or more exits led where. Other roundabouts had unclear or no signage. Locals would know which way to go, but foreigners would have to guess. More than once, I circled around a roundabout two, three, and even four times trying to decide which exit to take. In roundabouts with multiple lanes, there was an art to getting in the outside lane at the right time in the midst of the traffic.

Anyway, on our Scotland trip, we had spent the night at Crabwall Manor in Chester and were heading to Edinburgh. But before leading Chester, I stopped to ask for directions. The young man was very helpful. He showed me the fastest way on the map but quickly stated:

"But I would not send my worst enemy through Deadman's Roundabout."

It seems that Deadman's Roundabout had poor signage, way too much traffic, and about a dozen exits. He said even locals had difficulty navigating it. So he plotted me a longer but safer set of directions which worked smoothly.

His comment got me thinking. I find many Sunday Schools and Sunday School leaders are stuck in Deadman's Roundabout. They continue to circle trying to decide which way to go. They are struggling to make the right decision resulting in failure to make any decision. Their Sunday Schools are running out of gas. Teachers and leaders are growing tired of having no leadership. They are tried of making no progress. They get comfortably stuck while being frustrated at the same time.

Avoiding Deadman's Roundabout takes wisdom whose source is time spent with God and wise counselors. It takes prayer and planning. Maintaining momentum is important but heading in the right direction is essential. Follow God's lead. With God you will never go in the wrong direction! Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about planning, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 6

Darryl Wilson — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:18:00 -0400

In Part 1, I began sharing some thinking about the potential impact of the discipleship tool of the Sunday School. I suggested that thinking should focus on what Sunday School can do to impact one disciple. Then I shared several questions about Sunday School impacting a disciple named Ken or Kendra. Check out Part 1 for those questions.

In Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5, thinking continued about Sunday School's impact on discipleship in these eight ways: with God, God's Word, each other, questions, application, casual conversation, accountability, and intentionality. There are many more ways Sunday School can impact the discipleship of Ken/Kendra. Think about two more:

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES. Sunday School classes are great communities to experiment with and practice a variety of spiritual disciplines. While not every specific spiritual discipline fits every believer, classes can practice multiple disciplines in the course of the year in class and away from class. This can enable Ken/Kendra to find disciplines which are more comfortable and yet challenging. I know people who love journaling and others who hate it. One individual tried journaling and could only get it to work for him when his journaling was on his laptop. There are many spiritual disciplines. When Ken/Kendra grow in their relationship with God, the class benefits. See the blog posts listed below for more ideas.

GOALS. Why not use positive peer pressure to your advantage? Negotiate some goals. Challenge Ken/Kendra to stretch themselves as disciples. Challenge him/her to read the Bible through this year. Challenge him/her to pray ten minutes per day. Challenge Ken/Kendra to serve someone this week. Lead him/her to set goals about practicing one of the fruit of the Spirit. Lead him/her to do something for one of the least of these. Assess the discipleship Ken/Kendra and/or of the class and set corporate or personal goals to grow over the next quarter. Check up on Ken/Kendra's goals and discipleship progress.

What else would you add to these two ways? What else would you add beyond these two ways? There are so many ways that Sunday School can be a tool for discipleship in Ken/Kendra's life. Use it. Be revolutionary!

For additional thoughts about Sunday School's impact upon discipleship, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 5

Darryl Wilson — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:46:00 -0400

In Part 1, we started thinking about the potential impact of the discipleship tool of the Sunday School. I suggested that our thinking should focus on what Sunday School can do to impact one disciple. Then I shared several questions about Sunday School impacting a disciple named Ken or Kendra. Check out Part 1 for those questions.

In Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4, we continued thinking about Sunday School's impact on discipleship in these six ways: with God, God's Word, each other, questions, application, and casual conversation. There are many more ways Sunday School can impact the discipleship of Ken/Kendra. Think about two more:

ACCOUNTABILITY. The best classes care about one another and encourage each other in and away from class. Once attenders have been in class together for a few week, it is common for friendships to occur. This is the foundation for accountability and discipleship. Trust develops. Commitments are made to God and each other. They commit to pray, to read God's Word, to read the lesson, to live out the truth of God's Word, and more. Attenders offer to encourage each other to keep those commitments. The resulting positive accountability serves as a great source for forward steps of discipleship. This can take many forms: accountability partners, new Christian encourager, prayer partners, as well as the teacher asking at lesson beginning about obedience/application of last week's lesson's truth.

INTENTIONALITY. Sunday School is less than revolutionary when it lacks focus and direction. It accomplishes less than its potential. The reason that little discipleship is accomplished through many Sunday School classes is the lack of discipleship intentionality. No one has taken charge. No one has made making disciples a priority. Such intentionality begins with and is led by the teacher. A coach, Sunday School director, or pastor can train teachers to make discipleship an intentional focus and to know who to make the most difference.

For additional thoughts about Sunday School's impact upon discipleship, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 4

Darryl Wilson — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:27:00 -0400

In Part 1, I began thinking aloud about the potential impact of the discipleship tool of the Sunday School. I suggested that thinking should focus on what Sunday School can do to impact one disciple. Then I shared these questions:

What can Sunday School do to take a brand new, baby Christian to help them to become an obedient, Christ-following disciple and disciplemaker? Let's call the person Ken or Kendra. Don't talk in generalities, be specific. Don't limit your thinking to what Sunday School can do on Sunday morning, but include that experience in your responses as well. What can the teacher and members of that youth or adult class (or an off campus small group) do to impact Ken or Kendra in such a way that he/she becomes the person Christ desires? (After these questions, I asked for Comments.)

In Part 2 and Part 3, I continued thinking aloud by mentioning these four ways: with God, God's Word, each other, and questions. There are many more ways Sunday School can impact the discipleship of Ken/Kendra. Think about these two:

APPLICATION. A Sunday School lesson (like a sermon) is a natural opportunity to connect the truth of God's Word with the need for response. When attenders are led to meet God in Bible study, their need for change in thinking and/or behavior becomes apparent. Sunday School teachers are able to prepare in such a way as to bring the truth to bear to the age group represented by the class and more importantly to the individuals who will attend. Time must be set aside (dedicated) for application or else other activities will fill the time. It is essential to lead attenders to pause to examine and apply the truth. It is frequently helpful to make a couple of suggestions of ways the truth can be applied before leading attenders to commit to a course of action as a result of this encounter with God in His Word. Also, asking at the beginning of the lesson how attenders did at living out the truth during the week, is an important reminder about the end result of application: obedience.

CASUAL CONVERSATION OUTSIDE OF CLASS. Without a relationship, discipleship is difficult. God uses life encounters as opportunities for His body (the church) to begin relationships with people in the marketplace and along life's paths. Sunday School can regularly remind attenders to be aware of God speaking and moving around them. They can be reminded to be sensitive to opportunities to serve and befriend people. Once a relationship with God has begun, there are many ways Sunday School can impact discipleship through relationships outside of class. Casual conversation about the lesson, life's challenges, Bible questions, and more are comfortable, natural opportunities for discipleship. In casual conversation, questions can be answered, wrong assumptions corrected, poor behavior confronted, and the disciple life inspired. This can occur in chance encounters as well as in planned meetings.

For additional thoughts about Sunday School's impact upon discipleship, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 3

Darryl Wilson — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:42:00 -0400

In Part 1, I started thinking aloud about the potential impact of the discipleship tool of the Sunday School. I suggested that thinking should focus on what Sunday School can do to impact one disciple. Then I shared these questions:

What can Sunday School do to take a brand new, baby Christian to help them to become an obedient, Christ-following disciple and disciplemaker? Let's call the person Ken or Kendra. Don't talk in generalities, be specific. Don't limit your thinking to what Sunday School can do on Sunday morning, but include that experience in your responses as well. What can the teacher and members of that youth or adult class (or an off campus small group) do to impact Ken or Kendra in such a way that he/she becomes the person Christ desires? (After these questions, I asked for Comments.)

In Part 2, I continued thinking aloud continuing to invite Comments. There are many ways Sunday School can impact the discipleship of Ken/Kendra. In Part 2, I shared a couple of ways: prayer and Bible study. In Part 3, I will share two more ways that Sunday School can impact the discipleship of Ken/Kendra:

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN CLASS. Connecting to people is a key part of discipleship. Without entering trusting relationships, gaining help from others is difficult. There is a reason that we are told not to forsake assembling ourselves together. We are made for community. And the medium for discipleship is community--community first with God and second with His people. This begins for many Kens/Kendras before setting foot in a classroom. This begins as disciples of Jesus extend His love out into the community and inviting guests to worship, fellowships, homes, and the group time. They are hospitable. This continues as people act in caring ways with the desire for an ongoing relationship. When people trust one another, they can be honest with each other. This is easiest to accomplish in one-on-one. Trust and open honesty are difficult to achieve in a large group. That is why the best environment to encourage this to happen is more often smaller classes--usually under a dozen.

QUESTIONS. One great discipleship method for Sunday School and for relationships is asking questions. Allow Ken/Kendra to talk. Listen. Really listen. Ask questions because you care--not because you are nosey. Ask questions because you want to understand what he/she is telling you. Listeners make good friends and good encouragers. Ask what is going well in their first steps as a disciple. Ask what they wish they could have done differently when they make mistakes. When Ken/Kendra verbalizes responses, it helps him/her to think through decisions and ideas. Questions help him/her to think aloud in a safe environment. (But don't ask Ken/Kendra questions in front of a group without his/her advance permission because doing so can be embarrassing--since responding can feel like public speaking which is the number one fear of many).

What else would you add to these two ways? What else would you add beside these two ways? There are so many ways that Sunday School can be a tool for discipleship in Ken/Kendra's life. Use it. Be revolutionary!

For additional thoughts about Sunday School's impact upon discipleship, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 2

Darryl Wilson — Fri, 8 Jan 2010 18:01:00 -0400

In Part 1, I started thinking aloud about the potential impact of the discipleship tool of the Sunday School. I suggested that thinking focus on what Sunday School can do to impact one disciple. Then I shared these questions:

What can Sunday School do to take a brand new, baby Christian to help them to become an obedient, Christ-following disciple and disciplemaker? Let's call the person Ken or Kendra. Don't talk in generalities, be specific. Don't limit your thinking to what Sunday School can do on Sunday morning, but include that experience in your responses as well. What can the teacher and members of that youth or adult class (or an off campus small group) do to impact Ken or Kendra in such a way that he/she becomes the person Christ desires? (After these questions, I asked for Comments and gave a couple of days.)

In Part 2, I want to continue our thinking--not to stop it. In my experience, there are many ways Sunday School can impact the discipleship of Ken/Kendra. To start our thinking, here are a couple of ways:

WITH GOD. An ongoing relationship with God is key to growing as a disciple. This relationship began with God's interaction in Ken/Kendra's life through experiences, nature, people, His Word, and other means. Prayer is important to maintaining that relationship. Classes can and should pray for Ken/Kendra--privately and together. Sunday School can be a great ministry to teach and encourage prayer--during the session and between sessions. Sunday School session/members can model praying for Ken/Kendra. Individual members can be prayer partners with Ken/Kendra.

WITH GOD'S WORD. Sunday School sessions are natural places for teaching and encouraging Ken/Kendra to study God's Word. Every week, Bible study is modeled. When the teacher and members share their experiences with/insights into God's Word, they model methods for private Bible study experiences as well as insights about the importance of application of God's truth and daily obedience. In addition, ideally the session is a time in which attenders are led to encounter God in Bible study. That way Ken/Kendra get hands-on experiences which can help him/her repeat that encounter with God.

What else would you add to these two ways? What else would you add beside these two ways? Lead Ken/Kendra to pray and study God's Word. Disciple at least one person this year. Be revolutionary!

For additional thoughts about Sunday School's impact upon discipleship, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 1

Darryl Wilson — Tue, 5 Jan 2010 18:01:00 -0400

Many times when Sunday School and discipleship are included in the same sentence someone will quickly object that Sunday School cannot do it all. And while I agree, there is much more that can be contributed toward discipleship through Sunday School when expectations and intention for discipleship are added. The other issue that must be recognized is that Sunday School is more than one hour on Sunday morning. The ministry of Sunday School and its potential impact on discipleship is 24/7.

But I also believe part of the reason that discussion about this subject is quickly dismissed by many is that group discipleship has not been as effective in recent days. Mass production of disciples appears to have less impact upon individuals than one-on-one and one-on-two or three methods. Thus, some assess Sunday School's impact upon discipleship upon the basis of the Sunday morning group experience alone--deeming it to be large group/mass production and ineffective.

But for the sake of recognizing the potential impact of the discipleship tool of the Sunday School, let's focus on what Sunday School can do to impact one disciple. What can Sunday School do to take a brand new, baby Christian to help them to become an obedient, Christ-following disciple and disciplemaker? Let's call the person Ken or Kendra. Don't talk in generalities, be specific. Don't limit your thinking to what Sunday School can do on Sunday morning, but include that experience in your responses as well. What can the teacher and members of that youth or adult class (or an off campus small group) do to impact Ken or Kendra in such a way that he/she becomes the person Christ desires?

Don't feel you have to give all the answer to respond, but leave your thought or thoughts below. Press Comments and get the conversation going. In a couple of days, I will add my thoughts and respond to your Comments. Disciple at least one person this year. Be revolutionary!

For additional thoughts about Sunday School's impact upon discipleship, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School: Overcoming Monday Morning Blues

Darryl Wilson — Mon, 4 Jan 2010 09:02:00 -0400

Nothing seemed to go right yesterday before, during, and after Sunday School. Despite the best of intentions, you arrived late. You spilled coffee on your clothes. You left something you needed at home. When you arrived, you seemed to be moving and listening in slow motion while everything around you swirled in high speed. Three people reminded you about things you forgot to get done this week. There were angry words during Sunday School. Something you said hurt someone's feelings. And after Sunday School, two people resigned without warning. What a day!

So it's the Monday morning after, and you are ready to give up. You are frustrated, tired, and discouraged. You have the Monday morning blues.

Consider this action plan before making any rash decisions:

PRAY. Center yourself in God, His will, and His leadership for your life. Praise Him. Thank Him for all His blessings and the opportunity for salvation and service. Seek His forgiveness. Ask for His help. Ask for solutions to needs, concerns, and problems.

REFLECT. Spend a few minutes review this past week or month of Sunday School. What has gone well? Pause to give God thanks. How could things go better next time? What adjustments need to be made? What plans need to be carried out? Don't dwell on the negative of the past. Instead, focus on what can be done to address issues and to avoid similar issues in the future.

GET HELP. Invest in others. Ask for others to give you a hand. Ask others to pray. Assign tasks. Remember to check up on progress. Don't allow workload to overwhelm. The more you get others involved, the greater will be ownership and energy for accomplishing the work.

Whether you are a pastor, Sunday School director, or teacher, give this year of Sunday School to God. Give Him your best effort. And get others involved. Avoid the Monday morning blues. Pray. Reflect. Get help. Be revolutionary.

For more posts about delegation, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School Year in Review

Darryl Wilson — Sat, 2 Jan 2010 15:50:00 -0400

A new year has begun. And it is time to reflect on the Sunday School year-to-date. Gather your planning team (as a class or Sunday School). Pray together. Give God thanks for His blessings. Look at progress. Make adjustments as needed.

Consider the following questions:

How has God been blessing? (consider new members, new teachers/leaders, new classes, professions of faith, spiritual growth, and more)
What goals have been accomplished? Do new goals need to be set to continue forward momentum?
On what goals has progress been made? Do any adjustments need to be made?
In what areas have unanticipated struggles/problems occurred? What strategies need to be employed to overcome them?

Specifics areas of progress to assess:

Overall goals
Expectation to grow
Prayer/following God's leadership
Promotion of the value of Sunday School
Worship and Sunday School guest follow up
New classes, teachers, and workers
Greeting/new member assimilation efforts
Leadership development, enlistment, training events
Outreach/reaching systems/plans
Caring/ministry organization
Inviting absentees and guests to fellowships
Affinity discovery and friendship development
Class leadership/organization
Involvement of learners in the lesson
Teaching effectiveness/application and implementation of the truth
How are lives being changed
Affirm/reward desired behavior

Set aside time for your planning team to pray, evaluate, plan, and adjust. Give God your best effort. He deserves nothing less. Be revolutionary!

What questions and areas of progress would you add? Press comments below to share your thoughts. For more ideas about assessing your Sunday School progress, check out these blog posts:

Growth Support: Sunday School Providing Encouragement

Darryl Wilson — Fri, 1 Jan 2010 13:03:00 -0400

Did you make any New Year's commitments? Were any of them goals for your relationship with God and living for Him? Your spiritual growth impacts every other area of your life. It is not too late to make a commitment/set a goal.

STOP, PRAY, and COMMIT. If you have not already done so, I want to challenge you to stop now to pray about what commitment will lead you to be the person God desires. When you have a commitment to keep/goal to pursue, then read the rest of this blog post.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ENCOURAGING GROWTH. Life has a way of distracting us from keeping our commitments to God. It is easy to become busy. It is easy to for new plans to take a back seat to the demands and pressing issues of daily life. That is why we need spiritual growth cheerleaders who encourage our continued growth and pursuit of commitments and goals. We need cheerleaders who know us, care for us, and challenge us to work harder and smarter toward being the person God desires. We need spiritual growth cheerleaders who hold us positively accountable rather than piling on guilt.

There are many methods for providing cheerleaders for our spiritual pilgrimage. (1) One method is seeking out a person who will commit to mentor us. This may be a person in the Sunday School class you attend or another class. (2) Another method is joining an accountability group--frequently of the same gender. (3) Others will benefit from keeping a spiritual growth journal with insights into God's activity in life and commitments made/goals set and progress reports.

In addition to these three (and others), another method for encouraging spiritual growth is investing openly, honestly, and intentionally in a Sunday School class. Ask for the class to help you grow. Ask them to help you keep your commitments. Share your goals, plans, and progress. Be honest about your failures and seek input about how to avoid them in the future. Your openness and honesty will encourage your growth and that of others.

Every week when the lesson concludes, focus on one aspect of your spiritual growth in need of attention. Make a commitment to God, the class, and a spiritual growth partner. Then live it out. Implement and practice the commitment. Pursue the goal. Ask your encourager to check during the week on your progress. Reinforce the pursuit by keeping a spiritual growth journal. The teacher can emphasize the importance of keeping commitments by simply allowing a couple of minutes for attenders to share how they did at living out the commitment they made last week.

There are many ways Sunday School can encourage spiritual growth. What ideas would you share to challenge others this year? Share your ideas below by pressing Comments. Stop. Pray. Commit this year and every week. Be revolutionary.

MORE IDEAS. For additional ideas, read the following blog posts about accountability:

Sunday School/Small Group Community and Content

Darryl Wilson — Wed, 9 Dec 2009 16:38:00 -0400

Today's State Convention Summit at LifeWay has been stretching in so many ways. I am chewing on so much of what has been said and shared. I am enjoying spending time with peers (others doing Sunday School/small group work from the other Southern Baptist state conventions) and with friends from LifeWay. David Francis, the Sunday School director at LifeWay, shared some thoughts about the Sunday School/small groups continuum from biblical community to biblical content.

In our afternoon session, Bob Mayfield, suggested changing the representation of the two terms biblical community and biblical content from a continuum to a graph. Let me see if I can lay it out for you to chew on and respond to. If 1 is low and 10 in high, where would you put an X in the grid below representing where your class, group, or Sunday School/small group ministry is in biblical community and biblical content? Press comments below when you have had a chance to think about this:

Biblical Content	10
	9
	8
	7
	6
	5
	4
	3
	2
	1
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
	Biblical Community

Where would you like for your class, group, or ministry to be? What can you do to move them in that direction? What do you think? Does this grid connect? What is wrong with it? For additional thoughts about community, check out these blog posts:

Reverse Sunday School Christmas Party

Darryl Wilson — Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:30:00 -0400

Be creative this year for Christmas. Plan a unique or meaningful class party. Instead of catering a meal or planning a potluck for regular attenders, make plans to include or touch others.

Invite guests to the party. Pick them up. Treat them as royalty. Don't embarrass them. Introduce them to your friends. Have fun together. Eat dessert or a meal together. Look them in the eyes when you listen to them. Call them by name. Laugh together. Invite them to class. After the party, continue the relationship. Invite them again.

Focus your Christmas efforts on ministering to a needy group or reach out to a community group. For instance, serve in a soup kitchen. Feed the hungry. Collect and take food to a needy family. Collect diapers and supplies for an abuse shelter. Collect coats. But even better is to identify an individual or group in need and develop an ongoing relationship with him, her, or them. Share Christmas gifts. Share a drama or monologue. Share the Christmas story. Share a testimony. Be a friend. Care.

There are many groups which can be the focus of your reaching efforts in the community. Express your Christmas appreciation to school teachers. Thank firemen, policemen, and other community service people. Identify the group. Look for an open door for ministry. Seek an ongoing opportunity for interaction. Get to know them by name. Do it early enough that family plans will not conflict. Involve as many of your class members as possible.

Instead of gifts for each other, collect gifts for needy. Instead of thinking about each other, give to others. Instead of a meal for each other, feed the needy. This Christmas instead of receiving as a class, give. Give because Jesus gave to you. Give because He loved you first. Give because others need your love and His.

For more Christmas ideas, check out these blog posts:

Sunday School Priorities: Choosing Where to Start

Darryl Wilson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:23:00 -0400

Many Sunday School plans fail because no priorities have been set. Leaders rush from fire to fire. They deal only with only the unavoidable pressing issues demanding their time. Establishing priorities is an essential step in planning for revolutionary Sunday School. Failing to do so is to doom your Sunday School to ineffectiveness.

Where does determining priorities fit into Sunday School planning? It is an essential fourth step. Determining priorities follows (1) seeking God and His leadership, (2) evaluating progress on Sunday School goals and current reality, and (3) identifying needs and vision. At that point in the planning process, determining priorities acknowledges that everything cannot be done at once, some things should be done first, and not everything should be done at all. These are hard lessons for many Sunday School leaders.

How can we determine the best place to begin? What are some helpful considerations for wisely choosing Sunday School priorities? Consider the following:

Where is God at work? What has He been doing among your Sunday School leaders and members? Where is He leading? (vision priority)
What gifts and abilities has God given to the members of your Sunday School? Where are the passions (hot buttons) for your attenders? (people priority)
What must be done first in order to make other goals possible to pursue or to accomplish more easily? What can we least afford to wait to accomplish? (time priority)
What must be done before the calendar makes its pursuit more difficult? (calendar priority)
What should be done first in order to ensure a quick success that will encourage ongoing goal pursuit? (success priority)
What must be completed first in order to ensure support on subsequent goals? (support priority)
What should be accomplished first in order to relieve the most stress and strain? Where is the current most pressing need? What will be the most pressing need in the months ahead? (pressure priority)
What is the absolute most important thing that could be pursued if nothing else was accomplished? (importance priority)
What can we afford to accomplish first? (financial priority)

Sunday School leaders fail when they attempt to accomplish everything at the same time. They fail when they stop to plan. They fail when they don't choose where to start. They fail when they forget to count the consequences. Setting priorities is worth the time that it takes. It prevents many restarts. It ensures greater likelihood of success. Get started now. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about Sunday School priorities and goals, check out these blog posts:

Turnaround: Sunday School from Dying to Alive

Darryl Wilson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:02:00 -0400

In this week's edition of The Alban Weekly newsletter, in an article entitled Turning Toward Life, Mary Louise Gifford stated, "Not every declining or dying church is meant to live. Not all churches can or should turn around." Mentally, I know that is true, but in my heart it is hard to admit. Some churches are kept on life-support for far longer than is good. There are many reasons for that. Sometimes, the presence of a church that is no longer alive prevents the ministry of a new or alive church in that community. Sometimes, the nearly dead church prevents others from seeing the needs of the community.

These thoughts turned my attention toward Sunday School and small groups. I believe that the decline and demise of a church is impacted by the prior decline and demise of Sunday School. When Sunday School leaders stop leading and start maintaining or simply surviving, they are contributing to the decline and demise of Sunday School. When leaders, teachers, and members begin to focus inward rather than outward, they contribute toward the death of Sunday School and the church.

When no new classes are started, no new leaders are enlisted or trained, and no planning is done, the end is in sight. When no goals are set, no contacts made with members and prospects, and no one new enrolled, the slide and collapse of Sunday School should not surprises us.

But there is hope. Our God is a God of hope. He is able to resurrect the dead. He is able to give vision. He is able to change hearts and lives. He calls us to Himself. And when Sunday School leaders turn to Him, there is hope. When they listen to Him and follow His leadership, they see the community with eyes of compassion and are willing to take steps to meet real needs. They are willing to invite, reach out, and care. They are willing to do the hard work of enlistment and starting of new classes, planning meetings, training events, and organization.

It's not too late. Turn to Him. Listen to the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (NIV).

For more ideas about turning around a declining Sunday School, check out these blog posts:

The Basics of Sunday School

Darryl Wilson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:17:00 -0400

I get many requests each year for church and associational Sunday School conferences. More than half of the time, the pastor, Sunday School director, or associational leader making the request says, "We just need the basics." I usually try to probe for a further definition of needs. It helps me and other conference leaders if we know as many specific needs as possible in order to customize the training.

Thinking about those conversations set my mind to listing the elements that make up "The Basics." What would you include on the list? Before going farther, press comments below and leave your thoughts; then use the back up key on your browser to get back to this blog post. What would you consider to be an essential for effective Sunday School? Those essentials would make up the basics.

Allow me to share a few thoughts about those basics. The following list is not intended to be comprehensive. In fact, they are just some of the hot topics that are important in effective Sunday School and which could be covered in training conferences:

inviting new people,
enrolling people,
good records,
sharing Jesus,
caring,
starting new classes,
enlisting and developing new leaders,
praying,
meeting needs,
serving together,
facilitating an encounter with God in His Word,
teaching and learning,
preparation,
planning,
organizing to grow,
effective space use,
and so much more.

What would you add to the list? What other basics would you add. Press Comments below and continue the conversation! Give God your best! Do the basics with all your heart. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about Sunday School basics, check out these blog posts:

Super Saturday 2010 Input Needed

Darryl Wilson — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:53:00 -0400

Tens of thousands across Kentucky and beyond have received training at Super Saturday over the last eighteen years. The training has included the following: Sunday School, small groups, discipleship, assimilation, youth ministry, preschool-children's ministry, pastors/staff/DOMs, evangelism, worship and music, leadership, WMU, Baptist Men, stewardship, finance, women's ministry, ministers' wives, church architecture, church secretaries, prayer ministry, single adults, and more!

We are still evaluating this year's six Super Saturdays. We are poring over the experiences and the evaluation forms. We listen and really desire to make them better every year. In so many ways, Super Saturday now requires twelve months of preparation every year because as soon as the events are over we are debriefing the events and quickly moving to confirm arrangements, content, and faculty.

Because we desire to make Super Saturday fresh every year, very little of the training offered is repeated. That means that church leaders, workers, and members can return every year to learn even more about their areas of responsibility. That is why we have a strong group of people (about two thirds) who return every year to Super Saturday.

In order to make Super Saturday 2010 even more valuable to returners and to new people, we seek input each year about topics for training that you need and that we might address. Would you take a moment to answer one or more of these questions by pressing Comments below or email responses to supersaturday@kybaptist.org:

1) What topic(s) would you like to see covered at Super Saturday 2010 (include your area of responsibility, such as Sunday School, etc.)?

2) What major areas of need in the church could be strengthened through offering training at Super Saturday 2010 (include program area that likely would address it, such as worship & music)?

3) How could Super Saturday 2010 strengthen Kentucky Baptist churches even more?

Thanks in advance for your responses. I look forward to reading them here and by email. With thousands of blog readers, we may not be able to address every suggestion offered. We will, however, do our best to address significant issues as we prepare for 2010. Just so you know the timetable, we gather content suggestions by January so that by February-early March program leaders can determine topics which will be taught at Super Saturday. Then they can enlist faculty by April-early May.

Also, for your information, the six Super Saturday 2010 cities and dates include the following:

Lexington, August 21
Louisville, August 28
Williamsburg, September 11
Paducah, September 11
Ashland, September 18
Bowling Green, September 18

Hope to see you at Super Saturday 2010!

Think Again...about Small Groups

Darryl Wilson — Thu, 8 Oct 2009 09:08:00 -0400

Saturday, November 7, 2009
9 am – 12:30 pm (EST)

Campbellsville University’s Ransdell Chapel
1 University Drive, Campbellsville, KY 42718

Does your church need a boost in discipleship? Is Sunday School reaching all parts of your community? Have you considered another option to engage your congregation in God’s word and life application? Small groups can help your church mobilize members and engage those in your community who cannot attend on Sunday morning.

Think Again…about Small Groups is a Saturday morning workshop designed to allow church leaders to rethink the way they are doing ministry. Sponsored by Campbellsville University and Kentucky Baptist Convention. Think Again 2009 will focus on small group discipleship. We’ll listen, think, and discuss with these small group strategists: Rick Howerton, author of Destination Community (free copy with registration) and Darryl Wilson, KBC's Sunday School Department director.

Questions? Call Campbellsville University at 270.789.5227.

Registration details:

$15 by October 30
$20 after October 30
$10 student rate
Includes materials, admission to football game, catered lunch, and book.
Click here to register now.

For more ideas about small groups, check out these blog posts: