Mark Miller :: Sunday School Leaders

Apr

Space: A Big Growth Barrier

By Mark Miller · Comments (1)

Winston Churchill remarked concerning the rebuilding of England on October 23 1945, “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.” As Sunday School Specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention, one of my favorites opportunities is to consult with churches about space. Space really does shape a church’s ministries and can determine their growth

Recently, I have consulted with two different churches. One of these churches averages 800 in worship and 500 in Sunday School and the other averages 100 in worship and 82 in Sunday School. Both of these churches have buildings that were built in the last 10 years. When shaping their buildings, they opted for a maximum number of classrooms and built classrooms for children of approximately 200 square feet. Their building has shaped their ministry and as families have been reached put a squeeze on the space. Praise the Lord that both of these churches are growing and are determined to not let space determine their growth.

Some Sunday School classes get satisfied because they have a full classroom. When every classroom isutilized, organizations can become stagnant and new classes are no longerconsidered. Both should be unacceptable when it keeps the church from fulfilling God’s purpose of reaching their communities for Christ. Three types of space have to be balance: Parking, Education, and Worship.

All space problems can be solved. Yes it might mean reorganizing, rethinking, or relocating, but they can be solved. Examine your space by answering the following questions:

What traditional classrooms are available?
Are there rooms such as closets, kitchens,
offices that could be adapted for use temporarily or permanently?
Could you swap smaller classes in larger rooms
with larger classes in smaller rooms?
Are their adjacent community buildings, schools,
or houses?
Have you considered utilizing the existing space
twice by starting a second or third Sunday School hour?
Is it time to build additional space for
growth?
Would starting off campus or weekdays groups provide
a legitimate alternative to Sunday morning
Sunday School and worship?

Remember the building simply houses the programs that allow the people to accomplish the purpose of God. Don’t let space keep your church from fulfilling God’s purpose.

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Dr. Mark Miller, Sunday School Specialist, Tennessee Baptist Convention. Mark also has his own blog at http://drmarkmiller.wordpress.com/

Categories : Space, Space and Facilities, Sunday School

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Jan

Everyone Needs a Class!

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)

Bad Lessons run off more people than good outreach programs can bring in. You will literally kill your church visiting if all you ever visit is Chronic Absentees. If you’re not enrolled in Sunday School, you ain’t got no class! Enrollment is the most important statistic in the church.

These were just a few of the snappy little sayings by Andy Anderson. Everyone needs a class, but If you’re not enrolled in Sunday School, you ain’t got no class! It is so powerful to hear someone share how a class of people ministered to them in their time of need and brought them to Jesus. In September of 2006, I arrived at my classroom to find a message from the pastor on the marker board: Pray for Beth Smith. I had no clue that Beth was sick. On Saturday, I had chaperoned the High School Band to a Band Contest and we returned at 2:00 in the morning. Both of Beth’s daughters were in the band. When they arrived home, Beth had responded to them. Beth’s husband, Chuck, was accompanying a terminally ill boy on a Elk hunt as a part of an organization like Make a Wish. The next morning Beth was very lethargic and was rushed to the hospital. The majority of the members of Sunday School class spent that day and Monday morning with Chuck, Jordan and Jessica at the hospital. Beth never came out of the diabetic coma that she was in and died on Monday afternoon. During the next few days, our class took the lead and ministered to the family and continued to do so to this day. That experience led me to the conclusion: That my desire is that every Tennessean would have a Sunday School class like mine to minister to them in a time of need.

Andy is shouting from the grave: If you’re not enrolled in Sunday School, you ain’t got no class! Sunday School leader do you understand the importance of enrolling people in Sunday School? In my opinion, every church member should be a member of a Sunday School class. After someone has been won the easiest and most efficient way to assimilate them is a Sunday School class. In fact, Thom Rainer’s, President of LifeWay Christian Resources, research indicates that if we get someone connected to a Sunday School class or small group that 85% of these people will still be connected to your church 5 years later, compared with only 15% of those who only attend worship. Join me in believing that every person needs a class.

As a young minister of education, Andy convinced me that enrollment is more important than baptisms, church membership, and attendance. He would declare, “Enrollment is the most important statistic in the church.” In fact, I agree with my friend Bob Mayfield who says, enrollment is the forgotten factor in evangelism today. Churches are dropping people from the rolls instead of adding people to the roll. When your enrollment increases, your attendance increases. When you enroll lost people, your baptisms increase. When your enrollment increases, your offerings increase. When your enrollment increases, your membership increases. A pastor from West TN recently took the Power Up Your Sunday School Challenge and his church enrolled 41 new members in 7 weeks and the attendance grew from 80 to 120.

Daniel Edmonds, the State Sunday School Director in Alabama, has a great definition for enrollment. He says that enrollment is a covenant making, attendance increasing, relationship building, evangelistic opportunity. Everyone needs a class that will enter a covenant to pray for them, to love them, to minister to them, to challenge them in their spiritual journey. But if they’re not enrolled in Sunday School, they ain’t got no class.
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Mark Miller, State Sunday School Director, Tennessee Baptist Convention

Categories : Flake's Formula, Ministry, Outreach/Evangelism, Prayer, Small Groups, Sunday School

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Jan

Know Your People Group

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)

During a recent hair cut appointment, the lady who styles my hair shared that her and her husband had found a Sunday School class. They had just started visiting my church and I inquired what made you choose this class. The class was a class that my wife had attended for a while. She shared that the class was made of bikers and that her husband love to ride. Consequently, one reason my wife chose not to stay in the class is because too much time was spent talking and planning for Bike rides. The Bikers loved the class and the non-biker didn’t. This group was great at reaching people who loved to ride.

For years before God started opening the door for me to preach in various churches, I taught a Sunday School class. Through the years, we had many guests to the Sunday School class. Despite my excellent teaching (ha), not every guest chose to remain in the class. I noticed through the years that the guests that chose to remain usually had three main characteristics: First, they had children of the same ages as my regular attenders. Second, they enjoyed an interactive teaching style. Third, the husband loved to hunt and fish. As a class, we began to target guests and prospects that made up this people group.

Both of these classes took advantage of the church growth principles of homogeneity and receptivity. Through the years, I have heard people argue against these two principles, but in reality, human beings largely associate with people that are like them. Facebook recognizes these principles and even recommends friends based on common characteristics. Such as this person might be a friend because they grew up in your hometown, graduated from your college, or have the same hobbies or interests.

“Targeting” is a key component of growing a Sunday School. Classes must understand who they are seeking to reach and make a strong commitment to reach that group. Create new classes or groups to reach unreached groups or groups that the current organization has not proven to be effective in reaching. A Sunday School director should develop a directory that clearly identifies the people groups, age groups, or life stages that serve as the primary target for each class.

Teachers, know your people group. Pastors and Sunday School Leaders, know the people groups that your church currently reaches, easily could reach, and those groups that might require Kingdom partnerships with other churches and ministries to effectively reach your community. The goal is to proclaim Christ to every people group, so that every man, woman, and child may be presented perfect in Christ.

Categories : 5 Weeks of Flake, Flake's Formula, Leadership, Ministry, Sunday School, Teaching

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Dec

Take Advantage of Christmas for your Sunday School Class

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)

Every member and every prospective member in your group needs a little Christmas. Many classes and groups have or will engage in Christmas parties and projects during this season. Why? Because Everyone Needs a Little Christmas…Right this very minute…

On December 3, my Sunday School class of gathered for a great time of fellowship and fun. The class had encouraged everyone to bring gifts for the “Dirty Santa” exchange. People had signed up to bring food. The class was fully taking advantage of Christmas.

On the night of the party, my wife and I were absent. Yes, we missed the great food and the great fellowship and the fun. It wasn’t by choice…my mom was in critical condition in ICU. We needed a little Christmas too.

In the weeks following, many of the class members have sent e-mails, phone calls, and prayed for my mom and my family during this time. My experience this year, reminds me that taking advantage of Christmas is more than just having the parties and doing the service projects. Christmas is a great time to remember class members who might be struggling to have a little Christmas this year. Maybe, their daughter graduated from college, got married, and now lives in Indonesia . This will be the first Christmas without her. Maybe it is the loss of a loved one and this will be a difficult Christmas. Maybe the family has broken up and this is the first Christmas apart. Maybe it’s the first Christmas of a blended marriage between a great couple, but the kids are struggling because their mom or dad is no longer there.

As a class, don’t forget to take advantage of Christmas and to provide a little Christmas this year.

Because of Christmas, God is with us! Share the message of Christmas this year by rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep.

Categories : Ministry, Outreach/Evangelism, Prayer, Small Groups, Sunday School

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Oct

The Mark of a Super Leader

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)

This is a repost of one of sundayschoolleader.com’s most popular posts. Written by Mark Miller published on November 9, 2010.

Abraham Lincoln said, “You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.” Helping others help themselves is truly a mark of good leaders. One theory of leadership, described as SuperLeadership, asserts “leaders become super by helping to unleash the abilities of the followers that surround them.” The challenge for pastors and Sunday School leaders is to understand how to go about bringing out the wealth that each member possesses.

Jesus modeled “SuperLeadership” with the disciples. He provided an example for them to follow; he taught them about the mission of the Church; and he challenged their presuppositions of leadership. Each disciple ultimately assumed a place of leadership in the early church based on his or her talents and strengths.

During High School and College, I played in the band and orchestra. Each instrument is important to the total sound. The 3^rd Trombonist is just as crucial to accomplishing the desired affect as the 1^st Trombonist. The key to the band is that each member is faithful to his or her part. A director or a conductor assigned the parts based on the assessed ability of the player and the needs of the group. In the bands case, this shared task results in a beautiful piece of music in the eyes of the audience.

Sunday School Directors, pastors, and teacher should develop the skill to evaluate, motivate and assign tasks based on the ability and giftedness of the members. When every member is faithful to play their part, the church will make beautiful music in the eyes of the world.

Robert Crandall, the former chairman and president of American Airlines stated, “I think that the ideal leader for the 21^st Century will be one who creates an environment that encourages everyone in the organization to stretch their capabilities and achieve a shared vision, who gives people the confidence to run farther and faster than they ever have before, and who establishes the conditions for people to be more productive, more innovative, move creative and feel more in charge of their own lives than they ever dreamed possible,”

Our churches are full of members who need to be challenged to stop being spectators and take responsibility for their own spiritual growth, and to begin to use their God-given gifts. Remember, “Leaders Lead, they don’t Point.”

Categories : Leadership, Sunday School

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