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When what you read sparks an idea or reminds you of an experience, share your comments by adding them in the Leave a Reply box below each post. I have attended groups in hundreds of churches over the years. And I am absolutely certain that there are many, many more revolutionary ideas and experiences that need to be shared. So share yours!

Pray

Ask God to bless your group and help you disciple the members well. Help them to make steady spiritual progress. Teach them how to study the Bible for themselves. Lead them to participate in the session to increase their attention, ownership, retention, and application of God’s Word. Equip the saints for the work of ministry by inviting them to serve with you. Doing so will build up the body of Christ.

Transition toward Revolutionary

How do you make big change? Pray. Take one small step at a time. Make one small change at a time. Invite others to join you. God and His sheep deserve our best. Don’t settle for less. Make the move. Join me at https://drdarrylwilson.com. Be revolutionary!

The post Sunday School Revolutionary Transition: New Location appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

1. Friends. From my experience, the number one reason people visit a group is that a friend invited them. Today, attenders may need to invite friends several times before they attend. People feel more comfortable in a new experience when participating with a friend. And they are more likely to return and stay connected when friends are involved.
2. Invitations. High on the list of reasons is that someone (other than a friend) invited new people to attend. This could be the teacher, the pastor, or a member of the group. In fact, some new people are even more attracted to attend when a group member invites them. This may take place in worship, at school, at work, or in the marketplace.
3. Friendliness. First impressions are often permanent. When friendliness is expressed in worship or in the community, people are more likely to take the risk of attending your groups. When they attend your groups, they are more likely to return if they experience genuine interest and friendliness.
4. Teaching topics. Some people will be attracted to topics the class is covering…even when you are using ongoing curriculum. Communicating topics by text, email, or social media can lead new people to take the risk to attend. Changing topics can also work against you; your guests may not be interested in your next topic. That means you will want to help guests to connect with your group in additional ways beyond topics.
5. Teaching style. Teachers who use a variety of teaching methods tend to attract and keep learners interested and connected. New people may return to the group because the teaching methods addressed their learning style preferences. Ideally, teaching style also connects with several other reasons.
6. Need for help. Some show up at our churches and our groups because they are searching for help. They may be in crisis. This could be grief, relational problems, financial issues, etc. They may be new parents wanting to connect with other parents.
7. Fellowships: socials, projects, and meals. Some won’t show up in our groups until they have been invited to and connect with us during a fellowship. These can be a social, project, or meal as a group, a couple, or individual. Men tend to prefer projects and meals. Women tend to prefer socials and meals. These are great ways to connect members, absentees, AND friends.
8. Age group/affinity. This can be a combination of friends and help. Some people are open to checking out a Bible study group because they are new to the area and wanting to connect with people like them…similar age group, life situation, or interests. This could be newlyweds, newly retired, young professionals, empty nesters, etc.
9. Meeting day/time. Many in our society are working on Sundays. They need a time beyond Sunday morning for a Bible study group. This could be a weeknight, before work on a weekday, weekday lunch, Saturday morning, or even a Sunday night.
10. Location. Some people would prefer a more convenient location for Bible study than the church building. A Bible study group meeting in their neighborhood would be more attractive. Homes can offer a more relaxed environment with a bit more time for relationship-building along with Bible study. Or it might be a Bible study group meeting at the office or factory, before/after work or at lunch would work best.

Why People Participate in Your Group

As you work through the 10 reasons, I hope you can see several opportunities for your Bible study group to connect with new people and keep members connected. Which reason do you believe deserves more attention this year? Who can help you work on taking steps to strengthen this reason? Pray, plan, and take steps this year. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

The post 10 Reasons Why People Participate in a Bible Study Group appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

• It STILL reaches, disciples, cares, evangelizes, trains leaders, and makes a difference in people’s lives, regardless of age.
• It STILL strengthens churches. Research says more than 80% of people who attend Sunday School today will still be involved in the church five years later.
• It STILL leads people to Christ. Pastors say at least half of lost adults are saved within 12 months of attending Sunday School.

Training is available for all preschool, children, student and adult Sunday School and small group teachers, leaders and workers, including directors and pastors/staff at 3 locations in March 2026. Bring your team for fresh training.

Locations and Dates

• March 2, First Baptist Church, 47 S Main St, Walton, KY
• March 3, Immanuel Baptist Church, 800 Rhodes Dr, Elizabethtown, KY
• March 5, First Baptist Church, 300 W Main St, Princeton, KY

Schedule (all times are local)

6:00 pm – Registration
6:30 pm – Part 1
7:30 pm – Break
7:45 pm – Part 2
8:45 pm – Dismiss

Register Your Group

• Cost: $5/person, with a maximum per church of $25.
• Register here: Sunday School Still Matters – Kentucky Baptist Convention.
• Have questions? Email sundayschool@kybaptist.org or call 502.489.3338.

2026 Faculty

Preschool/Children

Rebekah Hawkins, Children’s Minister, Crossroads Baptist Church, Elizabethtown

Students

Jonathan Chapman, Student Pastor, First Baptist Church, Owensboro

Adults, Pastors, and Sunday School/Small Groups Directors

Daniel Edmonds, Director of the Office of Sunday School & Discipleship, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions

Adults/Pastors/Director Training

A movement of disciple-making begins in the smallest group: God and you. As you abide and obey, you can guide others to abide and obey His Word. A small start in the powerful disciple-making movement will transform your life and restore the church to her mission mandate.

Jesus came with a clear message and methodology. Though He spoke to the masses, He led a few to transform the world. He started small, did it right, and built it strong. This training will help you take steps to implement the practices of Jesus as you join the mighty movement He started.

Daniel Edmonds will lead adult teachers, pastors, and directors to examine these truths from his book, Start Small. Do It Right. Build It Strong.: Observing Jesus: What He Did That You Can Do. Daniel served as a pastor and associate pastor with disciple-making responsibilities prior to joining the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions as the Director of the Office of Sunday School & Discipleship. In addition to writing this book, Daniel has contributed to several other books and publications.

The post FRESH Sunday School Still Matters, March 2026 appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

Listen and Stay Flexible

When God speaks, pay attention. Listen. For me, there have been many surprises on my ministry journey. An early surprise when God called me was that He waited. As an eighteen-year-old, the Lord had called four friends into ministry. But He waited a couple of years to call me. And my early concept of His call was youth ministry, but God had other purposes for me. The Lord blessed and used me in serving churches in education (discipleship) and administration, but He shocked me again by calling me to serve Him through the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Don’t put God or how He uses you in a box. Listen and stay flexible.

Step out Boldly

When He calls you to step into something new, realize that He will be with you. Recognize that He has prepared you. But also understand that it will be a step of faith. When God called me to serve Him through the Kentucky Baptist Convention, I was intimidated. The idea that He was calling me to serve with 2300+ pastors, sets of directors, and sets of teachers was overwhelming. In fact, the weekend before I needed to give Vernon Cole an answer, I prayed an honest prayer: “God, I can’t do it.” And while I did not hear an out loud response, I heard a very clear answer: “Darryl, I am glad you figured it out. I did not want you to do it anyway. I want you to let me do it through you.” With that assurance, I told Vernon yes when he called. When and wherever God calls, step out boldly.

Be Patient and Faithful Where You Are

Along the way, I have had many opportunities to serve in other ministries. I was asked to consider opportunities to serve at Lifeway, another convention, and churches. Every invitation was an exciting challenge to serve that also offered more money, but God did not release me from His call to the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Sure of my call, I had no questions or second-guessing. The clarity of His call allowed me to get to know the mission He had given me along with the mission field: the churches, staff, and people of Kentucky. And 28 years of service here has been a blessing. So be faithful where you are. Don’t itch to be somewhere else. Be fulfilled and fulfilling in what He sets your hands to do for Him.

Retirement: What Is Next?

The truth is that I don’t yet know. But I trust Him and am not fearful of making an announcement of retirement before knowing what’s next. I accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord more than 50 years ago. He has walked faithfully with me. I know He will be with me. I know it’s time to pass the baton. And for me re-tire simply means “putting on four new tires so I’m ready to go again!”

So let me ask you: are you listening to Him? Are you bold and flexible? Are you patient and faithful where you are? Make a difference with every opportunity He gives you. Be revolutionary!

The post Retirement … or What Is Next? appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

Preparation to Move Toward Discipling

The big shift here is from lesson preparation to a life-changing encounter with God. This shift begins immediately after the last group session with four steps: Bible study (listen to Him), prayer (respond to Him), commitment (commit to obey Him), and obedience (walk with Him). Out of this encounter with Him in His Word, the goal is to lead group members to walk through the same steps of a life-changing encounter with God in Bible study.

Often lessons are “about” the Bible rather than an encounter with God in His Word. Too often teachers share more about what they learned rather than lead attenders to open God’s Word to listen, respond, commit, and obey Him. Testimonies of a teacher’s encounters can be inspiring, but they can never substitute for group members’ personal encounters with God.

Disciple-Making Sessions Shift

The big shift here is from spectating to participating. It is a shift from listening to the group leader to listening/responding to God. To move toward discipling, it will be necessary for the group leader to talk less in order for God and group members to talk more.

Instead of group leaders sharing what they learned about the context and passage, the session will lead participants to discover the context and truth for themselves. The job of group leaders becomes that of a guide. As disciple-makers, the guide’s job is “teaching them to observe everything [Jesus] commanded” (Matthew 28:20a, CSB). When they have “aha” moments, they will be more likely to remember, understand, and apply the passage and truth. In other words, our job is to help them obey…not just know.

Want to Make the Shift Toward Discipling?

Get a copy of Discipling to read, and make one or two adjustments in your preparation and in your sessions each month. Continue the adjustments and add new ones the following months. Progress is often more likely to occur when you make the shift together with friends. Enlist one now.

If I can help the Bible study leaders for your church or association, let me know. As part of the Kentucky Baptist Convention staff, I am able to provide free consultation and training for Kentucky Baptist churches due to their generous support through Cooperative Program giving. Invite me to lead the training, and I will provide books at a great discount. If you want to lead the training, I’ll be happy to ask the publisher what discount he can provide for your group size.

Make the shift. Move toward discipling. Disciple your group members. Be revolutionary!

The post Making the Shift: How to Move Toward Discipling appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

Discipleship Network of Kentucky

DNKY has invited John McClendon to speak at their annual meeting on Monday, November 10, 5:00-8:00 PM, in room 116, at First Baptist Church, 4410 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY. This is the day before the Kentucky Baptist Convention annual meeting. John served as a discipleship pastor, consultant and trainer with Lifeway, and executive director of Disciple Leaders Network. He comes with years of experience.

Your invitation: Please register at https://www.kybaptist.org/discipleship-network-of-kentucky/. The cost is $35. It includes a pasta bar meal, a copy of John’s book, presentation by John McClendon, a panel about Discipleship cohorts, and opportunity to connect with other discipleship leaders. Invite a friend. Register soon because with limited seating, only the first 30 can register.

Disciplemaking Dashboard

In the book, John uses the analogy of a Blue Bird school bus dashboard. The Dashboard is a memorable and helpful visual as you evaluate your disciplemaking culture, environments, facility, space, and organization. What warning lights does your Dashboard reveal? Where do you need to give attention? Come get a copy of his book at the DNKY annual meeting.

Keep in mind that Sunday School and small groups are keep parts of a healthy disciplemaking environment. John calls them Core Groups in his book. One of the most convicting quotes from the book is on page 155. This is the quote:

If the church body doesn’t know the disciplemaking path you desire for them to take, how will they know how to follow?

John McClendon, The Disciplemaking Dashboard

D5 Disciplemaking Cohorts

What if 2026 was your best year of disciplemaking? Sometimes all it takes to make progress is a little encouragement. In order to help pastors and disciplemaking leaders make progress on their disciplemaking strategies, Cohort Leaders have been trained to work with small groups (3-4) of disciplemaking leaders. These Cohort Leaders were trained with the assistance of John McClendon and Disciple Leaders Network. Each Cohort will meet in person or by Zoom to work through The Disciplemaking Dashboard, identify areas where progress is needed, share ideas, encourage one another, and celebrate progress.

The first D5 Disciplemaking Cohorts will begin in January 2026. They will meet once a month through June. The Cohort Leader will also provide personal contact and encouragement. The cost to participate in a D5 Disciplemaking Cohort is $375. Of the cost, $250 will go to DLN and $125 will go to the trained Cohort Leader. To learn more and register for one of the Cohorts, attend the Discipleship Network of Kentucky on November 10 or contact one of the DNKY officers.

If you have questions, contact me or one of DNKY officers. We are all stewards of the Lord’s sheep and He has given us a world-changing task (make disciples of all nations). There’s no time to waste. Let’s make His command our priority. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

The post The Disciplemaking Dashboard: Answering Five Questions Every Church Must Ask appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

My Purpose

As a Sunday School teacher, my purpose comes from the Lord. First of all as a disciple, our Lord called us to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…teaching them to observe” everything Jesus commanded us (Matthew 28:19-20, CSB). Notice the word, “observe.” Notice the content: everything He commanded us. My job is bigger than teaching; it is making disciples. The job is not finished with leading them to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. I must walk beside my disciples to teach them to live out what they are learning, to observe or obey His commands.

Second, our Lord “gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:11-12, CSB). My purpose is given to me by Jesus. My purpose is to build up the body of Christ, and the way I can do so as a Sunday School/Bible study leader is to equip my disciples to serve, to do the work of ministry. That purpose is to impact the heads along with the hearts and hands of my disciples.

My Vision: “What if…?”

It is easy to grow stale, complacent, and comfortable. It is easy to settle into a routine of lesson preparation and teaching with little or no impact. Our Lord expects more. Instead I must ask myself “what if” questions and consistently adjust my vision and plans to join Him where He is at work. Consider a few of the “what if” questions below:

What if I ask my disciples…

• to read the scripture or lesson this week? or study to find an answer to a question?
• to apply the truth of the lesson and share it with a prayer partner at the end of the lesson?
• to write down what they will do this week as a result of the lesson and report on what they did next week?
• to divide into three serving teams and ask everyone to choose one?
• to pray for and invite a different person consistently each quarter?
• to help me teach the lesson, care for members and absentees, and reach out and enroll new people?
• to help me as I lead the class so I can help them develop competence and confidence?
• to serve wherever the Lord calls them?
• to pray about leaving to be teachers for preschoolers, children, or students?
• to pray about helping start a new adult class/group?

The Disciple Are Worth the Risk

As the leader of this group of disciples, I am the one who will be held accountable for the number and spiritual condition of those in my care. Our Lord has promised to be with me (Matthew 28:20); I don’t do this work alone. And many in our care are waiting to be asked to help. So why are you hestitating? Take a step. Take a risk. Allow your vision (His vision) to lead you to ask them “what if” questions. Don’t be surprised when they answer, “Why not?” They are worth it. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

Photo by Valentín Betancur on Unsplash

The post How to Risk: Ask Your Disciples, “What if?” appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

Who Is the Focus of Class Caregiving?

Every member has the job of caring for group members and friends. Members are those who are on our class list of people for whom we pray, invite to events, and provide care in time of need. Often but not always, the people on our member care list also attend class Bible study.

In our caregiving efforts, “friends” are people with whom members are in relationship who are not members of the class. These have sometimes been described as FRANs: friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. These are people for whom we also choose to pray, invite, and care in the name of Jesus, the church, and the class.

Who Are Caregivers?

In the previous section, I mentioned that every member has the job of caring for members and friends. But in this post when I refer to caregivers, I am talking about members who help the teacher lead the class to do the work of caregiving. These include an apprentice teacher, member care leader, friend care leader, greeters, and secretary. For a list of job descriptions, see Important Sunday School Leader Job Descriptions or check out Appendix 3A in my book, Caring | Aneko Press https://anekopress.com/product/caring/. These leaders enlist class members weekly to pray and care for members and friends, plan events, and more.

To oversimplify, the teacher is the lead caregiver, unless the teacher has enlisted one of the other class leaders to serve in that capacity. If the class is smaller, the list of duties for caregivers in the previous paragraph would be shared by fewer people. That might mean that the teacher is also the friend care leader. Maybe the member care leader is also the apprentice teacher. And the secretary may also be the greeter.

Care Really Matters

When attenders are enlisted weekly to contact friends and absent members, relationships are strengthened. Prayer and care are extended. Needs are discovered and met. Fellowships, projects, and meals are planned. People don’t drop out without being cared for or noticed. Dr. Thom Rainer, former president of Lifeway, conducted research that showed only 16% of new church members were still connected to the church five years later if they were not in Sunday School. But 83% of those who got involved in a class were still there five years later.

It is difficult to disciple absentees and dropouts. As a result of care, members attend Bible study sessions and class events more frequently. They are less likely to drop out. Consistent attendance leads to greater growth as disciples. Serving as class caregivers is also a step of growth for disciples, for the class, and for the church.

What Is Your Next Caregiving Step?

I want to encourage you to pray for workers to join you. Jesus in Matthew 9:37-38 (CSB) said: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” Pray and begin to look to see in whom God is at work. Then ask him/her, “Will you help me?” Start with small tasks and see how they respond. When you are convinced that he/she is the one God sent, ask him/her to help you and the class.

Our class members and friends need care and Jesus. The Holy Spirit is already at work. Pray and join God in His work of calling people into the harvest of caregiving. The work and rewards are too valuable to miss. Make disciples. Call caregivers. Be revolutionary!

Photo by Thomas de Fretes on Unsplash

The post Enlist Caregivers for Sunday School Now! appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

+ONE Calculator

Some of you are great with math. Others prefer to have the help of a program like Excel to help with your calculations. In either case, if you would like to receive this file, email sundayschool@kybaptist.org to request it.

Before starting my conferences, I ask pastors/directors to provide the numbers for the first five categories: groups, workers, enrollment, current attendance, and objective (how many you would like to have in attendance one year from now). Then I use the calculator to provide them with answers for categories 6-12 (two statistics and 5 goals). If you don’t have access to Excel, email me the numbers for the first five categories so I can run the calculations for you and send you a PDF.

+ONE Conferences

During these +ONE (pronounced, “add one’) conferences, I spend the first hour going over the worksheet and calculations in order for our definitions to agree. During that hour, I help those gather to understand that these numbers represent people for whom we are to provide care and discipling. I share a copy of my book, Caring, with those who attend.

The final hour of +ONE, the church groups begin planning around four major questions:

1. increasing member faithfulness/attendance,
2. reaching out, inviting, and enrolling new people,
3. increasing caregivers to assist the teacher and group, and
4. adding new groups.

Think about this. What if your church members were more faithful in attending? And what if every group added one new person every quarter this year? What if every group added another caregiver? And what if every church added one or more new groups this year?

That final hour is the most fun. The groups gain vision. They see the potential for their churches. They recognize the importance of small steps and everybody working together. Everyone’s ideas matter and it leads each group to ownership of the plans. As we near the end, I ask each group to set a date to continue the planning. Then I ask group leaders to fill out a commitment card only if (1) they are willing to work on some part of what we talked about that day and (2) they want me to call in a couple of months to provide encouragement. Nearly every group leader has completed the commitment card.

Could +ONE Help?

Does this sound like something that would help your church? Use the email address above to ask if there are any locations for +ONE near you. If there are none scheduled near you, would you be willing to host one? And I am always willing to help you by phone, Zoom, or in person.

There is much work to do. There are many people to reach. If +ONE could help, let me know. Let’s reach and make disciples. Be revolutionary!

The post Using the +ONE Calculator to Set and Pursue Your Goals appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.

Discipling

Discipling: Disciple-Making Sunday School and Bible Study Encounters is a revision, an updated version, of my 2017 book, Disciple-Making Encounters. This version was revised to apply in the Sunday School, small group, and home group contexts. In addition, you will find much help for your encounters with God in His Word during your private devotions. Discipling is Book 1 of The iCare Revolutionary Sunday School and Bible Study Method series.

The 19 chapters of Discipling are divided into five Parts: The First Encounter, Preparation from the First Encounter, Second Encounter Early Moments, Second Encounter Middle Moments, and Second Encounter Closing Moments. In addition, there are five helpful appendices: First Encounter, Second Encounter Outline, Learning Style Preferences, Bible Study Journal Questions, and Bible Study Ministry Coach.

This is a book about the much-needed change in how we prepare for group time and the way we lead that time. The book focuses on two encounters: the teacher encountering God in His Word while preparing the lesson and the teacher leading the class to encounter God in His Word during group time. These two encounters are life-impacting and disciple-making.

Caring

Book 2 of the series is Caring | Aneko Press. Caring focuses on moving groups to carry out Jesus’s command to “Love one another” in John 13:34-35. Discipling is best done in the context of caring relationships. Sunday School and Bible study groups are ideal places to practice and launch the kind of love for one another that shows the world that we are His disciples.

The 22 chapters are divided into nine sections of Caring: I Care Because He Cares; Organizing for Care; Communicating Care; Trust, Relationships, and Events; Prayer; Serving Solo and as a Group; Using Care Lists; Caring in Time of Need; and Becoming Known for Our Care. The first section is about why we care. Sections 2-8 are how to care. The final section is about creating a movement of care. The appendices of Caring provide a separate set of job descriptions for each context: Sunday School and Bible study/small groups.

Discipling and Caring

These two books can provide months of training for your group leaders. There are many creative ways to train your leaders. Gather monthly to read and discuss 1-3 chapters. How about a progressive meal training event? Go to one home for appetizers and discussion of a chapter, go to another home for main course and discussion of a chapter, go to the final home for dessert and discussion of a chapter. Bring in a leader from another church, the association, or the state to teach one of the books or key parts of it. Ask a different teacher to prepare to teach the group at a quarterly event. Reflection questions are available at the end of every chapter of Caring.

The publisher, Aneko Press, has made print/digital versions of the books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google, and Apple. If you need 20 or more copies of the print book, contact me or Aneko Press for a bulk discount.

The post The Goal for Your Groups: Discipling and Caring appeared first on Sunday School Revolutionary.