Understanding the Community Around Your Sunday School

Sunday 11th May, 2008

Who are the people in your community? What are they like? What do they like? Are most of them married or single? Are most of them younger or older? Have they completed high school or college? Are they higher or lower socioeconomic level? What would be the best way to reach them?

Sometimes a church will have a perception about their community that it is a reflection of the church. The reality is that there are often differences. And it is important to note the differences in order to be effective in reaching the people surrounding the church. Some churches stopped reaching out to young adults years ago and now have no young or middle adults and therefore no preschoolers, children, or teens.

How can you find out about your community? I want to suggest checking out the North American Mission Board's article entitled Demographic Reports. The article is clear: "Your community is changing every day as the people that live within it also change." On that web page, you will find information about a report that any Southern Baptist Convention church can request from NAMB. If you are a part of a Southern Baptist church, you can log in here to access the Request Form. The form you will complete to request the report has four sections:

  • Section 1: contact and location information needed to generate the report and send it to you
  • Sections 2-3: choose and enter data for only one section about the areas of the demographics
  • Section 4: additional comments

An even fuller report is available with even more data and a consultant provided by phone at no cost to help you understand the report. In response to your request, you will receive by e-mail a link to a PDF file with data about your community. It can take one to three days to proces your requqest. When you receive the PDF document, you may choose to print it out to share it with others. The web page warns that you may need to be patient in opening the report due to internet speeds and the amount of maps, etc.

After receiving a report like this, it is often good to take stock of the church body. What is the percentage of males versus females? What is the age distribution of the Sunday School? What is your best guess of the distribution of income and education levels of the congregation? What is the percentage of married, divorced, single persons in the congregation? How do these congregational demographics compare to those in the community?

Then, it is important to pray through how to respond to what you discover. What does God expect? What does He want? Evaluate. Identify needs. Choose first and/or most important steps. Pray for and target real people! Set goals. Make action plans and assignments. Do it. Go after them with the love of Christ! Check on progress. Adjust. Don't give up! Be revolutionary!

Comments [0]

Posted in:  Misc  Outreach  Pastors/Sunday School Directors  at 03:08:00 PM
Location:

Sunday School, One of the Ways to Get People Involved in Studying the Bible

Saturday 10th May, 2008

The human body must consume food, digest food, and eliminate waste. Each of those activities has a place in the body of Christ as well. We must feed on the Word of God. But we must do more than that. We must digest what we have eaten. The Christian must meditate on God's Word. We must seek to understand it better. We must apply it and live it out daily. But we must also get rid of unproductive habits and thoughts.

But what can we do to get more people started feeding on the Word? What can we do to get them involved in reading and studying the Bible? I read a blog post by Lawrence Wilson (no relation) that started me thinking along this path. Wilson's post was entitled How to Generate Spiritual Growth. In the article, he mentions four ways to help people get involved in studying the Bible. I have listed Wilson's four ways in all capitals followed by my commentary:

  • CREATE SPACE. Wow, he makes some great points here. We need to help people make space in their lives for doing Bible study. People are so busy! They plan too much. They rush from one thing to the next. And in rushing they miss the relationship with God that they need and that He desires. (Leaders also need to set the example here!) Challenge people here. Ask them to invest more time in prayer and His Word. Help people to take honest looks at their calendars to clear some space that works. Sunday School and small groups can be positive accountability groups here!
  • CREATE GROUPS. Wilson is right when he says, "People seldon have success studying Scripture alone." Invite someone to study with you. Get people in groups of two, three, or more. Make the time convenient. Make the relationships important. Wilson's suggestion was good: "The more groups you start, the more likely it is that people will join one." Form different kinds of groups. Form groups at different places and times. Encourage others to invite people into their groups. Again, Sunday School and off-campus small groups can be great places from which these new groups can spring!
  • CREATE TEACHERS. Multiply yourself and your interest in studying God's Word. Help new people to risk trying to facilitate a group small steps at a time. You might not even call them teachers since many people think of teachers as subject matter experts. Call them group facilitators, but help these leaders to be serious about spending time with God and about leading others to meet Him in Bible study. Sunday School and small groups are great places for this to happen naturally!
  • CREATE APPLICATION. How can you help yourself focus more on doing it? What can you do to encourage more application? How about making people accountable to another person, group, or a spiritual journal? What if you asked the group to report what they did about it next week? What if you told them you were going to call them during the week to see how they are doing at applying it? I like Wilson's question, "How will this truth change our lives if we choose to apply it?" But I agree that it is more than questions and words. You have to do it! Send them e-mail reminders. Do whatever it takes to be an example and to lead others to apply God's Word. Again, Sunday School and small groups can be great encouragers of application and accountability!

There are lots more ways to encourage others to get involved studying God's Word. What are other suggestions you have thought about? Stop thinking about it, and do it! What are more suggestions you have tried? Share them to encourage others to take a step toward studying and challenging others to do the same! Be revolutiona ry!

Comments [0]

Posted in:  Small Groups  Spiritual Maturity  Teaching  at 02:13:00 PM
Location:

Free Training Materials for Sunday School Teachers

Friday 9th May, 2008

I could spend days and lots of blog posts highlighting great materials you can purchase and conferences you can attend. But we live in a great day of technology. So much information is available to us for free. Some of it is very helpful and comes with a variety of tools for utilizing it.

Such is the case with The Discover Triad: Three Facets of a Dynamic Sunday School Class, by David Francis, Sunday School Director for LifeWay Christian Resources. On page 5, David says, "There are three important and interrelated aspects of Sunday School work that contribute to a consistently excellent Bible study experience: Scripture, stories, and shepherding." That is the triad of the resource. There are lots of great training materials that go along with this resource:

In additional to all of this helpful teaching material to go along with The Discover Triad, here are some other helpful LifeWay Sunday School links:

This list could go on and on. I want to include one more resource that those using LifeWay's literature, Bible Studies for Life, may find helpful. It is a set of support materials developed by Dr. Steve Armstrong who is a professor at LaTourneau University and a senior adult teacher at Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview, Texas.

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 for months and years to come. Start planning now. Raise your expectations. Increase your training. Release workers into the harvest. Be revolutionary!

Comments [0]

Posted in:  Teaching  at 11:13:00 AM
Location:

Frequently Asked Questions about Small Groups

Thursday 8th May, 2008

There is much help available today for small group ministry leadership in print and electronic form. We can learn from each other's experiences. We can benefit from each other's creativity. We don't have to recreate the wheel every time we do something new to us.

I want to share a list of frequently asked questions about small groups. They can be found on Saddleback's website in an article by the same name, Frequently Asked Questions about Small Groups. I have included most of the questions, only leaving out a few which uniquely apply to Saddleback small groups. Some are specific to Saddleback but are included as food for thought. Don't feel you have to read every question below, but know that this resource is available.  Check out these questions:

For additional blog posts about small group ministry, check out the following:

Do you have a set of frequently asked questions and their answers? Share them. Share ones you see missing. Post a link to your document. Do you handle one of the issues differently than Saddleback? Then share the question and your answer. Let's be iron sharpening iron for one another. Let's work together to strengthen our efforts for the Kingdom! Press the Comments button below and share. Be revolutionary!

Comments [0]

Posted in:  Small Groups  at 12:36:00 PM
Location:

Quick Suggestions for Panicked Sunday School Teachers

Wednesday 7th May, 2008

Had a bad week or a busy one? Has it gotten late in the week, and you don't know where to start? Are you in shock that it is already Saturday night and getting later by the second?

Then, turn your panic into action! Stop your head from spinning by taking some quick steps toward basic preparation. Rather than calling in sick, prepare a solid lesson plan in a short amount of time (but try not to make it a habit!). Consider these suggestions and take action immediately:

  • CALM YOURSELF AND PRAY. Center yourself in a great God and seek His leadership in understanding His Word and truth personally and how to communicate it. Even though time is short, don't rush through prayer. Commit yourself to Him to do your best. Remember to close your preparation in a time of prayer.
  • READ THE PASSAGE THREE TIMES. Yes, I know you said it was late. But rather than jumping into a commentary or a teaching plan or a teacher's book, spend time with God in His Word. Most lessons only incorporate 8-12 verses. Reading them three times should take less than five minutes. Consider whether you need to read more of the context before or after the focal passage.
  • WRITE DOWN THE MAIN BIBLICAL TRUTH. What is the main truth God is speaking to you and learners in your class through this passage? Get it into a statement. Writing it helps to clarify it for communicating it. Many teacher's books will share this, but it is best to start with God's Word than the teacher's book to determine the truth from the passage for your group.
  • DEVELOP A SET OF QUESTIONS. Are there some questions (perhaps 4-6) that pop into your mind that learners need to answer before they can fully understand the truth of the passage? Are there questions about the passage or application questions which should be answered? Many teacher's books and pupils books contain great questions (which may help you when you are in a hurry).
  • PLAN AN ICEBREAKER/OPENING ACTIVITY. What question(s) could you ask at the beginning of the lesson to capture the truth and motivate interest in the lesson? What story could you tell? Many teacher and pupil books will offer an illustration or story which may be helpful. LifeWay offers Extra with additional great ideas for lessons to capture interest and apply the truth. They are usually current event stories which relate to the lesson/truth for the day.
  • PLAN A TIME/METHOD TO LEAD LEARNERS TO APPLY THE TRUTH. If you don't plan this, it probably won't happen. What do you believe God will want them to do as a result of the lesson? How could you lead them to consider applying the truth? This could be combined with the final suggestion.
  • PLAN ONE TEACHING METHOD BESIDES LECTURE OR QUESTION & ANSWER. If there is an extra five minutes of time, brainstorm a way to communicate one idea or answer one question in a way besides lecture and Q&A. How could you divide the group into smaller groups to consider two issues? How could you lead them to write out what they will do as a result of the lesson? Again, many teacher's books and pupil's books have activities for learners which could strengthen your plan.

If each of these suggestions were done and took 5-10 minutes each, your preparation for your rushed, panicked lesson could be completed in 35-70 minutes. If you are down to less time, the first four suggestions are the critical ones (as long as you don't make this a habit--if you do, your lessons will tend to become flat and boring). Try not to rush your preparation. Start early. Listen to God speak throughout the week. Prepare well. Be creative. Be revolutionary!

Comments [1]

Posted in:  Teaching  at 01:44:00 PM
Location:

Small Groups in Small Churches

Tuesday 6th May, 2008

Is it possible to begin and build a small group ministry in a small church? While every church is unique, there are some common actions that can lead to success in many situations. Consider the five steps offered by Mark Howell, founder of SmallGroupResources.net, in an article entitled Five Keys to Building a Small Groups Ministry in a Small to Medium Sized Church. Howell's five steps are in all capitals followed by my commentary:

  • GET CLEAR ON YOUR MISSION. What are you called to do as a church? What does God want you to accomplish for Him? How do small groups fit into that mission, vision, and strategy? Where are you headed? How can small groups help you get there? You will have difficulty "selling" your vision about the mission, if you don't know what it is.
  • GET CLARITY ON YOUR REAL CUSTOMER. Who are you pursuing? What are people like in your community? Howell used the phrase, "unconnected," to describe people you are trying to reach. I like Howell's suggestion of talking to those already attending worship. Attempting to reach everyone is like trying to shoot a turkey with a shotgun at 300 yards. You need a rifle to focus from that distance. For instance, reaching a Nascar fan, automotive technician could be significantly different than reaching a opera fan, psychologist. Do demographics studies. Survey your community. Get in touch with real people in your community and their needs.
  • GET SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT YOU CALL SUCCESS. How will you know that you have been successful in your small groups ministry? What are key measurements of progress? Success likely will be more than simply numbers. It may include leadership and ministry involvement and much more. Without a target, you may continue to move without a sense of accomplishment or stopping to celebrate what God has done.
  • GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT SEATS (ON THE BUS). This picture is from Jim Collins' book, Good to Great. The idea is getting the right team headed in the same direction together. Enlist and train quality people. Invest carefully in this process early. Follow our Lord's leadership in choosing His disciples. Make sure people are in the right positions, places of service in which they are fulfilled and fulfilling. And then help them to work effectively to the best of their abilities.
  • EMBRACE A 'CROWD TO CORE' STRATEGY AND PHILOSOPHY FOR YOUR SMALL GROUPS MINISTRY. Help them take steps toward greater commitment, learning, and relationships. Help the crowd to take growth steps that lead to success and growth. I like Howell's emphasis on "movement...in the direction of greater commitment and service." His example is the following, "Your next growth step may be to open your home, serve a few refreshments, and tell a few of your friends. If you can do that, you can be a host of a small group."

Begin in prayer. Seek God's leadership throughout the process. Seek participation and ownership of the process. Start small and do it right! Build on successes. Give God the glory. Be revolutionary!

Comments [0]

Posted in:  Small Groups  at 11:14:00 PM
Location:

Changing Sunday School Measurements, Part 2

Sunday 4th May, 2008

In Part 1, I mentioned the need to change some of the measurements being made in our Southern Baptist Convention churches. While our current Annual Church Profile (ACP) has strength in its historical comparison, there is a need for it to change. In Part 1, I mentioned three reasons: (1) it is too long and fewer churches are completing the ACP, (2) the ACP does not capture the way ministry has changed over the years, and (3) there is a need to change what is being measured.

I mentioned the title of an article by Josh Hunt that captures the essence of this need to change: Whatever Gets Measured Gets Done. In Part 1, I summarized Josh's article in this statement: It is essential that we keep score, but there are measurements that are essential to address long before being worried about the final score. Over the years, most churches have simplified reports of progress merely to counting heads (attendance) in Sunday School and worship. And therein lies the problem. When essential contributing efforts toward Sunday School success are not measured, they don't get done.

What are some essential contributing efforts toward successful Sunday School that need to be measured? I want to challenge you to begin measuring the following:

  • CONTACTS. These are made by face-to-face contact/visit, phone, card/letter, and e-mail. These include invitations to Sunday School and ministry/care contacts. These establish, build, and maintain relationships. Contacts with members reinforce assimilation efforts and attendance regularity. Contacts with prospects lead to relationships, class visits, and enrollment. Years ago, most churches stopped using the six-point record system that recorded contacts. Since that time, contacts have been made irregularly.
  • GUESTS PRESENT. This is still recorded in many class and Sunday School attendance records. Some even record guest contact information. But little or nothing is done with that information. Frequently, there is not even an effort by the class to follow up with the guest. And if an initial follow up contact is made with the guest, there is no plan for contact beyond the first visit. "Guests present" is an important indicator of contacts being made with prospects, of invitations being extended to those outside the class. Enrollment will be less likely to grow when contacts are not made and no guests are present.
  • LOST ENROLLMENT. Only persons who have died, moved out of the ministry reach of the church, or have joined another church should be removed. Every guest who attends should be invited to join. Since attendance averages about 40-60% of enrollment, increasing enrollment will result in increased attendance. At the same time, it is essential to enroll lost persons in Sunday School since an average of one out of three who attend Sunday School will accept Jesus each year. (This is a number that should be tracked privately.)
  • APPRENTICES TRAINED. Every teacher should be training and pouring themselves into an apprentice. Every adult class teacher should be preparing his/her class to start another class, and the key to this happening is having an apprentice ready. That way the apprentice can either start the new cl ass or take over the current class while the teacher starts the new class.
  • NEW CLASSES STARTED. Every adult class should have as its goal to start another cl ass. That keeps the focus off of self and onto God and making disciples of all nations. On average, two classes can reach and care for more people than one can. New classes tend to be more evangelistic and grow faster than existing classes.
  • PERSONS IN SERVICE. Another goal for every adult class is to have every class member involved in service in the class, the church, or the Kingdom. People who are serving are touching more lives, using what is learned in Bible study, and are more fulfilled. They are more likely to stay connected to the class and church and more likely to continue growing as disciples.
What additional Sunday School measurements would you suggest? Why would you add them? What would happen in your Sunday School if you started measuring these things and keeping their measurements in front of your teachers and workers? What would happen if you spent time in planning meetings and training sessions emphasizing the importance of these measurements? What would happen if you called your Sunday School leadership to prayer around the pursuit of people that these measurements represent? Stop wondering, and start praying, measuring, and acting! Be revolutionary!

Comments [2]

Posted in:  Assimilation  at 12:42:00 PM
Location:

Changing Sunday School Measurements, Part 1

Saturday 3rd May, 2008

There has been much discussion lately about the Southern Baptist Convention took, the Annual Church Profile. The ACP is a form that all Southern Baptist churches are asked to complete annually in the fall. It asks for contact information, leadership information, and statistical information. LifeWay Christian Resources has been charged with the responsibility of collecting this data from state conventions who collect the information from associations who collect the information from churches.

There has been interest in changing the ACP over the years, but it is difficult to do so for many reasons. First, if you change it, then statistics won't continue to compare to past statistics. Second, state conventions have been allowed to have a say in the data they are collecting meaning that it already varies somewhat from state to state. And there are more people involved in any effort to make the change. Third, there is a natural territorial concern about individual programs. WMU wants to know how they are doing. The music ministry wants to know the same. This makes it hard to leave current measurements out.

But the need for change is becoming greater than some of these concerns. The ACP needs to change for lots of reasons, but they can be boiled down to three. First, fewer churches are completing the ACP, and many believe that is due to its length. For a voluntary task to require so much time is a lot to expect. Second, the way churches are doing ministry has changed over the years. For instance, some churches offering small groups don't feel that it is appropriate to report them in the categories of Sunday School or other Bible study (two ACP categories).

Third, with the decline in so many SBC statistical categories, there is a need to change what is being measured. Why is that the case? I like an article written by Josh Hunt. The title explains the answer: Whatever Gets Measured Gets Done. It is essential that we keep score, but there are measurements that are essential to address long before being worried about the final score.

For instance, my youngest son plays high school baseball. In baseball there are many statistics collected: at bats, plate appearances, hits, strike outs, runs, runs batted in, batting average, slugging percentage, stolen bases, base on balls (walks), on base percentage, errors, etc. And the statistics are equally comprehensive for pitchers. Addressing each of these areas can prepare individual players to become a team that wins. Because these statistics are measured, attention can be given in areas to help players make changes that lead to improvement.

Likewise, changes in Sunday School measurements are needed. Andy Anderson developed a great system in his Growth Spiral back in the '80s and '90s. But most Sunday Schools have given up (long ago) counting areas suggested by Anderson, such as enrollment, contacts, workers, training, units, and more (for more information, check out Sunday School Growth Spiral). Most churches have simplified reports of progress merely to counting heads (attendance) in Sunday School and worship. And therein lies the problem. Because essential contributing efforts toward Sunday School success are not measured, they don't get done.

What are some of those essential contributing efforts that need to be measured? Though I have already left several hints, that question will be addressed in Part 2. In the meantime, consider wha t the necessary actions are that lead toward what you want accomplished throug h Sunday School. Work to make Sunday School great. Be revolutionary!

Comments [0]

Posted in:  Misc  at 04:28:00 PM
Location:

How Many People Does It Take to Change Sunday School?

Wednesday 30th April, 2008

What a great question! Does Sunday School change require 100% participation of everyone impacted by the change? Or is it just a majority? Or could one person bring about Sunday School change? Well, the answer is yes. Yes to which? All three questions.

Sunday School change which has the support of everyone involved is highly likely to succeed. I have seen this happen at times. There usually is a common enemy which brings everyone together for a response. For instance, changing the location for Sunday School when the heating unit has failed is almost always likely to produce 100% support. Lesson:  look for ways to mobilize the Sunday School to respond to attacks from outside.

But be careful of expecting every change to garner 100% support for the change in advance. In fact, if you wait for everyone to favor change, you sometimes will wait too long for the change to be most effective or will never accomplish the change. For instance, when needing to switch a senior adult and a preschool classroom, you may not get 100% support of all of the adult class, but the rest of the class can likely persuade those who remain hesitant to go along with the decision. I also know of a church whose deacons were hesitant to move to dual Sunday School which resulted in flat and declining attendance for about five years before the church finally moved to dual and experienced record growth again.

Finally, sometimes one person can influence change simply by his/her example. Frequently these individuals are soft spoken people who model it. When others ask about it, these people share about it/teach it. And when others around them act similarly, they encourage it and reward it. I shared this process (model it, teach it, reward it) in a blog entry entitled Three Easy Steps for Revolutionary Sunday School Change.

With some additional thoughts about change, I want to remind you of some keys to change which I offered in a blog post entitled Sunday School Change Is Needed But Should Not Be Rushed. Keys discussed included the following: prayer/vision, communication, relationships, assessment/preparation, make it simple, and be flexible/adjust. These are always good keys to consider. And in another post entitled Successfully Navigating Sunday School Change, I suggested a five-step process offered by Phil Van Auken in an article entitled Successful Change Strategy for Sunday School. These five steps included information percolation, dialogue, personalized commitment, participative implementation, and celebration and appreciation. This is a great change strategy.

Finally, I hope you always follow the Lord's leadership and you never run into opposition to needed change, but I want to prepare you in the event you do. In a blog entry entitled Opposition to Sunday School Change, I shared that Rick Warren wrote a great article entitled How to Handle Opposition. In the article, he shares lessons that can be learned from Nehemiah 4. His points are rely on God (vv. 4-5), respect the opposition (v. 9), reinforce your weak points (v. 13), reallocate resources, but don't stop what you're doing (v. 16), reassure the people (v. 14), and refuse to quit (v. 15). God in His Word has much to teach us about change. Move God's people where He leads. Be revolutionary!

Comments [0]

Posted in:  Misc  Pastors/Sunday School Directors  at 03:07:00 PM
Location:

The Difference Between ’I Have to’ and ’I Get to’ Sunday School

Monday 28th April, 2008

I led a Sunday School conference for pastors, directors, and general leaders tonight in Crittenden Association. I did not hear the final numbers this age group training event, but I would guess there were about fifty preschool, children, youth, adult, and general leaders. There were seven pastors and eleven Sunday School directors in my conference, so I know at least eleven of the churches were represented for the training.

During the night, I overheard a participant say, "That's the difference between 'I have to' and 'I get to." And even though I still had lots of teaching left to do, that started my mind thinking about all the different scenarios in Sunday School that those attitude impact.

Consider the difference between the two. (1) "I have to" says that the task I am doing is a chore. It sounds like the person feels forced to do the task. It gives the impression that the person would rather not do the job. (2) On the other hand, "I get to" says I enjoy the oppportunity to serve this way. It sounds like the person is looking forward to the task. It gives the impression that the person would rather not miss doing the job.

What a difference that this attitude makes in the Sunday School work God has given us to do for Him! Read the two statements out loud. Emphasize the highlighted part (have to/get to) of each statement:

 I have to study the Bible  I get to study the Bible
 I have to teach children  I get to teach children
 I have to visit a shut-in  I get to visit a shut-in
 I have to pray for a friend  I get to pray for a friend
 I have to witness to the lost  I get to witness to the lost
 I have to prepare another lesson  I get to prepare another lesson
 I have to lead my group to...  I get to lead my group to...
 I have to plan the class party  I get to plan the class party
 I have to attend training  I get to attend training
 I have to go to a planning meeting  I get to go to a planning meeting
 We have to minister to that family  We get to minister to that family 
 We have to reach out  We get to reach out

If you were honest, which do you tend to say the most? Has your service started to feel more monotonous rather than a privilege? Focus on the difference you and other Sunday School leaders make. Realize the privilege that is yours to serve in this way. Realize the blessings that are yours from your personality and spiritual gifts to your source of income and health. Realize what Jesus did for each of us. When you put things in proper perspective, there are very few things we "have to" do, and there are lots of things that we "get to" do. Start practicing saying "I get to." Watch and see if it become contagious! Be revolutionary!

Comments [0]

Posted in:  Misc  at 11:02:00 PM
Location: