A church can grow again

A new book I am pleased to be a contributor.

Inola, Oklahoma is a small town with a population of 1,788 people located about twenty miles east of Tulsa. Known as the “Hay Capital of the World”, Inola is also home to a church that excels in doing the basics of Sunday school. Although the church’s Sunday school is on the rise, it had not always been that way. Like many churches, the First Baptist had lost its focus: its focus on evangelism, its focus on discipleship, and its focus on Sunday school. The church’s best days appeared to be behind it. Church members, though faithful, were discouraged. Due to some inner church conflicts, the trust of the people in one another (and in the future of the church) was broken. But with the calling of a new pastor and renewed zeal for evangelism and discipleship, things began to turn around.

During the interview I had with the pastor and the leaders of the church’s Sunday school, one could almost feel the enthusiasm and energy in the room. These people are mobilized and motivated to give leadership and direction to a new course of action for their church and their Sunday school.
Steve Parr. (2013). Sunday School that Really Excels.