Archive for Great Expectations – Page 3

Expect People to Say “Yes” to Enrollment

By Daniel Edmonds · Comments (0)
Monday, August 23rd, 2010

I had the opportunity to train a pastor and his church on how to properly enroll people in Sunday School. A few months later, the pastor and I attended a conference together on Sunday School health. The conference leader was sharing different ways to discover prospects. The pastor raised his hand and said, “We never have prospects!” The leader asked him if he had tried a variety of the techniques. The pastor replied, “We have tried them all, but as soon as we discover a prospect we ask them to enroll and they always agree; therefore, they are no longer prospects.” I am certain that I do not get a “yes” every time, but I do expect it.

Why do I expect people to agree to enrollment? Because I do not ask them to commit to the group, but I ask them if they are willing to have a group commit to serve them. Several years ago, I came to the realization that enrollment does not represent an individual’s commitment to the class, but the commitment of the class to the individual. Enrollment is not about a person attending the

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class, but it is about the class attending to the needs of the individual. Enrollment becomes the way a class extends its’ ministry and mission field by identifying people to whom it can demonstrate the love of Christ.

In general, when I meet someone I ask them if they have a group of people to pray for and support them. I tell them that I have a group that consistently will do that for me and that it brings me joy and comfort in my daily life. I ask them for the privilege of providing them with a group of people who will pray for them, share with them, and care for them if they have a need. I assure them that they have no obligation to the group, but that the group will be obligated to them. Then I ask, “Would you like to have a group of people praying for you, sharing with you, and caring for you and your family if you have a need?” I am not surprised when they say “yes!”

Sunday School has a mission of sharing the love of Christ with everyone. We express a willingness to be on mission when we offer people an opportunity to be enrolled. When they say, “yes,” provide the ministry that has been promised and you will discover that when we live as Christ, He draws people to Himself. Expect people to say, “Yes!” to enrollment, and then complete the mission.

Comments (0)
Categories : Great Expectations, Growing your Group, Sunday School

Expect Personal Follow-Up Of Every Guest

By Tom Belew · Comments (1)
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

The goal of every Sunday School or small group is to lead people to be in a life-changing Bible study and to come to know Christ as personal Savior. People are much more likely to accept Christ and unite with a church when they are active in a class or group. Churches annually commit time and money to discover new people; it is only logical for a class or group to promptly follow up when someone responds to these efforts.

 Amazingly, many guests are never contacted after they visit a church, class or group. All the hard work to get a person to attend is not followed up to get them actively involved. The fear of rejection seems to grip members and leaders, paralyzing their ability to take appropriate action. God’s Word encourages us at this point: “For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment” 2 Tim 1:7 (HCSB). God is with us as we follow up guests, and our desire is in harmony with His desire, to see people drawn close to Him.

 Expect the church to have a follow-up strategy

The best follow-up strategies have a multi-level approach for making sure follow-up happens. Typically, the approach includes staff contacts, key leader contacts and Sunday School or small group contacts. In the case of a family visiting, it is common for leaders of children, student and adult age-groups to be making contacts. The strategy should provide leaders or members with contact information, church information and reporting form or procedure. Class leaders should be accountable for following through on assigned contacts.

 Expect leaders/members to make contact sooner than later

Research has revealed that the quicker the follow-up the better. A class might have a strategy to make “glad you came” visits or contacts on Sunday afternoon. Some churches deliver cookies or a loaf of bread. Early in the week, the church or class might have an evening outreach ministry.  Class leaders and members can pick up assignments and be off to make their contacts.

 Expect leaders/members to honor guest preferences

Today, people want everything they experience to be the way they prefer it. Our world is filled with personal choice; contacts from a class are no different. Leaders need to learn the community and age-group factors influencing personal preferences. Start by providing a way for guests to indicate their contact preferences. The list of options might include: call, visit, e-mail, facebook or text message. As you make contact, honor guest preferences.

Expect the church to provide relevant information

Relevant information should include:

  • Guest contact information
  • Map or directions if needed
  • Church or ministry brochure(s)
  • Tools for witnessing
  • How to report the results

 Expect leaders/members to report the results

Every contact with a guest is a link in a continuous story. Each part is critical to understanding. Have a definite way to collect the results and build the story of each guest. The story helps leaders make future contacts more relevant and meaningful.

Comments (1)
Categories : Great Expectations, Growing your Group, Outreach/Evangelism, Sunday School

Expect Pastoral Support and Involvement

By Steve McNeil · Comments (1)
Saturday, August 21st, 2010

A dynamic, growing Sunday School class is made up of many components.  One critical feature is a class that engages in ministry with one another.  Another way of saying ministry is “pastoral support and involvement.”

In a church I know of, a new pastor came to town and began to evaluate what the church was doing and he began to see where ministry needs existed.  He met with the deacons and they evaluated their role.  Current ministries and programs were assessed, some were dropped and new roles were defined.  One of the ministry roles that the deacons dropped was a pastoral care role.  Why would the deacons give up that important role?  Because the Sunday School was already doing it.

The pastor began to notice that every time he would show up at the hospital to see someone, there was already a Sunday School class member, teacher or friend there giving support. When the pastor would visit the birth of a new baby, or visit the funeral home, or go to a member’s ball game or recital, there were Sunday School class members there giving support.  The Sunday School was a real, relevant place where people were doing life together.

How does this happen?  When a class is organized with an appropriate class structure, and people know what their role is, when classes have care groups that function by contacting each other, by setting up care group prayer chains, and keep track of each other in their care group, then “pastoral support and involvement” can take place. 

People want to care for each other, because they want to be cared for themselves.  Get your class involved in the age appropriate pastoral supportive opportunities that fit your class.

Young married couples – can help each other with baby showers, baby sitting, cook outs, kid time.

Median age couples – can help with babysitting and car pooling.

Empty nesters – can help as parents get to the age where they need care and often times need the support of a class when parents pass from this life to the next.

Senior adults – can help with life transition issues as well.  They can help with trips to doctors and giving support during surgeries.

The bottom line is looking for needs, being sensitive to those needs and coming up with a reasonable plan to meet those needs.  When a class does this, it will be a loving, caring place of pastoral support and involvement. You can expect it!

Comments (1)
Categories : Great Expectations, Leadership, Ministry, Sunday School

Expect Fellowship Opportunities

By Mark Miller · Comments (1)
Friday, August 20th, 2010

Party!!!!  Most people love parties!  A proven principle for growing Sunday Schools: Every class should invite every member and every prospect to a fellowship (party) every month.  It’s hard to form “relationships” and come into “community” when people sit in rows looking at the back of each other’s heads on Sunday mornings.  Ed Stetzer declared , “the church needs to move from rows, to circles, to provoking one another to love and good deeds.”  Opportunities for fellowship should be expected to move people from the auditorium, to the classroom, to the dining room, to the community. Fellowships are essential because relationships are important.   

The Bible states that the early church practiced fellowship.  And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.  HCSB Acts 2:42.  Today’s classes and churches should be engaged in fellowshipping with each other and with God. In other words, healthy classes expect and provide opportunities for fellowship. 

When I think of party, I think FOOD and FUN!  Fellowships normally involve FOOD…Food naturally brings people together.   In 2005, Gallup was commissioned to do some research for Group. According to the results, some 77 percent of highly satisfied members have eaten a meal with people in their congregation (who are not members of their family) at some point over the last year. Only 56 percent of somewhat satisfied or dissatisfied members have shared a meal together.  FOOD and Fellowship are important.  So let’s party.

Adult classes should enlist someone to serve as the Fellowship Coordinator or develop a Fellowship Team.  This person or group would be responsible for planning ongoing activities and events that bring people together for fun and fellowship.  When planning for fellowships think about this acrostic:

  • Purpose  (Why: Just for fun or to respond to a need of a person in the class or community)
  • Arrangements (What, When, and Where)
  • Responsibilities (Who)
  • Themes (Some of my favorites: Luau, Christmas, Everything Chocolate, Super Bowl Viewing)
  • Y’all Come (Promote)

Fellowship opportunities build a sense of community among the members of the class but they also provide an opportunity for evangelism and outreach.  Josh Hunt wrote in You Can Double Your Class in Two Years, “most people who are opposed to the gospel are not opposed to ice cream.”  Fellowships provide an informal casual setting in a neutral, non-threatening place to know and be known and to love and be loved.  Every class should invite every member and every prospect to a fellowship every month.

Building relationships takes work….Make Fellowships an Important part of your Sunday School class.

Comments (1)
Categories : Great Expectations, Growing your Group, Ministry, Outreach/Evangelism, Small Groups, Sunday School

Learning from a LEGO: Connect with Others

By Belinda Jolley · Comments (5)
Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Ole Kirk Christiansen founded The LEGO® Group in 1934. He took the first two letters of two Danish words meaning “play well” to come up with the LEGO name. Christiansen was unaware that one meaning of the word in Latin is “I put together.” The 2009 company profile emphasizes all LEGO elements are fully compatible, irrespective of when they were made during the period from 1958 to the present or by which factory.” (Company Profile 2009)

LEGO toys are dependent on their connecting with one another. Just as these toys allow people of all ages to learn and develop through play, Sunday School is a great way for people of all ages to learn and develop through relationships. God wants people to connect with one another. Relationships are important to God.

Relationships are a key value of Sunday School, too. You should expect people to connect with both members and prospects, but we cannot assume connecting takes place.  We must be intentional.

You may be connecting with others if people are…

  • sharing prayer praises and concerns on behalf of others
  • talking about how God is working in other peoples’ lives
  • gathering  beyond the session, including structured class fellowship times
  • serving together in the community

The list goes on. My favorite question that helps me gauge if people are connecting in my church is to ask how many people in your Sunday School class do you feel comfortable calling at 4AM.  If people are in Sunday School 3-6 months and have not established at least 2-3 relationships with others, they probably won’t be around for long.

A great resource of helping people connect with others is Connect 3: the Power of One Sunday School Class.  Connect3  considers catalysts that move people in Sunday School toward personal growth and increased connectedness. The concepts presented in Connect3 focus on Sunday school participants becoming intentional about connecting with others on the class level, the community level, and the commission level.  Classes and individuals can evaluate whether they are connecting with God through His Word, through a community organized for care and ministry 24/7, or helping each other live out The Great Commission down the street and around the world. Regardless of which level at which people are connecting, you can use these materials to discover ways to help people connect with others.

“People are not just looking for a ‘friendly church,’ they’re hungry for friends.” [Ed Stetzer and Thom S. Rainer, Transformational, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2010), page 100.]

Remember, just as LEGO toys allow people of all ages to learn and develop through play, Sunday School is a great way for people of all ages and stages of spiritual development to learn and develop through relationships.

 Other “connecting” resources:

Keeping Class Members Connected – This article provides timeless suggestions for Sunday School leaders to prevent people from becoming disconnected in the first place.

Steve Sheely, Ice Breakers & Heart Warmers: 101 Ways to Kick Off and End Meetings, (Nashville, TN: Serendipity House, 1998) – This book provides ideas for helping people get to know one another based on how long group has been together, type of group, topic, or mood of the group.

___________________________________

Belinda Jolley serves as the Director of the Adult Ministry Office of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Belinda and her husband, Steve, enjoy starting new classes at First Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Comments (5)
Categories : Great Expectations, Ministry, Outreach/Evangelism, Sunday School
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