Several of my friends across the country and I have begun praying that a new groups movement would sweep our nation. One of my friends, Bob Mayfield who serves the Lord through the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma reminded me today:

The First and Second Great Awakenings were large assembly awakenings where powerful expositors such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards preached the Gospel. The 1858 Prayer Revival was a lay-led awakening initiated by – prayer. Could it be that the next great awakening to sweep over our nation is a lay-led movement involving a million or more new groups and new group leaders?

What if a million new Bible study groups were started at church, in homes, or in businesses? What if each group reached ten people? That would be an addition of ten million people involved in these new groups. Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Christian Resources has shared that an average of three lost people will be reached in each new group. That would mean three million lost people would encounter God's story through Bible study and in the lives of Christians in a small group setting. According to most pastors with whom I have talked, at least half of those lost people would accept Jesus as Savior and Lord within a year. That could mean 1.5 million people baptized, discipled, and sent into the harvest.

There is no question our Lord expects us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). And there are many ways to do so, but my friends and I are convinced that a new groups movement is key. But it all begins with PRAYER!

I want to invite you to join me in prayer for this new groups movement every Thursday, at 7:30 AM Eastern time. As we all gather in our own unique places to pray before God, let’s pray:

• for the Gospel to be shared with every person in America;
• for the Lord of the harvest to raise up leaders for new groups;
• for our leaders; pastors, Sunday School directors, education ministers, and denominational servants to be humble and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and open to the possibilities that new groups offer to engage people with the Gospel and the Christian community;
• that we will see spiritual transformation among ourselves and across our nation;
• for partnership and cooperation; and
• for spiritual wisdom and insight.

For other ideas about new groups, check out these blog posts:

• Simple Steps to Launch a New Sunday School Group
• Check Out Sunday School’s Most Un-Popular Expectation
• How Can We Get New Members in Sunday School/Small Groups?
• Doubling Sunday School Classes Really Works!
• Launch New Sunday School Classes on Special Occasions Like Father’s Day
• How BIG Is God’s Vision for Your Sunday School/Small Groups?
• Feature a Different Sunday School Class in Worship Each Month
• Biblical Images for Starting New Classes/Groups
• Five Sunday School Challenges

 

One of my sisters and her husband are flipping a house. In layman's terms, they bought and are working on the house with the intent to sell it for a profit.

The term "flipped" in the classroom, on the other hand, means something else entirely. A flipped classroom is "the moment when you allow your students to struggle, ask questions, solve problems, and do the "heavy lifting" required to learn the material." In other words, it is when we stop talking and "flip" the work to them instead (Faculty Focus newsletter, 3/25/13 edition).

There are several key opportunities when flipping the classroom in Sunday School can be greatly beneficial:

• when you see boredom slipping in,
• when you see lack of understanding,
• when you want learners to grasp something that is more difficult,
• when you want involvement and learning energy to increase,
• when you want them to focus on the most critical part of the lesson,
• when sharing together will create greater evaluation and further thinking.

• in pairs have them respond to a critical question;
• divide into groups of 3-5 to work through a case study (a story with problems related to the truth of the lesson):
• divide into debate teams to consider various sides of an issue:
• in groups of 2-3, have them share where they struggle related to the truth of the lesson and how they could respond:
• pair off and have learners practice an application activity or response related to the lesson:
• read a life or news story and ask subgroups to prepare a Christian response;
• give individuals an index card on which to write open-ended questions related to the lesson, collect anonymous cards, shuffle, and distribute to groups;
• and so many more possibilities.

For more ideas about learning, check out these blog posts:

• Discipling Outcomes from Sunday School, Part 2
• Crafting a Sunday School Lesson to Lead to Learning AND Action
• Learning Styles in Adult Sunday School
• Sunday School Learning Environment
• Characteristics of Effective Sunday School Learning Experiences
• Evidences of Learning in Sunday School
• Revolutionary Sunday School Teachers Engage Learners
• Moving Adults Toward Deeper Levels of Learning in Sunday School
• Transformational Sunday School Does More Than Lecture, Part 1
• Transformational Sunday School Does More Than Lecture, Part 2
• Can Sunday School Classroom Arrangement Impact Disciplemaking?
• Planning an Adult Sunday School Learning Experience
• Improve Learning Retention in Sunday School
• Generating Excitement about Learning in Sunday School, Part 4
• Challenge Your Sunday School Class to Practice the Spiritual Discipline of Scripture Memorization

I recently had a friend in another state ask several of friends (including myself) if they had any experience in moving from two hours of Sunday School to one. He was seeking advantages to the change as well as pitfalls that might be experienced. There are several reasons why this issue may need to be considered:

• recent construction/completion of educational space,
• significant decline in attendance,
• need to change the Sunday morning schedule (especially lengthening worship or time between Sunday School and worship),
• a move toward more off campus groups,
• and more.

Having worked with some churches who have taken this course of action, here is what I shared with him:

Advantages of moving from two Sunday School hours to one:

• Setting up rooms is easier (only have to set once for Sunday)--don't have to clean up after first in order to be ready for second
• No communication needed between those who share space on Sunday morning
• Easier to distribute records to classrooms once without fear of the second set getting misplaced
• Communication about when Sunday School takes place is simpler
• Planning a teacher/worker meeting on Sunday before Sunday School is simpler (only have to meet one set of teachers)
• Teacher enlistment is slightly less confusing
• Only need one Sunday School secretary (and/or Sunday School director or assistant)
• Classroom signage is simpler
• Can examine the Sunday morning schedule and start worship earlier (lengthen worship time)
• Only need preschooler care for two hours rather than three

Disadvantages of moving from two Sunday School hours to one:

• People today prefer choices
• Some people prefer to come early and leave early (often senior adults) and others prefer sleeping in a bit and coming later (often young adults)
• Offering Sunday School after worship makes it easy to invite guests to go with me now to Sunday School rather than inviting them to come next week
• One Sunday School usually means fewer classes when combined and will almost certainly result in lower attendance
• One Sunday School usually needs fewer workers meaning former workers will be slightly less regular in attendance and less care will be provided (fewer shepherds cannot care for the same number of sheep as more shepherds did)
• There will be fewer available classrooms for growth in one hour
• Have to decide what to do with workers from Sunday School hour that is being dropped
• Have to communicate with workers and members from Sunday School hour that is being dropped
• For some churches, this change with be difficult to reverse (move back to two hours) even if needed
  

What would you add to my response from your experience? A move from two Sunday School hours to one hour does not have to be a step backwards. But think thoroughly about the decision before you make it. Don't allow this decision to slow or stop growth. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!

For more ideas about Sunday School space and facilities, check out these blog posts:

• Revolutionary Adult Sunday School Classroom Space
• Conduct an Adult & Student Sunday School Space Walk
• Assigning Sunday School Space to Preschoolers and Others
• What Do Growing Sunday Schools Do When They Run Out of Classroom Space?
• Flake’s Formula for Sunday School Growth: Provide Space and Equipment
• Creative Places for Sunday School Classes and Small Groups to Meet
• How to Evaluate Your Sunday School Facilities
• Is the Size of Your Sunday School POT Keeping You Small, Part 2
• Would You Like to Double Your Sunday School Space?
• Plan, Don’t Rush, Your Launch of Multiple Sunday Schools
• Do You Have Enough Sunday School Space?
• Does Parking Impact Sunday School Growth?
• Why It’s Best Not to Use Tables in Sunday School Classes
  

 

In my previous blog post, Job Description: Sunday School Class Secretary, I wrote about the responsibilities of the class secretary. Today's post, on the other hand, describes the role of the general (total Sunday School) secretary. The Sunday School Secretary supports the Sunday School Director and the Sunday School Growth Team (see Job Description: Basic Sunday School Growth Team for a list and duties) through keeping good records, making reports, and securing needed resources, supplies, and curriculum.

Here are some of the areas in which a Sunday School functions and focuses:

• processes weekly attendance records from all classes--seek to include every latecomer;
• works with classes to maintain accurate and up to date master file member and prospect contact information (Identify and Invite Sunday School Prospects, Part 3);
• transfers, adds, and removes persons from class enrollment according to church policy (see Use Your Sunday School Records to Reach and Care for More People, Part 1 and Use Your Sunday School Records to Reach and Care for More People, Part 2);
• works with classes to order, secure, and distribute needed/requested curriculum, resources, and supplies;
• meets monthly with the Sunday School Growth Team;
• prepares monthly (and annual) reports about attendance, enrollment, prospect, change, and others as requested prior to the monthly Sunday School Growth Team meeting.

In most cases, there are three levels of member and prospect contact information to be kept updated. There is a master file maintained by the Sunday School and/or church office. Then there is a class file that is maintained by the class; changes are reported to the Sunday School Secretary. Then there is an assignment/report copy for members to make contacts with absentees and prospects and to report results of contacts. The class file helps in case the assignment/report copy is lost, and the master file helps for when a class file is misplaced.

MONTHLY, QUARTERLY, AND ANNUAL REPORTS:

The planning team will benefit from regular reports which include (but are not limited to) the following:

• total enrollment and enrollment by age group (preschool, children, youth, and adult) and how much each changed from last month;
• total attendance and attendance by age group and how much each changed from last month;
• number of different people who attended at least once during the month and how it compares to previous month;
• how enrollment and attendance compares to goals set at the annual Sunday School growth retreat;
• number of total prospects and by age group;
• number newly enrolled this month and number dropped this month;
• literature cost per quarter and how it compares to what was budgeted;
• annual summary of the above shared with the Director, Pastor, and church.

• What Does a Revolutionary Sunday School Director Do on Sunday Morning?
• Job Description: Basic Sunday School Growth Team
• Expressing Appreciation for Sunday School Teachers/Workers
• Sunday School Director Job Description, Part 1
• Foundational Pillars of a Sunday School that Grows, Part 5

When Sunday School leaders have job descriptions, they will tend to understand their job, expectations, and how to complete assignments successfully. Without a job description, a class secretary will tend to do what he/she has seen done previously or what was explained when enlisted. The task is important so enlist with a job description.

He or she is more than simply a counter of people present. Consider the following responsibilities for the class secretary:

• maintain class records and prepare reports including enrollment, contact information, attendance, prospect contact information, and prospect contact results (detailed below);
• track progress toward class goals;
• request and disburse curriculum, resources, and supplies;
• serve as a part of the class leadership team (detailed below); and
• train an apprentice class secretary to cover for absences and prepare for another class start.

• track member attendance and any change;
• receive weekly written reports of care group leaders about status of group members and prospects;
• assign prospects and new class members to care group leaders/maintain updated care group assignment lists;
• update individual member and prospect contact information (phone, address, e-mail) regularly; and
• share reports of class progress on goals with class and/or Sunday School director as requested by teacher or other class leaders.

• report on changing attendance patterns of individual class members;
• list of members/absentees needing additional contact and/or ministry gathered from care group leader and member reports;
• progress toward class attendance, enrollment, and contact goals;
• report on status of individuals on the class prospect list;
• attendance pattern versus space/chairs available;
• projected need for additional curriculum, chairs, or space; and
• need for additional care group leaders due to class growth.

This valuable team member can help the class maintain care for members at a high level while assisting the class to reach out to prospects. Keep good records. Care for members and prospects. Make disciples. Be revolutionary! For more ideas about the work of the class secretary, check out the following blog posts:

• Helping to Keep Up with the Joneses: The Job of the Class Secretary
• Sunday School Class Guest Follow Up, Part 1 and Sunday School Class Guest Follow Up, Part 2
• Advantages of Keeping up with Attendance in Sunday School
• Be Proactive, Not Reactive, in Your Sunday School Assimilation Efforts!
• Help New Sunday School Members Stay
• Grow Your Sunday School by Maintaining Great Connections, Part 2
• MIA: Sunday School Prospect List
• Counting Heads or Keeping Good Sunday School Attendance Records
• Use Your Sunday School Records to Reach and Care for More People, Part 1

Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research recently responded to research data by stating that spiritual maturity comes through “intentionality…in a disciple's life.”

Investing regularly in Sunday School or a small group is an important piece of an intentional spiritual renewal plan for a disciple. Just as an ember pulled out of the fire goes out, so also is spiritual progress extinguished when a disciple separates from other believers.

But spiritual renewal and progress demands more from the Sunday School or small group experience than regular attendance. Consider the following ten actions you can take to raise the level of your investment through your group in your spiritual renewal and progress.

Support your spiritual growth and group by . . .

• seeking God in Bible study in class and during your daily quiet time.
• praying for and inviting guests to class/group sessions.
• communicating regularly with group members.
• fellowshipping with group members and guests.
• helping group members in need.
• reading and preparing for class/group sessions.
• participating honestly and openly in class/group sessions.
• living out the truth learned in class/group sessions.
• serving in some way to strengthen the group and church.
• supporting efforts to launch new leaders and start new groups.

For more ideas about growing disciples through Sunday School, check out these blog posts:

• Sunday School, Disciplemaking, and Spiritual Disciplines
• Sunday School Attenders Reporting Application of Last Week’s Lesson
• Life Impact after the Sunday School Session
• Questions about Making Disciples Through Sunday School
• The Goal of Sunday School: Make Disciples not Teach Lessons
• Ideal Sunday School Class Size Issues for Spiritual Progress
• Accountability Partners in Sunday School
• Revolutionary Sunday School: Changing Converts into Disciples
• Sunday School/Small Groups Making Disciples the Way Jesus Did
• Transitioning from Sunday School Teacher to Disciple Maker
• Sunday School’s Biggest Impact on Disciplemaking
• Making Disciples Through the Sunday School
• How Can Sunday School Encourage Greater Daily Intake of God’s Word?

 

Want to make spiritual progress? Invest regularly in Sunday School or small groups. Consider these reasons:

• STUDY. One of the best predictors of spiritual progress is daily intake of God’s Word. “God's Word is truth, so it should come as no surprise that reading and studying the Bible are still the activities that have the most impact on growth in this attribute of spiritual maturity,” Ed Stetzer of LifeWay Research said. Classes and groups regularly support and practice reading, examination, and reflection.
• PRAYER. Christians on the path to spiritual maturity have a habit of seeking God through prayer and worship – not just in church but also as a part of their daily life as a way to please and honor God, according to a survey released by LifeWay Research. Classes and groups regularly learn and practice prayer.
• OBEDIENCE. When Christians have cheerleaders, they are more likely to live out the truth of God’s Word. “Many people think of obeying God as something they must do on their own,” Scott McConnell of LifeWay Research noted. “However, it's clear through the research findings that the teaching, encouragement and accountability … have a direct impact on obedience.” Classes and groups apply God’s Word through encouraging obedience and accountability.
• SALVATION. Andy Anderson’s research showed that one out of three lost people in Sunday School for a year came to know Jesus. Pastors recently shared that the number for their church is one out of one or two. The first step of spiritual progress is salvation. But another step is extending His love through personal witness and involvement in Sunday School or small group.
• CONNECTION. An ember pulled out of the fire goes out. Christians likewise experience difficulty in keeping the flame of personal spiritual growth hot on their own. Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, discovered that only 16% of new church members not involved in Sunday School were still involved in the church five years later. On the other hand, 83% of new members involved in Sunday School were still involved in church five years later. Spiritual progress is encouraged through relational connections provided in Sunday School and small groups.

For more ideas about discipleship through Sunday School, check out these blog posts:

• Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 1, Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 2, Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 3, Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 4, Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 5, and Sunday School: Growing One Disciple, Part 6
• Who Is Leading Disciple-making in Your Sunday School Class?
• The Simple Church Meets Sunday School Care Groups
• Growing Sunday School Equals Evangelism, Ministry, and Discipleship
• Revolutionary Sunday School: Changing Converts into Disciples
• Sunday School Teaching Methods for Impacting Discipleship, Part 2
• Taking Discipleship Seriously in Sunday School
• Transformational Sunday School Does More Than Lecture, Part 1

 

I have written many times over the last seven years about the job of the Sunday School teacher. Here are a few of those blog posts:

• Characteristics: Characteristics of a Good Sunday School Teacher, Part 1, Characteristics of a Good Sunday School Teacher, Part 2, and Characteristics of a Good Sunday School Teacher, Part 3
• Qualifications: Qualifications of a Sunday School Teacher, Part 1 and Qualifications of a Sunday School Teacher, Part 2
• Qualities: Sunday School Teacher Qualities
• Reasons: Reasons to Teach Sunday School
• Preparation: Five Questions for Sunday School Teachers
• Growing: Overcoming Hesitancy to Seek Evaluation as a Sunday School Leader, Sunday School Teacher Self-Evaluation, Sunday School Teacher, Is Your Relationship with Christ Stale?, and Improve Yourself, Improve Your Teaching
• Methods: The Best Adult Sunday School Teachers Are Facilitators and The Best Adult Sunday School Teachers Are Guides
• Listening: The Best Sunday School Teachers and Leaders Are Great Listeners! and Revolutionary Sunday School Teachers Listen to God, Members, and Prospects
• New: Advice for the New Sunday School Teacher
• and lots more.

What would you add or change about this job description? How is it different from your practice? How would this job description stretch you? Where will you need to adjust or change what you are currently doing? Press Comments below to share your thoughts and experiences.

For more ideas, check out these blog posts:

• Revolutionary Teachers are Tithers
• Plan Your Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day
• Benefits of Honesty, Openness, and Vulnerability for a Sunday School Teacher
• Sunday School Teacher: Desperate for God
• Highest Praise for a Sunday School Teacher
• Addressing the Dominator in Sunday School
• First Step Toward Sunday School Class Change: Prayer
• Raising Sunday School Expectations without Losing Your Hair
• The Best Adult Sunday School Teachers Are Guides
• Using the Bible in Adult Sunday School

 

In Sunday School Director Job Description, Part 1, I wrote about the various people with whom a Sunday School director works: pastor, teachers, general leaders, class leaders, planning team, finance team, facilities team, discipleship director, nominating team, and greeter team. In Sunday School Director Job Description, Part 2, I shared about major areas of responsibility for the director: mission, definition, retreat, pastor, accountability, enlist, budget, training, prayer, enroll, organize, contact, impressions, promote, fellowship, apprentice, and start. These two posts are fairly comprehensive.

Allow me to summarize the duties listed in Part 2:
1.        Lead teachers and workers to understand and pursue the biblical purpose, mission, and vision of Sunday School.
2.        Together with teachers and workers, develop a comprehensive Sunday School strategy statement.
3.        Plan and conduct an annual Sunday School growth retreat.
4.        Develop a strong relationship with the pastor and regularly meet to evaluate and plan Sunday School work.
5.        Gather the planning team monthly to evaluate progress on annual retreat goals, to make adjustments, and for training and communication.
6.        Invest in prayerful and personal Sunday School teacher and worker enlistment and care. Seek God-called leaders.
7.        Following your retreat, determine how much money is needed to carry out Sunday School growth plans. Present your requests to your budget/finance team.
8.        Plan and conduct Sunday School teacher and worker growth training at least twice annually. Make it creative.
9.        Set aside time (at least quarterly) for the church to pray for Sunday School.
10.       Lead classes to pray for, pursue, care for, and enroll new, lost, and unchurched people. Establish and practice good enrollment policies.
11.       Lead classes to enlist workers to carry out growth actions. This includes a secretary, outreach leader, care group leaders, greeters, and others.
12.        Challenge classes to make weekly contacts (visits, phone, letters/cards, and electronic) with every member and prospect. Lead members to report to ensure accountability and in order to measure progress.
13.        Enlist and train Sunday School and class greeters to greet and care for guests and members. Register guests. Encourage name tags.
14.        Lift up Sunday School by talking about it during worship, establishing special days, and communicating about it with members and the community on a regular basis. Share testimonies.
15.        Be a champion for monthly class fellowships and projects. Strengthen connections between members through regular times of fun, fellowships, and ministry/mission projects. Invite prospects and guests to begin connections with them.
16.        Expect every Sunday School teacher and worker to apprentice another one every year. This is an important step in discipleship for the leader and the apprentice. It also makes growth more natural. Prepare the apprentice to be launched on their own.
17.        Add more Sunday School classes at church and away. Send out the teacher or an apprentice and a seed group of one to five persons to help launch the new class. Identify space. Select and order curriculum. Pray for, care for, invite, and enroll new people. Coach leaders of the new class.

These four posts are helpful for new and experienced directors:

• Top Priorities of a New Sunday School Director
• What Does It Take for a Revolutionary Director to Lead the Sunday School?
• What Does a Revolutionary Sunday School Director Do on Sunday Morning?
• Free Training Materials for Sunday School Teachers.

• Where Can a New Sunday School Director Turn for Help?
• Job Description: Basic Sunday School Growth Team
• Sunday School Director: Moving from Fire Hydrant to Water Fountain
• Help for the New Sunday School Director
• The Many Hats of the Sunday School Director
• How Do I Develop a Sunday School Budget
• How Can We Write Sunday School Job Descriptions?
• Pastors and Sunday School Directors as Coaches

 

This evaluation, planning, and leadership team includes the following leaders:

• pastor,
• other church staff with Sunday School responsibilities,
• Sunday School director,
• Sunday School secretary,
• Sunday School outreach leader, and
• representatives of age groups: preschool, children, youth, and adult.

In most cases it will be helpful to keep the growth team under ten people. This will make planning faster, but provision will need to be made for seeking input on, ownership of, and help with plans.

What would be the major duties of this growth team? Consider the following (feel free to customize the list):

• meet together annually to evaluate progress, make adjustments, set goals, and make plans for Sunday School growth (discipleship, numerical, and missional);
• calendar dates for emphases and events which support the goals and plans for growth;
• meet together monthly to evaluate progress and make adjustments to plans for Sunday School growth;
• communicate goals, plans, vision, and message of Sunday School to other leaders and the church;
• provide encouragement, support, and direction for Sunday School leaders, including enlistment and training; and
• carry out effective growth plans, working with other church teams as needed (such as nominating, finance, facilities, and more).

For more ideas about your growth team, check out these posts:

• Sunday School Director Job Description, Part 1 and Sunday School Director Job Description, Part 2
• Sunday School Year in Review
• Steps to Start a Sunday School, Part 1 and Steps to Start a Sunday School, Part 2
• How LARGE Should We Make Our Sunday School Goals?
• Spend Time Together with Your Sunday School Team
• Sunday School’s Neglect of Planning, Part 6