During this past weekend, I spent some time helping some Sunday School leaders understand the importance of multiplying themselves. We must prepare and send more workers into the harvest. The main reason we don't have more classes (and people) in Sunday School, is that we have not prepared more teachers and workers.

I read an interesting blog entry by Sue Mallory entitled Turbocharging Your Volunteers. She shares about a leader helping another individual move from inactive to very involved. While the setting is different, her four key principles also apply to training (apprenticing) potential Sunday School leaders. Want to know how to apprentice potential leaders? I will share Mallory's four principles in all capitals followed by my commentary applying them to the adult Sunday School class:

• IDENTIFY THE REAL PERSON. Help him/her to see the potential. Lead him/her to recognize how gifts, experiences, and personality, and passions can be released in a specific Sunday School role. I like the suggestion of allowing the person to sample opportunities to serve. Ask him/her to serve in small ways to see how they respond and to give you opportunity to affirm. Mallory also encourages discovering more about the person through a relaxed setting such as lunch.
• DRAW THEM INTO THE MINISTRY TEAM. Help him/her to see the difference that Sunday School makes. Share your vision. Share the importance and potential impact of serving in a Sunday School role as a teacher, care group leader, greeter, outreach leader, fellowship leader, secretary, or other Sunday School leader. Ask him/her to join you when you have a class leader retreat so that he/she can see how the team works together. I like Mallory's suggestion: "Make sure your volunteers know when and where you'll be available when they need coaching."
• HELP THEM GROW AS INDIVIDUALS. Share your high expectations, and as Mallory puts it "pull your volunteers toward growth." Expect a lot. Hold him/her accountable. Check on assignments and how he/she is doing in the Sunday School role. Mallory suggests these actions: nurture their faith, help them set boundaries, encourage them to take charge, and help them to ease up when they need to do so. He also encourages releasing a potential leader when the ministry does not fit or he/she is not setting the right example.
• GIVE THEM THE KNOW-HOW TO ASSURE SUCCESS. This calls for you to break the Sunday School role into its important elements. Make sure to give him/her exposure to every important aspect. In fact, a checklist may ensure that you won't forget one or more task. Show the task while he/she observes. Do tasks together. Let him/her do the task while you observe. Debrief each time. I like suggestions that Mallory shared: keep training brief, can the lecture, teach outside the church walls, discover who [adults] are today, go online, role play difficult situations he/she may face, and act as a mirror for him/her. After a Sunday School service opportunity, help him/her to reflect on what happened and why it was important.

Begin now praying that God will help you to identify a potential apprentice--otherwise you may miss many with great potential. Who is God placing on your heart? Identify his/her potential. Draw them into the class, task, and team. Help him/her to grow. Provide bite-sized practical training. Release him/her into the harvest. Encourage. Support. Be revolutionary!

I worked with a great church this weekend. The pastor cares for the people. He believes in Sunday School. I had the privilege to evaluate and plan with most of their Sunday School teachers and leaders. They were honest, open, and full of questions. I don't believe I heard any phrases like, "We've never done it that way" or "That won't work here."

We talked about some basic Sunday School assimilation practices: class greeters, name tags, arriving early, care groups, open classes, participatory teaching methods, open arrangement, comfortable space, welcome center/signs, good records, open enrollment, and high expectations. They evaluated themselves honestly. We talked about some basic measures and goal areas for Sunday School growth: enrollment, attendance, ministry contacts, workers/classes, and prospects.

They set goals for the next six months. Their vision, their hopes, and their confidence in God and His mission for them were high. In fact, in a Sunday School averaging 93, their goal for attendance increase in six months was 70 more for a total of 163. Wow! They currently have 77 parking spaces. Today at one point they had 62 cars (which is 80% of capacity). Since they are averaging 2.2 persons per car, that means they would need 32 parking spaces to accommodate the additional 70 people they want to reach in six months. They had 15 free today, but they will need to do something creative to make 17+ more available during that period or their growth will slow or stop.

Their class for ages 3-5 is currently at 80% of capacity (which is considered full). If they want to continue to grow, they will need to move the class into a larger space (swap with another class) or start another class for the age group (perhaps one for boys and one for girls, or one for threes and the other for fours and fives). A sanctuary or pastor's class could be started.

The church currently has two unused classrooms. But they could add a fourth class to the three that already meet in the fellowship hall. Also, since their schedule includes worship before and after Sunday School, they could start one or three classes in the sanctuary--perhaps by beginning a pastor's class (don't start two in an open space because they will compete for sound, but three or more will create a low roar/background noise like some restaurants).

There are currently no new teachers waiting in the wings. Each teacher needs to begin now to identify, pray for, and train apprentices in small doses. These apprentices would be shown how to be an effective teachers, encouraged to study/train, and be given opportunities to practice all phases of teacher duties--from teaching, to reaching, to caring, to fellowship planning, and more.

In order to be effective  in caring for the people they want to reach, invite, minister to, pray for, and enroll in Sunday School, they need to put additional people to the task. Class greeters and care group leaders need to be enlisted. The more people they have with jobs that are important to the success of the Sunday School, the more people they will have who will stay connected. Drop outs will decrease. Attendance will increase.

What do you need to do to take your Sunday School to the next level? What goals do you need to set? What barriers are making progress difficult? What can you do to plow around the stumps? What classes need to be started? What classes can be moved into space that will allow them to grow? What future plans require action now in order to be prepared for them then? What are you doing to identify, enlist, and train apprentices and new leaders?

Where does God want you to be in six months? in a year? What must you do to get there? Pray. Evaluate. Dream. Identify priorities. Set goals. Make action plans. A ssign the plans to res ponsible people with deadl ines. Do it. Start the cycle all over again. Be revolutionary.

In Part 1, I began by asking some questions: What is the desired result of all of our efforts in Sunday School? What outcomes are we working to produce in members' lives? How are we expecting them to behave as a result? Assuming an ideal Sunday School class, what would the members be doing? In Part 1, we looked at the first of twelve behaviors. In Part 2, we will look at the final six ideal behaviors of adult Sunday School class members. Consider the following beginning list:

Look back at Part 1. How are the members of your class doing in the twelve ideal behaviors of adult Sunday School class members? Measure yourself. How are you doing in these six areas? How is your class doing? Which one needs priority attention? What can you do to strengthen this behavior for yourself? for your class? What can you do this week? Expect the best. God deserves nothing less. Be revolutionary!

I mentioned in Part 1 that many Sunday School teachers begin serving without training. That means that they can only build off of what they have experienced. Most witnessed their Sunday School teachers lecturing each week. And we should not be surprised if they don't know the best ways to facilitate discussion which can be a great method. It involves more people than lecture and can bring more collective intelligence and experiences to bear.

What can be done to create a safe environment which results in healthy, productive discussion in Sunday School/small groups? In Part 1, I shared a helpful blog post by Grahame Knox entitled 10 Ways to Encourage Discussion in Your Small Group. While Knox applies his post to teenagers, his simple points apply to adults as well. In Part 1, I shared the first five ways to create a safe environment which encourages discussion: a positive environment, icebreakers, it's okay to talk, open-ended questions, and listening. In Part 2, we will look at Knox's final five ways which are in all capitals followed by my commentary:

• BE INCLUSIVE. Without embarrassing anyone, try to include everyone. Discussion in a large group can make this difficult. You may find it helpful to break the group into smaller groups. In groups of 3-6 almost everyone can participate. And almost everyone will feel safe doing so. I like Knox's admonitions, "Don't allow one person to monopolize the conversation. Don't be content with one answer." Discussion that is inclusive is much richer and leads to greater learning.
• BE CREATIVE. Planning is key here. Look for unique ways to start the discussion. I like Knox's suggestions, "Instead of starting with a question, use a role play or case study to bring about a response. Use a group survey to provide a platform for further discussion." Read an article from the newpaper. Change up the time you use discussion. Instead of discussion in the large group, move to small groups. Involve a panel of "experts." Lead them to listen, think, and participate because variety added interest.
• BE AFFIRMING. This does not mean you have to affirm wrong answers. But you can affirm the effort to respond. Don't force responses. In Knox's words, "Acknowledge all contributions. Avoid any put-downs....Allow young people the right to pass and not share." Thank responders. Encourage participation in the discussion. Get ideas on the table.
• THE SOUND OF SILENCE. Give them time to think. Some need time to process before responding. Others enjoy "thinking out loud." You may even give them permission not to respond for 15 seconds. Don't fill in the blanks for them. If necessary, ask the question or situation in another way. They may not understand. When a positive environment has been established that encourages participation in discussion, silence is very healthy.
• SUMMARIZE. Catch the group up on what has been said to that point. Or better yet, ask someone in the group to summarize the discussion. This can serve as a launching point for the next discussion direction. As Knox said, "This helps draw various ideas together, gives continuity to the study and keeps the discussion on track." At minimum, summarizing is a great way of strengthening memory and learning. But it also says to the group that you have been listening. And that in turn encourages future participation in discussion.

Many teachers begin serving without training. That means that they can only build off of what they have experienced. Most witnessed their Sunday School teachers lecturing each week. We should not be surprised when that is the method they choose to employ. And we should not be surprised if they don't know the best ways to facilitate discussion.

Discussion can be a great method. It involves more people than lecture. It can bring more collective intelligence and experiences to bear upon the subject at hand. What can be done to create a safe environment which results in healthy, productive discussion in Sunday School/small groups?

I recently read a helpful blog post by Grahame Knox entitled 10 Ways to Encourage Discussion in Your Small Group. While Knox applies his points to teenagers, his simple points apply to adults as well. In Part 1, I will share the first five ways to create a safe environment which encourages discussion. Knox's five ways are in all capitals followed by my commentary:

• A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT. The bottom line: provide a comfortable environment that is free from distraction. Make sure that visual and sound interruptions are minimized. Check the room temperature. Make sure lighting is adequate. Make sure equipment and furnishing are appropriate. If seating is uncomfortable, then give breaks by moving the group around. Make sure there is enough space for an open discussion, preferably circle or semi-circle. Help the group to benefit by being able to see one another--since 93% of communication is nonverbal.
• BREAK THE ICE. I have written about the importance of icebreakers before. Check out Five Suggestions for Using Icebreakers Well in Sunday School/Small Groups, Nine Reasons to Use Icebreakers in Sunday School/Small Groups, and Using Icebreakers Purposefully in Sunday School/Small Groups. I enjoyed Knox's list of ways icebreakers and games can get things moving and encourage interaction: (1) helping new members integrate into the group; (2) helping the group feel comfortable together; (3) encouraging cooperation; (4) encouraging listening to others; and (5) creating a good atmosphere for learning and participation. You can even download a free resource called 40 Icebreakers for Small Groups. Knox also mention providing food which can relax a group and give them some casual social interaction time.
• IT'S OKAY TO TALK. This is a great suggestion. Give the group permission to talk from the beginning. Try to get everyone to participate (without embarrassing). One way to get everyone involved would be to divide into smaller groups (3-6 people). In groups that size, those who are introverts will not be as intimidated about talking. This means the teacher/facilitator has to keep the group moving toward its objective.
• USE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. Avoid using questions which ask for yes, no, or one-word answers. Get them thinking. Encourage the group to ask good questions. Feel free to turn the questions back toward the group. Ask questions which bring out knowledge and experience. He shared a he lpful post called That's a Good Question. Also, check out Keys to Increasing Verbal Participation in Sunday School. I like Knox's final statement here: "Help them to discover and apply what the Bible says for themselves." Lead the group to help each other to do this!
• LISTEN. As the teacher/facilitator, your example is important. But you also need to lead the group to learn how to listen well to each other. Give the group time to think and to respond to your questions. As Knox said, "If necessary, rephrase them until they are clearly understood." Ask the group to tell you what they just heard. Teach them not to cut each other off. Don't rush. Check out Improve Your Small Group by Listening Better, Part 1, Improve Your Small Group by Listening Better, Part 2, and The Best Sunday School Teachers and Leaders Are Great Listeners!.

Discussion is an important tool in the teacher's planbook. Used well, it can produce amazing results in group interaction as it advances knowledge and commitment to obedience of God's Word. In Part 2, we will look at Knox's final five ways to create a safe environment which encourages discussion: be inclusive, be creative, be affirming, the sound of silence, and summarize. For more information about discussion, check out Effective Discussion in Your Sunday School Class, Part 1, Effective Discussion in Your Sunday School Class, Part 2, and Effective Discussion in Your Sunday School Class, Part 3. Create a safe place for discussion. Be revolutionary!

I spent the weekend with a pastor and set of Sunday School leaders. The church averages under 100 in Sunday School. They have 15 classes: 2 preschool, 3 children, 3 youth, and 7 adult. Evaluation was honest. Ideas were free-flowing. Everybody seemed to be stretched in the course of the weekend. Hope and expectations seemed to be high.

But the weekend got me thinking about Kingdom growth and the impact of Sunday School addition versus multiplication. Let me explain what I mean. Just for the moment, let's ignore the obvious space problem that will occur. The church currently has 15 classes.  Allowing 35 square feet for preschoolers, 25 square feet for children, and 15 square feet for youth and adults, they had room to grow in every class except for toddlers (need to start another class there). Let's assume that every class set a goal to reach 4 people in the next 12 months. That would only be one person per class per quarter. For 15 classes, that would add 60 people by the end of the year. If those 15 classes did that every year for 10 years, they would have an additional 600 people attending.

But let's compare that to multiplication. What if one class and one teacher would double every year, teaching the new teacher and class to do the same each time. After two years, there would be two classes and teachers who plan to double. After four years, there would be four classes and teachers. After six years, there would be eight. After eight years, there would be 16. After ten years, there would be 32 classes and teachers. Since classes on average grow to 10 in attendance and 20 in enrollment in 12-18 months, that would be 320 in attendance and 640 enrolled.

Okay, so after 10 years there are 600 people attending with addition and only 320 attending with multiplication. But what happens in the second 10 years? The addition process produces another 600 people; that's a total of 1,200 attending over 20 years through addition.

The multiplcation process produces 64 classes and teachers in year 12; 128 in year 14; 256 in year 16, 512 in year 18; and 1,024 classes and teachers in year 20. Now with 10 persons in attendance and 20 in enrollment per class, that results in 10,240 in attendance and 20,480 in enrollment after 20 years. Wow! What a difference! That is a difference of 9,040 people!

Too many leaders don't understand the difference. We don't have to do one or the other, but we really do need to make sure that part of our strategy is starting new classes that will intentionally multiply. In the above example, if we added the two together, we could have had more than 11,400 more people in Sunday School in 20 years. Wow.

What are you going to do with them all? Better start a building campaign now! Better start preparing for multiple Sunday School. Better start praying for God's presence and leadership. It can happen. People need Jesus. The harvest needs workers. Sunday School needs leadership and expectation. Be revolutionary!

Sunday School is a great tool in the hands of a revolutionary for carrying out the Great Commission. Jesus told His disciples, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV). That is a God-sized vision!

What would happen if Sunday School really took that command seriously? What if Sunday School leaders and members believed that He is with them? What goals would they set? What plans would they make? How much more closely would they listen to, talk with, and walk with God? What if each leader and member started by impacting their own circles of influence? What if they all gave their best efforts to God? What might be possible?

Raise your vision. Share it. Challenge leaders and members to raise their vision. For some ideas which may help, check out the following:

• Raise the Vision That Sunday School Can ’Make Disciples of All Nations’!
• How BIG Is God’s Vision for Your Sunday School/Small Groups?
• What Does Your Church Need Small Groups to Do?
• How Far Should Sunday School Go to Make Disciples of All Nations?
• Doubling Sunday School Classes Really Works!
• Kingdom Vision: Start New Churches Through the Sunday School
• Next-Level Sunday School
• When Pastors Attend Sunday School/Small Groups, It Is Contagious!
• Growing Your Sunday School by Increasing Your Budget
• For What Is Your Sunday School Known?
• Sunday School Change Is Needed But Should Not Be Rushed
• Top Priorities of a New Sunday School Director
• What Would You Include in Your Book about Sunday School?
• Would You Like to Double Your Sunday School Class?
• Pastors, Directors, and Teachers Can Lead Their Sunday Schools to Double
• How Can Sunday School Enable the Church to Witness to the Ends of the Earth?
• Take th e Challenge: Outrgrow Your Current Sunday School/Small Group Ministry
• Sunday School Health Checkup, Part 2
• What Might Happen If You Offered Sunday School on Tuesdays?
• Aerobics and Weight Training for Sunday School
• Sunday School New Birth Stories, Part 3
• Starting a New Sunday School Year with Momentum
• Calendaring Sunday School Growth
• Feature a Different Sunday School Class in Worship Each Month
• Sunday School Checkup: Are You Growing?
• Is Your Sunday School Healthy?
• Comparing Revolutionary and Mediocre Sunday School
• High Expectations Are Necessary for Sunday School’s Mutiny Against Mediocrity
• Making the Greatness of Sunday School Known
• Steps to Start a Sunday School, Part 1
• Steps to Start a Sunday School, Part 2
• How Many People Does It Take to Change Sunday School?
• Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 2
• Planning Questions for Moving to Multiple Sunday Schools, Part 1
• 5 Goals for Sunday School Growth This Year
• Measure Your Sunday School Strengths and Opportunities, Part 1
• Measure Your Sunday School Strengths and Opportunities, Part 2
• Benefits of H igh Attendance Sunday

• Nine Key Healthy Sunday School Issues, Part 3

How big is your vision for your Sunday School? The better questions is how big is God's vision? Where does He want you to go? What does He want you to do? Who does He want you to become? Who will go? Who will you reach? What Kingdo m impact will you have? Respond to the vision He gives you. Trust Him. Believe Him. Follow Him. Obey Him. Be revolutionary!

Over the years, I have written about the importance of evaluation dozens of times. I have offered many suggestions of methods for evaluation. I have offered scores of questions which can help in evaluating the Sunday School as a whole and as a class. I thought it might be helpful to pull some of them together into one place.

I have divided the posts into four categories: general, class, pastor/director, and teacher. I have not included all of the parts of some series even though some of the other parts could help (the list was so long). Here are the posts about evaluation that I have included:

GENERAL SUNDAY SCHOOL EVALUATION:

• Sunday School Effectiveness Begins with Prayer and Evaluation
• S.W.O.T. Your Sunday School Work
• Overcoming Hesitancy to Seek Evaluation as a Sunday School Leader
• Evaluate the Past Year Before You Set New Sunday School Goals
• Grow Your Sunday School: Part 1, Preparing Your Class to Invite New People
• Measures of Balanced Sunday School Progress
• Improving Attendance at Monthly Sunday School Workers Meetings
• Annual Sunday School Progress Report
• Aerobics and Weight Training for Sunday School
• Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 1
• Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 2
• Sunday School Growth Contest or Campaign?
• Extreme Makeover: Sunday School Edition
• Planning Questions for Moving to Multiple Sunday Schools, Part 2
• Opposition to Sunday School Change
• 5 Goals for Sunday School Growth This Year
• 25 Ways to Recognize Sunday School Workers, Part 3
• Would You Like to Double Your Sunday School Space?
• Measure Your Sunday School Strengths and Opportunities, Part 1
• Overcoming Sunday School Problems, Part 1
• Increasing Interest and Attendance in Sunday School, Part 1
• Sunday School Health Checkup, Part 2
• Nine Key Healthy Sunday School Issues, Part 2
• Is Your Sunday School Healthy?

CLASS EVALUATION:

• Your Sunday School Class Needs a Field Trip
• Wooing Adults to Your Sunday School Class
• Sunday School Testimony: Powerful Revolutionary Tool
• Is Transparency a Requirement for Revolutionary Sunday School?

TEACHER EVALUATION:

• Adult Sunday School Teacher Evaluation, Part 1
• Adult Sunday School Teacher Evaluation, Part 2
• Evaluation of a Good Sunday School Lesson, Part 1
• Evaluation of a Good Sunday School Lesson, Part 2
• Writing Your Own Sunday School Lesson
• Could R.O.P.E.S. Improve Sunday School?
• Benefits of Teaching Sunday School
• Effective Discussion in Your Sunday School Class, Part 3
• Addressing Active Sunday School Learners Through Projects
• Make Them Think in Sunday School!

PASTOR/DIRECTOR EVALUATION:

• Essential Basics for Sunday School Lead ership by Pastors and Directors
• Be Intentional in Your Sunday School Leadership!
• Personal Evaluation of Your Sunday School Leadership
• What Does It Take for a Revolutionary Director to Lead the Sunday School?
• Mentoring, Apprenticing, and Coaching for Revolutionary Sunday School

What would you add to the list that has not been covered? Have you developed a set of questions that helps you evaluate some aspect of Sunday School? Press the Comments button below to share your additions, experiences, or ideas. Let's improve Sunday School through evaluation and making needed adjustments. Let's give God our best efforts. Be revolutionary!

In Part 1, I said that no Sunday School is immune from Sunday School challenges, hurdles, obstacles, opportunities, or problems. But after years of doing Sunday School work, I am convinced that when you and your Sunday School team work together with God there are no problems that are insurmountable!

In Part 1, I mentioned an article by Julia Shiply entitled 10 Problems Every Sunday School Faces. According to Shipley, "A recent survey gave insight into the problems that face the local Sunday school." In Part 1 and Part 2, I shared the first six problems from her article: lack of good Sunday School literature and resources; lack of money; lack of space; lack of support; lack of concern; and lack of growth in all age groups. In Part 3, I will share her final four problems in all capitals followed by my commentary offering some possible solutions:

• LACK OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH. This is frequently a sign that the church has ceased to reach out. Or it may be a sign that the average age of the congregation is graying. Few communities are devoid of children and youth. Many good suggestions were offered in the previous section about lack of growth in all age groups. Target one of these age groups for a quarter. Improve facilities. Add classes and workers. Set up monthly outreach events to pursue prospects in these age groups. Offer transportation. Invite them to parties. For more information, check out the following:
• Balancing the Sunday School Aquarium, Part 1
• How to Evaluate Your Sunday School Facilities
• Reach and Assimilate People into the Kingdom Through Sunday School Fellowships
• Planning Sunday School Fellowship Activities
• Have You Tried Intergenerational Sunday School?
• Assigning Sunday School Space to Preschoolers and Others
• Part 3: What Is the Ideal Balance of Age Groups in a Growing Sunday School?.
• SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS AND WORKERS. There is no quick fix for this problem. The issue is that you want "God-called" teachers and workers rather than "warm bodies." Before enlisting workers, begin in a season of prayer. Start early. Enlist in person. Share job descriptions. Allow time for a prayerful response (usually no more than a week). The long term solution is to ask every teacher and worker to be apprenticing another leader. Give them suggestions about how to do that. It may even increase the effectiveness of your current workers. Offer potential teacher/leader training. Set up ongoing training events (see training section below). Raise expectations. Work with teachers/workers to develop a worker covenant. Ask teachers to suggest potential teachers. Observe VBS workers. For more information, check out the following:
• Avoid Enlisting ’Warm-Bodies’ as Sunday School Teachers!
• High Expectations Are Necessary for Sunday School’s Mutiny Against Mediocrity
• Raising Sunday School Expectations without Losing Your Hair
• Sunday School Leader Application Process
• Revolutionary Sunday School Multiplies Leaders
• New Sunday School Teachers: Getting Ready for a New Year
• Coaching Helps Sunday School Teachers Stay Balanced and on Target
• High-Expectation Sunday School
• Revolutionary Sunday School Prevents, Improves, and Removes Ineffective Leaders.
• LACK OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH. Shipley hit the nail on the head: "Growth in attendance and spiritual growth very often go side by side. If the members of the Sunday school are growing spiritually they will be excited and happy to invite their friends." Even enlistment of teachers and workers will be easier. Lead them to obey Christ's commands (Matthew 28:19-20). Check on commitments made at the end of one lesson at the beginning of the next. Challenge them to practice a daily quiet time and spiritual disciplines. Help them to examine priorities and Kingdom use of the precious commodity of time. For more information, check out the following:
• Sunday School Supporting Spiritual Disciplines, Part 1 (and other three parts)
• Teaching Sunday School Members to Pray Through Scripture
• Sunday School Teaching Believers to Listen to the Voice of God, Part 1 (and Part 2)
• Growth as Person, Disciple, and Sunday School Leader Requires Wise Use of Time
• Teaching Your Sunday School Class the Spiritual Disciplines of Prayer, Bible Study, Meditation, and Solitude
• Revolutionary Sunday School: Changing Converts into Disciples
• Is Your Sunday School Training Missionaries?
• What Should Happen as a Result of Revolutionary Sunday School?
• Three Tools Sunday School Can Use for Increasing Spiritual Maturity
• Accountability Partners in the Adult Sunday School Class
• Sunday School/Small Groups Can Help Adults Get Involved and Make Spiritual Progress
• How to Have a Meaningful Experience with God in Sunday School/Small Groups
• Sunday School Graduation or at Least Making Progress
• Maturational Growth Through Sunday School Is a Voluntary Choice
• Transitioning from Sunday School Teacher to Disciple Maker.
• LACK OF TRAINING OF SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS AND WORKERS. Bored workers are more likely to drop out of service. Challenge them. Affirm them. Train them. Raise expectations. Be creative. Offer variety of delivery. Be flexible in schedule. Customize the training to meet specific needs. Don't forget other workers besides teachers. For more information, check out the following:
• Creative Ways to Train Sunday School Teachers
• How Often Do You Train Your Sunday School Workers?
• Responding to Sunday School Teachers Who Don’t Want to Train
• Plan an Exciting Launch to the New Sunday School Year
• Free Training Materials for Sunday School Teachers
• 5 Goals for Sunday School Growth This Year.

Look back over Part 1 and Part 2. Take a step back to give some perspective to the problems. Which of these are the biggest ones your Sunday School faces? How can you turn them from problems to challenges and from challenges to opportunities? On which one do you need to start work first? You (plural) + God = more than enough to conquer it! Trust Him. Trust each other. Pray. Work together. Be revolutionary!

In Part 1, I said that no Sunday School is immune from Sunday School challenges, hurdles, obstacles, opportunities, or problems. What you call them may say more about how you feel about them. After years of doing Sunday School work, I am convinced that when you and your Sunday School team work together with God there are no problems that are insurmountable!

In Part 1, I talked about an article by Julia Shiply entitled 10 Problems Every Sunday School Faces. According to Shipley, "A recent survey gave insight into the problems that face the local Sunday school." I will share the problems from Shipley's article in three parts. In Part 1, I will shared the first three problems from her article: lack of good Sunday School literature and resources; lack of money; and lack of space. In Part 2, I will share her second three problems in all capitals followed by my commentary offering some possible solutions:

• LACK OF SUPPORT. In Kentucky Baptist churches, Sunday School attendance is about 2/3 of worship attendance. Some have more in Sunday School and some have less. But when there is a lack of support by the pastor, staff, and/or church leaders, Sunday School attendance becomes an increasingly smaller percentage of the worship crowd. What happens when the pastor is a strong supporter of Sunday School? What happens when he regularly lifts up the value of Sunday School and invites people? What happens when he attends or teaches a class regularly and talks about the benefits he receives from it? When Sunday School is valued by pastors, staff, and church leaders, attendance tends to increase. New classes are easier to start and grow. I like something Shipley said, "The best way to help others become more supportive is to get them involved." Ask for their help. Brag on them. For more information, check out the following:
• Launch New Sunday School Classes on Special Occasions Like Father’s Day
• Reasons to Invest in Sunday School Today
• Pulpit Sunday School Promotion
• When Pastors Attend Sunday School/Small Groups, It Is Contagious!
• Pastor as Revolutionary: Leading the Sunday School by Word and Example
• Steps for the Pastor’s Leadership of the Sunday School
• Pulpit Sunday School Promotion
• Pastors, Directors, and Teachers Can Lead Their Sunday Schools to Double
• Company’s Coming: Writing a Promotional Piece to Attract Sunday School Guests for a Second Visit.
• LACK OF CONCERN. This is probably even more subtle than lack of support. Work to discern reason for lack of support. Why are more people not involved in Sunday School? Do they not understand the value? Then tell them? Add pulpit promotion of Sunday School (see link above). Regularly share Sunday School testimonies. Do they not have leadership to be involved? Then ask the pastor to lead them to be involved. Ask the pastor to preach a series of sermons about the value of small group Bible study. Set up a table in the foyer of the sanctuary to sign people up. Make enrollment in Sunday School easy. Add it to the prayer and decision card in worship (and invite people to join Sunday School by using the card). A good equation for addressing lack of concern is often the following: information + inspiration + invitation = motivation to attend. For more information, check out the following:
• Sunday School Testimony: Powerful Revolutionary Tool
• Why Do I Need to Be a Part of a Small Group Bible Study?
• Increasing Interest and Attendance in Sunday School, Part 1
• Explosive Sunday School Growth
• Push and Pull People to Sunday School/Small Groups
• For What Is Your Sunday School Known?
• Top Ten Actions to Increase Sunday School Attendance
• Making the Greatness of Sunday School Known.
• LACK OF GROWTH IN ALL AGE GROUPS. This can be a vicious cycle. If you are not growing in adults, you probably are not going to grow in preschoolers, children, and youth. If your preschool facilities, teachers, and classes are not attractive, you probably will slow or stop growing in preschool as well as in younger, middle, and even senior adults. (Yes, even senior adults! You see, 20% of preschoolers today are being cared for by their grandparents.) What can you do? Emphasize an age group. Focus prayer and invitation efforts on that age group for a quarter. Then change the age group. Spruce up facilities. Add teachers. Add classes. If you are not growing in middle adults, add another middle adult class even if the current one has room. New classes tend to grow faster. Make sure classes have room to grow. If they don't have room, move them to larger space or start another class. Set goals for contacts, enrollment, and attendance. Begin a contact and visitation program like G.R.O.W.: Outreach Teams That Win. One of the biggest ways to address lack of growth is to teach your people to invite friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. Invitations work! For more information, check out the following:
• Revolutionary Adult Sunday School Classroom Space
• Conduct an Adult & Student Sunday School Space Walk
• How to Evaluate Your Sunday School Facilities
• What Is Keeping Your Sunday School from Growing?
• Is the Size of Your Sunday School POT Keeping You Small, Part 1
• Balancing the Sunday School Aquarium, Part 1
• Plan, Don’t Rush, Your Launch of Multiple Sunday Schools
• Planning Questions for Moving to Multiple Sunday Schools, Part 2
• Revolutionary Sunday School Leaders Should Take a Field Trip to Starbucks
• Would You Like to Double Your Sunday School Class?
• Ways to Add Adult Sunday School Classes by Dividing Them into Age Groups
• Attitude Check: Do You Want Sunday School to Grow?
• Steps to Start a Sunday School, Part 1
• Secret of Sunday School Growth: Multiply Units.

In Part 3, we will look at Shipley's final four problems: lack of children and youth; shortage of teachers and workers; lack of spiritual growth; and lack of training of Sunday School teachers and workers. Take a step back to give some perspective to the problems. Which of these is the biggest one your Sunday School faces? How can you turn it from a problem to a challenge and from a challenge to opportunity? You (plural) + God = more than enough to conquer it! Trust Him. Trust each other. Pray. Work together. Be revolutionary!

No Sunday School is immune from Sunday School challenges, hurdles, obstacles, opportunities, or problems. What you call them may say more about how you feel about them. After years of doing Sunday School work, I am convinced that when you and your Sunday School team work together with God there are no problems that are insurmountable!

What brought this topic to my mind was an article by Julia Shiply entitled 10 Problems Every Sunday School Faces. According to Shipley, "A recent survey gave insight into the problems that face the local Sunday school." I will share the problems from Shipley's article in three parts. In Part 1, I will share the first three problems from her article in all capitals followed by my commentary offering some possible solutions:

In Part 2, we will look at Shipley's next three problems: lack of support, lack of concern, and lack of growth in all age groups. Take a step back and give some perspective to the problems. Which is the biggest one your Sunday School faces? How can you turn it from a problem to a challenge and from a challenge to opportunity? You (plural) + God = more than enough to conquer it! Trust God. Trust each other. Pray. Work together. Be revolutionary!

Two years ago, I wrote a blog post that has gotten lots of hits, Revolutionary Sunday School Invitations (Postcards). I decided it was time to update the post with some additional links. As I said then, mail is less personal than a phone call which is less personal than a face-to-face visit. But each can be effective.

How can we make mail more effective? Well, ask yourself this question: do people today enjoy getting mail? It depends. We all receive too much junk mail--credit card offers, insurance solicitations, store circulars, etc. But we all seem to enjoy the rare personal mail we receive. So, how can we make Sunday School cards and letters more personal? Here are updated suggestions:

• Handwrite the note. Keep it short.
• If possible, handwrite the address (rather than type).
• Add personal comments, prayer requests (nonconfidential), shared memories, etc.
• Make it timely. Send right after a guest visits or a regular attender is absent. Send before a birthday or anniversary; send right after a medical procedure or a special recognition.
• Don't say the same thing every time. Persons from youngest to oldest can tell.
• Invite to class fellowships/projects, special days, your home, and special lessons.
• Choose postcards with specific messages or pictures that match the personality of the child, youth, or adult.
• Take a seasonal pictures of the class, make them into postcards, and send them to absentees and guests (they really are not that costly).
• Send postcards when on vacation. They always seem to bring a smile, and it means a lot to be thought about when you are away.
• Have class members to sign the card (maybe picture side).
• Have class members send multiple cards with pesonal notes.
• Get multiple class members to send cards and letters.

Here are a few websites:

• http://www.postcards.org/postcards/cards/1025/
• http://gospelpublishing.com/store/startcat.cfm?cat=iPOSTCARDS
• http://www.gospelpublishing.com/store/startitem.cfm?item=116633&cat=iCHLDCRDST&mastercat=&path=iCHLDCRDST
• http://www.sundayschoolhelp.com/sss02221.htm
• http://www.daniellesplace.com/CARDS/index.cfm
• http://evangelsupply.com/sunday-school-ek1-7.html
• http://online.nph.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?10418&productID=383101
• http://www.kidssundayschool.com/Main/Resources/Cards/cardindex.php
• http://www.cokesbury.com/closeouts.aspx?subSection=49&pid=06113X
• http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=439919
• http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?N=1029426&Ne=10000
• http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/nph/innerpage.jsp?c=NPH-CR&cs=POSTC&sc=NA&ss=NA&nid=lcol
• http://www.tias.com/6692/PictPage/1922867715.html
• http://www.servantevangelism.com/cards/

I mentioned in Part 1 that there are many factors that contribute to Sunday School growth. I have written in this blog about many of them: prayer, expectations, starting new classes, planning, leadership, involvement, and so many more. Without question, one of the factors that is frequently neglected after the first year of life for a Sunday School class is "closing the back door." I have written many posts (more than 100) about issues of assimilation and have even listed Assimilation in Categories down the right side menu of the blog. Closing the back door is important because classes frequently lose more people than they gain beyond the second anniversary of the class.

So what can a Sunday School class do to maintain its passion? What can a class do to be sticky--attract and keep guests and new members? I was reminded about four factors needed to be a sticky class by an article entitled The Big 4. In Part 1, I shared the first two of four factors listed in the article. In Part 2, I will share the final two factors in all capitals followed by my commentary:

• MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT. People who get connected through serving together with others are less likely to leave. One reason is that relationship connections happen--more on that below. Find a place of service in your class for every member (and even guests). Put someone in the class in charge of seeing that every class member has a place of service in the class or the church. Enlist people to serve as class greeters (check out Revolutionary Sunday School Classes Have Greeters and Helping Sunday School Guests FEEL Welcome), care group leaders, name tag dispensers (check out Be Revolutionary! Wear Name Tags in Sunday School), secretary, fellowship leaders, outreach team, classroom set up crew, ministry responders, prayer team coordinators, etc. Discover members affinities and encourage and let them loose in pursuing their passions. You might even lead all class members to discover their spiritual gifts and/or S.H.A.P.E.
• RELATIONSHIP CONNECTIONS. In my doctoral research, I discovered that if a class member attended three or four Sundays each month, they tended to have six or more friends that "they could call on in time of need." If they had two or fewer friends, they tended to drop out of class. Relationships are important. Monthly times of fellowship and ministry projects can encourage interaction and deepen relationships. Interactive teaching methods can also help, even icebreakers (check out Nine Reasons to Use Icebreakers in Sunday School/Small Groups, Using Icebreakers Purposefully in Sunday School/Small Groups, and Five Suggestions for Using Icebreakers Well in Sunday School/Small Groups). Care group leaders who call members, absentees, and prospects also can develop connections (check out Care Groups: Prayer, Ministry, Assimilation, and Invitation). Men sometimes prefer projects rather than socials as means to develop friendships.

How is your class doing in closing the back door? Think about the last two people who joined your class. Are they still connected?What can you do to raise expectations and to make your group "small" in its attention to attenders? Add these two factors with the two factors from Part 1 (high expectations and small groups), and decide on an action plan for your class. Don't let one person slip through the cracks. They need the class. The Kingdom needs their involvement. Be sticky! Be revolutionary!

For more posts on assimilation, check out the following:

• Sunday School Fellowship: More Than Food and Fun
• Sunday School Class Guest Follow Up, Part 1
• Sunday School Class Guest Follow Up, Part 2
• 7 Ways to Rate Your Sunday School’s Attractiveness
• Company’s Coming: Writing a Promotional Piece to Attract Sunday School Guests for a Second Visit
• It’s Your Responsibility for Sunday School First Impressions, Part 1
• It’s Your Responsibility for Sunday School First Impressions, Part 2
• Balancing First Impression and Connection in Sunday School
• Sunday School/Small Groups: Where Everybody Knows Your Name, Part 1
• Sunday School/Small Groups: Where Everybody Knows Your Name, Part 2

There are many factors that contribute to Sunday School growth. I have written in this blog about many of them: prayer, expectations, starting new classes, planning, leadership, involvement, and so many more. Without question, one of the factors that is frequently neglected after the first year of life for a Sunday School class is "closing the back door." I have written many posts (more than 100) about issues of assimilation and even have listed Assimilation in Categories down the right side menu of the blog.

Many classes grow in the first 12-18 months of life. During that period, these new classes tend to do more inviting and the class usually has not grown so large that it has become difficult to keep up with attenders. But frequently, the class loses passion and work ethic for outreach and inreach before the second anniversary. It is not uncommon for classes to lose more people than they gain beyond two years.

What can a Sunday School class do to maintain its passion? What can a class do to be sticky--attract and keep guests and new members? I was reminded about four factors needed to be a sticky class by an article entitled The Big 4. In Part 1, I will list the first two of four factors listed in the article in all capitals followed by my commentary:

• HIGH EXPECTATIONS. This starts with the pastor, Sunday School director, and teacher. But it also extends to each and every member. It is a vision issue. We sometimes get so busy that we become inward focused, maintaining only the status quo or only giving attention to the "fires that must be put out." Instead, we must realize that we are conducting Kingdom business. Not all of the sheep we are to care for are already in the sheep pen (John 10:16). But expectations are also attractive for guests and new members. Think through what you expect of class members. How often do you expect them to attend? Do you expect them to read their lesson? Do you expect them to participate in class? Do you expect them to serve in some capacity in the class? The article shared a statement by a former active church member: “Why would I want to be a part of something that expects nothing of me?” Expect a lot. Encourage and support. Hold members positively accountable.
• SMALL GROUPS. Some classes grow beyond twenty attenders and start having back-door problems. They continue to attract new people, but at the same time they lose new and longer-term members. But whether large or small, a Sunday School class can make itself "small" in its attention to all its members. The article states, "The key issue, according to our research, is that the small group is an open group, meaning it has no predetermined termination date, and anyone can enter the group at any point." According to research by Dr. Thom Rainer (now president of LifeWay Christian Resources), those who get connected in a Sunday School class or small group are more than six times as likely to still be connected in five years as those who are not active in a class or group.

How is your class doing in closing the back door? Think about the last two people who joined your class. Are they still connected?What can you do to raise expectations and to make your group "small" in its attention to attenders? In Part 2, I will share about the final two factors: ministry involvement and relationship connections. Don't let one person slip through the cracks. They need the class. The Kingdom needs their involvement. Be sticky! Be revolutionary!