That might be the first question you had when asked to teach Sunday School. How much of the precious little personal and family time I have will the task of teaching require? For the average volunteer, until they know, the answer's "no."
Some publishers actually advertise that no preparation is required to teach their material. Concordia Publishing House material is complete, well organized, and easy to use, but I would never recommend walking into a classroom of active children without preparation. As I told a couple of groups of Sunday School teachers in South Dakota this weekend, solid preparation will prevent almost all of your discipline problems. A great start, carefully chosen activities, excellent questions, smooth transitions, and the ability to change direction when an activity tanks . . . these all require a level of preparation.
I usually plan on about a hour of preparation for a one-hour Sunday School class. It pays to start that preparation a week in advance by reading the "Preparing the Lesson" page so the gist of the lesson is in your mind through the week.
The amount of preparation time you require to feel comfortable in class will vary, but it is best not left until too late on Saturday, or worse yet early Sunday, or even worse, in the car on the way to church.
Thanks for taking time to prepare and teach God's children His Word!
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