What Are the Fundamentals of a High-Definition Sunday School?

Some of these will be discussed at greater length in other chapters, but I want to go ahead and mention them now.

1. Proper Enlistment of Leaders

The significance of proper enlistment of your leaders cannot be overemphasized. If you fail at this point, then the other points have no significance. Our enlistment process is so vague that it leaves the potential worker looking at a fuzzy 1960 television screen instead of a modern high-definition, flat-screen TV. An improper enlistment procedure creates future problems to which we must react. Conversely, a thorough enlistment process proactively abolishes the problem before it gets started. As the great philosopher Barney Fife said, “Nip it in the bud.”

2. Quality Training

Research clearly shows that trained leaders are better leaders. In fact, quality training turns a worker into a leader! The more knowledge and skills people acquire, the more empowered they feel. A worker with little knowledge and little skill does not feel confident to lead others. As workers grow, they are now ready to lead others. Hence, they have grown from workers doing tasks to leaders empowered to take others on the journey.

3. Ongoing Sunday School Leadership Meetings

It is imperative that Sunday School leaders meet on a cyclical basis. The work of the ministry must always be planned, coordinated, and tweaked. This cannot happen without a time that is set aside for this purpose. The choir has to meet regularly to plan and coordinate their music. The deacons, committees, and other church entities do the same. So should those leading the most important ministry in the church—Sunday School! It is important to plan the work so you can work the plan.

4. Open Enrollment

We should be constantly enrolling new Sunday School members. We want everyone participating in Bible study. The Word of God is powerful and can bring transformation. Open enrollment simply means that anyone can enroll at anytime. They do not have to be saved or even be church members. At First Baptist Church Woodstock 55 percent of our new members have been previously enrolled in Sunday School when they join the church. If we get them in Bible study, they have a great opportunity to get saved and join the church. In addition, since they are now on the class roll, someone should be calling them and keeping up with them. Fundamentally, we must see Sunday School as an “open door” organization and not a “closed door” society.

5. Starting New Classes

The beauty of starting new classes is that it involves more people in the work of reaching people, teaching people, and ministering to people. Every class must have a leadership base to sustain it. If there are twenty classes, there are twenty people teaching a class; twenty outreach leaders, twenty class secretaries, maybe fifty care group leaders, etc. If there are forty classes, the numbers are doubled, and more laborers are in the field generating twice the harvest.

The purpose of building strong foundations and constantly practicing fundamentals is to avoid failure. Again we look to Webster’s II New College Dictionary that defines failure as “the condition or fact of not achieving the desired end.” Failure is a part of life. We all fail, and that is why Jesus came—to deliver us from our failure. We must grasp the reality of experiencing some failures because life will have many. I agree with the old cliché that the road to success is paved with failures. I am not afraid of failures, but I am terrified with failure. It is OK to have some failures, but we do not want to be a failure. Why? We have only one life in which to win our victories.

Taylor, A. (2009). Sunday school in hd. Nashville: B&H.