Details About The "Steps To Sunday School Success" Video Workshop...

The "Steps To Sunday School Success" video workshop is designed to help involved every member of your church and Sunday school in helping to bring about both growth and renewal within your Sunday school. In each part of the workshop, specific suggestions and ideas are presented with things that leaders can do, things that Sunday school classes and teachers can do, and things that ordinary members can do.

The following is a brief summary of each of the six lessons in the "Steps To Sunday School Success" video workshop:

Lesson One (part 1) – The first part of lesson one focuses on the importance of Sunday school. Each person needs to think about why they attend Sunday school – not just for themselves, but to share with others, too. We list five basic reasons as to why Sunday school is important: 1) because of its basic purpose, Christian education, 2) because of how we study the Bible in Sunday school, 3) because it is age-specific, 4) because of the fellowship that it promotes, and 5) because of the opportunities for service that it provides.

Lesson One (part 2) – In the second half of that first lesson, we use activities and questions to help participants see what their Sunday school is now like. It’s important to know where your Sunday school was in the past and where it is today. Every Sunday school has problems - and you need to work to make improvements everywhere that you can – but participants shouldn’t ignore the good things that are happening in their Sunday school either. Improvements can also come by making those good things even better.

Lesson Two (part 1) – In the second session we begin by helping participants look at the future of their Sunday school. Far too many leaders and workers in our Sunday schools today are so consumed with just trying to hang on to what they now have that they can even begin to think about the possibilities that are there in their Sunday school. Participants are then urged to "dream a little" and to use activities to imagine what their Sunday school could be like in one year and in five years.

Lesson Two (part 2) – In the second part of the second lesson we begin thinking about the specific areas of "preparation for Sunday school growth." In this lesson we look at the importance of spiritual commitment, growth and revival. We note that our commitment to God is most basic to every area of our life. Before a person can really be committed to reading God’s Word and doing God’s work, they must first be committed to Him! Jesus Christ must be number one in every Christian’s life. And, if participants are really to see their Sunday schools grow, the place to start is with spiritual revival. Also, we note that many of the problems that exist within our Sunday schools today are not so much problems in themselves as they are indicators of deeper problems – and most often these are spiritual problems.

Lesson Three (part 1) – In the first part of session three, we look at the importance of being open and welcoming to visitors and new members. It’s often extremely hard to get even one new person to come to your Sunday school. So, when new persons come, we need to be sure that we do everything that we can to make each new person feel welcome and accepted. Studies have show that one of the most important reasons why people attend a particular church is the feeling of community and friendship that they feel there.

Lesson Three (part 2) – In the second half of the third lesson, we talk about the importance of program and organizational renewal. To far too many people, "change" is a dirty word. They don’t like change. They want things to stay the way they are – comfortable and familiar. But, if the participants’ Sunday schools are not growing and if their present programs are not very effective, they are probably going to need to consider some changes. In far too many Sunday schools, things are done the same way they have been for the past 25, even 50 years. Even though God and the Bible have not changed, the world has changed! People have changed! The ways that people learn have changed! Because of these changes, we need to be willing to make improvements that will make our Sunday schools the very best and most effective that they can be.

Lesson Four (part 1) – In the fourth session, we start by looking at the importance of positive public relations and promotion. We note the importance of letting everyone – both in the participant’s own church and out in their community – know about the things that they are going and about the importance of Sunday school. It’s important to use every form of media that is available to us, but still, the most effective form of promotion is always one-to-one, personal contacts.

Lesson Four (part 2) – In the second half of lesson four, we talk about the importance of teacher recruitment, training and recognition. The Sunday school teacher has the greatest influence over whether or not a Sunday school class – and ultimately the entire Sunday school – will grow. Having good Sunday school teachers begins by recruiting the very best persons to serve as teachers as we can get. Most importantly, we want teachers who are born-again Christians and persons who live exemplary Christian lives. Beyond that, we also want persons who genuinely love the students that we are asking them to teach. They can learn the tools and the methods, but it’s very hard to teach them to love someone.

In this fourth lesson, we also look at the importance of teacher training. New teachers shouldn't just be thrown into a class. They should receive training in the basics of teaching and they should be given the opportunity to first work as a teacher’s helper or in Vacation Bible School. Every church should have a plan for finding and then training new teachers. They should also have a plan to provide on-going training and resources for all of their teachers.

In that session, we also talked about the importance of teacher recognition. Teaching requires a lot of hard work and commitment and more from each of our workers. Love for Jesus Christ and their students should be every teacher’s primary motivation, but still, they need to know that what they do is appreciated.

Lesson Five (part 1) – The fifth lesson begins by looking at the necessity of witnessing and inviting persons to come to Sunday school. You can make all of the changes and improvements in your Sunday school that you want, but if no one new comes, how is your Sunday school going to grow? Sunday school growth comes about mainly as the ordinary members of a church invite their friends, neighbors and others to join them in Sunday school. Sharing one’s love for Jesus Christ and Sunday school should be as normal and easy for every Christian as talking about any other person or group.

Lesson Five (part 2) – Session five is concluded by looking at the importance of prayer. There’s power in prayer. Every part of every Sunday school and every Sunday school growth and renewal effort must be totally wrapped in prayer. Prayer works! Prayer makes things happen! If any Sunday school is to grow…if our members are to grow in their commitment and knowledge of God…if new persons are to come to our Sunday schools…it’s going to take tremendous amounts of prayer!

Lesson Six (part 1) – The final lesson starts by first taking an in-depth look at what every "ordinary" member in our church and Sunday school can do to help bring about growth and renewal. It then leads participants through a review of the things that have been covered in each of the preceding lessons.

Lesson Six (part 2) – The workshop concludes by leading participants in two different activities that are designed to help them make definite plans for things that they can do to help bring about positive growth and change in their Sunday school. First, they are asked to consider a long list of new ideas and possible actions and programs that could be used to bring about both growth and renewal. In the second activity, each participant is asked to make a personal commitment related to things that they will do to help bring about change and growth in their Sunday school.

Have additional questions about the "Steps To Sunday School Success" video workshop? Contact the Pennsylvania State Sunday School Association, 5915 Fox Street, Harrisburg, PA 17112. Phone 717-652-1930 or 1-800-358-2303. E-mail us at psssa@epix.net.