A Great Sunday School Opening Your Sunday School opening should fit your corps. • Your Sunday School opening could be a united opening, youth only opening (with an adult version of fellowship over coffee and donuts), once a month opening, or once a quarter opening. • Your Sunday School opening should not be too long, only about 15 minutes. Teachers need the time to teach what they have prepared for their class. • Your Sunday School opening, if properly planned, can be used to promote a feeling of belonging and excitement for Sunday School. • Your Sunday School opening is not meant to be a time filler. Make it worthwhile!
Here are a few tips: Enthusiasm is contagious!
Your audience, no matter what their age, is like a mirror…they reflect what they see in you. You may need to do something to wake them up! So get excited about what you want to accomplish!
Meet in a bright, open area!
Where you meet should look especially inviting to children and their parents. If you want them to come, make them feel welcome and comfortable!
Keep it fast-moving if possible!
Most likely, your opening is targeting kids who may have short attention spans and tons of energy. Your Sunday School opening should not be too long, only about 15 minutes.
Use good, upbeat music!
We want to teach kids to praise the Lord. Music is one of the most effective tools to accomplish that goal. Singing can involve everyone. Use it before, during and after your opening! Have a children’s praise and worship team. It’s okay to just sing along with a real CD. Let kids create motions for songs since that will help them to remember what they are singing. (See listing of music resources.)
Involve people!
Plan whole group participation. Use small groups. Don’t always use the same people.
Use props and visuals!
This helps to keep interest and attention.
Don’t be too predictable!
Mix up the order of what you do. Get a little crazy! Make kids laugh! Keep interest by doing a variety of presentations from week to week—object lessons, no practice dramas, all praise and worship, “children’s five,” breaking up into small groups for an “assignment,” games, Scripture memorization, etc.
A Standard of Excellence in Your Sunday School “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me---put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4: 8-9 (NIV)
What does an excellent Sunday School look like? Here are some key practices common to excellent Sunday Schools: • EXCELLENT classes make great first impressions. • EXCELLENT classes offer a warm, inviting atmosphere. • EXCELLENT classes provide quality instruction. • EXCELLENT classes reach out to their visitors. • EXCELLENT classes care for their members.
How do you build a Sunday School ministry characterized by excellence? Be in prayer
Effective and excellent Sunday School teaching and ministry starts when leaders pray. Every corps officer, leader, and teacher should be personally praying: • for a teachable spirit and obedience to God’s will • for the Sunday School class members The entire church body should be praying on behalf of the Sunday School.
Do your homework
Know where you’ve been, where you are, and where you are going: • Chart the Sunday School/Christian Education program attendances for the past five years and determine causes for increases or decline. • Involve your leaders, soldiers and Sunday School members in evaluating components of your current Sunday School/Christian Education program. (We have included some evaluation sheets for your convenience.) • Consult with other corps with healthy Sunday Schools/Christian Education programs for guidance. • Contact your DYS for assistance.
Focus on one area at a time
Don’t try to change everything at once! EXCELLENCE is best pursued in ONE area at a time. Focus on ONE thing to improve in your Sunday School: • having an energetic, well-planned opening • building loving relationships within classes • implementing consistent visitor and absentee follow-up • improving the quality of biblical teaching • getting all your soldiers to attend • incorporating service projects into the teaching • having a great puppet, drama, or music ministry within your Sunday School • memorizing scripture in a measurable manner • developing an awareness of The Salvation Army’s world missions work • involving each individual in some way • adding a SONday’SCOOL® Christian Education program
Be ready
Starting something new without adequate planning, preparation, and promotion is akin to setting up for failure. • Be well prepared before starting anything new. • Recruit and/or get your current leaders to share your vision and passion for any new aspect or program change. • Provide them with any training that they will need to help to ensure the success of your new focus area. • Start to “advertise” your new focus to build up interest and enthusiasm. Having a Sunday School of EXCELLENCE takes time, but it is time well invested. As we consider the significance of the Great Commission, we MUST strive for EXCELLENCE!
www.lifeway.com and Elmer Towns, What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know, (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001).
Worship Music Resources for Sunday School Hallelujah Choruses
http://shop.salvationarmy.org Central Territory Resource Connection 847-294-2012; fax: 847-294-2298
SONday’SCOOL® Songs 800-334-4431 CD and songbook
Uncle Charlie & Rachel Sanchez Upward Bound Ministries www.unclecharlie.com 580-357-3052 CDs, worship kit series, DVD lyrics series
Ronnie Caldwell
Peaceable Kingdom Ministries www.pkmi.org 615-794-8772 CDs, teaching videos
Mr. Bill Music
www.mrbillsworld.com 888-808-9595 CDs, soundtracks, videos
Jill Anderson
Worship for Kids www.worshipforkids.com 800-743-2634 Worship kits with DVD lyrics
Integrity Music
www.integritymusic.com 800-533-6912 CD series, DVD lyrics
Go Fish
www.gofishguys.com 651-592-0622 Fun CDs & DVDs that appeal to all ages
Kurt Johnson
Mr. J. and the Kid Possible Band www.kidpossible.com 425-747-1461 CDs, tapes, songbook, videos
Dean-o & the Dynamos
www.biblebeatmusic.com 866-656-2328 Upbeat CDs, cassettes, videos/DVDs, soundtracks, lyrics & sheet music Also: online music and videos, weekly Bible studies, memory verses
G3 Kids Worship Music www.G3kids.com 800-211-2221 Worship kit series
Promiseland (Willow Creek) Every Move I Make and other CDs motions and songs 1-800-570-9812 www.willowcreek.com
Various
www.christianbooks.com 800-christian (800-247-4784) Search: Worship Together + kids iWorship Psalty “Brentwood Kids” “Cedarmont Kids” “Praise Baby” “Shout Praises” CDs, videos/DVDs, soundtracks, sheet music, songbooks (most sung by kids)
Brentwood Kids
Order videos from www.familychristian.com Search: “Brentwood Kids”
Evaluating Your Sunday School Overview • Our ultimate goal in Sunday School is to bring people into a relationship with Jesus Christ and help them to grow in their walk. • It is helpful to include all Sunday School staff in the evaluation process as this will help them to take ownership. • It is also wise to approach an evaluation as a means of rallying enthusiasm and goal-setting for the Sunday School. Before any evaluation and planning, be sure to make spiritual preparations: read the Bible and pray for God’s direction…you can’t stress this enough! Ask yourself: • What strengths can we celebrate? • What areas need improvement? • What are our priorities? • What are some realistic goals? • What action plans will we take to improve one area at a time? • What follow-up will we do to make sure we are making progress?
These are some areas that should be evaluated: Facilities
• Facility assessment is relatively easy to undertake. From the cleanliness of a rug in the toddler room to the availability of a projector in the adult classroom, regular facility evaluations should be made.
• Focusing on things as if you are a visitor can be eye-opening! Before you begin this new Sunday School year, make sure you evaluate your facilities and take care of needed changes. • See page 199 in the book How to Have a Great Sunday School, which was included in the emphasis material. Attendance
• Has there been an increase in your Sunday School attendance over the last year? • Do the officers and local officers set a good example by attending a Sunday School class? If not, they may be sending a negative message that Sunday School is not important enough for everyone to be attending. • What is your plan for following up with prospects and absentees to increase attendance? • Do you truly want to grow? • One place to look is to those who attend your worship services but not Sunday School. There are materials in this emphasis that are meant to promote Sunday School attendance to this group.
Effectiveness
To know if your Sunday School is accomplishing its goals means that you need to know exactly what your Sunday School should be doing. • List the different parts of your Christian Education programs. • Have students, teachers and corps leaders each do an evaluation. • Use the information to improve the quality of your Sunday School. Here are some questions to encourage discussion in the following key areas:
BIBLE STUDY/DISCIPLESHIP • Do all classes have and actually use the appropriate WordAction material? • Are students moving beyond simple learning of Bible information to applying the Scriptural truths to lead transformed lives?
• Do we have a class for all age groups? • Do we need to start an additional, special interest adult class? • Are members encouraged to take part in discipleship programs other than Sunday School? • Are members encouraged to memorize Scripture? • Is prayer a set apart time in every class? • Are members helped to identify their gifts and give back in some kind of ministry?
OUTREACH • Does your corps have at least one major outreach event a year? • Does your community have a need for an outreach SONday’SCOOL® program? • Are your Sunday School members encouraged to invite their friends and family to attend Sunday School? • Do you have an in-place plan for visitation and follow-up?
EVANGELISM • Are all Sunday School teachers trained for evangelism? • Are all Sunday School members taught how to share their faith? • Are decision opportunities intentionally planned? • Are people in place specifically praying for the unsaved in your corps and community? • Do some of your outreach events have evangelism as their central purpose?
FELLOWSHIP AND SERVICE • Are visitors and members alike greeted with genuine warmth and hospitality? • Do your classes have an environment of grace, acceptance, support, and encouragement?
• Do your classes spend time in intercessory prayer? • Does your adult class have someone other than the teacher to head up a “caring ministry” for class members and newcomers? • Are visitors and members alike contacted by phone, mail, email, or a home visit when absent? • Do your Sunday School classes provide opportunities to build relationships through social activities beyond Sunday morning? • Do your Sunday School classes provide specific ministry and service opportunities in and out of class? Teacher training
• Is there an ongoing plan for recruiting and training new teachers and volunteers? • Do all Sunday School teachers and volunteers comply with the Safe from Harm guidelines? • Are teacher training sessions provided on a regular basis? • Does your corps intentionally affirm and recognize the important role that Sunday School teachers and volunteers play? • The most sensitive area of evaluation deals with assessing the performance of teachers. No one likes to be criticized, and a very few people will voluntarily put themselves in a place where they might be evaluated. However, you can have teachers do selfevaluations (a sample is provided) that may be helpful and lend to some less threatening discussions of the results.
Quarterly Sunday School Student Evaluation We want our Sunday School to be the best it can be for you. We value your opinion. Please help us by checking your personal opinion about the following:
1. Today my Sunday School teacher was: (Check as many as apply)
❑ ❑
Prepared On time
❑ ❑
Interesting Informative
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Enthusiastic Challenging
Comments:
2. My favorite thing about Sunday School is:
3. If I could change one thing about Sunday School, I would:
Please check your age group:
❑ Adult ❑ Senior High ❑ Junior High ❑ Elementary School ❑ Preschool Parent Please use the reverse side for any questions, comments, suggestions, or problems you’d like to communicate to our corps’ leadership. Thanks for your help! Please drop off at the office or in the offering plate.
Sunday School Teacher Self-Evaluation Check the statements that apply to you.
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
I read one book or at least two articles on teaching this year.
❑ ❑
I varied my teaching methods.
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I included at least one service project or fellowship activity in the last 6 months.
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
I pray regularly for my students, my lesson, our Sunday School and Corps.
I attended a teacher workshop this year. I was prepared to start class on time every Sunday. I tried at least one new idea in the past quarter. I spent at least two hours a week preparing my lesson. I solved discipline problems as they came up. I made contact with each student outside of class-by letter, phone, or a personal visit during the last quarter and made immediate contact with visitors and to pupils absent two successive Sundays.
I (or someone I arrange for) change the bulletin boards in my classroom on a regular basis.
I know something personal about each student – a hobby, a like, a dislike, a goal, a concern.
I plan decision opportunities into my lesson. My class seems responsive and interested. I had at least one good laugh per class session. I went away from most classes feeling good about it. I am pleased in my answers to these questions.
Now analyze each of the above answers and make some notes for improvement. Be as specific as possible because nothing happens until we get specific.
The Sunday School Resource Book Convenient
This resource book is published and sent to your corps twice a year.
Practical
In it you will find: • Sunday School openings • Sunday School teachers’ meetings and devotionals • Multiple resource ideas for any programming
Current
Many of the ideas are printed with permission from Group and other well-known publishers. These are not ideas that are just taken from old issues. Everything is new.
For your Sunday School teachers and leaders
If you have not used it for awhile, please take a look! This resource is awesome!
The “Sunday School Stroll” Evaluation One of the most meaningful methods of evaluation for a Sunday School leader is to take a casual, unrushed walk through the Sunday School on a Sunday morning. If you are “the Sunday School staff” in terms of leading and teaching, have your corps officer or other local officer take the stroll for you! As you observe your ministry in action, try to gain an overall feeling for the atmosphere. • Is it a positive atmosphere? • Are there smiles on faces? • Do learners seem interested? • Do teachers appear to be enjoying their teaching experience? If you can be observant without being too obvious, you will soon get a fairly good reading of the dynamics taking place. If possible, carry out this simple practice frequently. Not only will this increase your visibility in the Sunday School, but for comparative reasons you will be able to gauge how things are going from week to week. Report After your “Sunday School Stroll,” report your findings: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Used with permission from Excellence in Principles of Sunday School Leadership, by Timothy M. Beadle, published by Youth and Candidates Dept., Toronto, Canada.
Whatever Your Sunday School Program, Do it with Excellence Alternative ways to do Sunday School
Here are a few “alternative” structures for Sunday School that can be adapted to The Salvation Army’s approved WordAction curriculum.
Learning centers
Set up various stations within a classroom or building that the children rotate through. To keep it more structured, the teacher can assign the stations and then everyone moves clockwise at a given signal. Before starting, the teacher needs to quickly explain the directions for each center. The two main criteria for selecting activities for learning centers are: • that they meet students’ needs and abilities • that the activities have a purpose within the teaching aim of the lesson. Some centers may stay the same during a particular unit. You can have a variety of centers: art, drama, communications, Bible story (the WordAction curriculum), writing, music, research, books, puzzles, nature, etc. This is the perfect structure for Corps Cadets to get a start in leadership. This rotational approach can also be used for the whole Sunday School with the children spending the entire week at one center before rotating to the next center the following week.
Team teaching
When two or more teachers work together to develop, plan, and teach a lesson it is referred to as “team teaching.” There are different ways to use team teaching: • Within a multi-age classroom, divided into two groups. While one teacher does the WordAction Bible lesson, the other teacher can work with a smaller group on, for example, Scripture memorization or a craft project.
• Teachers can take weekly turns teaching the Bible lesson and then divide up for other activities. • Teachers have more flexibility with this structure. One can do the planning for a month, while the other just assists. Then, they switch for the next month. It is adaptable to the teachers and students. If you have a range of ages, mix your groups to allow the older kids to help the younger ones. • By using this method to recruit new teachers, you give them an opportunity to partner with a more experienced teacher. Sidewalk Sunday School
Take your Sunday School on the road! Pack up a truck or van with a portable stage and go to places away from your usual site----neighborhoods, housing projects, laundromats, parks, etc. To read more about this go to www.claychurch.com/Sidewalk.html
Intergenerational Sunday School
The occasional united Sunday School is a great way to get everyone involved and interacting. This can be done in many ways: • The lesson can be presented to the large group and then within the same room, breakout groups can have a short age-appropriate assignment that they can do and then present to the whole group again. • Or perhaps the lesson could be presented in a drama form, followed by the little ones coming up for a “children’s sermon” on the same lesson. Then the whole group can be divided into small groups, with at least three generations represented, to discuss a question that even the youngsters can understand. The younger children could then go off to do some praise and worship singing while the remaining group probes into a deeper discussion of the topic. • Another way to use a united Sunday School is for it to be only a special event for kids. Schedule them quarterly or around holidays to allow the regular teachers a “day off” from teaching so that they can attend an adult class.
• For ideas to get you thinking try to look at the book Making Scripture Memorable by Susan L. Ling, Standard Publishing or Sunday School Specials by Group Books or the Great Worship for Kids series by Standard Publishing.
SONday’SCOOL
The midweek SONday’SCOOL approach can be a strategic entry point for unchurched families. • Many children spend weekends with non-custodial parents making it difficult to participate consistently in Sunday School on Sundays. • While the children participate in SONday’SCOOL, the parents could be ministered to through parenting, tutoring, men’s and women’s ministries, or skill-building classes which all allow for relationship building. • The aim is to reach these unchurched families with the Gospel message along with the additional hope of bridging them into the corps and the traditional Sunday School on Sunday. • Visit www.hopeshare.org for a brief overview. • Ask your Divisional Youth Secretary for information.
Worship Music Resources for Sunday School Hallelujah Choruses
http://shop.salvationarmy.org Central Territory Resource Connection 847-294-2012; fax: 847-294-2298
SONday’SCOOL® Songs 800-334-4431 CD and songbook
Uncle Charlie & Rachel Sanchez Upward Bound Ministries www.unclecharlie.com 580-357-3052 CDs, worship kit series, DVD lyrics series
Ronnie Caldwell
Peaceable Kingdom Ministries www.pkmi.org 615-794-8772 CDs, teaching videos
Mr. Bill Music
www.mrbillsworld.com 888-808-9595 CDs, soundtracks, videos
Jill Anderson
Worship for Kids www.worshipforkids.com 800-743-2634 Worship kits with DVD lyrics
Integrity Music
www.integritymusic.com 800-533-6912 CD series, DVD lyrics
Go Fish
www.gofishguys.com 651-592-0622 Fun CDs & DVDs that appeal to all ages
Kurt Johnson
Mr. J. and the Kid Possible Band www.kidpossible.com 425-747-1461 CDs, tapes, songbook, videos
Dean-o & the Dynamos
www.biblebeatmusic.com 866-656-2328 Upbeat CDs, cassettes, videos/DVDs, soundtracks, lyrics & sheet music Also: online music and videos, weekly Bible studies, memory verses
G3 Kids Worship Music www.G3kids.com 800-211-2221 Worship kit series
Promiseland (Willow Creek) Every Move I Make and other CDs motions and songs 1-800-570-9812 www.willowcreek.com
Various
www.christianbooks.com 800-christian (800-247-4784) Search: Worship Together + kids iWorship Psalty “Brentwood Kids” “Cedarmont Kids” “Praise Baby” “Shout Praises” CDs, videos/DVDs, soundtracks, sheet music, songbooks (most sung by kids)
Brentwood Kids
Order videos from www.familychristian.com Search: “Brentwood Kids”
