Where Are the Champions?

Two recent comments about Sunday School stick in my mind as I return this this blog after a bit of time away. (Nothing wrong, just too much to do and too little to say.)

First, my friend and coworker Loren commented that a renewal of Sunday School in our church body had to come through training and invigorating pastors, especially new pastors, about the vital importance of Sunday School in the life and health of the local congregation.

Then, Darryl Wilson (The Sunday School Revolutionary) said it perfectly: pastors need to be champions for Sunday School.

If the pastor is not firmly behind Sunday School in his congregation

• good teachers will be hard to find.
• good material will be a expensive burden instead of a valuable investment.
• good families will find other ways to spend their time.

Yes, pastors have a lot of important responsibilities in their congregations---supporting Sunday School is one of them.

Are you a pastor? Know that God, through His Word and Sacraments as well your members prayers and assistance, is your source of strength. Be a Sunday School champion.

Are you a church leader? Encourage and empower your pastor to actively lead and support your Sunday School. Help him be a Sunday School champion.

Are you a Sunday School teacher or parent? Thank God in prayer for your pastor, and thank your pastor in person for his leadership in the congregation. Encourage him and offer your tangible assistance and support. Pray for your Sunday School champion.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Calling All Dads!

An interesting conversation with a pastor this morning (thanks, Pastor Frank Zimmerman) sparks this brief post.

Fathers have both a spiritual responsibility as head of the family and an extraordinary amount of influence over the future engagement their children will have with the Church. Having Dad invested and active in the Church and in the spiritual formation of his children will pay incredible dividends.

So, says Pastor Zimmerman, "Dads, step up!" He wants dads teaching the Sunday School classes in his congregations.

I think it's a great idea! Dad will grow in his own biblical knowledge, set a blessed example for his children, impact children from other families, and learn skills that will help in family faith discussions through the week. It really is a "win, win" situation.

God bless you, Dad, as you teach God's children His Word!

How Many Teachers Will You Need This Summer?

The exact answer, of course, will depend on how many children you expect to reach each week in Sunday Sunday School.

A small Sunday School, though, can probably manage with two teachers, one for each of two age groups. In Concordia Publishing's "H2Oh! God Keeps His Promises," we have pared down summer Sunday School to two levels.

Level A serves non-readers and early readers, generally preschool through grade one or two. Level B serves readers, generally grade two or three through grade six. Both levels share a common full-color lesson leaflet with activities that will intrigue your students and be helpful in class and at home.

The program offers options for creating a site rotation experience each week or teaching the children in same-aged classrooms. And the detailed teacher guides will make teaching easy even for the new teacher.

What is your preferred arrangement of classes during the summer?

Will your regular teachers continue through the summer, or do you recruit new teachers?

How many students do you expect?

God bless you as you teach His children His Word this summer!

Callahan's Fifth Key to an Effective Church: Strong Leadership

(Back in 2011, I started a series of posts based on Kennon Callahan's 1983 volume, Twelve Keys to an Effective Church. My contention then, and now, is that these keys can be directly applied to your Sunday School in beneficial ways. You can see the first four posts in this series by typing the work "Callahan" into the search line above.)

Callahan calls the first six of his twelve keys "relational keys"; these characteristics impact the connections church and Sunday School participants establish with the church and with one another. He also calls them "satisfiers," things that contribute to the learner's sense of well-being and success.

Strong Leadership Resources
The strength of leadership in the Sunday School is demonstrated in three significant ways.

1. The presence of capable volunteers to lead the institution and to teach in its classrooms.
2. The existence of strategic objectives that guide those leaders.
3. Complementary relationships between the volunteer leaders and the pastors and staff.

Capable Volunteers
I've written before in this blog about the enlistment of volunteers. Let me just say here that ideals leaders are (1) able (that is predisposed by temperament, background, and ability to do the job they are enlisted for), (2) trained (no leader or teacher has all the skills and knowledge necessary from day one; training opportunities suited to the individuals interests, needs, and schedule are vital), and (3) supported (that is, given the tools, appreciation, and feedback that will ensure success).

Strategy
Teachers and leaders benefit immensely when they know the specific goals toward which they should strive. Two or three objectives are better than ten. The best objectives are those that are written, owned (constituents have input as they are formed and are offered a chance to "buy into" them), specific and measurable, and realistic (that is, theoretically possible in the time frame allowed). (Check out the first post in this series to hear more.)

Staff Leadership
The pastors and other staff called to or employed by the congregation are vital to every organization that seeks to be effective in carrying out the church's mission. The Sunday School will succeed only to degree to which the efforts of the staff and volunteers are aligned. It is important then that the pastor know and care about the Sunday School, understand and guide its mission, and support its effort . . . and that the Sunday School leaders and volunteers be aligned with and support the pastor.

Strong leadership does not happen accidentally. If you're reading this blog, you have an interest and at least some influence for Sunday School in your congregation. You can identify an area that needs improving and work, through your resources and relationship, to see it happen.

God bless you in those efforts to see that His children are taught His Word.

What is the best way to involve your pastor in your Sunday School?

How does your congregation enlist leaders and teachers for your Sunday School?