How Is Your Sunday School?

Is it dead?
About twenty percent of the congregations in our church body report having no Sunday School at all.

Is it small?
About twenty percent of the congregations in our church body report having 1 to 25 students in Sunday School.

Is it average?
About half of our Sunday Schools have 100 students or less.

Is it worthwhile?
God has promised to bless His Word wherever it is taught; He is at work blessing your Sunday School.

One not-quite-simple step each congregation should every year is to contact every family with children of Sunday School age with an invitation to Sunday School. By mail is okay; by phone or in person is even better. If you visit, take along an extra leaflet from the appropriate grade levels. Show how the Gospel is central to every lesson.

Three other important ways to support your Sunday School:

1. Hold it at a separate hour from worship; don't place these two vital ministries of your congregation in competition.
2. Offer visit-friendly adult Bible studies at the same time as Sunday School; not all your parents will be willing to volunteer in the Sunday School all the time.
3. Maintain contact with each family from the time of Baptism until the time you begin Sunday School with a Cradle/Nursery Roll program; let them know that you care about their children and are looking forward to seeing them in Sunday School when the time is right.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Sunday School for the Small Church

What do folks mean when they ask for "Sunday School materials for the small church"?

• Material that works with ultra-small classes?
• Material that works with combined grades?
• Material for all students (preschool through upper grades) in the same room?
• Material for churches with just one or two teachers?
• Material that works in small classrooms, or where classes meet in close proximity without the benefit of walls and doors?
• Material for churches that can't afford copiers?
• Material for churches that can't afford to purchase leaflets?

I wonder at times whether what is really being asked for is material that requires little or no advance preparation and material that costs next to nothing to purchase.

Me? I'm always suspicious of the easy and cheap stuff. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is (too good to be true).

Teaching God's children His Word is often, maybe even always, hard work that requires preparation to be most effective. And material that will make it happen is worth paying for.

What am I missing?

Maybe there is a "leaner and meaner" way to do Sunday School material?

I'd love to hear your ideas.