Phil Stone :: Sunday School Leaders

Dec

Transformation Has No Age Limit: Word-Driven Bible Study for Senior Adults

By Phil Stone · Comments (0)

Once in my ministry I had the joy of teaching a group of 80-something year old women. I discovered that want a ‘word-driven’ Bible study that ‘begins, returns to, and ends with God’s word’; one that doesn’t waste time but uses the full hour for Bible study. I also discovered that they still enjoyed learning in creative ways and that transformation has no age limit. Paul wrote in his letters that transformation comes by the “renewing of your minds”. This renewing work of God’s Spirit is a life-long activity. Senior adults continue to be transformed into the likeness of Christ by God through the renewing of their minds and attitudes. We do not change the way we learn as we get older. Our learning style doesn’t shift so much as does our reticence to change. If we have been used to learning only by lecture, then this is the way we expect to learn when we come to Bible study. It may not meet our primary learning style, but it’s the way “we’ve always done it.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that senior adults don’t enjoy learning in creative ways. Simply check out the programs that are offered at senior centers and YMCAs, and you’ll discover that senior adults are some of the most involved, creative people around. Why should Bible study be different? Church is often the only place that senior adults are asked to come sit, soak, and sour. This should not be!

Andragogy is the art and science of adult learning, and it assumes that adults come with experiences to share; and if they do not share, then little or no learning takes place. Senior adults have had years of biblical study and many wonderful experiences. The leader can set up an environment in which the members can feel safe and unthreatened to share what they know or some of their stories. Remember, the statement, “Where there is no involvement, there is no learning” was written by Gaines Dobbins when he was in his eighties! As a senior adult educator he recognized the benefit of involving people.

When you begin to prepare your senior adult Bible study, ask the question, “How can I get my members involved?” Don’t be afraid to ask senior adults to take responsibility for their own Christian education and to get involved in their Bible study. Leaders do not need to begin with some “wildly creative methods”. Simple methods that get them involved will be a good start. Here are a few I used with my senior adults:

Introduce the Bible study, and then ask the members to turn to a partner and discuss one question and/or to share their opinion about an issue.
Use a brainstorming method: Ask the members to share what they know about an issue or a biblical character. As they share out loud their responses, write them on a sheet of paper on the wall or on the white/black board. Do not respond until all have shared, then ask the group to look at the entire list and draw conclusions.
Divide the members into smaller groups and ask them to find the answer to questions about the biblical passage and to share their own thoughts based on their experiences.
Always use written assignments for group work.*
As members get used to involvement, some more creative methods can be used. Encourage members to use their imagination and creativity. Make Bible study fun and exciting. It’s the most exciting book for the most exciting part of life!

Remember this principle: The teacher’s task is to set up experiences so that learners can discover for themselves biblical truths that can transform their lives. This principle works for adults of all ages, even our senior adults.

____________________

*Sample written assignment for senior adults:

Read in your Bible: Romans 1:16-17

Research: Corresponding section in Learner’s Guide, pg. __

Discover: a. What did Paul claim for the Gospel?

For whom did Paul say that the Gospel was given?
Share an experience when you demonstrated that you were “not ashamed of the gospel”.

Create: Write the answers to these questions on a large sheet of paper and be prepared to help the group understand these verses based on your research, your own Bible knowledge, and your own personal experiences as Christians.

Creative Option: Create an interview with Paul. Have fun talking with Paul and letting him explain the answers to the Discover questions

Present: You have 15 minutes to prepare a 1-3 minute presentation to the group.

Categories : Bible Study, Sunday School, Teaching

Comments (0)

Dec

Come Learn with Us!

By Phil Stone · Comments (0)

We’re finally taking seriously our great Co-Mission from Jesus to Go, make disciples. It seemed that the church had forgotten these final words of the Lord, but making disciples is on the lips of every speaker, leader, and preacher you hear today. Frankly, it’s about time! That is what He told us to do, but what does making disciples mean in today’s world. The word, disciple, is not a normal, 21^st century term used in business or corporate ventures. It’s a church word that had largely been eclipsed except in programmatic language for what you do on Sunday nights or if you’re really creative, Wednesdays in place of the old Prayer Meeting format – Discipleship Training. I’m glad we’re rediscovering this good word and putting it in the right context of an intentionally relational lifestyle of making disciples.

However, I fear that those of us in church leadership are won’t to define a disciple in such glowing terms that our average layperson’s reaction is, “I can’t make one of those! I’m not one of those, yet.” What we’re asking our people to do is more than Jesus asked. He said Go, make disciple not Go, make super Christians!

What, exactly, did He mean by disciple? What is a disciple? Let’s look at what Jesus did when he made disciples. In Matthew 4 when he called his disciples, He simply invited them to come learn from Him. After all, he was a rabbi, a teacher; and it was common for rabbis to attract pupils, learners to study his way. It’s evident that Jesus had already built a meaningful relationship with these men or they would never have left their livelihood or their father to follow Him. He promised to teach them how to transform their fishing. What Jesus did was to make learners; He called for them to “Come, learn with me.” When Peter and Andrew, James and John left with Him, they were not believers, they were learners. Transformation came later.

I see, in Jesus’ Great Commission a simple, three step transformation process for making disciples:

Step 1. Go, make disciples – Learner Disciple: Making super Christians is not our job. Jesus asks us simply to make learners. The best way to do this is by building meaningful relationships with people who are in “our world”. Research shows that 85% of people are willing to have an honest conversation about spiritual things these days, so in conversations, introduce them to the One you follow. This can be done over a cup of coffee at work or a bowl of ice cream at your home. Then eventually connect them with a small community of fellow followers at a cook out with your care group, or a class or small group fellowship. As the relationship deepens, introduce them to your practice of gathering as a small group each Sunday morning or weeknight to discuss spiritual things using the Bible as the basis for conversations. Invite them to Come learn with us. A learner disciple is not perfect; s/he’s rough around the edges, unfinished, a work in progress; s/he’s not a Bible scholar or a spiritual giant, but a learner. Sounds like Peter, doesn’t it? But it took some time for him to be able to say, Thou art the Christ!

Step 2. Baptizing them… – Believer Disciple: I truly believe that the gospel is so winsome that if a learner disciple hears the Word and experiences it lived out in you and the small group, he cannot help but become a believer disciple; one who makes the conscious choice to be a follower of Jesus. For this to happen, however, the group of fellow followers must experience community, that closeness of relationships seen in Acts 2. It must be Word driven, beginning with, returning to, and ending with God’s Word. It has to be small enough for personal discovery and interaction where personal experiences and the biblical passage intersect. It needs to be a “safe-zone” where the hard questions can be asked without threat. Just as Barnabas was to Paul, the mature believer’s job is to be a spiritual friend and mentor to this new believer.

Step 3. Teaching them to observe… Fully Devoted, Reproducing Disciple: When something is observed, it is being demonstrated which means change or transformation has occurred. The work of transformation is not complete when learner disciples become believers. It is the job of the mature believers to continue to be mentors and coach them to become fully devoted, reproducing disciples. The small community is at its best when even smaller groups are formed. Care Groups can introduce the idea of ministry and outreach to new believers. Small triads and one-on-one mentoring groups can be formed within the small community to strengthen the devotion of the new believer. The communities’ job is not just making disciples but also maturing them.

So, when you hear someone pontificating about our great Co-mission of making disciples, think process: From Learner to Believer to Fully Devoted-Reproducing Disciple. All of this starts with the simple act of intentionally building a meaningful relationship, developing a new friend, introducing him/her to a small community of friends, and saying, Come learn with us.

Categories : Growing your Group, Ministry, Mission, Outreach/Evangelism, Sunday School

Comments (0)

Dec

Are You Expecting Guests?

By Phil Stone · Comments (0)

My mama was the queen of hospitality; it was surely her spiritual gift! Growing up, company at our house was always expected. Back then, people just dropped in for supper, and Mama always welcomed them warmly and fed them well! She did all that she could so that no one ever left our house feeling unloved or hungry. No one!

My beloved wife is the new queen of hospitality. These days, most people don’t come unannounced. When we’re expecting company every drawer, closet, and cabinet is alphabetized and the house is made ready. Before the company arrives, everything is prepared so that when they drive up we are can greet them warmly at the driveway and walk them into our home. We do everything possible to make our guests feel welcome and at home in our home.

I’m sure your home is the same. What are some of the things you do to prepare for expected company?

Ever thought about how someone feels when they arrive at your church? Here’s an illustration:

What if you went out into your neighborhood and walked up to the door of a home; one that you did not know the residents. You don’t bother to knock, but you reach out and turned the door knob to open the door. What might you be expecting to find? Probably some very surprised residents. What might be your feelings at the time? Very nervous!!

Those of us who were born in the church and have been in and out of churches all of our lives have no problem; seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all. We know Baptists! However, when the unchurched walk up to our church doors, they’re walking into “our territory”; it’s almost like walking up to an unknown home, barging in, and saying, “we’re here!” What might they be expecting? What might they be feeling? What can we do to make them feel warmly welcome like Mama’s house or prepared as my wife does in our home?

The question is: Are you expecting guest every Sunday? Or are you surprised when one does come? I’ve been encouraged as I travel around our state of North Carolina to see that more and more churches are preparing for guests, but I’ve been in enough Baptist churches to know that we have a ways to go! What can we do to prepare for guests?

When you’re expecting guest at church, you do the same as you would if you were expecting guests in your home. Here are a few things I’ve observed churches doing to prepare for guests:

Clean the house! Baptist churches are notoriously messy. Clean out the clutter in the corner and the old curriculum stacked on the piano. I know. I’ve seen it.
Have a special place for them to park and when they drive up, be there to greet them.
Have a welcome sign out for them, and walk them into your doors
Plan to make them feel authentically welcomed as a person for whom you genuinely care.
Wear name tags so that they don’t have to remember your names (kind of like place cards at the dinner table) and make one for them so that others can call them by their names – and be sure to do that!
Help them find their way around: kids rooms, their room, the sanctuary, especially the necessary rooms.
Introduce them to new friends in a small group.
Make them a part of a Care Group for ministry and connections that follow up on their visit.
Sit with them in the worship service.
Invite them to the next party.
Involve them in an upcoming ministry (guests feel more at home when you allow them to help).
Become a real friend. Guests aren’t looking for a friendly place; they’re looking for friends..

Treat your church guests like you would your guests at home. They’ll come back, but more importantly, you just might make a new disciple.

_____________________________

Phil Stone is the State Sunday School Director of North Carolina.

Categories : Organization, Sunday School

Comments (0)

Dec

Sunday School’s Alive at 9:45!

By Phil Stone · Comments (0)

I like to do “Sunday School’s Alive at 9:45″ campaigns in a church to emphasize starting on time.

The children and students make posters and put them all over the church. It’s printed on name tags or stickers, etc. The “slogan” appears in the church bulletin, the newsletter, email messages, Facebook, the church website, and Care Group Leaders emphasize this when they call weekly.

Then we do it! We start Sunday School at 9:45 am which gets people in the habit of being there on time. Don’t punish the early-arrivers for the sins of the late-comers.

I also like to start with the “Beginning Activity” of the lesson at 9:45 or earlier as soon as the first learners arrive, and I do the announcements and prayer requests BRIEFLY at another time either in the middle or at the end.

My usual session agenda is as follows:

Motivation – Beginning activity as soon as the first learner arrives (10 min.)
Introduction – Use the focal wall to introduce the session as a part of the unit (5 min.)
Preparation – Illustrated mini-lecture to set the stage for the Bible study and prepare learners to examine the scripture. Usually the first Bold Print part of the Leader Guide commentary. (5 min.)
Time Out – Brief announcements and prayer requests (5 min. tops)
Transition – Game or activity to re-motivate the learners for the lesson; e.g. agree or disagree, etc. (5 min.)
Examination – Usually some team work in which participants discover from the passage the biblical truth(s) and then tell back and demonstrate creatively to the group what they discovered. I use the other three (3) Bold Print sections of the learner guide commentary for three (3) team assignments. (15 min.)
Presentation – Teams present their demonstrations and discuss where the biblical truths and their life experiences intersect – Stories. The leader the leader guide commentary and ties it all together and brings it to application. (10 min.)
Application – General: How can we all apply this truth (brainstorm-list on wall paper) to – Specific: How will you apply this truth this week (write on stick note) (5 min.)
Appropriation – How might the class live out the biblical truth in a missional project in the community (outside of class)

Another pet peeve of mine is “The Grand Exodus” of the choir. This usually comes during the lesson application step when the Holy Spirit is working. I’ve served many churches as worship leader. I’ve always told the choir members, “Don’t you dare leave Sunday School before the lesson is completed and interrupt the Spirit’s work in application. If we don’t ‘get it ready’ during Wednesday night rehearsal, we won’t get it right five (5) minutes before the service begins.” My Sunday School teachers knew that I valued there ministry of making and growing disciples and transforming lives.

If “Sunday School’s Alive at 9:45” there won’t be a problem of ending on time. But remember, that hour is sacred unto God for Bible study. Great fellowship can happen around the Word.

Categories : Sunday School

Comments (0)

Apr

Discovering, Connecting, Enlisting, and Training, Part 5

By Phil Stone · Comments (1)

An Enlistment Story. The young woman sitting across from me had been a teacher in our preschool Sunday School for two years. I had observed her commitment to her work, and she seemed to have a passion for this age group. As the new Sunday School director for this medium sized church, I was attempting to put together its first Sunday School Ministry Team.

I had received her spiritual gifts inventory from the Ministry Connection Team, and it showed that she had the gifts of teaching and administration. I thought that she’d be a good choice for the team. When I called to make an appointment to meet with her, she was interested enough to talk with me.

I began our conversation discussing the work in her preschool class. She brightened as she talked about each of the preschoolers and how much she enjoyed working with them. Her passion was evident. I began talking about the Sunday School and its purpose of assisting the church in accomplishing its mission of making and growing disciples, even preschool disciples. We looked together at the church mission statement, and I asked if she could support this mission enough to sign her name to it. She enthusiastically said “yes.”

Then I shared with her my intention of developing a Sunday School Ministry Team that would plan, coordinate, and evaluate the work of the Sunday School. We looked at her Spiritual Gifts Inventory and affirmed her gifts as those needed for this team. I shared with her the job description details for team members, the time investment that would be required, and resources available to assist team members.

We talked about how this team could make the Sunday School Ministry more than just an event for Bible study and fellowship but also a strategy for reaching people for Christ and for making and growing disciples of all ages. I emphasized that for this to happen it would take team work and planning. I gave her the dates for our spring planning retreat and the monthly, one hour meeting to coordinate the actions planned.

Then, I said that each member of the team would become a specialist for that age group, and I would like for her to consider being the preschool specialist for our church and serve as the preschool representative on the team. The word “specialist” made her sit up taller; she seemed attracted to this idea. I told her that I would make sure she had all of the resources and training she would need to do the job with excellence. I gave her specific dates for training that was already planned. I suggested as a preschool specialist, that everything she did in the church be preschool related so that she would have a focused ministry.

I made it clear that I would have high expectations of the team, and we went over the six (6) personal challenges that would be expected of each team member:

Pray for God’s leadership
Plan with the S.S. Team
Prepare adequately for the ministry
Prompt – be on time for the ministry
Participate in outreach and evangelism
Participate in training and equipping for the ministry

I ask her if she would be willing to pray about this job for one week and then I’d connect with her again to get her answer. She agreed, and we ended our conversation in prayer. I knew what her answer would be, because I saw both her commitment and passion, but I wanted her decision to be well thought out and prayed over. When I connected with her the next week, I was not surprised when she said with not a little excitement, Yes, I’ll be glad to be the Preschool Specialists on the Sunday School Ministry Team.

I placed in her hands resources to support her ministry, and we reviewed the dates for the training, the spring planning retreat, and the monthly coordination meetings. I knew that I had enlisted my potential and not my problem. She still serves faithfully.

______________________________

Phil Stone is the State Sunday School Director for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

Categories : Enlistment, Sunday School

Comments (1)