ACTIVITY #16 – “Where Do You Go From Here?”
(This activity has three parts. First, read the information listed under Part 1 and then answer the “Questions to Think About.” Part 2 is designed to get you thinking about specific things that you and your church might do to help make your Sunday school even better and more effective. And, Part 3 asks YOU to make a personal commitment for things that you are willing to do to help bring about real positive change in your own life and in your Sunday school.)
PART 1 – “Before We Look Ahead, a Look Back…”
Sunday school traces its history back more than two centuries to the town of Gloucester, England. There, in 1780, a young printer by the name of Robert Raikes became concerned about the children of his community.
This was at the time near the start of the Industrial Revolution, when children as young as 8 and 10 years of age were working 10 to 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in Gloucester’s yarn mills. Their only day off was Sunday. The children were not getting any education and on their one day off, many of the kids would roam the streets in gangs, creating a real uproar.
Robert Raikes saw the problems and came up with a solution. He went out into the streets and gathered up a number of these boys and hired two women to teach them “the 3 R’s” (reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic) and the Bible. This was the first “Sunday school.”
For more than 220 years, Sunday school has been an effective tool to help people of all ages learn more about God, the Bible and His will for their lives. But, what will Sunday school be like in the future? Will Sunday6 school continue to be an effective force for teaching what’s right and what’s wrong? Will it continue to be a place where children and youth are led to find Jesus Christ? Will persons of all ages be led to see the relevancy of the Bible to their personal lives? And, will the love of God truly shine through the lives of each Sunday school student to help make the world a better, more just place?
When we talk about the future of Sunday school, we are not just talking in abstract, general terms. We are talking about YOUR Sunday school. As we come to the end of this “Steps To Sunday School Success” video workshop, remember the importance of Sunday school – the importance of YOUR Sunday school. And, remember too, the future of your Sunday school –what your Sunday school will become by this time next year and over the years to come – will, to a large degree, depend on YOU! Will you do your part?
Questions To Think About:
1. Think about the history of Sunday school. What changes have you seen in Sunday school during your lifetime? Have these changes been “good” or bad?”
2. Do you believe that Sunday school is still important today? Why?
3. Why is a strong, growing Sunday school important to you? Why is it important to your church?
PART 2 – “Planning To Reach Your Goal”
(Before you work on this activity, go back to your notes from “Activity #4.” In that activity we asked you to “dream a little” and come up with a list of goals that you would like to see for your Sunday school. Take another look at those “goals.” Are these practical goals that are attainable over the next year or five years? As a first part of this activity, you may wish to re-think the goals that you would like to establish for your Sunday school. (Important Notes: The goals that you came up with back in “Lesson Two” may have been a little lofty and may not be attainable and you may wish to make them a little more practical. However, don’t overdo it. Stay positive! Continue to have faith that God will do great things within your Sunday school and that you will see real growth and renewal.)
Now think about how you will reach the goal or goals that you have for your Sunday school. Below is a list of suggestions that you might consider as you work to develop a plan of action. Remember, it is not intended for you to try to do everything on this list. Think about both the problems and the good things that you see in your Sunday school. Also, think about the goals that you have in mind. Then, read through the list below, looking for specific things that might be useful in helping to promote growth and renewal in your areas of concern.
As you read through the list, check the items that you find interesting and those that you see as having possible benefits for your church and Sunday school. After you have gone through the entire list, go back and think more about the items that you have checked. As you continue to think about each item, prioritize your list and narrow it down to several specific things that might be done to bring about positive change and improvement in your Sunday school program. Write a short paragraph to outline the plan of action that you would suggest to help bring about growth and improvement within your Sunday school.
Ideas For You To Consider…
Look at the following list of activities that could be used to help bring about growth and renewal in your Sunday school. Which of these activities are you now doing? Which might you be able to include in a plan for growth for your Sunday school? What additional ideas would you suggest?
1. _____ Begin new adult classes.
2. _____ Hold teacher training.
_____ Sponsor a class on the basics of teaching.
_____ Sponsor a workshop about Bible history, people, traditions, etc.
_____ Sponsor a weekend retreat for Sunday school teachers.
3. _____ Promote your Sunday school.
_____ Include a “Sunday School Page” in each issue of your church newsletter.
_____ Create a “Sunday School Bulletin Board.”
_____ Create posters about the importance of Sunday school and place them throughout your church or community.
_____ Create a banner about Sunday school and place it in your church.
_____ Distribute bulletin inserts and tracts about the importance of the Bible, Christian education and Sunday school.
_____ Have a short “Christian Education Moment” reading about the importance of Sunday school read within your worship service.
_____ Encourage classes to hold studies about the value of the Bible and Christian education.
4. _____ Conduct a Sunday school enlargement campaign.
5. _____ Conduct an attendance contest.
6. _____ Hold a Sunday school promotional event.
_____ Hold a tree planting ceremony.
_____ Create a “Sunday School Banner.” Give each member a 6” square of felt. Ask them to cut out a design (maybe a heart) and decorate it.
_____ Hold a “Sunday School Open House.”
_____ Hold a community social event, such as a block party or community covered dish meal.
_____ Hold a “Sunday School Children’s Fair.”
_____ Hold a “Sunday School Parade.”
7. _____ Create opportunities for service.
_____ Hold a Sunday school work camp. Do work around the church or for needy families, the elderly, shut-ins, etc.
_____ Organize a “Sunday school mission project.” Encourage each class to hold fund raising projects to collect funds for the project. Urge children’s classes to collect coins.
8. _____ Develop a ministry to your shut-ins, elderly, etc.
_____ Develop a “home study packet” for use when families will be on vacation or when they know they can’t be in class.
_____ Begin a Sunday school tape ministry. Record the presentation of the lesson by one of your teachers. Make copies of the tape anddistribute them to shut-ins, etc.
9. _____ Recognize and thank your Sunday school teachers and workers.
_____ Give certificates of recognition to your teachers.
_____ Give small gifts to each of your teachers.
_____ Ask members to write cards or notes of thanks to their teachers.
_____ Hold a teacher recognition dinner, lunch or breakfast.
10. _____ Hold a Sunday school-wide fellowship event.
_____ Hold a “pot-luck dinner.”
_____ Hold a family fun night or game night.
_____ Sponsor a family talent night.
_____ Plan a time of fellowship before or after the Sunday school hour.
_____ Encourage classes to hold class or family fellowship events.
_____ Hold a “Sunday school birthday party.”
_____ Hold a Sunday school breakfast.
_____ Hold a Sunday school picnic.
11. _____ Hold a special Sunday school service.
_____ Hold a Rally Day service.
_____Hold a homecoming service.
_____Hold a “flip-flop” Sunday (reverse your usual service times.)
_____ Hold a “Children’s Day” service.
_____ Hold a Sunday school hymn sing.
_____ Sponsor a contemporary Christian music or praise service.
12. _____ Hold special spiritual renewal services or events.
13. _____ Sponsor a special Sunday school prayer service.
14. _____ Create opportunities to involve children and youth.
_____ Hold a poster, essay or other creative contest.
_____ Allow children and youth classes to present skits.
_____ Allow children and youth to participate in leading devotional times.
_____ Encourage the youth (and young adult) classes to create a video “commercial” about the importance of the Bible and Sunday school.
15. _____Develop a plan for finding and reaching new prospects.
_____ Conduct a community survey.
_____ Urge children to invite their friends; give prizes.
_____ Urge families to get to know their neighbors and invite them.
_____ Look for new arrivals in the community.
_____ Invite families and individuals to come to social activities sponsored by the church or Sunday school classes.
_____ Follow up on V.B.S. and special activities like Christmas programs. Invite visitors and families to Sunday school.
16. _____ Make visitors feel welcome and plan a follow-up outreach to visitors.
_____ Prepare a “visitors welcome packet” with a copy of the current church newsletter and other information about your church and Sunday school enclosed.
_____ Have a map of your church in the entry area. Have the location of each classroom for each age group, etc. clearly marked.
_____ Be sure each visitor is welcomed as they enter the church. Have someone take each visitor to their proper classroom.
17. _____ Develop a plan to contact drop-outs and irregulars.
_____ Develop a plan to contact drop-outs with a postcard, letter, note, phone call, E-mail, visit, etc., to let them know that they are missed.
_____ Work to maintain contacts with persons away at college or in the military. You might send a “care package” of goodies to each of these folks once or twice each year.
18. _____ Provide special family outreach programs.
_____ Have families adopt a “grandparent” from the congregation.
_____ Provide “extended family” involvement for the singles of your church.
PART 3 – “Will YOU Make a Commitment?”
As we come to the end of the “Steps to Sunday School Success” workshop, we want you to think about what you can and will do to help your Sunday school grow. How will you put the information and ideas from this workshop into practice?
Listed below is a “Personal Commitment Card.” Use this section to make a commitment to take two definitive steps toward Sunday school growth and renewal. First, what will you do to deepen your own personal faith and commitment to Jesus Christ? Second, will you make a commitment to witness to a friend or relative, to tell them about Jesus Christ and to invite them to Sunday school? And, second, what can you do to help bring about growth and renewal within your Sunday school?
On the card below, write the name of an unsaved or unchurched friend or relative that you will tell about Jesus Christ and/or invite to Sunday school. Below their name, write what you will do to witness to this person or how you will go about extending an invitation to them.
Next, read a statement about making a commitment to help bring about growth and renewal in your Sunday school. List one or two specific things that you are willing to do. Then sign and date this “commitment card.” You might wish to cut out this card and place it in your Bible as a reminder of your commitment.
My Personal Commitment…
I make a commitment to try to deepen my own personal faith and commitment to Jesus Christ by _______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
I make a commitment to witness to _______________________________________ and/or invite them to attend Sunday school with me. I will _____________________________________________________________________.
I also make a commitment to help bring about Sunday school growth and renewal within my home church. I will _______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
Signed ___________________________________________ Date ____________
An Additional Thought:
As we come to the end of the “Steps To Sunday School Success” video workshop, it is important to think again about why Sunday school is important. First and foremost, Sunday school is important because it is about Christian education – helping all persons of all ages learn about the Bible, our “Handbook For Life.” Why should we be studying the Bible? Because of the central character in the Book – Jesus Christ. And, why is Jesus Christ important? Because he is the way – the only way!
Sunday school is important! And, because Sunday school is important, it is important for every person – every leader, every teacher and every ordinary member – to be involved in helping to make their Sunday school the very best that it can be – to the glory of God!
Even though the “Steps To Sunday School Success” video is ending, we hope that you will continue to do all you can to work for growth and renewal within your Sunday school, and to look for even more ways to make your program even better and more effective. Remember, if your Sunday school is to grow – to a large degree – it will be up to YOU!
