Archive for Sunday School enrollment

How Many Lost People Should Be on My Roll?

By Bob Mayfield · Comments (0)
Friday, September 30th, 2016

Most Sunday School teachers want their group members to invite lost friends and neighbors to Sunday School. One of the best laboratories for Christianity is a Sunday School group, so it is natural that we would want lost people to join and participate in our group.

So how can a leader tell how effective their group is in inviting lost or unchurched friends to the group?

The simplest answer to how many lost people should be in your group is… as many as possible!

But practically speaking, about 12% would be a good target. So for a group with 25 group members, about 3-4 lost people would be the minimum in order for your group to consider itself an evangelistically engaged group.

Some ideas on encouraging group members to invite their friends to join your group:

  • Have 2-4 fellowships a year that are intentionally designed for lost people. That means, have a fellowship (social, party, etc) that a lost person would like to attend. Have a shrimp fry. Plan a barbecue rib party. The guys can have a night at the ballpark and invite their lost friends.
  • Encourage people in your group to actually make the invite and ask a friend to come to the group Bible study. The best way to do this is to identify a specific date to invite friends (the date provides accountability); have brunch/finger foods/; enlist a group member or two to share their testimony; then study God’s Word; share a simple Gospel presentation; and pray together.
  • Bring a friend yourself. As the teacher, nothing communicates as well as your own actions.
  • When a guest visits your group, actually ask them to join. Fill out the guest card with them. Be sure to thank them for joining your group!!
  • Follow-up. Visit guests in their home. Ask for permission to add them to the group. Send them an invite to join the group’s Facebook page. In other words, treat the guest like a group member – and they will become one!

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Bob Mayfield is the Sunday School/Small Group specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Bob also has his own blog, as well as coordinating the BGCO’s online training site for Sunday School leaders, reconnectss.com.

 

 

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Rediscover Enrollment

By Daniel Edmonds · Comments (0)
Tuesday, August 30th, 2016

 

enrolledIt is hard to be on mission without identifying the mission field and making a commitment to cultivate the field. Recent church reports have many leaders concerned about the future of the church. No doubt part of the problem is an inward rather than an outward focus. Properly understood, this is what enrollment is about: an outward focus on the mission field.

Why Enroll?

  1. It is a commitment to make disciples. Instead of waiting for people to show up, enrollment commits the group to go and make disciples wherever people can be found. Through the years we have changed the directional intent of enrollment to inward rather than outward. It is not a commitment made by people to come to the group, it is a commitment of the group to go to people. It is a declaration that the group is responsible to disciple those enrolled.
  2. It is a pathway to evangelism. Enrollment encourages non-believers to become part of a group. Groups have proven very effective in helping people explore the claims of Christ and coming to know Him.
  3. It is an invitation to belong. Jesus and His disciples invited people to ‘come and see.’ It was an opportunity to get connected and be with people on the journey of life. God has created us relational and to be in community. We still have a need to belong.
  4. It is an opportunity to minister. Typically, I ask a person if they have people who pray for them. If not, I offer to provide them with a group that will pray for them, share with them, and care for them if they ever have a need. The responsibility is not on them, but on the group to effectively minister through prayer, sharing with them (breaking bread), and caring for them in accordance to what is discovered through prayer needs.

Enrollment is a valuable tool for disciples to use in refocusing on the mission field. “The harvest is plentiful!” Will you commit to be a laborer?

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Daniel Edmonds is the Director of the Office of Sunday School and Discipleship at the Alabama State Board of Missions

 

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The Need to Belong

By Sean Keith · Comments (0)
Friday, August 26th, 2016

belongingDo the people in your group or class genuinely care about you? Your perception of how you believe people feel about you guides how you behave in your relationship with them. If you feel like no one in your group cares about you, you are less likely to join them weekly in a Bible study.

People need to feel loved. They need to know that they “belong” in a group. They need to feel connected. They want to feel like they are a part of a family.

Having a sense of belonging to your group or class is what keeps people connected. So, how do you help people feel like they belong?

  • Know the people who are a part of your group or class by name and their story. The more we know about them, the easier it is to help them feel accepted. Ask them open ended questions about their life and listen.
  • Engage people by making them feel a part. Give them responsibility or a role in the group or class. People who have a role are more likely to attend and stay connected.
  • Connect with them regularly through social media, texting, calling, at socials, events and church functions.
  • Give them the opportunity for input into the direction, work and ministry of the class. The more opportunities for input a person has the greater they feel a part of something.

How can someone really belong unless they are connected?

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Sean Keith is the Sunday School specialist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention

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3 Reasons Lost People Should be Enrolled

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)
Friday, August 19th, 2016

cardWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

When groups practice “relationship evangelism,” more people get saved than using any other method.  Yes…when groups invite people who don’t know Christ to belong to their Bible Study (enroll), at least one of every three will get saved.

WHAT DO I DO?

Your group should really be a community of evangelism where lost people can “belong” before they believe.

REASON ONE: In today’s world, allowing people to “test drive” Christianity is essential.  Many Americans have a positive view of Jesus but a negative view of Christianity.   The greatest possibility for someone not interested in Christianity getting saved is by inviting them to belong to a group (enroll).  These group members must love them and allow them to learn more about Jesus by studying the book he wrote.

REASON TWO:  Many individuals are curiously seeking answers to spiritual questions.  These people will respond to an invitation to explore Christianity.  When you invite this person to belong by enrolling them in your class, you will have the opportunity to speak truth to them in a time when they are in a posture to receive it.

REASON THREE: Many people already have a belief in God, they just need to realize the Jesus is God.  These people need a group of people who will admonish them with the truth of God’s Word and will share their story of salvation so that they will respond and proclaim Jesus is LORD.

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Mark Miller, Tennessee Baptist Convention

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Enrollment: The Driving Metric for Group Attendance

By Dr. Tim S. Smith · Comments (0)
Monday, August 15th, 2016

SS board“I want to be in your group!”  That’s what I desire to hear from those that I’m seeking to connect with and I hope you have the same desire.  You and I have been given a wonderful privilege in leading and teaching other adults.  Jesus has saved us, gifted us, called us and commissioned us to make disciples.  For us to teach them they need to be in our group and that’s what ENROLLMENT is all about.

Its been proven over and over, the more people you have enrolled in your class the more people will attend your class.  It really is simple because here is what happens when you enroll someone in your class.

Intercession: The person can be prayed for regularly whether they attend weekly or are struggling spiritually.

Invitation: The person can be regularly invited to participate in fellowship opportunities where meaningful relationships can be developed.

Involvement: The person is encouraged to engage in weekly Bible Study that strengthens their relationship to God, to family, and to Kingdom service.

Inclination: The person is challenged and more likely to engage in evangelism and outreach than a person not enrolled in a small group.

When you enroll a new member in your class they can’t help but want to be there when they are being prayed for, included in activities, engaged with God’s Word and equipped to serve Jesus and others.

So here is my challenge to you.  This Sunday in your Sunday School class, set a goal for the number of new members your class will seek to enroll.  Begin praying for those to be reached and go invite them.  If your class has 10 members why not set a goal to reach 1 new member between now and the end of the year.

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Dr. Smith serves as a state missionary with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is the Groups and Faith Development Specialist.  Visit their websites at gabaptist.org/groups/ or gabaptistgroups.org for more information and other resources to aid your Sunday School or Small Group ministry.  You can also connect with Dr. Smith at facebook.com/GABaptistGroups, twitter.com/GABaptistGroups or pinterest.com/GABaptistGroups.  Dr. Smith’s email address is tsmith@gabaptist.org

 

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