Author Archive for Dale Davenport

The Sunday School Director as Leader

There seems to be a critical void in many of our churches when it comes to finding a Sunday School Director who is willing and ready to lead his/her Bible teaching ministry into the battle against the forces of evil and darkness. In most churches the Sunday School is the largest organized group, yet it is also one of the most inactive when it comes to reaching out in the power of the Holy Spirit to see souls saved and lives changed.

If the Sunday School Director is going to rise to the challenge of being the leader he/she should be, I believe that they must become a stronger MINISTER.

M editate – on the Word of God

I nitiate – a climate of excitement

N urture – the people around them, demonstrate a caring spirit

I nvite & involve – the “anyone & everyone at any time” idea

S erve & Share –  wilingness & generosity to go the extra mile

T ell – be ready to tell the Good News

E ncourage – lead by example; have the right attitude

R elate – be genuine with all people; break down barriers

I firmly believe that if Sunday School Directors would see their position not as a job but as a calling, that they would be more conscious of becoming the minister that they should be to lead their Sunday School to a new day of growth and excitement in the Lord.

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Dale Davenport is the Director of Education for the Illinois Baptist State Association.

Your Group Needs a Leader

You, therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

I attend many different Bible study classes in many different churches throughout the year. In these visits to different classes, I have discovered that the success of the class rises and falls on the leadership of the teacher. I would like to challenge all teachers to take an introspective look at what I believe it takes for you to lead your class to become the Kingdom- focused and transformed group of disciples that the Lord desires.

Practical Pointers for Leading Your Class

  1. Prayer: As the teacher/facilitator, you must become a genuine prayer warrior and intercessor. If you are to lead and teach others, you must be in tune to the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Lead by example…pray.
  2. Preparation: As the leader, you must have a high degree of preparation. This is not only about the lesson but also about the needs and circumstances of your class members.
  3. Painless: As the teacher/facilitator, you must make every effort to allow guests and new members to have a painless experience when they are in your class. This means you have to train your regular attenders to be sensitive to new people.
  4. Participation: It is import to have as many people as possible to feel comfortable participating in the lesson discussion. This means ask open-ended questions , do not allow one person to monopolize the discussion and do not allow anyone to be embarrassed or put on the spot because of their comments.
  5. Patience: Every leader must show patience. Remember, people do not have to attend your class: They should want to attend. Every class has “Extra Grace Required” people. Let the Lord love them through you.
  6. Priority: Remember, everyone needs to have a personal relationship to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Your priority must be to see that the message of Jesus is clear, not only during the lesson but also in the 24/7 times that you and your members interact.
  7. Purpose: Your purpose is to be a vessel the Holy Spirit can use to promote spiritual transformation in the lives of your class members. You must take the lead and be the example of staying focused on the high calling God has on you as His teacher/facilitator.
  8. Powerful: The power must come from the presence of the Holy Spirit. We tend to try to accomplish too much in our flesh, and the church is losing its power and influence in our culture. Let the Holy Spirit empower you to lead the way He wants; then expect and see great things start to happen.
  9. Perky: Be enthusiastic. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” You do not have to teach a class…you are blessed by God to be able to teach a class.
  10. Pray: Again…Yes! If you are going to lead your class to be one where genuine spiritual transformation is taking place, it has to be from God. Seek His face. Obey His commands. 

You are the teacher/facilitator. If your class is going to be unique in a godly way, the change starts with you taking these practical pointers to heart. Lead by example.

_________________

Dale Davenport is the Education and Leadership Development Director for the Illinois State Baptist Association, www.ibsa.org

Sunday School in Your Church’s Process

Some people today are saying that Sunday School is no longer a vital part of the overall process of the local church. This is an unfortunate opinion. Sunday School/Bible Study today is probably just as important, if not more important, in the process of the local church than ever before. Sunday School/Bible Study is still the largest, most organized ministry in most of our churches, and to cancel it or dismiss it to second class status as irrelevant or outdated is a huge mistake.

Part of the problem is that we are more willing to live with the status quo than to bravely go forward in making the necessary changes to Sunday School/Bible Study. We cannot live in the past and we cannot continue to do Sunday School/Bible Study as many are doing. If we are going to be genuinely concerned about seeing spiritual transformation take place in the lives of our members, then we must be willing to do what is necessary in the process of reaching, teaching, and keeping people and thereby helping them become the disciples and disciple-makers God wants them to be. The question is then asked, “How do we see this accomplished?” There are three foundational elements of a Sunday School/Bible Study ministry that must be present in order for it to be vital in the life of the church

Intentional
Sunday School must be be intentional in order to be a vital reaching arm of the church. To be intentional the Sunday School must earnestly want to touch the lives of people in its community with the truths of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Intentionality means people are willing to take the time and expend the effort to develop lasting relationships with those in the community who need Christ. Be intentional in your Sunday School ministry; move back up to the table and become relevant in the overall church process.

Biblical
If your Sunday School/Bible Study ministry is going to be an important player in the process of your church, it must be biblical in content with the goal of relevant application. The message is Jesus and Jesus only, but methodology must change to meet the needs of a changing society. Students must hear biblical teaching and not opinions. People must easily see practical application and relevance to the everyday needs. They must see God’s truth as helpful to them as they seek Him and seek to survive in this world. If Sunday School is biblical, “sharing the truth in love,” it will be welcomed at the table as the church looks at its mission and process.

Relational
If Sunday School/Bible Study is going to rebound and become a vital member table of the overall church’s ministry, it must be relational in its setting. It must help to draw and keep people together as the church navigates the process of helping kingdom work advance and cultural change take place. Relationships take time and effort. The structure is there, we

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just need to hold people accountable to the ministry of discipleship. It is not about me or any other individual. It is about allowing God to use each of us to the build the Body of Christ so that spiritual transformation- not just information transfer- is actually taking place. Building strong relationships is a key in enabling the teaching ministry keep the people who enter the front door.

If Sunday School is intentional, biblical and relational, it will be welcome in the decision making process of the church. Pray in such a manner that the Lord will ignite the Sunday School/Bible Study ministry to be the kind of teaching ministry that makes a difference.

Reaching and Retaining New Families through VBS

Intentionality wins the day when it comes to reaching and retaining new families.  Even though VBS has traditionally been about reaching children with the Gospel, it can be a great way to connect and ultimately build relationships with unchurched families in your community.  Here are four intentional ideas that can increase the overall effectiveness of the VBS effort.  

1)      VBS Kick-off Rally – This event serves as your main registration opportunity and should be advertised as such.  Churches can have free food, games, bounce houses, sand piles, egg toss contests, etc. On Sunday night prior to VBS beginning on Monday, cordon off a church parking lot or grassy area near your church or secure permission to host the event at a well known park in your city.  Make very sure that there is only one entrance to your event to house your registration table.  At the registration table, people can not only register for the kick-off event but also register their children for VBS.  Get info on parents, all the children living in the home, their ages/grades, phone numbers, email addresses, physical address, and church affiliation.  Give color coded wrist bands to all who attend.  For example, church members get blue, members at other churches in town get red, and people who identify no church affiliation get green.  This will help your church people to know who to intentionally connect with during the event.  You might even have church staff and other trained lay people present just to connect with unchurched families.  Give every attending family a flyer as they leave reminding them of times and other directions for the week of VBS.

2)      Photo Station – Set up a photo station during VBS that corresponds with the VBS theme.  You might even bring props like a cowboy hat and red handkerchief for a western themed VBS.  Take every child’s photo and use a computer program that will allow you to write something like this on each photo:

Vacation Bible School – 2011    New Hope Community Church 

“I can do all things through Christ.” Phil. 4:13

Plan a follow-up night the week following VBS and hand deliver the photos to every child, thanking them for being a part of your VBS, and asking them if they have any questions or things that you could pray for them about.  Be sure to remind them that there is a place for them at your church.

3)      VBS Celebration Party – Rent your community’s swimming pool for Friday night after VBS.  Send a note home every day after VBS inviting the “WHOLE FAMILY” to the Friday night VBS Celebration Swim Party.  Don’t think of it as a night to fellowship with church members.  Rather, train your people to use the night to connect and continue building relationships with people who are not Christ-followers.  Teach your people to be intentional in inviting people to a small group and worship experience.

4)      Sermon Series – Start a new sermon series the Sunday immediately following VBS that deals with Marriage, Family, or Finances.  Have something to hand out to every family at the Friday night VBS Celebration Swim Party that tells about times, locations, and ages of your small groups on one side and the titles for the messages in your upcoming sermon series on the reverse.

________________________________

Tim Sadler

Director – Evangelism and Discipleship Ministries

 Illinois Baptist State Association

How to Effectively Enlist Teachers

It seems that an ongoing problem in many churches is the enlistment of effective teachers in the Bible Study ministry. If a church is going to be successful in reaching, teaching and keeping people in its discipling/disciple making process, then we must make necessary changes  in the enlistment of teachers. I believe that it all starts with commitment, This commitment to Christ, the church, the community, to personal cultivation and organizational change.

When you enlist someone to teach, you must be convinced of their personal commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our teaching ministries must have teachers who are sold out to God. These teachers are only found through times of genuine prayer and seeking. Do not short-circuit God.

An enlisted teacher must also have a commitment to the local church, demonstrated by a positive attitude toward the pastor, staff, and over all church ministries and by his personal involvement through attendance and support.

A newly enlisted effective teacher is also one who has a genuine commitment to the local community. This teacher is willing to invest the time and effort to build intentional relationships outside the walls of the church. It is easy to be comfortable with working with those we know, but it is kingdom focused to love and reach out to our neighbors and our community.

When you are enlisting a teacher, look for one who is serious about their own personal cultivation. A good and effective teacher knows that they have not arrived. They know that spending daily quality time with the Lord is a necessary component to being used by the Lord  in a classroom or small group setting. They also know that it is important to be trained and to keep up to date on teaching methods and resources.

Knowing that organizational change is inevitable, it is important to seek people who have a commitment to the ministry organization and to the changes that will happen. The effective teacher realizes the importance of positive structure and will be accountable to the overall ministry goals.

Therefore, to effectively enlist teachers, check their level of commitment to Christ, the local church, the community, their personal cultivation and the changes that may occur in the organization.

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Dale Davenport is the Director of Education for the Illinois State Baptist Association