Vision casting

A new book I am pleased to be a contributor.

Casting a consistent vision is vital if the Sunday school is to excel. Gideon’s strategy as pastor and vision-caster is to communicate a consistent, solid message about the purpose of Sunday school to the members and leaders. Inola does not chase fads or make constant, sweeping changes about its vision. Pastor Gideon is consistent in promoting Sunday school as the primary strategy for evangelism, discipleship, and ministry.

The pastor is not only the champion of the church’s Sunday school and its vision-caster, but he is also the team leader. Early in his tenure at the church, Pastor Gideon wrote the church’s Sunday school vision. The vision outlines- the church’s purpose behind having Sunday school, how the ministry will be led, the expectations of the organization in general and of its leadership in particular as well as job descriptions for each ministry position in the church. Gideon printed his vision for Sunday school and distributed it to every member of the church so that everyone knew his plans and heart for a Sunday school of excellence that would impact not only the town of Inola but also engage the church in missions through the Sunday school ministry.

Gideon writes: “When we are faithful to live our lives in obedience to God, seeking to glorify Him, excellence is the result. I believe if we ‘do not merely look out for your (our) own personal interests, but also for the interests of others’ (Philippians 2:4) by praying for the lost, ministering to the lost, and sharing the Gospel with the lost, we are following the example set forth by the early church in the book of Acts. My desire is to see every Sunday school class and/or department build upon this vision by implementing prayer coordinators and teams, ministry coordinators and teams, and evangelism coordinators and teams. I have a vision of seeing missions and church planting becoming a part of the DNA of our church family. However, in order for this to happen, it first must become part of the DNA of our Sunday school.”
Steve Parr. (2013). Sunday School that Really Excels.