One Size Does NOT Fit All

How big is your Sunday School? How does its size influence its structure and your choice of curriculum?

Small Sunday Schools
Two-thirds of the congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod report an average worship attendance of less than 125 people. Assuming that Sunday School attendance is likely fifty percent of that figure or less, we're talking about a lot of congregations with less than 50 children age 3 through grade 8 in Sunday School.

The small Sunday School faces significant challenges. Among them is fewer paid staff (a pastor and a part-time secretary?), so little ability to customize curriculum. My guess is that the small church organizes Sunday School along traditional lines and purchases a traditional curriculum, adapting as needed for their local situation. That's good!

Large Sunday Schools
A couple of larger Sunday Schools in large congregations have come to my attention recently. The congregations are significantly larger than average (2500 and 5,000 members; worship attendance reported at more than 1,000 and more than 1700 people respectively). Sunday School statistics are not published but attendance for threes through grade 8 is likely 300 to 500 students.

The large congregation also faces significant challenges. It is more difficult to motivate members to participation beyond the Sunday morning worship service. As a percentage of worship attendance, Sunday School attendance is usually smaller for large congregations. There are more paid staff, however, some of whom have specific responsibility for Sunday School. The Sunday School is often structured along less traditional lines; a large group opening and Bible presentation followed by small group discussion is a frequent pattern. Material may be prepared locally from scratch or heavily customized to meet the specific needs of this one large congregation.

Theology Matters
It is to be hoped that both large Sunday Schools and small ones will give equal attention in their choice of curriculum materials to theological content, especially the faithful teaching of God's Word, Law and Gospel, sin and salvation.

Cross Explorations
CPH now has a curriculum designed for a less traditional Sunday School structure. It will work well in small Sunday Schools and large ones. It adheres to the doctrine expected by confessional Lutheran congregations. I hope our large congregations will check it out! (And our small ones, too.)

Would you describe your Sunday School as large? Small? Somewhere in between?

How does your size influence your structure? Have you made some unique adjustments?

How has your size influenced your choice of curriculum?