Teaching :: Sunday School Leaders

Jan

Leadership Meetings That Work

By Allan Taylor · Comments (0)

As a former high school football coach I would never think about putting my players on the game field until we had spent adequate time on the practice field. Yet, too often we put our Sunday School leaders in the game on Sunday morning when they have not been on the practice field preparing. Understand that ministry, like football, is 80% preparation and 20% performance!

Corporate Leadership Meetings That Work

Plan your corporate meetings around three approaches to the meeting.

1. A Practical Approach: You need to select a day and time that is most conducive to have your leaders in attendance. Make your meetings as convenient as possible for them to attend. Provide refreshments and select a room that is comfortable, convenient, and equipped with appropriate light and media needs.

2. A Philosophical Approach: Your meetings should be intentionally arranged by your Sunday School philosophy. In my case, I arrange Leadership Meetings under five headings. Each of these headings can be addressed generally and specifically.

Reaching People addresses outreach, discovering prospects, visitation, contacting, follow-up, witness training, VBS, etc.
Teaching People addresses curriculum, lesson planning, teaching styles, doctrine, room set-up, etc.
Ministering to People addresses the Care Group ministry, chronic absentees, benevolence, life issues, deaths, sicknesses, etc.
Leadership speaks to developing your leaders, enlisting and equipping new leaders, teamwork, appreciation, etc.
Administration covers things like records, room assignments, logistics for high attendance days, adding another Sunday School hour, ordering curriculum, etc.

3. A Purposeful Approach: Plan several meetings in advance so that you cover various aspects of Sunday School. Then, plan each individual meeting with the end in mind. Be able to fill in this statement: “At the conclusion of this meeting we will have accomplished…” Remember, it is better not to have a meeting as to have a useless one.

At the end of each meeting your Sunday School should move closer to accomplishing the purpose of her existence.

Class Leadership Meetings That Work

Sunday School needs corporate planning, but she also needs individual class planning. I have found that many classes need a structure from which to work in order to have a productive meeting. We provide a sheet for each class as follows.

Five Major Categories in an Effective Planning Meeting

Outreach Planning, Lesson Planning, Ministry Planning, Administrative Planning, & Prayer Time.

Instructions

Arrange the five categories in your preferred sequence.
Indicate the amount of minutes to be used for each category.
Indicate the person(s) responsible to lead each individual category.
List the items (person, place, thing, etc.) needing discussion in each category.
List items to pray about.

Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Category	Minutes	Person(s) Leading	Items to Discuss
#1 Outreach	15	Outreach Leader	Visitation Teams
			Follow-up on Visitors
#2 Lesson	15	Teacher	Intentional Group Discussion
			Apprentice Teacher this week
#3 Ministry	10	Care Group Leaders	Death in Smith Family
			Paying electric bill for Jones Family
#4 Admin.	10	Secretary	Help with Name Tags
			Need Greeter at the door
#5 Prayer	10	Teacher	God to raise up more Care Groups
			When to birth a new class

Like a train, most people need a track to run on. This chart allows the leader to fill in items to address as things come up from week-to-week in the class. Therefore, the class leadership meeting will be productive in making the class operate more effectively.

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Allan Taylor is the Minister of Education at First Baptist Church Woodstock, GA.

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

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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

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.

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*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

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Nov

Simple Strategies for Building Community

By David Bond · Comments (0)

At a recent meeting, I ran into a friend that I had not seen in quite some time. I almost didn’t recognize him, because he had lost almost one hundred pounds since our paths last crossed. After complimenting him on this great change in his life, I inquired about the method he had used to get rid of the weight. I expected him to credit a new diet plan, tell me he joined a gym, or rave about the latest set of workout videos. Instead, he said very simply, “I just started watching what I eat and exercising at home every day”. His response reminded me of this principle: Simple efforts can bring about significant effects.

Most things still come back to the basics and enjoying great group life is no different. While many want to look for the next big trick, your group’s community can improve significantly just by making some simple intentional efforts.

Get to Know Each Other. Let class members fill out a family profile sheet with information about work, hobbies/interests, favorites, places you’ve lived, etc. Highlight a family each week in a class email, post it on a Facebook page, or print it in a class directory. Pray especially for them during that week. Recruit people to share their testimonies over a period of several weeks. Take a few moments to not only pray specifically for each other but also to brag on the good stuff.

Provide Time for Interaction in Class. Plan your lessons with intentional times for people to get into smaller groups and answer questions, look at passages of Scripture, or complete a learning activity. Community is hard to build when everyone always faces the front and never in front of a face.

Name Tags. Wear them. Love them.

Contact Each Other During the Week. Sure, you should contact absentees and guests. But the regulars want to stay connected, too. With so many ways to communicate today, it has never been easier or taken less time to stay in touch.

Come Up Big During Crisis. Organize and implement a ministry care strategy for your group so that when these moments regrettably occur, people are ready to act. Times of need are when friendships are forged.

Get Together Outside of Class. Have a formal fellowship, serve on a work project together, grab a burger together after church, sit at a concert together, watch the big game on TV together, attend a community event together, . . . it doesn’t matter what you do, just do it together.

Utilize Groups Within the Group. Depending on the size of your class, much of the above can only be handled effectively when done by smaller segments of the group. Smaller groups within the group allow large classes to have the best of both worlds.

There are few shortcuts or secrets to building community, just simple strategies that make a difference.

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David Bond serves as Adult Sunday School Strategist for the Evangelism and Church Growth Team of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.

Categories : Leadership, Ministry, Sunday School, Teaching

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Nov

Maximizing Ministry Through Team Leadership

By David Bond · Comments (0)

This is post three of three.

Sunday School classes can thrive when more people are involved in leading the charge. In this brief series, we have examined the following “T’s” of Team Leadership.

1. Testimony – Why should you bother with Team Leadership?
2. Team – What positions should make up your team?
3. Task – What do you want the members of your team to do?

In this post, we will suggest the final three components of an effective team leadership strategy.

4. Title: Who Will Be in Charge of this Ministry Area?

Few things are more discouraging then to be given a responsibility but not the freedom to fulfill it. The following keys provide ways to ensure that those who are recruited can really take the lead in their area.

First, clearly Designate them as the leader. Include listings of ministry leaders just as you would the teacher of the class.

Direct all aspects of their ministry area to them. When someone asks a question, direct them to contact the appropriate person. This is especially important in the early implementationof a team leadership structure.

Defer to the leader’s creativity and unique spin on their ministry. Once you have all agreed to the procedures and parameters of the task, back off and let them lead and learn. If the leader goes outside of the agreed upon boundaries, that is an appropriate time to make corrections.

5. Time: When Will This Ministry Take Place?

One obvious by-product of a shared leadership system in Sunday School is that there will need to be time designated for each of the ministries to do their job. The following ideas will help in this regard.

Start on time and maximize the hour. Every minute is precious and needed for ministry.
Learn who needs class time every week and who does not. Obviously, teachers will take a good portion of the time for Bible study. Prayer, Ministry Care, and Outreach leaders will also likely need a consistent time slot. Leaders in other areas such as missions, ministry/service projects, and fellowship may not have new contributions every week. Communication and planning will be the key to maximizing the Sunday School hour.
Encourage creativity and the use of multiple delivery methods. No one enjoys a class that becomes a parade of announcement-makers. Social media provides another way for leaders to communicate with class members.

6. Tools: What Do Leaders Need in Order to Do Their Job?

Finally, leaders must be given the resources necessary in order for them to carry out their work. An annual meeting of all Sunday School leadership may be necessary in order to share the vision for team leadership. After this, ministry area leaders should meet together periodically for specific training, reporting, and evaluation. Outside of formal meeting times, leaders can share articles, websites, blogs, print materials and other sources of helpful information.

Team leadership is effective and results in classes that stay on mission and leaders who are confident and excited about their role.

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David Bond serves as Adult Sunday School Strategist for the Evangelism and Church Growth Team of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.

Categories : Leadership, Sunday School, Teaching

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