Actscelerate.com

Da Sheik

Sunday School ?

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **4/7/16 11:34 am**

I have served in churches that had pitiful Sunday School attendance. Our church has a thriving Sunday School. I take 0% credit because my predecessor is the one who made it what it is. He chose excellent teachers to fill these roles. Much of our church growth can be attributed to Sunday School. Lots of people have come through the doors because someone invited them to Sunday School and they got "plugged in".

What makes a successful Sunday School program ? I hear my peers constantly complaining about the attendance at their SS. Admittedly , I don't attend Sunday School because I am usually handling some administrative issue between our two services. I do vividly remember in one of my pastorates, that we had an adult Sunday School teacher who would "preach " every Sunday. He would try to turn Sunday School into a shouting service.

diakoneo

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **4/7/16 11:59 am**

What kind of setting is your church in? Rural or urban?

I agree with you. I have always thought it to be a great way to build a church.

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24284 **4/7/16 3:40 pm**

I must look back to my dad. Every church he pastored increased in attendance and finances. A couple doubled. He was SS minded. His thrust to his teachers was, give us 20-30 kids. Keep them for 10-12 years and add to it and in a little while we will have a more thriving church.

He loved the kids SS classes and steadily visited the classes. It seems rather than raise a church and evangelize, the press is only evangelize or disciple and forget the children.

Senior classes are good, but older folk don't seem to appreciate two sermons on SS morning. You really NEED a teacher for the senior youth and the adults.
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diakoneo

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **4/7/16 3:53 pm**

Also, how do you evaluate teachers?

What kind of criteria are you looking for in a good teacher?

How do you move teachers that have been teaching the same class for decades?

What about just starting a new class and leaving the others alone?

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24284 **4/8/16 10:41 am**

diakoneo

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **4/8/16 12:47 pm**

Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **4/8/16 2:10 pm**

Sorry guys, I've been really busy and unable to respond. Our church is in an urban area. I'm not white but our church is predominantly Caucasian. Admittedly , most of the decisions and leadership in our Sunday School dept can be attributed to my predecessor. He was a tremendous administrator. I am more gifted in teaching but he was an outstanding administrator !

Cojak is right that most rural and small church pastors are handcuffed into accepting whatever volunteers are available. I've been there and done that. I've also been in the unfavorable position of pastoring, leading worship , teaching Sunday school , cleaning the toilets , mowing the lawn, and taking out the garbage Razz

One of the most difficult things is having to remove someone who has taught a SS class for many years. We have 6 adult classes currently. The teaching styles are vastly different ranging from straight lecture to discussion & dialogue. I have one teacher whose class has dwindled down to nothing. The only ones who attend are his wife , and his mother and son in law who don't even attend worship services. Rather than remove him, we allow him to continue in a small room we have available. He's a good man but very dogmatic and assertive about his convictions , especially as they relate to end-times prophecy. Rather than removing him and offending him , we have chosen the path of least resistance. He keeps his class but is essentially marginalized by his own doing.

Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **4/8/16 2:20 pm**

In other churches , I have had to remove teachers and leaders. In each instance, the individual in question ended up leaving the church due to hurt feelings. It's very hard to do, but you are much better off not appointing someone in the firstplace if you have any concerns or misgivings about their leadership. I have been guilty of putting people in place just to fill a void but it always came back to bite me.

I have only appointed a few leaders in my tenure here but I take a lot into consideration. Not only their gifts and abilities as a teacher/ leader but also their temperment

diakoneo

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 **4/8/16 3:06 pm**

Hey Sheik, thanks for answering the questions there.

I have been praying about starting another Sunday school class. Yeah, with me teaching. I know that would be a stretch, but I have done it before with New converts. It was working good, then got derailed by some nathering neighbobs of negativity. Smile

Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **4/8/16 3:54 pm**

I always enjoyed teaching Sunday School but I just have so many responsibilities with preaching two services it's just not feasible for me. If you're in a position to do so, then at least you know you don't have to worry about having someone faithful in that slot. Plus that gives your new members a way to connect with you outside of the pulpit !

One of our teachers is a KJVO guy. He does a great job with his class and has great attendance. Our curriculum is NIV but he doesn't follow it because he has strong convictions about it. I had a meeting with him and he assured me he would not be divisive about it.