Mission :: Sunday School Leaders

Aug

The Adult Class’ Mission to Kids

By Marie Clark · Comments (0)

It is natural for an Adult class with a missionary mentality to plan for reaching folks in people groups similar to the class members, whether by age or life stage. When that happens, growing classes and new classes become common among adults…but who is targeting kids?

David Francis wrote, “A disturbing trend among Sunday School and small group ministries over the past couple of decades is the emphasis placed on adult groups. The Sunday School movement started with an emphasis on kids, with adult classes coming later, partly in response to the question, ‘What do we do with the adults while the kids are learning?’ Today that has—I believe unfortunately—switched. The question I hear pastors wrestling with now is ‘What do we do with the kids while the adults are enjoying their classes or small group?’ I think that’s the wrong question.” (Transformational Class, p. 14, © LifeWay Press, 2010)

If you are an Adult Sunday School leader, consider the question: “How can our Adult class be on mission for kids?” Here are some possible responses.

If your class is targeting parents of preschoolers, children, or teens, work with your Sunday School director to help evaluate the capacity of the corresponding kids’ classes to accommodate children who may come with their parents.
Encourage class members to support and participate in outreach activities of your church to reach kids, such as Vacation Bible School, after-school programs, Upward basketball leagues, or a community Easter egg hunt.
Be willing to move to a less desirable classroom when your current class space is needed for a new or growing kids’ class.
Lead your class to “adopt” a preschool or school-age class for the year (or several years). Pray specifically for the kids and their teachers. Take a group picture of the kids and teachers and display it prominently in your classroom. Invite the kids to visit your class one morning for a few minutes at the beginning of the session. Provide a party for the kids on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Ask the teachers to identify something they would like to have in their classroom to enhance learning and deliver it to the class for a Christmas gift. You get the idea!
Pray for teachers for new kids’ groups.
Be willing to send one of your class members as a “missionary” (teacher for the kids). Watch for a post later in the month on this topic.
Say “yes” if God is calling you to be a missionary (teacher) for the kids.

Whether your Adult class is filled with young parents, retirees, single adults, or folks somewhere in the middle, don’t forget to be on mission for kids.

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Marie Clark is passionate about reaching and teaching children and has spent 25+ years working with grade-school kids as a volunteer in her church. She serves as team leader for the Bible Teaching & Discipling Team of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists.

Categories : 31 Days of Transformational Class, Leadership, Mission

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Feb

Evangelism Among Adults

By Mark Miller · Comments (1)

Bad Photos

So many Christians are like bad photos …over exposed and underdeveloped. What did my friend mean by that? I believe what he was trying to say was simple. The church is not doing a good job, its commissioned job, of making Disciples. If you and I are disciples we will be Witnesses, I didn’t say that Jesus did.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

220 Million Lost Americans live, work, play and walk around us every day yet they are not encountering the Gospel. They are not seeing the Gospel lived out. They are not hearing the Gospel. Ray Comfort’s research tells us that 97% of “Christians” will not share their faith before they die. 97%!!! What are churches doing to reach adults in our society?

Doing What we’ve Always Done and ….It Works

Some are doing what they always done…evangelistic VBS, Harvest Revivals, Compassion evangelism and event evangelism and it seems to still work. In some areas! There does seem to be a full shift from confrontational evangelism (cold calls door to door) to serving the community or Servant Evangelism. Dr. Chuck Kelly president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary said this in a recent chapel at NOBTS “What confrontational evangelism was in the 70’s Servant evangelism is to this generation.”

Pastor John Marshall…said the size of the church is not the issue. If your church is 10 people you can do something locally. It is the heart and the mindset of your people that will impact your community for Christ. What impact is your church making on your community? If your church had to close the doors would the community scream out in pain of the loss or would they even notice.

Small Groups are like Training Wheels

Kevin Myers pastor of 12 Stones Church in the Atlanta area challenges his people to:

Be Inspiring ……to challenge neighbors to be on a spiritual journey
Be Sharing life…..small groups seek to reach out not IN
Be Giving ourselves away…….involved in the community by giving back

He says,” The lack of programming is on purpose. We want our people to engage in their community. “

Churches should take a fresh look at their disciple-making process if they desire to reach the LOST. Churches should equip their folks to share the Gospel. Then they should release them to reach their community. With that in mind I keep going back to Kevin Myers words “The lack of programming is on purpose, we want our people to engage in their community.”

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Steve H. Pearson is the Evangelism Specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

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

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Dec

Does your class have a missionary?

By Tom Belew · Comments (0)

A missional class is intentional to adopt one or more missionaries. With our international missionaries at the height of our attending during the month of December, it is a great time to strengthen our focus.

I have been blessed to have been part of several churches and classes where members surrender to international missions. I have watched close friends go to seminary, mission orientation, preparation to move to another part of the world, and finally to be serving in another country. Unlike the thousands of missionaries serving around the world, these missionaries are often the focus of my prayers. Why? Because they I personally know them and naturally have concern for them. I quickly find ways to keep in touch such as newsletters and email. When I am near where they serve, I let them know I am in the area. I know when they are on furlough and often make contact. I know about their work and the needs of their ministry. In recent years, the internet has made it easy for me to keep up with their local news and weather, adding another dimension to my prayers. Our prayers are quite different when we have a connection with someone.

Every class can know missionaries personally; it just requires a little intentional effort. To get started, identify a missionary you might like to know. The missionary might be someone from your area or it might be a country or ministry of interest. Make contact with them; the International Mission Board can help with contact information. Once you have made contact and start to get newsletters or other forms of communication, your prayers and curiosity will be heightened. The more you learn about their ministry and place of service, the more you will want to know. Soon you will find your class wanting to have them visit when they are on furlough. Soon they will be your missionary.

As we begin a new year, determine that your class will have at least on missionary as the focus of their thoughts, prayers and giving. Remember, the efforts of Paul and Barnabas where support by the church back in Jerusalem through others’ prayers, concerns, and gifts. Because the church at Jerusalem was missional we know Christ today.

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Tom Belew has served as Small Groups and Childhood Specialist for the California Southern Baptist Convention since 2002. He previously served as Minister of Education in churches in Arizona and California.

Categories : Mission, Prayer

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Dec

Praying for Missionaries

By Tom Belew · Comments (0)

A missional class makes prayer for missionaries a priority. In James 5:16 (HCSB) it says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.” During the month of December we focus our prayers on world missions and the Lottie Moon offering for world missions. I have been impressed when I see a class go beyond two or three seasons for missional prayer. Think with me about how a class can be more mission-minded with their prayers.

Have a bulletin board with pictures and names of missionaries. The board could contain the class members who have gone to serve in other church ministries (preschool, children, etc.), class members who are serving in community ministries, and class members who are helping with new church starts. Many times these members are soon forgotten; our prayers can keep them fresh in our minds and provide great strength through the Lord’s help.
Intentionally adopt a community ministry for the purpose of regular prayer support. Put it on your missionary board!
Make a point of getting to know one or more North American Mission Board missionaries and keep the class updated on their ministry. Lead the class to have an occasional video chat or conference call during class. Pray for their needs and ministries. Don’t forget to add them to your missionary board!
Adopt one or more International Mission Board missionaries. It is always great to pray for missionaries on their birthday, but how much more powerful our prayer when we know the missionary personally, their needs and their ministries. On the missionary board!

I think everyone has heard the Prudential Insurance advertisement, “Get A Piece Of The Rock”. The “rock” is the rock of Gibraltar located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. If you want to lead your class to get a piece of the missional rock that is the entrance to a great missional class, commit to pray for missions in an intentional personal way. Jesus is the “Rock” of our salvation. Pray for those spreading the Rock-solid Gospel.

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Categories : Mission, Prayer, Sunday School

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Dec

A Missional Sunday School Challenge

By Sean Keith · Comments (1)

As a child my favorite comic book hero was Superman. It seemed he could do anything. His only weakness was Krypton. While most hero’s have limits to their powers, Superman didn’t seem to have any. He was a man on mission. His mission was to “save the world”.

Like Superman, we have a mission. We are to go and make disciples. Although you may not think you have any “super powers”; we do. Matthew 28: 18 tells us “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth”. (Matt 28:18 HCSB) All of God’s power is available to us to accomplish our mission. The problem is that all of our battles are not in the physical world, against flesh and blood. “For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens”. Eph 6:12 (HCSB)

To accomplish our mission, we must go on the offense. Ephesians 6 teaches how to fight this battle by putting on the full armor of God. All of the armor and weapons were designed to fight offensively. Many of us are content just simply fighting from our fortresses and rarely venturing out into the battle. When will the church move from the defensive to the offensive. Instead of being content to keep the darkness out of our fortress, maybe we need to be out in the fray pushing back the darkness. Our world needs saving.

To be a missional Sunday School, we must pray. Pray for those in the darkness that they might see the light. Pray for those who are in the fray pushing into the darkness with the light of Christ. We must also prepare. Put on the armor of God. Gird yourself for battle. Prepare your weapons. But lastly, we must go and join the battle. The battle is the Lord’s but He still asks, “who will go for me”.

A missional Sunday School realizes that every time we meet for Bible study and prayer, it is to prepare to go back into the battle. In literal terms, when we leave our Sunday School class and worship services, we are released into the mission field. Go and make disciples of all the nations.

Sean P. Keith is the Sunday School/Discipleship Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention www.lbc.org/churchgrowth

Categories : Leadership, Mission, Small Groups, Sunday School

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