It would have been easy to have changed the word, "attitudes" in the title to "actions." I believe, however, that attitudes are the source of those actions, and the attitudes can be more subtle and therefore deadly. Consider the following list and check your attitudes and those of others in your class:

I DON'T NEED HELP. Few teachers can accomplish alone all the class work needed for growth: great teaching-learning, fellowship, reaching, ministering to needs, missions projects, and more. Besides that, the class, church, and Kingdom will benefit from "all hands on deck."

I DON'T NEED TRAINING. When we stop learning, we stop growing, teaching, and leading. The Lord and His bride, the church, deserve our best efforts. Training reminds of why we do things and challenges us to try new things.

I AM TOO BUSY. Each of us has the same 168 hours each week. The potential impact of Sunday School deserve prioritizing some of our time. At the same time, busyness also demands that we enlist some help within the class to carry out this important work because more needs to be done than only teaching.

I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOALS. Everything we do has some goal. Our work has goals, even if it is only to secure pay. Grocery shopping has the goal of bringing home needed food. The goal of Sunday School is to reach and make disciples of my assigned age group. In that effort, several actions deserve focus and specific goals can be helpful in motivating yourself and class members.

PLENTY ARE COMING. This is a sign of space or relationships that are full. It is inward focused. It is ignoring those who are not in class who are dying without Jesus or not growing as Christians. It may also be a sign of poor class organization.

THEY KNOW WHERE WE ARE. Thom Rainer discovered that 82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to come to church if invited. Few come without invitation and it will likely take multiple invitations and expressions of our genuine care for them.

CLASS TIME'S TOO SHORT. Not everything has to be done on Sunday, but the investment of a few minutes in class growth actions makes a huge difference. Managing those few minutes well is, of course, key.

WE DON'T NEED GREETERS. Often when something is everyone's job, no one does it. Greeting members and first impressions with guests is important. Greeters are essential for leading the class in this effort.

WE DON'T KEEP RECORDS. Records of attendance along with member and prospect/guest contact information are essential for caring for each other and for reaching out. They help to focus immediate and ongoing care. A secretary is the key in keeping good records and notifying class leaders of the need for caring action.

These are but a few of the attitudes that make class growth challenging, difficult, or impossible. What attitude would you add to the list? Which one(s) listed are you and your class struggling with the most? What can you do to address this attitude in order to make growth more likely? Take steps this month. Reach and make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about growing your class, check out these blog posts:

• Four Tools for Growing Your Sunday School Class, Part 1
• Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 1, Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 2, Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 3, Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 4, Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 5, and Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 6
• Has Worker Attrition Caused Your Sunday School Decline?
• Ideal Sunday School Class Size Issues for Spiritual Progress
• How Can I Grow My Sunday School Class Numerically?
• Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 1, Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 2, and Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 3
• Sunday School Class Growth Goals
• Counting Heads or Keeping Good Sunday School Attendance Records
• Grow Your Sunday School Class by Starting a New Class

I began writing posts for The Sunday School Revolutionary back in April 2006. Since that time, I have added more than 1,070 posts and readers have added nearly half a million hits (should reach that mark in early July). Comments by readers left on the blog, by email, and by phone have encouraged me to continue this work when many Sunday School blogs have ended. Thanks for your interest in giving God your best effort through the tool of the Sunday School!

To celebrate the beginning of the seventh year of this blog, I wanted to share the top twenty posts since the blog began (followed by hit totals):

TOP POST:

• Unique Names for Sunday School and for Sunday School Classes (20,692)

• Free Training Materials for Sunday School Teachers (8,559) plus Favorite Post: Free Training Materials for Sunday School Teachers (4,173)
• Favorite Post: Plan Your Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day (6,180)
• Top Ten Actions to Increase Sunday School Attendance (5,262)

• Revolutionary Sunday School Invitations (Postcards) (4,169)
• Plan Your Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day (3,762)
• Improve Sunday School Through Evaluation (3,738)
• Promotional Tools for Sunday School: Don’t Keep It to Yourself! (3,567)
• Creative Ways to Train Sunday School Teachers (3,103)

• Nine Reasons to Use Icebreakers in Sunday School/Small Groups (2,349)
• Sunday School Teacher Qualities (2,320)
• Qualifications of a Sunday School Teacher, Part 2 (2,265)
• Three Simple Strategies to Increase Sunday School Attendance, Part 3 (2,214)
• Characteristics of a Good Sunday School Teacher, Part 1 (2,159)
• 5 Goals for Sunday School Growth This Year (2,158)
• Characteristics of a Good Sunday School Teacher, Part 1 (2,148)
• Invitation to Sunday School (2,105)
• What to Name a New Adult Sunday School Class? (2,057)
• Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Month: Is It May or October? (2,044)

People are busy today. They are mobile. During the summer months, there are many reasons members may not be present:

• vacations
• family visits
• children's summer sports leagues
• recreational outings, such as a weekend at the lake
• late Saturday evening activities
• and many more.

So what can we do to make up for more frequent "irregularity" of member attendance during the summer months? Don't limit your thinking to the following suggestions. Rather allow this list to lead you to brainstorm your own list and to adopt a summer Sunday School strategy:

• invite your absentees each week
• implement Saturday night calling of every member, guest, and prospect (perhaps by class care group leaders)
• focus on inviting guests every week
• have a class or Sunday School-wide photo Sunday (work to have the whole class present)
• conduct a contact contest during one month or the entire summer between two halves of your Sunday School
• have a monthly class fellowship with strong encouragement to invite guests (before the end of the fellowship, invite everyone to be present in class)
• plan a meal and fellowship immediately after Sunday School and worship
• have a teacher/worker appreciation Sunday and encourage members to bring appreciation gifts to teachers/workers
• provide a breakfast for everyone 45 minutes before the official start of Sunday School (end promptly)
• add the names of your Sunday School members to the 90 days of the summer to pray for them by name throughout the summer (have seen this work great!)

What would you add to this list? What have you done that worked? You may not be able to avoid some Sundays with lower attendance, but with a strategy, you can keep your average attendance high and make it fun at the same time. Remember, it is difficult to disciple people who are not present. Work to get people present. Do so because you care. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about growing your Sunday School, check out these blog posts:

• Growing Sunday School Equals Evangelism, Ministry, and Discipleship
• Grow Sunday School by Registering Worship Guests
• What Are 101 Ways for Sunday School to Be Evangelistic?
• The Front Door of the Sunday School
• Sunday School Growth through Evangelism Training
• Sunday School Class TEAMS
• Steps for the Pastor’s Leadership of the Sunday School
• Don’t Throw Away Leftover Sunday School Literature; Share It! Part 1
• Grow Sunday School by Preparing New Teachers and Workers
• 101 Ways for Sunday School to Be Evangelistic, Part 4 Greeting

Assume that a teacher has spent at least five hours of lesson preparation and/or other class work or ministry each week. When added to the hour on Sunday morning, that would be an investment of six hours for 50 weeks, meaning that 300 hours have been invested by each teacher. Other class leaders may not have invested as many hours but their contributions add up as well over the course of each year.

May is a common month for recognizing the time, effort, and commitment of Sunday School teachers and workers. It is before summer and after several months invested in teaching, caring, and reaching together. It is always a good time to pause to express appreciation for those involved in our church ministries, and especially for Sunday School teachers and workers.

I have written about expressing appreciation previously:

• Sunday School Leader Appreciation Is a Must!
• Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Month: Is It May or October?
• Plan Your Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day
• Offer a Gift of Encouragement to Your Sunday School Teachers and Workers
• 25 Ways to Recognize Sunday School Workers, Part 1, 25 Ways to Recognize Sunday School Workers, Part 2, and 25 Ways to Recognize Sunday School Workers, Part 3

Expressions of appreciation do not have to be expensive, but they should be well done. Inexpensive options include worship recognition, testimonies from class participants, certificates of recognition, and notes of appreciation. Additional options which do not cost the church budget can be asking class participants to express appreciation through giving teachers and workers gifts. Other options are well covered in the blog posts shared above: from appreciation banquets/meals with or without speakers to church gifts of book, mugs, and other expressions.

It is never too late to express appreciation. Make plans now to make your expression of appreciation special! Make disciples. Be revolutionary! ]]> http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dxcomments/expressing-appreciation-for-ssteachers-workers.htm http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/expressing-appreciation-for-ssteachers-workers.htm?opendocument&comments http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/expressing-appreciation-for-ssteachers-workers.htm Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:24:00 -0400 http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/trackback?open&id=suggested-sslaunch-week-activities.htm http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/revolutionary/~3/YVAyG9_Y4us/suggested-sslaunch-week-activities.htm Outreach Darryl Wilson http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/suggested-sslaunch-week-activities.htm?opendocument&comments http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/suggested-sslaunch-week-activities.htm

When does your new Sunday School year begin? Is it September or October or June or another time? What are you doing to make launch week special? What are you doing to promote Sunday School? Press Comments below to share things you plan to do this year or have done previously to launch the Sunday School year well.

Allow me to share some experiences, thoughts, and suggestions for making Launch Week special. Consider the following:

• CLEAN UP. Set aside one or more days for teachers/workers to prepare for the new Sunday School year by cleaning up teaching-learning space. Ask them to throw away used literature. Ask them to take down old posters. Invite them to dust and clean space, including windows, doors, and more. Invite them to rearrange the room. Make the room feel special and new.
• NEW SIGNS. Provide new signs, even if old ones are fine. Add color, logo, or graphic. Make sure accurate age groups are included on signs to help guests. Make sure all rooms have room numbers (include on sign if not otherwise available). Make wording large and bold. (Signs might also include other groups that meet in the room during the week.)
• TRAINING. Train every teacher and every worker during the week. Provide childcare and a meal. Start and stop on time. Make it fun. Make it relevant. Be creative. Give it a theme. Do it well. Promote it well.
• INVITATIONS. Call, text, visit, and/or send postcards to every member and every prospect inviting them to attend Sunday School. Send invitation cards out with members for them to give to friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. Invite attenders from the pulpit the previous couple of Sundays.
• CLASS FELLOWSHIP. Encourage classes to plan fellowships (avoiding the date for teacher/worker training). Expect them to invite guests. Before the fellowships begin, stop long enough to say thanks to all fellowship attenders and invite them to come to class the following Sunday. Make sure the group connects well with guests who attend.
• NEW GROUPS. Plan to start one or more classes during Launch Week. Promote the new class for the month prior to Launch Sunday. Ask the church family to invite to and pray for the new class(es). Invite people after worship to meet with the teacher(s) of the new class(es).
• PROMOTION. Make it a big emphasis on your church website. Make it a big emphasis from the pulpit. Emphasize it in classes for two weeks prior. Encourage members to invite friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors. Set up a table near worship to help attenders find out about Sunday School classes, where they meet, what they are studying, and who is teaching. Share a simple classes brochure.

What else would you add to these ideas? Help the new Sunday School year start off with a BANG! Clean up. Change signs. Provide training. Invite. Fellowship. Start new groups. Promote. Make it exciting and special. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about Sunday School launch week, check out these blog posts:

• How Often Do You Train Your Sunday School Workers?
• Calendaring Sunday School Growth
• New Sunday School Teachers: Getting Ready for a New Year
• Can You List the Values of Sunday School Teacher/Worker Training?
• Creative Ways to Train Sunday School Teachers
• Promotional Tools for Sunday School: Don’t Keep It to Yourself!
• Revolutionary Sunday School Invitations (Postcards)
• Invitation to Sunday School
• Pulpit Sunday School Promotion
• Grow Sunday School by Featuring Classes in Worship
• Grow Sunday School by Inviting Worship Guests

There are several contributing causes for Sunday School decline. For a great new resource outlining several of those causes, check out George Yates' book, Reaching the Summit: Avoiding and Reversing Decline in the Church. Here is what George says about decline from his website:

• Churches do not intentionally walk away from their purpose (first love). Decline is certainly not in the motives or objectives of any church.
• It is imperative that church and ministry leaders take an objective evaluation of the reality of all aspects and facts of their ministry setting.
• Leaders of a declining organization must come to the realization that the organization is in decline and know there is hope.
• There are principles and steps to reverse the trends of decline. First, there must be a "want to" attitude among the leaders first, and the members of the organization.
• This book identifies five phases of decline and provides eight principle areas any church or organization can address to avoid or reverse decline of the organization.

Without regular doses of leadership and training, teachers can become focused on the major repeated responsibility of their role: teaching. They may fail to remember other important class actions and the benefit of class leaders. They will likely fail to enlist (or fill vacancies for) class leaders: outreach leaders, care group leaders, greeters, fellowship leaders, prayer leaders, and more. In the absence of these individuals leading the class to focus on respective responsibilities, the teacher becomes responsible for the missing role and work. Because life is busy and effective class work takes work in many directions, the teacher without class leader assistance will tend to neglect everything but teaching.

As a result of class worker attrition, members are not cared for, guests are not followed up, and ministry projects and fellowships are not planned. Without care, follow up, and plans, the class will struggle to maintain attendance. Decline eventually is inevitable.

As a side note, the lack of adult class leaders contributes toward fewer people in the church who are willing to step up to serve in some capacity in the church's ministry. Fewer people are willing to serve in key roles as committee/team members, Deacons, church greeters, missions and discipleship leaders, preschool and children's ministry leaders, and in other capacities. This can make church ministry, growth, and progress difficult.

Not only is the growth and ministry of the adult class at stake, but the church is impacted by the lack of leadership development through enlisting, training, and mobilizing adult class leaders. Enlist and train class leaders intentionally. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about class growth, check out these blog posts:

• Four Tools for Growing Your Sunday School Class, Part 1 and Four Tools for Growing Your Sunday School Class, Part 2
• Maximi zing Sunday School Class Health, Part 1
• Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 1 and Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 2
• Ideal Sunday School Class Size Issues for Spiritual Progress
• How Can I Grow My Sunday School Class Numerically?
• Sunday School Class Growth Is Spelled W-O-R-K, Part 3
• Sunday School and the Open Chair: The Presence of Jesus and Missing Sheep
• Sunday School Class Growth Goals
• Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 1, Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 2, Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 3, and Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 4
• What If Every Church Started a New Sunday School Class Every Year?

Here are several free LifeWay Christian Resources training resources (books, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and teaching plans) for each of the following resources. Rather than print the books, I would recommend purchase since the cost of paper and ink to print them will likely exceed the US cost of $1.00 to $1.50 for the books plus shipping.

• Free download of the book: Missionary Sunday School: One Mission. His Story. Every Person
• Free teaching materials for all age groups for Missionary Sunday School: General leader resources
• Free download of the book: Transformational Class: Transformational Church Goes to Sunday School
• Free teaching materials for all age groups for Transformational Class: General leader resources
• Free download of the book: Great Expectations: Planting Seeds for Sunday School Growth
• Free teaching materials for all age groups for Great Expectations: General leader resources
• Free download of the book:
• The 3D Sunday School: A Three Dimensional Strategy
• Free teaching materials for all age groups for The 3D Sunday School: General leader resources
• Free download of the book: I-6 Invite: A Six-Lane Strategy Toward an Inviting Sunday School
• Free teac hing materials for all age groups for I-6 Invite: General leader resources
• Free download of the book: The Discover Triad: Three Facets of a Dynamic Sunday School Class
• Free teaching materials for all age groups for The Discover Triad: General leader resources
• Free download of the book: Connect3: The Power of One Sunday School Class
• Free teaching materials for all age groups for Connect3: General leader resources
• Free download of the book: The 5-Step Formula for Sunday School Growth
• Free teaching materials for all age groups for The 5-Step Formula: General leader resources

For more training ideas to go with those training materials, check out these blog posts:

• Grow Your Sunday School by Teacher/Worker Training
• Creative Ways to Train Sunday School Teachers
• What Are You Training Sunday School Classes to Do?
• Twelve Months of Sunday School Teacher Training
• How Often Do You Train Your Sunday School Workers?
• Sunday School Growth through Evangelism Training
• Foundational Pillars of a Sunday School that Grows, Part 7
• Can You List the Values of Sunday School Teacher/Worker Training?
• Training Sunday School Teachers for Change
• Training Teachers for a Great Sunday School Launch
• The Work of the Associational Sunday School Director
• Responding to Sunday School Teachers Who Don’t Want to Train

My friend, Josh Hunt, has many great free articles and some great books (for sale) along with great questions to go along with LifeWay lessons. You can find Josh's website at www.joshhunt.com.

Need to provide teacher training? Don't have much money? Now you don't have an excuse. You can train your teachers with these high-quality, free materials and ideas for months and years to come. Start planning now. Raise your expectations. Increase your training. Release workers into the harvest. Give God your best. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

Pause a moment to reflect on your favorite Sunday School teacher ever. Who was it? Why was he or she your favorite? What did he/she do to earn your praise and appreciation? Allow me to challenge you to write down a few of your responses in a note, letter, or email to that teacher (if he/she is living). The month of May is a month in which some churches choose to express appreciation for the investment of Sunday School teachers and workers. Save your appreciation for May or send it now while it is fresh on your mind!

What is the highest compliment you could pay to a Sunday School teacher? Beyond your favorite teacher, what are some characteristics which come to mind of teachers worthy of high praise? How would his/her greatness be demonstrated or measured? What would be true of his/her relationship with God? with class members? with the church as a whole? with the community and world beyond the church?

Allow me to put the shoe on the other foot. Teacher, what would you most like to hear your class members say about you? What would you most like your pastor to say about you? What would you most like people in the community to say about you? What would you most like God to say about you?

Do you realize that highest praise sometimes comes in the form of a stretching request? For instance, I sometimes receive preaching requests after a conference or a speaking request after writing a blog post. For pastors, sometimes they are asked by someone in the community to conduct a funeral or a wedding after being heard on Easter, the radio, or at a community event.

When a class has been blessed with growth, the teacher is sometimes asked to serve as a Deacon, on a committee, or in another capacity. Sometimes the pastor will approach the teacher with the highest praise by making a request for the teacher and class to train an apprentice and send out two or three individuals to start another class. What a compliment!

The pastor has seen what God has done through the teacher and the class. The pastor recognizes some excellent class organization and practices that need to be replicated. And the pastor extends a stretching request with full knowledge and expectation that the teacher and class are up to the challenge.

How will you respond to this praise? Jesus said, in Luke 12:48b (ESV), "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." Your faithfulness will be rewarded with additional responsibility: "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master'" (Matthew 25:21, ESV).

I challenge you to be revolutionary! I dare you to take the challenge! Stretch to multiply yourself and your class. Stretch to enlarge the work of the Kingdom! Step boldly where God is leading so you can be in dependence on Him! Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas on teacher appreciation and starting new classes, check out these blog posts:

• Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Month: Is It May or October?
• Sunday School Leader Appreciation Is a Must!
• Plan Your Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day
• Offer a Gift of Encouragement to Your Sunday School Teachers and Workers
• 25 W ays to Recognize Sunday School Workers, P art 1 , 25 Ways to Recognize Sunday School Workers, Part 2, and 25 Ways to Recognize Sunday School Workers, Part 3
• Five Types of Sunday School Classes You Can Start Next
• Nine Actions for Starting New Sunday School Classes, Part 1, Nine Actions for Starting New Sunday School Classes, Part 2, and Nine Actions for Starting New Sunday School Classes, Part 3
• What Should Happen as a Result of Revolutionary Sunday School?
• Flake’s Formula for Sunday School Growth: Enlarge the Organization
• Unique Names for Sunday School and for Sunday School Classes
• Top Ten Actions to Increase Sunday School Attendance
• Is It Time to Start a New Sunday School Class?

I believe in evangelism training. It’s personal for me. For years I struggled to share my faith and was frustrated with the lack of results. Then a pastor trained me in personal evangelism (using Evangelism Explosion) and it made all the difference how often I shared my faith and how effective I was.

As I served churches, I found the same to be true. When we mobilized persons to share their faith through personal evangelism training, we saw many people come to faith in Jesus. I found that evangelism training leads to a growing church with a growing Sunday School. Let me mention some resources I’ve found useful to disciple persons in personal evangelism.

FAITH Evangelism Strategy (LifeWay Christian Resources, www.lifeway.com/faith)

FAITH uses a memorized gospel presentation and on-the-job training with an experienced team leader and two learners. It requires commitment, but produces persons who are serious about sharing their faith. Someone has said that evangelism is more caught than taught. I’ve found that to be true; evangelism training that includes on-the-job training makes the difference. FAITH not only strengthens evangelism, it builds Sunday School. It is designed to tie evangelism training closely to Sunday School outreach and ministry. We used FAITH in a church of 500 with good results; one semester we saw at least one profession of faith among our teams each week.

The NET (North American Mission Board, www.namb.net/thenet)

The NET is built around using one’s personal testimony with selected Scriptures. It is simpler than FAITH, but still provides on-the-job training with a trained mentor and two apprentices. We used the NET in a smaller church (about 50) and saw a greater percentage of conversions (converts per member) than in the larger church mentioned above.

Becoming a Contagious Christian (Willow Creek, www.contagiouschristian.com)

This is basic evangelism training for every member. It doesn’t require going out and sharing one’s faith. It doesn’t require memorization. There are a number of basic evangelism training resources, but this is my favorite. I’ve found you can use this to equip all your members with tools for personal evangelism and identify those who are ready to take the next step through on-the-job evangelism training.

Growth that makes a difference for eternity is conversion growth. Do you want to grow your church and class by conversion? Use evangelism training.
___________________________
Bob Wood serves the Baptist State Convention of Michigan assisting churches to fulfill their potential in making disciples. ]]> http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dxcomments/ssgrowth-through-evangelism-training.htm http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/ssgrowth-through-evangelism-training.htm?opendocument&comments http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/ssgrowth-through-evangelism-training.htm Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:56:00 -0400 http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/trackback?open&id=top-post-top10-actions-to-increase-ssattendance.htm http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/revolutionary/~3/aAebG-Fhp3o/top-post-top10-actions-to-increase-ssattendance.htm Outreach Darryl Wilson http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/top-post-top10-actions-to-increase-ssattendance.htm?opendocument&comments http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/top-post-top10-actions-to-increase-ssattendance.htm

The ten actions listed below are intended for revolutionary Sunday Schools. If a Sunday School does not want to be revolutionary, the actions below will simply create stress, resistance, and conflict. But in a revolutionary Sunday School, the listed actions will release power and energy, create excitement and momentum, and lead to maturational and numerical growth. WARNING: Work is required!

Consider the following if you want to increase your Sunday School attendance:

• PRAY. Don't overlook this action! Power, direction, and blessing will be missed without prayer. Pray for the following actions. Pray for leaders, members, and guests.
• START NEW CLASSES. New classes add leaders, reachers, focus, energy, and excitement. On average, new classes grow faster than existing classes. A new class will often grow to 20 in enrollment and 10 in attendance in 12-18 months.
• MAKE MORE CONTACTS. Increasing contacts with members and guests by 7-10 contacts above your usual number of contacts will result in 1 additional person in attendance. Want 10 more persons in attendance? Make 70-100 more contacts.
• INVITE MEMBERS AND GUESTS TO YOUR MONTHLY FELLOWSHIPS. Fellowships are great tools for developing relationships with each other. Why not invite guests? As guests get to know the people in the class, they will be more likely to attend the class. Don't wait for them to attend. Invite guests to your fellowship now!
• ENLIST A CLASS LEADERSHIP TEAM. David Francis of LifeWay says in an article entitled, Sunday School is a Team Effort, if you are missing members of your team, you become that leader. If you want to increase attendance, you need everyone to do their job. It takes a team to invite, lead participants to discover God and His Word, and connect with each other and God (3D Sunday School).
• SET NEW MEMBER, ATTENDANCE, AND CONTACT GOALS. Ask every class to set God-sized goals. Privately and publicly affirm classes who reach/exceed their goals. Make total Sunday School progress visual.
• ORGANIZE TO REACH OUT AND MEET NEEDS. Care groups in adult and youth classes increase assimilation of attenders and new members when care group leaders care for 3 members and 3 guests. Contact is made weekly to listen, pray together, invite to fellowship activities, and mobilize the class to meet discovered needs. (Many Sunday Schools would increase in attendance if they could keep people from dropping out. Care groups can help!)
• SEEK MORE PARTICIPATION IN THE LESSON. From the youngest to the oldest, people today want to involve more of their senses. They learn more when they do more than hear. When they say and do something, retention is at 90%. And when more people are involved in the lesson, they are more likely to invite someone to class.
• TEACH MEMBERS TO SHARE A SUNDAY SCHOOL TESTIMONY. Help members assess the benefits they have received from being in Sunday School and practice sharing those benefits with each other in two minutes or less. Then challenge them to share their Sunday School testimony this week. Call for reports next Sunday. We must mobilize the laborers in our classes to be in the harvest.
• START BIBLE STUDY GROUPS AWAY FROM THE CHURCH. Some will never come to the church building. Surveys have shown that many who live in apartments are unchurched. Why not take Bible study to them? Research has shown that as many as 40% cannot attend on Sunday. Why not offer Bible study on weekdays at times and places when people can attend. Bible study groups can be an effective part of your Sunday School ministry.

• Increasing Sunday School Class Attendance, Parts 1, Increasing Sunday School Class Attendance, Parts 2, and Increasing Sunday School Class Attendance, Parts 3
• Five Essentials of Sunday School Growth
• What Is the Key to Unlock Sunday School Growth?
• Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 1 and Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 2
• Grow Your Sunday School: Set Goals This Year
• Does God Expect Sunday School to Grow?
• Sunday School: Event or Strategy, Part 2
• Sunday School Class Growth Goals
• Sunday School Priorities: Choosing Where to Start
• Set God-Sized Goals for Sunday School Growth
• Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 3

Lessons with great preparation and presentation can still be failures. Jesus commanded us to make disciples. This process of transformation begins with salvation and moves toward increasing levels of submission and obedience. But lessons which fail to lead learners to apply and live out the truth only make them more guilty of disobedience.

What does it take for a Sunday School lesson to be excellent? In Part 1, I focused on elements of lesson preparation excellence. In Part 2, I focused on elements of lesson excellence related to presentation. In Part 3, I will lead us to examine essentials related to applying and obeying God in His Word. Consider the following application essentials:

• Plan for it. Intentionally invest a significant portion of your preparation and presentation time in application efforts. Consider what can be done to lead participants to move from head knowledge to taking steps of obedience in their own contexts.
• Don't teach too much. It is common to try to cover too many verses and too much material. That results in not having time for important "last things." Application is worthy of receiving significant attention and time. So focus teaching on important verses, background, and concepts.
• Allow enough time. Save an appropriate amount of time. Each lesson and method will cause the need for application time to vary. But don't skimp or "cheat" on the time. Stop examination of scripture and truth early enough to lead learners to conduct self-examination and make plans for taking action as a result of meeting God in Bible study.
• Allow time to think/reflect. A portion of the time that needs to be saved for application in almost every class will be for learners to think/reflect. Some will be able to respond off the top of their head immediately, but others will need time to think and reflect on questions and self-assessment. Give them time.
• Focus on one truth. Avoid trying to teach every possible point and truth and focus on the one God has in mind for that group of people at this point in time. Then continue to reinforce that truth in everything taught and every method used. Lead learners to focus on and respond to that one truth.
• Focus on the needs of 2-3 learners. When preparing for the lesson time of application, think about 2-3 specific learners in the group. Why is this passage and truth important for them? How do they need to respond? What are possible actions they could take? Next lesson, consider 2-3 other learners from the group. This makes the application more personal and concretely helpful.
• Pause to pray. Do not be afraid to stop at application time to pray for the class and the Spirit's help in moving from head knowledge toward obedience.
• Extend the "invitation." Be direct with application. Like in a sermon, point the lesson toward the truth that learners need to understand and obey. Then share 1-3 possible ways they can respond. Or give them time to write down responses. Lead them to make a commitment during class about living it out (in a concrete way) during the week ahead.
• Ask "What did you do?" At the beginning of next week's lesson, ask learners how they did at living out last week's lesson/truth. Hold them accountable to obey. Lead them to grow as disciples.

For more ideas about teaching for life-change, check out these blog posts:

• Expectation after the Sunday School Session
• Moving Adults Toward Deeper Levels of Learning in Sunday School
• Accountability Partners in Sunday School
• Five Practices of Life-Changing Small Groups
• Discipling Through Sunday School Jesus’ Way, Part 2 and Discipling Through Sunday School Jesus’ Way, Part 4
• Sunday School, One of the Ways to Get People Involved in Studying the Bible
• Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 4
• Small Group Home Bible Studies Have More Time
• Marriage of Application and Story in Sunday School
• What Can Sunday School Do to Impact Life Change?
• Moving Sunday School from Knowing Toward Obeying
• Life Impact after the Sunday School Session
• Sunday School: Read the Bible for Life

What is the fruit of a Sunday School class? How do you measure Sunday School success? Before you answer those questions, let me suggest that your answer to those questions will answer another question: Is your Sunday School "an event" or "strategy?"

EVENT. If the fruit of a Sunday School class is about attendance on Sunday morning and attenders who know more about the Bible, then Sunday School is an event. The focus is on what happens on Sunday morning. The focus is more on those who are already gathered.

STRATEGY. If the fruit of a Sunday School class is obedience, ministry, missions, mobilization into service, and changed lives, then Sunday School is a strategy. The focus is on a plan for developing lives and leaders and setting them loose on the harvest. It is about how Sunday School can help the church carry out the work of the Great Commission. The focus is more on those not involved and how attenders can impact them.

In a recent newsletter edition of ChurchSmart Resources, I read the following statement:

Leadership cannot be measured by the performance of the leader, but by the fruit of those who follow.

Let that sink in. How can you measure the leadership of a Sunday School teacher? How can you measure the leadership of a pastor or Sunday School director? The answer given is clear: "by the fruit of those who follow." A corollary statement is that if there are no followers, there is no leadership and thus no fruit.

Pastor, director, and teacher, what are you expecting from Sunday School? Where are you leading? What is the fruit of your class? How are you measuring success? How are you leading your followers to measure success?

It is not too late to make adjustments in your leadership and expectations. It is not too late to make course correction. The work is too important to give up or grow weary in well-doing. Shift attention to the fruit, to the outcomes that should result from revolutionary Sunday School efforts. Your leadership matters. You matter. Your Sunday School is depending on you. There is still work to be done in making disciples of all nations. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about fruit of Sunday School, check out these blog posts:

• What Is the Fruit of a Sunday School Class or Small Group?
• Do We Want Our Sunday School Classes to Bear Fruit?
• Do We Really Want Our Sunday School Teaching to Bear Fruit?
• Sunday School That Really Works
• Sunday School’s Neglect of Abiding in Him, Part 2
• Evidences of Learning in Sunday School
• What If Every Church Started a New Sunday School Class Every Year?
• Identify and Invite Sunday School Prospects, Part 1
• Five Dimensions of a Healthy Sunday School Class
• Taking Discipleship Seriously in Sunday School
• Transformational Church Goes to Sunday School
• What Happens When a Pastor Invests Time and Leadership in Sunday School?

How many Sunday School lessons would be considered excellent that had no or poor preparation? In no way do I want to dismiss the work of the Holy Spirit in the teaching event. I also believe, however, that our preparation can be Spirit-led as the group leader prays, has a personal encounter with God in His Word, and seeks His leadership. On the other hand, I have seen great preparation result in mediocre lessons through ignoring several elements of presentation excellence.

What does it take for a Sunday School lesson to be excellent? In Part 1, I focused on elements of lesson preparation excellence. In Part 2, I invite you to think with me about elements of lesson excellence related to presentation. Consider the following presentation elements:

• Prayerwalk, gather supplies, and prepare room prior. Arrive 15-30 minutes early. Prayerwalk the space. Attenders likely sit in the same seats. Pray for learners by name and for guests who may attend. Gather your supplies and prepare your room early. Be prepared prior to the first learner walking into the space.
• Start their thinking upon entrance, greet, and listen. Start thinking early about the truth for the day by passing out assignment cards, writing a question on the board, or arranging chairs with group assignments. Relationships matter between learners and the group leader. Invest well by greeting and listening to learners.
• Create interest. Start strong when it is time to start the lesson. That is why some teachers have opted to move announcements and prayer to the end of the lesson. Tell a story, share an illustration or object lesson, or ask a captivating question. Get their minds in the room toward the truth and topic for the day.
• Get them talking early. Within the first ten minutes, work to get everyone in the room to talk. If the group is large, that will mean you need to divide them into smaller groups with an assignment. If they talk early, they will be more likely to apply and talk about the deeper truths later.
• Focus on one truth and reinforce it. For most lessons, it would be better to focus on fewer verses and one truth which is remembered and applied than it would be focusing on twelve verses which learners don't remember or obey. Teachers often try to teach too much and learners often absorb little or none. If they cannot remember the lesson or truth, they are unlikely to live it out. Instead, focus on one truth and reinforce it through using more than one method.
• Engage learners by with teaching methods to address learning styles. The key here is to get learners involved. Lead them to engage the scripture. Lead them to meet God in Bible study. Engage as many of their senses as possible. Discover their learning styles and then use a variety of teaching methods to address their learning styles. Check out the blog post, Learning Styles in Adult Sunday School. Work to involve learners orally, visually, and actively. Seek to lead them to discover and apply the truth.
• Preview and review. Give them a preview of where you are heading at the beginning of the lesson and review what was covered at the end of the hour. These overviews not only reinforce learning, the preview focuses attention and the review sends them out to live the lesson's truth.
• Application and testimony. This is the reason for the lesson. The goal is life-change. The goal is producing disciples who are obeying. That means that no lesson should ignore application, nor should application time be reduced by spending too much time on earlier matters. Learners need time to reflect and apply this week's truth along with making a plan for living it out in their context. One powerful way of starting each lesson is having learners share what they did to live out the truth of last week's lesson. Doing so also builds expectation into the lesson for doing so next week.

For more ideas about teaching for life-change, check out these blog posts:

• Change a Life: Give the Gift of Sunday School
• Could Too Much Participation Be an Obstacle for Revolutionary Adult Classes?
• Wisely Choosing Sunday School Teaching Methods, Part 1 and Wisely Choosing Sunday School Teaching Methods, Part 2
• How Much Time Should the Teacher Talk during the Sunday School Lesson?
• Benchmarks for Excellence in Sunday School Teaching, Part 2
• Increasing Interest and Attendance in Sunday School, Part 1
• Hooks: Launching Powerful Sunday School Lessons
• Sunday School Lessons: Interest and Progress, Part 2
• Why Is There No Variety of Teaching Methods in Sunday School?
• Revolutionary Sunday School Teachers Engage Learners
• Sunday School: Leading People to Have and Obey Jesus’ Commands
• Evaluation of a Good Sunday School Lesson, Part 2
• Sunday School Teacher, You Are in Charge of Keeping Your Learners’ Attention!

The LifeWay-sponsored training event, TRANSFORM Lives Through Teaching, will be offered in four locations around the country: Arizona, Missouri, Georgia, and Kentucky. I want to invite all Sunday School teachers and small group leaders to attend TRANSFORM to get equipped, build groups, and impact lives!

Kentucky Location:

Valley View Baptist Church, 8911 3rd Street Rd, Louisville, KY 40272

Conference Tracks Focused on Specific Age Groups:

• Babies - Two Year Olds
• Three Year Olds - Pre-Kindergarten
• Kindergarten
• Grades 1-2
• Grades 3-4
• Pre-Teen (Grades 5-6)
• Younger Students
• Older Students
• Young Adults
• Median Adults
• Senior Adults
• Pastors
• Ministers of Education
• Sunday School Directors

These high quality, interactive conferences will concentrate on the specific age group segment you teach. Step-by-step guidance will be offered for how to teach and minister in a way that sees genuine transformation. Teachers will leave with practical ideas and understanding they can put to work immediately.

Emphasis will be given to:

• The meaning of transformational teaching
• How to teach with the goal of transformation
• Practical methods that can be put to use in teaching
• Understanding how those they teach learn
• Planning and preparing to teach
• Class room dynamics

Schedule:

Registration:

The cost of $29 per person includes lunch. Reservations are required. To register, call 800-254-2022 or go online to www.lifeway.com/transform. Want a flyer about the Louisville location? Go here.

Training in Seven Strategic Ministries

Are you seeking positive improvement in the overall health of your church? Do you desire to grow strategic ministries in your church?

At the Growing Ministries Tour, church leaders in the areas of Assimilation, Discipleship, Leadership, Preschool/Children’s Ministry, Stewardship, Sunday School and Youth Ministry will be challenged and equipped to grow these ministries and, as a result, their congregations

Locations/Dates

Choose the date and location that works best for your group:

• March 12, Blood River Association Office, Hardin, KY
• March 13, First Baptist Church, Madisonville, KY
• March 19, Graefenburg Baptist Church, Waddy, KY
• March 20, Northside Baptist Church, Elizabethtown, KY
• March 26, Immanuel Baptist Church, Pikeville, KY
• March 27, Unity Baptist Church, Ashland, KY

Schedule

Keep in mind that all times are local.

• 6:00-6:30 PM   Registration
• 6:30-6:45 PM   Opening Session
• 6:45-7:45 PM   Session 1
• 7:45-8:00 PM   Break
• 8:00-9:00 PM   Session 2

Registration

Register by clicking on the link below that is the best location for your group.

• Growing Ministries Tour on 03/12/2012 at Blood River Assoc Office, Hardin
• Growing Ministries Tour on 03/13/2012 at First Baptist Church, Madisonville
• Growing Ministries Tour on 03/19/2012 at Graefenburg Baptist Church, Waddy
• Growing Ministries Tour on 03/20/2012 at Northside Baptist Church, Elizabethtown
• Growing Ministries Tour on 03/26/2012 at Immanuel Baptist Church, Pikeville
• Growing Ministries Tour on 03/27/2012 at Unity Baptist Church, Ashland

The registration fee covers only a portion of the cost of this training; additional funding is provided by Kentucky Baptists’ gifts through the Cooperative Program.

The registration cost is just $10 per person, with a maximum of $50 per church.

What does it take for a Sunday School lesson to be excellent? Think with me about elements of lesson excellence related to preparation, presentation, and application. In Part 1, we will look at elements of lesson excellence that take place prior to the presentation of the lesson. Consider the following preparation elements:

• Relationship. Relationships matter. Relationships are strengthened between teacher and group members by time spent together during and between meetings. Where good relationships exist, trust can develop. Where there is trust, teachers can lead, encourage, and challenge group members. Trust in turn impacts the preparation investment for the lesson.
• Prayer. Prayer for group members, their needs, and God to speak to the teacher and members is an investment that results in powerful, life-changing lessons. Prayer begins in advance of opening God's Word and continues through the teacher's confession of sin and seeking God's will for his/her own life. All of that is in advance of putting a lesson together.
• Bible Study/First Encounter. When we open God's Word, God speaks. The teacher seeking lesson excellence, opens God's Word seeking to hear a personal message from God in advance of preparing a lesson for his/her group attenders. This is the first encounter, the teacher meeting God in personal Bible study. (The second encounter is when the teacher facilitates the group to have an encounter with God in His Word.)
• Personal Truth Application. What response does God expect from the teacher as a result of this encounter with Him in His Word? This makes the lesson personal and passionate, adding to lesson excellence.
• Context Understanding. It is essential to set the lesson focal passage into context. What is the setting in history and geography? Who are the author, characters, and the original hearers? What was the reason for the writing of the passage? Understanding the passage context helps us to avoid misunderstanding or misapplying the truth. Because lesson time is limited, lesson excellence demands advanced preparation here.
• Passage Mining. Beyond the context, it is important to notice the words and phrases of the verses. How can the passage be better understood through preparing an explanation of key words or phrases?
• Lesson Planning. Only after previous steps is it appropriate to invest in planning for a group-impacting second encounter/lesson. Since much of that will be detailed in Part 2 of this three part series, I won't go into much detail here. But it is important to build a flexible plan for lesson excellence.
• Reminders/Assignments. In the course of lesson preparation, it may be appropriate to remind attenders about something and/or to make assignments to the entire group or individuals. This can create greater anticipation and investment in the lesson, further adding to excellence.

What would you add to these preparation elements for lesson excellence? Press Comments below and leave your thoughts. Build strong, trusting relationships. Pray. Meet God in Bible study. Seek His truth. Mine the passage. Prepare the lesson. Make assignments. Teach for life-change. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about teaching for life-change, check out these blog posts:

• What Can Sunday School Do to Impact Life Change?
• Pray, Plan, and Prepare to Teach Sunday School for Lives to Change, Part 1 and Pray, Plan, and Prepare to Teach Sunday School for Lives to Change, Part 2
• Revolutionary Sunday School Teachers Engage Learners
• Priority: Recognize That God Is in Charge of Sunday School
• Benchmarks for Excellence in Sunday School Teaching, Part 1
• Five Practices of Life-Changing Small Groups
• Focus Your Sunday School Lesson Preparation to Make the Most Difference!
• Revolutionary Teachers Capture Attention and Refuse to Let It Go!
• Resurrection Thoughts: Sunday School Teaching for Life Change
• Transformational Sunday School Does More Than Lecture, Part 1
• Prayerful, Purposeful Preparation for Revolutionary Sunday School
• Three Great Sunday School Preparation & Delivery Questions
• Sunday School Lessons: Interest and Progress, Part 1
• Moving Sunday School from Knowing Toward Obeying

In my previous post, Sunday School: Event or Strategy?, I shared a baker's dozen ways to move Sunday School thinking and action from event to strategy. They included the following:

• proper enlistment, job descriptions, apprenticing, span of care, outreach, ministry, follow up, fellowship, training, affirmation/rewards, new classes, dreaming/goal setting/planning, and accountability.

• PRAYER. We can do nothing without God's help. We are not working on the Great Co-mission, if we do so in our own strength. Invest in prayer. Set aside time to pray for God's leadership and help. Follow His lead. Act out of relationship and dependence on Him.
• DESIRE TO GROW. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus challenges us to pray for harvesters. He says in John 10:16 that not all of the sheep are already in the sheep pen. There is still Great Commission work to do. To follow Him is to desire to reach and make more disciples. Sunday School is a great tool to help us do so. We must desire to grow not for the sake of Sunday School, but we must desire to grow for the sake of the impact upon the church, the community, and world for Jesus.
• LEADERSHIP. Without leadership, there is seldom any forward movement. Without leadership, plans are not made and carried out. Without leadership, Sunday School will never be more than an event. Leadership begins with the pastor but cannot stop there. It must filter through Sunday School and include the director, teachers, class leaders, and members. Every person has a part to play, relationships to impact, and influence and commitment to live out.

For more ideas about Sunday School growth, check out these blog posts:

• Five Essentials of Sunday School Growth
• What Is the Key to Unlock Sunday School Growth?
• Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 1 and Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 2
• Grow Your Sunday School: Set Goals This Year
• Personal Invitation and Enrollment: Twin Key Metrics in Sunday School Progress, Part 2
• Does God Expect Sunday School to Grow?
• Sunday School Class Growth Goals
• Sunday School Priorities: Choosing Where to Start
• Set God-Sized Goals for Sunday School Growth
• Laying the Foundation for Sunday School
• It’s Time to Launch One: An Apprentice, an On-Campus Group, and an Off-Campus Group
• Grow by Enlisting God-called Sunday School Leaders

Is Sunday School an event or a strategy? Don't rush to answer that question. How would the people in your Sunday School or class answer that question? Do they think of Sunday School as one hour each week or as a strategy for reaching, teaching, and ministering?

Without regular communication and leadership, Sunday School work tends to focus only on the Sunday morning event. It becomes primarily about prayer requests, the lesson, and a dash of fellowship. It becomes more about being together at the church on Sunday morning. Thinking and acting become event-driven.

What can we do to raise the level of understanding and expectation related to Sunday School? How can we change mediocre Sunday School thinking into revolutionary Sunday School thinking? How can we move Sunday School thinking and acting from event to strategy?

I want to share a few ideas, but this is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Press Comments below to add your thoughts to the conversation. Here are some ideas:

• PROPER ENLISTMENT. Perception of the purpose of Sunday School begins early. Many assumptions are made simply by observation. Personal enlistment can begin a shift in expectations for Sunday School being more than an event.
• JOB DESCRIPTIONS. Without a job description, leaders rely upon observation and perception rather than expectations to measure success in what they do.
• APPRENTICING. The best way to impact practice and expectations is to apprentice new leaders and pass along the "strategy" DNA.
• SPAN OF CARE. When the teacher tries to do all the work of the class, he/she is cheating class members from opportunity to be equipped to "serve" and to practice what they are learning. Also, when the teacher tries to do it all, he/she cannot do everything well alone. That means the job gets reduced to and event for the survival of the teacher's sanity.
• OUTREACH. Enlisting class outreach leaders to lead the class to seek people who are lost and unenrolled in Sunday School is a concrete action that moves thinking and acting to beyond Sunday morning and beyond the church facility. This is always aided by the presence of an up to date prospect list for every class that has names equal to the number enrolled in the class.
• MINISTRY. Enlisting class care group leaders to lead their groups to make weekly member and prospect contacts for fellowship, ministry, and prayer moves members to be trained in shepherding others and to act and think beyond Sunday and the classroom.
• FOLLOW UP. This goes two ways. First, when the class is mobilized to follow up on guests, thinking and practices move beyond Sunday and classroom. This could include making visits and calls as well as inviting for meals. Second, when a need is expressed, the class should be organized (perhaps through care groups) to respond to meet the need expressed whether in class or between classes.
• FELLOWSHIP. There is not adequate time on Sunday morning to successfully build great relationships. Time is needed between Sundays (at or away from church) to get members and guests together in social and ministry project opportunities.
• TRAINING. What is important should be the focus of training provided for leaders in order to challenge them to give their best for their Lord and the sheep He has entrusted into their care. This should raise expectations and affirm progress related to the items in this list. In addition, it should offer fresh ideas in these areas as well.
• AFFIRMATION/REWARDS. What is important is rewarded. If the only thing rewarded is attendance on Sunday morning, then that is where they will aim. Instead, reward and affirm actions which lead class es to reach out, mobilize members, minister, and grow. Catch classes doing something good beyond the walls of the church, and share their stories.
• NEW CLASSES. Starting new groups points toward reaching out. It includes new leaders. It develops new relationships. It demands balanced, effective work beyond Sunday and church.
• DREAMING, GOAL SETTING, AND PLANNING. Set aside an annual time for a Sunday School growth retreat for fresh spiritual preparation, evaluation and visioning, need identification, prioritization, goal setting, and planning. Include training in the event. Work toward "ownership" of the plans by participants.
• ACCOUNTABILITY. Without regular times to check on progress of the goals and plans from the retreat, all the effort and work will fizzle. Set aside monthly growth planning meetings to debrief progress, celebrate victories, and adjust plans. Continue to raise the vision, expectations, and focus of your efforts.

For more ideas about Sunday School as a strategy, check out these blog posts:

• Sunday School That Really Works
• How Can We Get New Members in Sunday School/Small Groups?
• How Should an Adult Sunday School Class Be Organized?
• Push and Pull People to Sunday School/Small Groups
• Sunday School Class FISH Team Training
• Three Simple Strategies to Increase Sunday School Attendance, Part 1 and Three Simple Strategies to Increase Sunday School Attendance, Part 2
• Class Size vs Room Size
• How Many People Does It Take to Change Sunday School?
• Moving Worshippers into Sunday School/Small Groups
• Sunday School Praying for New People
• Grow Sunday School by Enrolling Church Members
• Launch New Sunday School Classes on Special Occasions Like Father’s Day
• Sunday School New Birth Stories, Part 3
• Sunday School: Caring Enough to Reach Out
• For What Is Your Sunday School Known?
• Connecting 110% of Your Congregation in Life-Changing Sunday School Classes, Part 2

In the February 6, 2012 edition of the Daily Hope by Rick Warren, he shares three great questions for pastors, Sunday School teachers, or small group leaders as you prepare. The questions in bold are Rick's but the comments are mine:

• What did this Scripture mean when it was written? What is the context and background for the passage? Who was the original audience? What was the point to the original characters and original hearers?
• What is the timeless truth behind what God is saying? Why was it important to pass along this passage to us? While there are often several facets to biblical passages, what is the truth that has stood the test of time as relevant for all people everywhere?
• How does it apply now to me? God's Word was given as a living book. It is intended to bring about life-change. The passage has a personal application in your personal context. What does God want you to do as a result of encountering Him and what He had to say in this passage? How are you supposed to be different as a result of the encounter?

Encounter God in His Word and lead His people to do the same. Make disciples. Be revolutionary! For more ideas about preparing life-changing lessons, check out these blog posts:

• Preparing for a Sunday School Lesson with DEPTH, Part 1 and Preparing for a Sunday School Lesson with DEPTH, Part 2
• Are You Going Through the Motions in Sunday School?
• Balanced Triangular Sides of Life-Changing Sunday School Lessons
• What Can Sunday School Do to Impact Life Change?
• Focus Your Sunday School Lesson Preparation to Make the Most Difference!
• Do We Really Want Our Sunday School Teaching to Bear Fruit?
• The Bible Study Session Invitation
• Discipling Through Sunday School Jesus’ Way, Part 2
• Increasing Interest and Attendance in Sunday School, Part 1
• Leading Attenders to Meet God in Bible Study, Part 4

What are you doing to get the word out about your Sunday School class? What are you doing to remind your members about the values and benefits of the class? What are you doing to invite and encourage prospects to try it? What are you doing to connect your class with worship guests?

Before you read the list which follows, I challenge you to write down your current practices and then write a list of possible practices that fit your class and your church. Then check out this list:

• teach class members to share their Sunday School testimony (check out Grow Sunday School by Sharing Your Sunday School Testimony)
• consider having a Sunday School class open house (check out Sunday School Open House)
• talk to your pastor about sharing about your class from the pulpit, perhaps as an interview by the pastor (check out Pulpit Sunday School Promotion)
• write a brochure about your class with age group, study topic, ministry projects, etc. to share in worship or give to members to share with friends through the week (check out Barn Quilts, Sunday School, and Tourists (Guests))
• have a Sunday School class sign up table before and/or after worship to talk to guests about your class, share a brochure, and/or lead them to your classroom
• give printed invitations to members for your class, fellowships, or projects (check out Sunday School Invitations (Postcards), Updated)
• set a goal for making prospect contacts (check out Sunday School Contacts Make a Difference!)
• invite guests to class fellowship activities (check out Reach and Assimilate People into the Kingdom Through Sunday School Fellowships)
• use a church bulletin board in a strategic location to share pictures and information about your class
• print business card size class invitations about the class with space for the member to add name and personal contact information
• add friends, prospects, and inservice teachers (who are working with preschool, children, or youth) to your prayer, fellowship, and ministry list and communicate weekly with the group through email
• use the church bulletin or newsletter to promote special class studies, projects, and fellowship activities
• look for community opportunities to share printed or promotional information about your class

For more ideas about promoting Sunday School, check out these blog posts:

• Promotional Tools for Sunday School: Don’t Keep It to Yourself!
• Plan an Exciting Launch to the New Sunday School Year
• Celebration Sunday in Sunday School
• The Sunda y School Class Decorating Early for Christmas
• Shifting from Boring to Exciting in Sunday School
• How Can We Get New Members in Sunday School/Small Groups?
• Grow Sunday School by Inviting Worship Guests
• Starting a New Sunday School Year with Momentum
• Feature a Different Sunday School Class in Worship Each Month

Over the years on The Sunday School Revolutionary, I have focused on general and adult Sunday School. Revolutionary general Sunday School, however, also is interested in youth, children, and preschool Sunday School. When there are problems in younger age groups, it impacts the whole. When growth slows or stops for some reason in younger age groups, it tends to slow or stop total growth. Pursuing the Great Commission (Matthew 28:28-20) demands that we invest well in younger ages because of the foundations and impact on spiritual progress.

With that in mind, I want to point out a valuable event and a valuable resource. First, let me focus on the event. IMAGINE is a conference designed to raise the vision, leadership, and impact of preschool and children's ministry. IMAGINE will be at Parkway Baptist Church, 2380 Springfield Rd, Bardstown, KY on Friday-Saturday, February 10-11, 2012. The cost is $25 per person through February 6 and $35 thereafter. You can register yourself and your group at www.kybaptist.org/imagine. A list of hotels can also be found there along with details of the 28 breakout sessions from which to choose.

One of the many reasons to attend IMAGINE is that you will have opportunity to discover the newest curriculum line from LifeWay. The Gospel Project examines the whole of Scripture and reveals how Jesus is present in every story, theological concept, and missional truth. With components for adults, students, and kids, the entire church will discover what it really means to be a part of God's gospel project. 

The Gospel Project features a three-year study plan with 13-week units, each designed with the appropriate voice, depth, and course of study for each age group. Resources are available in multiple formats, including print, downloadable, and e-reader and app formats. The Gospel Project is designed so that individual age groups, entire churches, small groups, and even Christian schools can use it for in-depth, Christ-centered Bible study.

Invest in great preschool, children's, and youth Sunday School. Offer great curriculum in order to lead God's people to study the Word. Make disciples. Be revolutionary! For more about younger ages, check out these blog posts:

• Part 3: What Is the Ideal Balance of Age Groups in a Growing Sunday School?
• Sunday School New Year’s Resolutions
• Assigning Sunday School Space to Preschoolers and Others
• How to Evaluate Your Sunday School Facilities
• Why It’s Best Not to Use Tables in Sunday School Classes
• Revolutionary Adult Sunday School Teachers Encourage Members to Leave to Serve
• How to Fill those Sunday School Age Group Gaps

I am in the middle of a six month, multi-stop tour around Kentucky training pastors and Sunday School director teams in how to grow their Sunday Schools. Response after three stops has been great. These pastor-director teams have left confident about the knowledge they gained and the planning we did. They believed they could take steps that would lead to Sunday School growth: maturational, leadership development, numerical, organization, and more. That is exciting.

I wish I could replicate here the six hours of training and planning provided. Due to the interaction, that is just not possible. But I do want to share some of the essential elements. What does it take to grow your Sunday School? Consider the following:

• Prayer. No need to ask if our Lord wants us to grow. He has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. Pray for workers. Pray for people reached. Pray for lessons to impact life-change. Pray for organization and training that leads people to minister and care for members. Pray for Sunday School.
• Growth Desire. I have had leaders tell me they don't want to grow. Almost no Sunday School will grow whose leaders lack growth desire. Prayer and study of God's Word should lead to compassion for the lost and unreached.
• Planning. Without planning, most Sunday Schools will produce the same results or less. This includes evaluation, need identification, prioritization, goal setting, calendaring, delegating, and reviewing/adjusting plans. This begins with an annual retreat and leads to monthly meetings were goals and plans are checked on and adjusted.
• Goals. Annual goals will naturally include attendance, new members, new classes, new leaders, contacts, and prospects. The keys are enlisting and releasing new leaders in new classes and enrolling and caring for new people.
• Plug the Leaks. Every Sunday School has "churn." These are people lost every year that must be replaced just to keep attendance the same. These people may die, move, or leave for any other reason. Care and ministry efforts should address as many sources of leak as possible: illness, grief, divorce, schedule, and more.
• Care Group Leaders. Every adult and youth class needs care group leaders for small groups of members and prospects. They contact their care group weekly to pray and minister to discovered needs. This helps to address the leaks.
• Prospect List. On whom should our care and ministry efforts focus? Without a target for our efforts, we can be less effective. Age groups should be assigned to every class. Then they should list the friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors who are not enrolled in Sunday School.
• Class Outreach Leader. Every adult and youth class should have one. This person is not to make all the contact efforts himself/herself. Instead, the outreach leader's job is to assign contacts to class members (equip the saints).
• Apprentice New Leaders. Sunday School cannot expand to care for more people without more leaders. The best way to train and prepare more leaders is through apprenticing. Every Sunday School leader should be apprenticing someone. Sunday School should naturally be the largest leadership development organization in the entire church, not just for Sunday School.
• Start New Classes. We need more shepherds and more sheep pens in order to care for more sheep. Even if your current classes have space, new classes tend to be more evangelistic and inviting than existing classes. And it expands the care through more leaders. New classes grow faster and will tend to spill some people they reach into other classes.

For more ideas about growing your Sunday School check out these blog posts:

• Five Essentials of Sunday School Growth
• What Is the Key to Unlock Sunday School Growth?
• Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 1 and Plan for Your Sunday School to Grow This Year, Part 2
• Grow Your Sunday School: Set Goals This Year
• Sunday School’s Neglect of Organizing for Care and Growth, Part 5
• Does God Expect Sunday School to Grow?
• Four Tools for Growing Your Sunday School Class, Part 2
• Sunday School Class Growth Goals
• Sunday School Priorities: Choosing Where to Start
• Set God-Sized Goals for Sunday School Growth
• Key Actions for Sunday School Class Growth, Part 3

Want to be stretched? What to make Sunday School even more effective? Then I want to challenge you to read a series of posts about Sunday School on the 9Marks website. Warning (as Garrett Kell's post is titled): These are "Not Your Grandma's Sunday School."

Check out the introductory editors' post:  Don't Be Too Cool for Sunday School by Jonathan Leeman and Trevin Wax.  Then the posts are divided into three categories: Reclaiming Sunday School, Reforming Sunday School, and How to Do Sunday School. Check out the posts:

Reclaiming Sunday School:

• Why You Want Sunday School by Jonathan Pennington with Bobby Jamieson:  Are you thinking about ditching Sunday school? Consider what you might be missing in light of this theological and pastoral argument for Sunday school. Read more >
• Why Sunday School Lost its Edge by Ed Stetzer:  How did Sunday school go from staple to sidelined? Read more >
• How Sunday School Can Change Your Church’s Culture by Jamie Dunlop: Changing the entire culture of a church is a crucial but complex task. Here’s how Sunday school can help. Read more >
• How Sunday School Can Help Your Preaching by Jamie Dunlop:  Sunday School frees up time for exposition and beefs up your ability to do application. Read more >
• Sunday School and Its Rivals by Trevin Wax:  What are the pluses and minuses of different discipleship contexts? Read more >

Reforming Sunday School:

• Not Your Grandma’s Sunday School by Garrett Kell:  Here is a Sunday School model that systematically moves people through a five-year curriculum that covers different areas of life and doctrine. Read more >
• How to Reform a Sunday School Program by Juan Sanchez:  Here’s how one pastor both modified a traditional Sunday school program and started a new one from scratch. Read more >

How to Do Sunday School:

• Whatever the Model, Don’t Be Afraid to Teach by Jonathan Leeman:  No matter what approach you take to Sunday school, be sure to teach. And consider how to balance out the weaknesses of your model. Read more >
• Sunday School for Dummies: How to Use and Develop New Teachers by Jamie Dunlop:  Do you have more teaching slots than teachers to fill them? Here are some guidelines for using and training new teachers. Read more > 
• Five Things Every Group Leader Should Do by Michael Kelley:  How can you grow as a Sunday school teacher? Here are five simple steps. Read more >
• The Advantages of Curriculum by Bobby Jamieson:  Curriculum can save time, serve new teachers, and generate interest among the congregation. So why reinvent the wheel! Read more>

This month on the Sunday School Leader blog, my peers and I (state Sunday School directors) are sharing a month-long emphasis focusing on five areas of Sunday School growth that have become known as Flake's Formula: (1) know the possibilities, (2) enlarge the organization, (3) provide space and equipment, (4) enlist and train leaders, and (5) go after the people. There will be a different great post every day.

Check out these great posts:

• Arthur Flake’s Five-step Formula to Sunday School Growth
• Arthur Flake’s (biblical?) Formula
• Know the Possibilities
• Are you having trouble relating to your neighbors?
• Know Your People Group

Here are a few of the previous posts that I have written there:

• Increase the Impact of Your Sunday School Christmas Party
• Expanding Group Life in Sunday School
• Sunday School: Reach Out or Leak Out!
• More Than a Meeting: Obedience
• People Groups & Grading: Who Do You Want to Reach?

• Flake’s Formula for Sunday School Growth: Know the Possibilities
• Flake’s Formula for Sunday School Growth: Enlarge the Organization
• Flake’s Formula for Sunday School Growth: Provide Space and Equipment
• Flake’s Formula for Sunday School Growth: Enlist the Leaders
• Flake’s Formula for Sunday School Growth: Go aft er the People, Part A
• Flake’s Formula for Sunday School Growth: Go after the People, Part B

If you are in or near Kentucky, I want to invite all pastor and Sunday School director teams to attend one of the Blueprints for Sunday School Growth events. They are scheduled through June of 2012. Here are the details:

WHY: Too many Sunday Schools have stopped growing. Leadership, knowledge, and a strategy are needed. Blueprints for Sunday School Growth has been designed to help Sunday School teams learn, raise expectations, calendar growth actions, set goals, and lead their Sunday Schools to realize new levels of growth and Kingdom impact.

WHO: Designed for pastor and Sunday School director teams. Can include other members of your core Sunday School planning team.

WHAT: Six hours of training and team planning to lead your Sunday School to grow. Planning times are built into the event schedule to enable team calendaring and goal setting. Here are the topics which will be covered:

• Biblical purpose/mission of Sunday School
• Grow Through an Annual Sunday School Growth Retreat
• Pastor and Sunday School director relationships
• Monthly Sunday School growth meetings
• Sunday School leader enlistment and care
• Sunday School growth budgeting and leader training
• Add new people to the Sunday School bucket
• Organize for Sunday School outreach and care
• Sunday School enrollment and contacts
• Promotion of Sunday School
• Deepen relationships through Sunday School fellowship, projects, and meals
• Add more Sunday School buckets: apprenticing
• Add more Sunday School buckets: seed groups, off-site groups, and space

WHEN/WHERE: Since many do not know association names, the cities listed below are shared so you can know the area of the state. Unless an address is listed, call the number listed for an exact location for your choice. Due to meals, reservations are required. Call early to reserve your team's spot for this training.

• Monday-Tuesday, February 6-7, Crosswoods Baptist Church, 4991 Harrodsburg Rd, Nicholasville, KY, 859.254.7747
• Friday-Saturday, February 10-11, Logan-Todd Association, 196 W 3rd St, Russellville, KY, 270.726.2392
• Friday-Saturday, February 17-18, Blood River Association, 47 Aurora Hwy, Hardin, KY, 270.437.4203
• Saturday, February 25, Campton Baptist Church, 52 South Johnson St, Campton, KY, 859.398.5737
• Saturday, February 25, Lynn Camp Baptist Church, Lynn Camp Church Rd, Corbin, KY, 606.549.4497
• Friday-Saturday, March 2-3, Ohio River Association, 221 W Main St, Salem, KY, 270.988.2204
• Saturday, April 14, Mayslick Baptist Church, 5105 Main St, Mayslick, KY, 606.763.6260
• Saturday, April 21, First Baptist Church, 1570 N Danville Bypass, Danville, KY, 859.238.7624
• Monday-Tuesday, April 23-24, Fort Mitchell Baptist Church, 2323 Dixie Highway, Fort Mitchell, KY, 859.727.6522 
• Monday-Tuesday, April 30-May 1, Cloverport Baptist Church, 314 W Main St, Cloverport, KY, 270.788.3241
• Saturday, May 5, First Baptist Church, 560 Main St, Hazard, KY, 606.439.4339
• Monday-Tuesday, May 7-8, Williamstown Baptist Church, 214 N Main St, Williamstown, KY, 859.824.7755
• Saturday, May 12, First Baptist Church, 149 Lawrence St, Brandenburg, KY, 270.828.2421
• Saturday, June 2, Gasper River Association, 530 Helm Ln, Morgantown, KY, 270.526.6913

• Mond ay-Tuesday: 5:30 - 9:00 PM both nigh ts (sandwich meal provided both nights)
• Friday-Saturday: 6:30 - 9:00 PM on Friday and 8:00 AM - Noon on Saturday (sandwich meal provided on Friday night)
• Saturday: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM (sandwich lunch provided)

• Sunday School That Really WORKS, Steve Parr
• 3D Sunday School: A Three Dimensional Strategy to Help Leaders and Members Full the Great Commission, David Francis
• I-6: A Six Lane Strategy Toward an Inviting Sunday School, David Francis
• Discover Triad: Three Facets of a Dynamic Sunday School Class, David Francis
• Connect³: The Power of One Sunday School Class, David Francis

• Darryl Wilson, Director, Sunday School Department, Kentucky Baptist Convention and Blogger, The Sunday School Revolutionary!
• George Yates, Director, SonC.A.R.E. Ministries, and Author, Teaching That Bears Fruit
• Bill Ellis, Discipleship Pastor, Crestwood Baptist Church, Crestwood, KY
• Todd Beasley, Minister of Education, Parkland Baptist Church, Louisville, KY
• Howard Fuller, Minister of Education, First Baptist Church, Lone Oak, KY