People Spots
Online
Produced by James W.
Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants
Provided as a service by New Life Ministries
Sunday School
by James W. Moss, Sr.
I have been compiling statistics for the year 2005 in the Eastern Conference of the Churches of God. I am distressed as I watch the decline of the Sunday school in my own conference.
I understand that small groups outside the Sunday school have the same impact on the life of the church as a Sunday school class. There are six kinds of small groups. They are: Sunday school classes, care groups, support groups, task groups, athletic teams, and worship services that average less than 35. I know there are those who believe the Sunday school is an anachronism from the past that has outlived its usefulness. I frankly don’t buy that. The Sunday school must change if it is to relevant in today’s world. I accept that.
There will never again be as many children in our Sunday schools as there once was. My family is evidence of that. I am the youngest of six children. My mother and father had 33 grandchildren. Gwen and I have 5 children. We have 5 grandchildren. It is possible that that may be all we will have. I know that children’s classes will be smaller, but there are still children. There are still the options of quality adult classes on Sunday morning. I have attended a number of them in the past couple of years.
Strengths of the Sunday school
Small groups are required to support your worship attendance. A Sunday school class, whether it is an adult or children’s class, is a small group. In fact, the goal is to have people in worship and a small group. For many, because of their complicated lives, that has to all happen on Sunday morning. So one of the strengths of Sunday school is that it meets on Sunday morning.
A second strength is that adult Sunday school classes tend to have a long life. Other small groups tend to have a much shorter life span. However, it is difficult to regularly introduce new people into small groups that are more than two years old. So new classes are required.
The genius of the old Sunday school was the monthly class meeting. Over the years that concept was abandoned. I strongly encourage monthly (or bi-monthly at the very least) fellowship times for all small groups. Why? That is when you really get to know people. That doesn’t happen during the assigned teaching times. Getting to know people occurs during fellowship time and during the breaking of bread.
Requirements of a vibrant Sunday school
The following are absolute requirements for a vibrant Sunday School:
 | There has to be the regular introduction of new adult classes. When was the last new adult class introduced in your Sunday school? Check out the article “Starting New Groups.” |
| New teachers and leaders need to be carefully recruited. Check out the article “Recruiting Leaders.” |
| Classes need to provide tender loving care for absentees. Regular contacts need to be made with people who are not present. |
| Regular fellowship times need to be established for classes. |
| Training needs to be established for teacher/leaders and potential teacher/leaders. I am constantly amazed at how little training local churches do. A local church needs to do a minimum of six hours a year training for teachers/leaders of classes and small groups. |
| Workers need to be affirmed and celebrated. |
I am a firm believer the Sunday school still has a place in a vibrant, living church.
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Also see:
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Read about Jim's seminars and books.
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February 24, 2006. Volume
9, Issue
1.
People Spots Online
is prepared by James W. Moss, Sr., and Church Consultants. It is provided as a service by New Life
Ministries, www.NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org.
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