Ministry127 | Adult Classes

Preparing for Growth by Adding New Classes

Tim Christoson — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:39:13 +0000

The people of Israel were told by the prophet Isaiah, “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes” (Isaiah 54:2). He encouraged them to prepare for, expect, and make room for the fruitfulness that God would bring. He said in the following verse, “For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left….”

He didn’t want them to expand in response to growth. He wanted them to expand in anticipation of growth. That’s the difference faith makes! And that’s the way growing churches—churches that expect to reach, win, and disciple new Christians—think.

At Lancaster Baptist, Pastor Chappell has often called on us to launch new LifeStage adult Sunday school classes, only to turn around six to twelve months later and find these new classes filled to capacity with fresh, new faces. There is nothing more thrilling for these new teachers, their class members, and especially the growing new believers—that’s what it’s all about!

But many churches are stuck—we’ve been stuck. There are a handful of healthy, happy adult Sunday school classes with dedicated teachers and faithful members, but they have plateaued in their efforts to win and disciple new Christians. There are many things individual classes can do to break out of this slump (we discuss these things often). But there’s also something larger we can do that will force a static Sunday school out of its comfort zone, and that is to start several new classes!

This is treacherous territory for many pastors, leaders, and especially seasoned Sunday school teachers, because it means change. It means some existing classes are going to have to give up a few members to help start the new classes (not the members they’d want to give up!). It means some classes will relocate. It’s going to require flexibility on several levels. And your average Sunday school teacher is allergic to all of this!

But it’s worth the effort. The fact is, new classes tend to generate more enthusiasm, provide better care, cultivate closer relationships, and allow for greater involvement than established classes. New classes are also less intimidating and more naturally welcoming to newcomers. As we’ve started around fifty new adult Sunday school classes over the past dozen years here at Lancaster Baptist Church, we’ve followed essentially the same steps. If you want to start new classes, these steps can help:

Make sure the entire church family (especially the existing Sunday school leadership) knows that the purpose of starting new classes is to reach more people. It’s simple—you have to prepare for growth. Who could possibly be against that?
Select, interview, and train the new class teachers over a three-month period.
Choose an age bracket (we call them LifeStages) for each new class. This will catch the attention of people who currently attend your church but who do not attend a Sunday school class.
Identify a few “pioneer members” (from existing classes) who will join with the new teachers and serve as the first leaders and helpers in the new class.
Introduce the new classes and teachers to the congregation a few weeks before the classes begin. Advertise what topics are being taught and what age groups the classes will serve. We also “name” our classes (visit lancasterbaptist.org/adults for some ideas).
Use a form distributed in your Sunday bulletin for two consecutive weeks, prior to the start date, to “pre-enroll” worship service attenders into the new classes. A few folks will move from an existing class to a new class—and that’s okay (really, it’s okay).
Conduct pre-launch fellowships with the pioneers, pre-enrolled members, and class leaders the week before the classes officially start.
Make sure each class understands from the very first week that their job—as a unit within the church—is to reach people with the Gospel, build relationships with each other and with those who come into the class, study the Word, grow together spiritually, and serve the Lord as a group.

Not every new class will be a homerun. You’ll need to apply some adjustments, correction, and ongoing training. If done prayerfully and properly, though, starting new classes is one of the greatest and time-tested strategies at our disposal for seeing more people reached and kept for Christ. The whole process seems to communicate, “Lord, we’re enlarging our tent; we’re lengthening our cords. We’re making more room, and we’re ready for the growth You want to bring our way!”

Sunday School Teacher Visitation

Dr. Paul Chappell — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:39:56 +0000

The Sunday school is the church organized to fulfill the purpose of the church. Here at Lancaster Baptist Church, we state our purpose in three phrases: loving God, growing together, serving others.

About a week ago, I recorded a video for the Sunday school teachers of our church, encouraging them to serve those in their classes by faithful visitation.

Hebrews 10:24–25 instructs, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Sunday school visitation is a tremendous way to provoke—or stimulate—class members to love, good works, and faithful church attendance.

Consider the value of just one visit. A Sunday school visit can accomplish one or more of the following:

Enroll a recent visitor into the class
Encourage a student
Encourage a student’s parents or family
Help you better understand your student (When it comes to really understanding a student’s special needs or prayer requests, there is no substitute for making home visits.)
Allow you to deliver a gift to your student
Seek any unsaved family members and witness to them

Of course, class teachers are not the only ones who can make Sunday school visits. Care group leaders or other class leaders as well as other members in general may wish to visit one another to encourage faithful growth.

I don’t know of any Sunday school teacher with a heart for his or her class who doesn’t want to make visits. But the key in making it happen is four simple steps of planning:

Determine a time. What gets scheduled gets done.
Determine a partner. This may be your class assistant, or it may be another member of the class (allowing for a time of mentoring).
Plan your calls. Prayerfully read through your roster, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you on which visits to make each week. Then, plan out those visits in order of their proximity to one another.
Set goals. I ask our teachers to visit every class visitor within one week, absentees who have missed three weeks, as well as visiting each enrolled student at least once a year.

Visitation requires discipline and love, but it truly makes the difference in building and encouraging your class.

Remember, you can impress people from a distance, but you can only impact them with a personal touch.

Serving Others through the Sunday School

Tim Christoson — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:19:41 +0000

If you are an adult Bible class leader, you are probably good at serving people. You are willing and able to help people grow in their Christian walk. You have already accepted this as your responsibility and privilege. But is your class also serving? Or are you doing all the work of the class, refusing others the opportunity to serve? If so, you have succeeded as a servant, but failed as a leader. How can we equip the members of our classes to serve?

1. Assign Weekly Responsibilities to Class Members

In spite of the fact that our members are at varying stages of spiritual growth, everyone can do something. Spiritually mature adults can assist as disciplers or care group leaders, mentoring younger Christians in the faith. Newer members—who still have some growing to do—can be involved by helping with classroom setup, distributing bulletins at the door, providing refreshments, and more.

As people’s needs are shared with the group (often in the form of prayer requests), we should call on various students to move into action and meet those needs. We must resist the tendency to depend on only a select few and leave others out—a scenario where everyone loses.

2. Help Students Find a Place to Serve in the Church

First Corinthians 12 teaches us that there is a job for everyone in the body. Some should sing in the choir (some should not!). Others should teach children or care for newborns. Others have unique gifts and abilities that should be invested in specific areas. Class leaders should see themselves as “ministry coaches” who help their class members find the right fit for ministry.

We do people no service by allowing them to sit by while the church moves forward with our mission. Many church members are willing to serve but are waiting to be approached in an individual and thoughtful manner.

3. Involve Members in the Church’s Outreach Efforts

We believe that the Sunday school is first an evangelistic tool, and second an educational tool. We are seeking to fulfill the Great Commission through the combined efforts of our leaders and members. We intend for each class to reach people for Christ in their assigned age group or stage of life.

This work is not intended solely for the pastors and leaders—it’s for every believer! Therefore, class leaders must seek to include their students in weekly soulwinning efforts, special outreach events, and consistent efforts in inviting their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and relatives to church.

First Peter 4:10 says, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” When we involve people in ministry, we help them develop spiritual muscles while together we accomplish more for the Kingdom of God.

Connected by Service

Tim Christoson — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:47:12 +0000

In our periodic new member’s class, we teach our church’s purpose—loving God, growing together, and serving others. These are not just talking points, but destinations along the journey of the Christian life. Our job is to point the way for new members, so they might proceed along this biblical path.

After explaining how new members can cultivate their love for God (Mark 12:30) and grow together with fellow believers (Acts 2:42), we discuss the issue of serving others through involvement in ministry. The Bible says that every believer has been gifted to serve and should steward that gift. “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). Not only is service commanded in Scripture, but the act of service knits the believer’s heart to the Lord and his local church. If Christians serve in their new church home, it’s much more likely that they will stay long-term. Here are some ways we teach how our new members can serve others:

Find a Place to Serve Somewhere in the Body

God has uniquely prepared every Christian for ministry. There is something for everyone to do, and no two people have the same assignment. Depending on someone’s spiritual gifts, biblical maturity, and life experiences, there are a host of ministry opportunities to be considered. Once someone explores the options and understands what’s required, we plug him in. (We conduct background-checks for those who wish to serve children.)

Invite Friends, Coworkers, and Relatives to Church

A simple step that just about all newcomers can take is inviting those they already know to attend their new church. Your newest members know far more people who need the Lord than your long-time members. Even with today’s technological tools, the number one reason people visit a church is a personal invitation from a friend or relative.

Take the Gospel into the Community

Finally, we invite new members to become involved in the weekly soulwinning program of the church. Adult Sunday school teachers help pair new soulwinners with experienced partners. Then, we gather together at scheduled times to hear a brief challenge, get highlighted maps and church brochures, and then we head out to fulfill the Great Commission.

In the heart of every new Christian is the desire to be involved in something eternally significant—they just need someone to show them how. By helping new believers use their spiritual gifts to serve others, we show them the path of the joyful Christian life.

Why Use Sunday School Curriculum?

Cary Schmidt — Mon, 03 May 2010 21:17:08 +0000

Are there some really compelling reasons to use Sunday school curriculum? We believe YES! For nearly two and a half decades, God has developed strong Christians at Lancaster Baptist Church, and a huge part of that process is the Adult Bible Class Ministry and curriculum. Several years ago, through Striving Together Publications, we made a serious commitment to produce curriculum for local church ministry. Here’s why:

1. Equip the Teacher

While many are gifted at assimilating material into memorable outlines and thought flow, many are not. There’s nothing worse than listening to good Bible material put through an “impossible to follow” thought flow! Most lay teachers and many full-time workers appreciate having a basic outline of biblical material to use as a launching pad—a starting point and guideline. Guaranteed—providing a solid series of outlines for your teachers is an investment that will reap a huge harvest in your adult class ministry.

2. Engage the Students

When you place a student book into the hands of your class, you say something very valuable! You say, “We are interested in making a serious investment into your spiritual growth.” You say, “Take this class seriously!” You say, “Come back next week for the next lesson in this series.” You say, “We are preparing every week to build your Christian life.” These are powerful messages that make the minor cost of a student book well worth it!

3. Establish Commitment

Using a series of lessons builds continuity from week to week that encourages students to commit to a class. It lets them know they are missing something if they don’t return. This is effective for regular attenders as well as first-time visitors. Think of the impact on a visitor when they walk into a class, receive a warm welcome, and are then handed a student book for the present series.

4. Encourage Follow Up Study

Using the student books provides the class members with a weekly assignment including review questions for discussion or personal devotions. This also provides the teacher some thoughts for opening discussion each week and reviewing the previous lesson.

5. Enable a Journey of Spiritual Growth

Using student books gives each class member a growing library that chronicles their own growth. Let’s face it, weekly photocopies end up in the trash. But nobody throws away a student book! They will save them and be able to look back over them in the years to come. That’s valuable.

In spite of these great reasons, many still wrestle with three common obstacles to using curriculum. Let’s examine them:

What about cost? The most common question I receive about Striving Together curriculum is, “Can we photocopy the lesson for our students?” The answer is always “No.” Why?

First, it’s just a bad practice. The students will throw away the photocopies. They won’t save them. So your time, your money, your copier is all wasted—bad stewardship.

Secondly, we couldn’t continue providing curriculum if that practice continued. I know that’s basic, but true.

Thirdly, we believe strongly in the value of a student guide—it is much greater than the cost. Striving Together student guides can be purchased for as little as $2 and $3. That’s unheard of in Christian publishing! In fact, you probably can’t even photocopy them for that price once you add up the paper, time, labor, and copier costs. On top of that, the five point list above is worth far more than a few dollars in the life of every growing Christian.

Do the students really use it? The simple answer is, “yes and no.” Most do, some don’t. Frankly, you’ll probably never get an entire class to use the student books in their entirety. The point is, many will! And many others will use them partially. The class may require some reminding. You may end up providing replacements for a few lost books along the way. You may have folks who miss a few lessons. But ultimately, most of your class will use the books and benefit from them. And over time, you will build the habit and expectation into the DNA of your Sunday School. And that’s worth working toward.

Is it really that effective? Yes. Look at the five things above and ask yourself if you would like to see these things in your adult and youth classes. Sunday school curriculum will improve your teachers and engage your students at a whole new level. It’s an investment you can’t afford not to make!

Publishing curriculum is no small commitment. Every new publication takes a year or more of development, and all Striving Together curriculum is often designed to provide the teacher with more material than can be taught in 13 weeks. That’s on purpose! We want to provide plenty of good content in every resource. But, even with good curriculum available there are many churches that can’t seem to get over the hurdle of the investment. The sooner you get over that hurdle, the sooner the investment will start to pay back on multiple levels.

Sunday school curriculum is a great way to take your adult and youth classes to the next level. Visit strivingtogether.com to get started with one of our newest curriculums this week!

What are your thoughts about the power of a good curriculum in your Sunday school ministry?

Adult Bible Class Activities

Joshua Cox — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:57:51 +0000

A vital benefit of an adult Bible class is the opportunity to connect with other class members outside the walls of the local church. While a class activity is by no means the preeminent focus of an adult Bible class, it should not be overlooked or omitted. True friendships are formed and cultivated by doing the work of the Lord together in the local church, but many times those friendships can be enhanced through the environment of a relaxing class activity.

Principles to consider before announcing an activity:

Never schedule an activity that conflicts with another church-related activity.
Consider the financial states of your class members. Plan as many inexpensive activities as possible.
Plan some activities to involve your members’ children, but also plan some activities that do not involve the children. Make sure childcare is provided during the non-children activities.
Revolve your activities around regularly scheduled church times. Your members have already congregated for church and would be more willing to attend the activity.
Do not hesitate to have a combined class activity with another class in your church. This will encourage unity among church members.

Below are several suggestions for adult Bible class activities:

Go out to eat together. This takes little to no work but is profitable for conversation. Be sure to call ahead and reserve tables for a larger party. Many restaurants will even have a separate room for larger groups. Take advantage of them.
Attend local sporting events together. Whether this is a minor league baseball game or a local public high school football game, these tend to be inexpensive opportunities. Some minor league teams will give a group discount. Also be aware of discounted concessions nights.
Visit a short list of elderly church members. Take snacks or small gifts to the homes of the elderly and shut-in members of your church. Spend some time listening to them. Maybe sing some hymns together. You could split up the class to cover more ground, and meet together afterwards at Starbucks for a quick coffee.
Organize themed cookouts. Cookouts are fun, but cookouts with a theme are even better! Have everyone dress for the theme. Decorate and advertise for the cookout. Prepare food that also coincides with the theme. Theme ideas include: Luau, March Madness, Throwback Night (70s or 80s), and Cowboy Chili Cook-off.
Have a Christmas party for others. Rather than exchanging gifts during your class Christmas party, have each person bring a gift for a child in your church’s bus ministry. Give the gifts to the kids that following Sunday. Invite them to your class and honor them. This would be a great way to invite the parents of bus children to attend.

Maximizing your Class Time

Tim Christoson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:28:33 +0000

Adult Bible classes provide an environment in which men and women can make friends, learn God’s Word, and have spiritual needs met. But this does not happen by accident! The following is a suggested schedule for teachers.

Fellowship

Take advantage of the fifteen minutes before class, while folks arrive. Catch up with one another, learn someone’s name, and find out what burden a friend is carrying.

Welcome and Sing

At 10:05, enthusiastically welcome the class and sing a fun chorus. Provide the words in your class bulletin.

Recognize People

Take two minutes to recognize three groups: first-time guests (jot down their names before class starts), those having birthdays, and those celebrating an anniversary this week. This adds a personal element to the class, which likely will not occur in the larger worship service.

Make Announcements

The classroom is a great place to share information about church-wide events, in addition to class activities. But be warned, if you announce too much, their eyes will glaze over—and good luck getting them back for the lesson!

Prayer Requests

Keep a list in the class bulletin and remember to update the class when prayers are answered. Ask a godly Christian to lead the class in prayer.

Offering

Receive an offering that will be combined with the general offerings of the church. This will reinforce the value of stewardship.

Lesson

Allow thirty minutes for a practical, well-prepared Bible lesson. Involve students by providing an outline and by occasionally calling on them to answer questions or to read Scripture.

Dismiss on Time

Do not cause a rush or make students late for the worship service by trying to cram in the last few points. It is better to wrap it up, leaving folks ten minutes to prepare for the next event.

Care Groups

Tim Christoson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:36:23 +0000

A quick survey of Acts 2–4 reveals an important priority in the early local church—meeting one another’s needs. We also learn this principle from Paul’s analogy of the church to the human body (1 Corinthians 12). Galatians 6:2 drives home the point with the simple statement, “Bear ye one another’s burdens….” A growing church will discover the necessity of a network of people to meet needs within the congregation. At some point, the church becomes too large for the pastor or a select few to successfully meet most needs. (This was the case in Acts 6.) Many churches like ours have turned to the Sunday school as an organized network for meeting members’ needs. There are three reasons for this: the structure already exists, the people in the classes already know one another, and those called on to help are likely in the same age group as the people they’re serving. Care groups are smaller groups within each adult class, organized to help this network of servants. What makes up an effective care group?

Care group leaders must have a genuine interest in others, a thoughtful disposition, and a servant’s heart.

Pray for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and look for these important characteristics when selecting a care group leader for your class.

A care group consists of five to seven adults or couples.

This is a manageable size for a volunteer leader. In a small or new class, one care group led by the teacher is sufficient while the class grows. As visitors are enrolled into the class, the teacher should assign them to a care group and introduce the care group leader to the new member.

Care group leaders should pray for those on their list and write them periodically.

They should also initiate times of fellowship with their groups at a restaurant or in their own home.

Care group leaders help to remind their groups of upcoming class activities and church-wide events.

They also may check on class members when they miss a Sunday. You will never run out of opportunities to meet needs, whether it is making a phone call to an absentee or staying up all night with someone in the hospital. Stay committed to meeting needs in your church through the power and love of Christ.

Imparting Biblical Truth

Tim Christoson — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:56:15 +0000

In Nehemiah 8:8 the Bible says: “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” Here are a few ways that a good curriculum will strengthen your Sunday school ministry.

Curriculum enables us to systematically teach vital Bible truths.

Effective teachers know what they want their students to learn, and like a wise builder, they teach God’s Word in an orderly fashion. Their lessons are not disconnected, but they build upon one another, adding principle to principle.

Curriculum helps to cultivate unity among the members of the body.

Paul said he wanted the Christians in Philippi to “be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). As students are rallied around a common scriptural theme, we will find their hearts and hands working together in unity.

Curriculum helps to ensure the scriptural soundness of what is being taught.

As Paul trained Timothy and Titus, he emphasized the importance of delivering sound doctrine. Pastors are given the responsibility of looking after what is being taught to their flock. See 1 Timothy 1:3, 7, 6:2–3, and Titus 1:9, 2:10.

Curriculum helps the teacher to be thoroughly prepared.

A quality curriculum will help a teacher better prepare a well-balanced Bible lesson by providing definitions for biblical terms, helpful cross references, and insightful illustrations and commentary. Most teachers will be grateful for this type of resource.

Curriculum provides resources for students to use between Sundays.

The Bible lesson is not meant to be left in the classroom, but to be carried into the home, neighborhood, and workplace. This is made possible when students are given review questions, memory verses, and quality printed materials. Visit strivingtogether.com to find an excellent selection of Sunday school curriculum. Each series of lessons offers an easy-to-use, spiral-bound teacher edition, as well as an economical student edition. Pastor Chappell’s newest series, Journeys of Faith, exhorts us from the lives of Bible characters that exercised great faith. Striving Together also provides excellent studies designed for couples, teens, and young adults.

Welcoming New Members

Tim Christoson — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:14:24 +0000

God’s Word teaches us that the local church is a body. Like our physical bodies, every member is significant and has a role to fulfill. First Corinthians 12:18 tells us, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.” Here are a few of the methods you can use to see new members get involved:

Connect every new member to an adult Sunday school class. This is where adult teachers and care group leaders can learn names, foster relationships, and meet needs.

Offer new members a “Getting to Know Us” class. Pastor Chappell recently spent four Sundays teaching basic lessons on: Our Story, Our Structure, Our Beliefs, and Life in Our Family. Several who had not yet made the commitment of membership have now done so as a result of their participation in the class.

Encourage new members to be discipled. We attempt to partner all new believers with mature Christians who will guide them through a fifteen week one-on-one study we call Daily in the Word.

Welcome new members with a reception. Every three to four months, in a Sunday evening service, we introduce our new members to the rest of the family. A cake and coffee reception follows the service.

Find a place for each new member to serve. Once someone has found his way around the church and has taken some initial steps of spiritual growth, it’s time to get involved.

The newest members of our family did not get here by accident! And they won’t become all God wants them to be by accident either. We must come beside them and encourage them along the way as we grow together in Jesus Christ!