A man went outside to retrieve the newspaper normally left at the end of his driveway each morning. He was pleasantly surprised to see that a little dog had already picked up the newspaper and brought it right up on the front porch. The man lavished praised on the little dog and even fed him a treat. When the man opened the door the next morning, the helpful dog was back again. But this time, the dog was proudly waiting to show off the seven newspapers he had gathered from homes all over the neighborhood.

This story reminds us about the tremendous power of encouragement! Church leaders can increase the quality of the teacher’s ministry by giving special attention to its use. Encouragement

may also be tied to the work of starting new groups. Many potential teachers may be reluctant to step up and serve because they have too rarely seen existing teachers receive the support and encouragement they deserve. Consistent affirmation may be the push that potential teachers need in order to feel comfortable about accepting a leadership role.

Consider the following ideas to encourage the teachers in your church.

Encourage Individually

The beginning of the school year often provides opportunities for blanket statements of appreciation for all kinds of teachers. While this is valuable, an individual affirmation is much more effective. Handwritten notes, timely text messages, and hallway conversations are all opportunities to encourage individuals in their ministry. Birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions are easy opportunities for individual encouragement.

Encourage Personally

All teachers have different strengths, gifts, and natural abilities. Finding ways to encourage something unique about a leader’s ministry will have a great impact. The way the teacher ministered to a particular family, an aspect of their teaching that is excellent, the organization of their group, a profession of faith made by someone in their class, or someone who has been “sent out” from their class to serve are all examples of ministry aspects that are worthy of encouragement.

Encourage Publically

Pastors should give regularly affirmation and encouragement in public settings. Highlighting the Sunday School ministry in sermons or other public gatherings can go a long way in encouraging existing teachers and calling out those who have leadership potential.

Encourage Formally

An annual appreciation dinner, after-church lunch, a Sunday School worship service emphasis, leader fellowship, or a training retreat, are all examples of opportunities for formal encouragement. Use these gatherings to enlist class members who can give testimonies to the role that Sunday School has played in their spiritual growth.

Encourage Strategically

All educators are familiar with the concept of positive reinforcement. The value of “catching” a teacher doing something right and then affirming that behavior increases the likelihood that the teacher will repeat that practice in the future. In addition, publicly encouraging teachers for strategically valuable Sunday School practices has the dual benefit of providing subtle training for those who are future teachers.

The power of encouragement will increase the quality of your existing groups and the emergence of new ones!

In the Ten Best Practices to Make Sunday School Work, Kenneth Hemphill and Bill Taylor propose that mobilizing for ministry includes identifying goals, organizing to meet those goals, and equipping leaders. While those steps are important, another definition of that word may precede them. One definition of mobilization is “to make capable of movement”. Perhaps the reason why Sunday School classes do not successfully mobilize for ministry is because adjustments are needed in order to make movement a possibility.

For example, the growing use of smartphones caused organizations to change the way they design websites. Most organizations now have a dedicated mobile version of their website. They recognized that adjustments were needed to make something capable of mobility . . . accessible to more people, at more times, and in more contexts. Mobile websites have the same purpose and goals of their desktop counterparts, but they have intentionally been made capable of movement.

What are some principles of mobilization that can be transferred to Sunday Schools who desire to be mobile . . . accessible to more people, at more times, and in more contexts? Consider these observations that make websites more mobile and how they might apply to a class that is mobilized for ministry.

• Mobility means free from clutter.

Mobility requires an environment that is free from unnecessary obstacles. In Sunday School classes, this could actually be physical objects! However, clutter refers to anything that makes it more difficult for the user to find what they came for. Is it easy for people to meet friends, participate in the Bible study, and find information about church ministry opportunities? If not, why not?

• Mobility means a simple design.

Mobile sites have a simple design but a substantial delivery. Style is important, but never at the expense of providing the experience that the participant needs. Sunday School classes that mobilize for ministry have a simple plan that is identifiable, clear to understand, and easy to participate in. Members know what they are there to do, and they do it with great energy.

• Mobility results from dedication to the user.

Mobile sites came about in response to the needs and demands of the user. Rather than insist that the user come to the main site for connection, mobile sites represent an effort to take the information to where the user (or potential user) already lives. Sunday schools that are mobilized for ministry understand their target audience . . . who they are, where they are, what they are looking for, and how to connect with them.

• Mobility maximizes time.

When accessing a website, few things are more frustrating than pages that take forever to load up and get going! Mobile sites make adjustments that allow them eliminate “wait time” as much as possible. Sunday School classes are notorious for “waiting just a few more minutes” for others to arrive. Create a plan for using your class time that includes time for prayer, care reports/assignments, ministry opportunities, as well as interactive Bible study. Sunday Schools on the move have no time to waste!

• Mobility adapts to the space (size) that is available.

Mobile designers know that they are limited by space, so they make the necessary adjustments. They never use it as an excuse for poor service and performance. The population of a community, size of a building, availability of leadership, amount of resources and other factors are never the same from one Sunday School to another. But those who are dedicated to mobilizing for ministry choose to not dwell on what is not available and dedicate themselves to maximum effectiveness of what is available.

As we have learned from the world of website design, strategic adjustments and attention

can make your group “capable of movement” . . . mobilized for ministry!

A recent Lifeway Research study revealed some sobering statistics concerning the evangelism practices of church-going American Protestants.  The study revealed that though 80 percent of those who attend church at least once a month believe that they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, slightly more than 60% have not done so in the previous 6 months.Findings such as these should spur us on to consider some of the following ways that Sunday School may be used to intentionally train and encourage people to actively share their faith.

1. Teach the Bible as the Grand Gospel Story

More than a collection of individual books, the whole of Scripture tells the grand gospel story of how God created, redeemed, and promises to restore a people for Himself.  While the individual stories present in Scripture certainly have “stand-alone” significance, understanding them in relation to how they contribute to the Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration components of the gospel results in more accurate interpretation and greater application of the Bible text.  Teachers who take this approach to their teaching will keep the gospel at the center of their class experience each week and hopefully impress upon class members this overwhelming desire of the heart of God.

2. Share Salvation Stories in Sunday School

In December 2008, Norm Miller was inspired by John 12:32 to “lift up Christ so that He might draw people to Himself.” He ran a series of billboards in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that highlighted a series of local celebrities who were willing to give personal testimony of how their lives had been changed by Jesus.  A website was established to host these video testimonies and the ministry of “I Am Second” was born.  The testimonies of athletes, actors, entertainers, and others have been viewed by more than 15 million people in over 200 hundred countries giving validation to the attractional power of a personal salvation story.

When someone shares their salvation story, they give personal testimony to the life-changing power of Jesus.  Testimonies also may reveal circumstances, gospel presentations, personal experiences, church events, family/friend relationships, and other influences that contributed to their response to the Gospel.  As class members hear testimonies from others, they will gain confidence in the power of Jesus to change lives.  As they share their own testimony, they will practice doing so in a safe and encouraging environment so that they may be more comfortable and likely to share in a “real” witnessing encounter.

3. Pray Specifically for Those Who Need Jesus

Nearly all Sunday School classes maintain a prayer list. However, the evangelistic Sunday School should attempt to move their requests beyond “safety and surgery” to include prayer for the salvation of lost people identified by your group.  In the Lifeway Research article cited above, Ed Stetzer reports, regarding personal discipleship, that “praying more frequently for the status of people who are not professing Christians is the best indicator of more spiritual maturity in the entire Sharing Christ factor”.  This tells us that praying for those who need Jesus does a work both in the lives of those for whom we pray AND in our lives as well.

4. Celebrate Evangelistic Efforts Made by Group Members

Encourage group members to identify (even if not by name) those with whom they are attempting to share Christ.  Periodically ask for updates regarding the progress that is being made to build relationships with those who need to hear a testimony and gospel witness.  Celebrate and affirm each effort that is made leading up to the moment that someone responds to Jesus.  Develop the understanding among people in your group that the goal is to share the gospel and trust God for the response.  These practices may serve to develop confidence, provide accountability, and encourage evangelistic activity.

Sunday School can be a training ground for soul winners!

“Church-Goers Believe in Sharing Faith, Most Never Do”, available at http://www.lifeway.com/Article/research-survey-sharing-christ-2012