Archive for Ministry – Page 3

How Can I Encourage Class Member Faithfulness?

By Darryl Wilson · Comments (0)
Sunday, September 18th, 2016

care4familyWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Dr. Thom Rainer and others have reported that one of the largest influences on the drop in average Sunday School attendance is the irregularity of class members. Absence makes disciple-making efforts more challenging. It impacts children and teens by making them believe that following Jesus and church involvement are optional. It can reduce relational connections and make dropping out more likely.

WHAT DO I DO? How can we intentionally encourage member faithfulness? Here are several ideas:

  • follow up every time persons are absent;
  • when they miss, express your genuine care and that they were missed;
  • ask key members to invest in those whose attendance patterns are declining;
  • contact, pray together, and remind them of the next fellowship/project;
  • plan regular class fellowships and ensure absentees get written and phone invitations;
  • plan outreach and ministry projects where participants can get to know one another while meeting needs;
  • give every member a class responsibility;
  • develop prayer partners (maybe regular with absentee) who pray together weekly by phone;
  • communicate how upcoming lessons will help them to live out their Christian lives in the world;
  • explain the benefits of regular attendance for themselves and their children;
  • have an attendance and/or contact contest with another class during a quarter;
  • use lesson icebreakers to help members get to know one another in fresh ways (for affinity discovery); and
  • divide the group during the Bible study into small groups (3-5 persons) for discussion.

Pray. Care. Contact. Listen. Help. Never give up. Never!

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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Assimilation, Group Life, Ministry
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Contact Absentees Without Producing Guilt

By Darryl Wilson · Comments (0)
Thursday, September 1st, 2016

ListenWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? When a class member is absent for three weeks, absence becomes a habit. Absentees often begin to feel guilty about not attending. Attending members also begin to feel guilty about not reaching out. Caring relationships work to avoid that happening.

WHAT DO I DO? Because you care, reach out immediately after each absence. Make a contact–the more personal the better. In other words, make a visit or a call. Express your care, even if the member has been on vacation. How can we do so without producing guilt? Consider the following:

  • say hello at the door (or by phone)
  • say that you just wanted him/her to know you missed him/her in class
  • remind him/her about upcoming plans for a fellowship or project
  • if there was a previous prayer request, ask for an update (write it down)
  • ask how you can pray for him/her and the family
  • pray together
  • as you part, say that you look forward to being in class together.

If the person has been absent for several weeks, extend the visit for a few extra minutes. Attempt to discover a need the class could meet. Ask the absentee if you can pick them up for the fellowship or project. Talk about recent class activities. Share your Sunday School testimony (see Sunday School Testimony: Powerful Revolutionary Tool for more details). Talk about the current lesson series.

The bottom line is CARE. Contact with care because you do and no one will have guilt!

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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Assimilation, Ministry, Prayer
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Together

By Sean Keith · Comments (0)
Tuesday, June 28th, 2016

TogetherIf your church body took the form of a human body, how healthy would it be? Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 both talk about how we as a “body of believers” should function and work together as one. There is one head – Jesus. There are lots of parts, but one body.

If I were to be honest, even my church (and I do love my church) would resemble a zombie more than a healthy functioning human being. Why is that? Maybe it’s because sometimes Jesus is not the head of our “body of believers.” Maybe there are too many people that are not doing their part. Maybe we just have too many jobs that people feel that somebody else can do the job better. Whatever the reason, we have a problem church!

One of the reasons I love Sunday School is because each class is unique. The church may not function the way it should, but sometimes a class does. If at least one Sunday School class is healthy and functioning, it can drastically improve the chances of God doing something incredible in that church and community. That is the Power of One.

Together there is so much more we can do than one person can do alone. 9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. 10 For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? 12 And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (HCSB)

Don’t rob others of the opportunity to be a part of God’s great work in your church and community. Get as many people involved as possible. We weren’t meant to do it alone.

Your Sunday School class could be a healthy, functioning example of a body of Christ. My advice is to pay attention to the head of the body – Jesus Christ. Then, seek to involve and engage as many people as possible in fulfilling the Great Commission.

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Sean Keith is the Sunday School/Discipleship Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Website: www.revseankeith.com; Twitter: @revseankeith.

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Categories : Ministry
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What Is Your Group’s Primary Purpose, Really?

By Darryl Wilson · Comments (0)
Saturday, August 29th, 2015

PrimaryA group leader recently shared with me his understanding of Sunday School. His overarching terms were worship, community, and evangelism. With his spiritual gifts of teaching and leadership, he felt most effective in teaching and fellowship. As we talked more, he shared natural, organic efforts by his group at outreach. His groups tended to grow during the course of the year.

Groups are composed of and led by people who have differing personalities, experiences, abilities, passions, and gifts. Sometimes group members shape the focus or primary purpose of their group. Often leaders do so. I often hear teaching mentioned as the primary purpose. Occasionally I hear fellowship and ministry mentioned. Rarely I hear outreach and evangelism mentioned.

There is nothing wrong with admitting a preference for one purpose and doing it well. But group growth can settle for nothing less than work done on three purposes: reaching, teaching, and caring (or mission, formation, and connection as shared by David Francis and Rick Howerton in Countdown.)

Without reaching, there will be no group to teach. Without care (ministry, fellowship, connection), the group will leak out, and there will be no group left to teach. Without good teaching, our outreach and care will not keep them coming back. Which can we neglect without suffering the consequences? None!

In a tiny group (2 or 3 people), one person may need to lead in all three purposes. But as a group grows beyond tiny, there will usually be members whose gifts, personalities, and passions equip them to be able to serve to lead one of these three purposes for the class. But someone must prayerfully enlist them!

When a teacher has someone leading the group in outreach and member care, he or she is like Moses leading Israel to fight Amelek in Exodus 17. When Aaron and Hur held up his arms, they were able to win the battle. The teacher can focus on his/her primary purpose of teaching, while the outreach leader focuses on his/her primary purpose of outreach and the member care leader focuses on his/her primary purpose of member care. With three champions, all three purposes can be carried out well.

It is difficult (or impossible) alone to do everything. But with balance and teamwork, growth is natural. Make sure the purposes are given to someone who can make them their focus. Then ask them to help you lead the class to accomplish them all!

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Categories : 31 Day Countdown, Ministry, Outreach/Evangelism, Teaching
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Day 21-Shepherding Rewards

By Darryl Wilson · Comments (0)
Thursday, August 21st, 2014

RewardsThe rewards of shepherding are out of this world! Rewards begin in relationship with God. We love because He first love us (1 John 4:19). Out of that intentional care on God’s part, we are called to serve Him through the Sunday School. That reward is an awesome privilege and responsibility. As we shepherd the sheep that God has placed in our care, we realize many shepherding rewards: The reward of…

  • knowing saved people along with lost and unconnected people.
  • listening to the joys, hurts, needs, and ideas of group members.
  • leading attenders to encounter God in Bible study and adjust their lives.
  • being trusted as your example and teaching intersect with relationships.
  • guiding lost people toward a life-changing relationship with God through Jesus.
  • guiding new Christians to take steps of trust, growth, and service.
  • walking with believers as they take steps toward becoming followers.
  • seeing followers grow into disciplers as they connect with and encourage others.
  • encouraging disciples as they multiply themselves into others.
  • recognizing and leading the class to meet a group member’s needs.
  • realizing class growth relationally, numerically, spiritually, and in community impact.

Wow, what a list! Beside these rewards, consider what our Lord will proclaim about our faithful service (Matthew 25:23):

Well done, good and faithful servant!

The impact of your service will pay dividends in this world and in life eternal. Pursue the heavenly prize (Philippians 3:14). Give your best to God and those He has entrusted into your care. Thank Him for the privilege and high calling. Thank Him for the help and hope. Thank Him for the rewards. They are truly out of this world!

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Darryl Wilson serves as Sunday School & Discipleship Consultant for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. He served as Minister of Education in five churches in Kentucky and South Carolina and is the author of The Sunday School Revolutionary!, a blog about life-changing Sunday School and small groups.

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Categories : 31 Days of 3 Roles for Guiding Groups, Ministry
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