Sunday School Organization
I have been doing quite a bit of Sunday School consulting lately with churches that have not had a Sunday School program in recent years. One of the question I am most often asked is: How do we organize our Sunday School ministry and our Sunday School Classes. I wanted to post some resources that I have come across that can help a church effectively organize its Sunday School Ministry. These resources are taken from Baptist State Conventions, Lifeway, and Churches that are doing an exemplary job in Sunday School ministry. Florida Baptist Convention Sunday School Resources Elmer Towns: How to Grow an Effective Sunday School Antioch Baptist Church Sunday School Teacher's Resource Manual KY Baptist Convention - How Should a Sunday School Class Be Organized FBC Tallassee Sunday School Class Organization Lifeway 5-Step Formula for Sunday School As a student of the Bible I enjoy reading and studying God’s Word. I am familiar with a number of Bible study methods, and know that it is important to read the Scriptures regularly. To be honest, however, I have been in a bit of a dry spell lately in my devotional life. I was finding my time of daily Bible reading a bit mechanical.
1. Churches don’t make disciples when: Church leaders have been diverted from their primary calling to “equip the saints” to the primary role of pastoral care.
What to do about it: The pastor models and supports disciple making throughout the church. The pastor demonstrates that one of his highest priorities is to disciple and train his staff and key leaders to be disciple makers. If the pastor makes discipleship a priority in his life, it will more likely be a priority in the church. 2. Churches don’t make disciples when: There is no clearly articulated definition of a disciple. What to do about it: Develop a biblical definition for a disciple and communicate it effectively to the congregation. Make a goal that the average church member will clearly understand the biblical definition of a disciple. Regularly engage the congregation with teaching and discussion concerning what it means to be a disciple. Be creative and visual in communicating the biblical definition for a disciple. 3. Churches don’t make disciples when: Programs rather than people are at the center of the disciple making strategy. What to do about it: Equip and release disciple making leaders. Don’t rely on the Small Group Ministry to make disciples. Programs don't make disciples, people make disciples. Employ the Disciple Making Equation: dml (disciple making leader)+re (relational environment)+rp (reproducible process)=discipleship Encourage relational disciple making. 4. Churches don’t make disciples when: The Christian life is thought of primarily in terms of eternal benefits rather than living as a follower of Jesus. What to do about it: Encourage people to live as followers rather than Christians. A Christian believes in Jesus for eternal life. A follower is on a journey to become more like Jesus. 5. Churches don’t make disciples when: Learning and discipleship are thought of as the same thing. What to do about it: Redefine discipleship in terms of who we are becoming rather than what we know or what classes we have taken. Have a curriculum that is based on moving people further along the discipleship path. Avoid the never-ending search for the next discipleship or small group study. 6. Churches don’t make disciples when: There is an inadequate view of community in the church. What to do about it: Encourage the understanding and practice of biblical community. Understand and remove barriers to biblical community. (Busy Schedules, Individualism, Immaturity, Sin) Practice relational integrity. Encourage participation in community building small groups. 7. Churches don’t make disciples when: There is no pathway to maturity. What to do about it: Develop a spiritual growth plan for your congregation and communicate it effectively. Train leaders to help people navigate the plan. Keep track each person’s journey. 8. Churches don’t make disciples when: The metric for success is participation rather than transformation. What to do about it: Help the congregation shift focus from participation to transformation. Develop a method of measuring/self-assessing transformation. Organize church ministries toward transformation rather than participation. Celebrate Transformation 9. Churches don’t make disciples when: There is no plan to get people into God’s word. What to do about it: Encourage daily Bible engagement Have a congregational Bible reading plan. Celebrate what God is doing in the lives of people through daily Bible engagement. Teach basic Bible skills and literacy. Final Testimony of a Disciple
Today, I was reading in the Gospel of Mark and I came across the following passage. Mark 3:13-15 (HCSB) 13 Then He went up the mountain and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14 He also appointed 12—He also named them apostles—to be with Him, to send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. I noticed that Jesus summoned His 12 disciples and he appointed them to do two things: 1) Be with Him 2)Go out and do the work of His Kingdom. It is interesting that Jesus first appointed the disciples to “be with Him”. The first part of a disciple’s call is to spend time with Jesus and be transformed by being with Him. It is by being with Jesus that a disciple is made fit to do the work of the Kingdom. Too often in my life, I have focused primarily on doing the work of the Kingdom and have sometimes neglected my primary call: to be with Jesus. Today, I also came across a video recording of Avery Willis’s final testimony. It was recorded shortly before his death in 2010. Avery Willis was a lifelong disciple maker and creator of the Master Life curriculum. Avery Willis exemplifies what it means to be a disciple. He devoted his life first to being with Jesus, and then to doing the work of His Kingdom. Watch this short video of his final testimony. I hope it is as inspiring to you as it is to me. Online Training for Church Leaders
As I write this blog post, I am preparing to host a church leadership conference that is expected to draw nearly 500 people in attendance. While conferences like this are a great opportunity to learn, many people find themselves, because of busy schedules, unable to set aside a day to attend leadership training. The Internet may be able to help in this situation by offering anytime training opportunities for church leaders. In cooperation with the Canadian Baptist Convention, The Florida Baptist Convention offers online training through the E-quip Church Leader Training Website http://realtimeleaders.e-quip.net Church leaders can use an online training portal such as E-quip to send training to their volunteers to be viewed at a time and place of their choosing. The leader would simply choose the appropriate training presentation, copy the presentation address link from the browser address bar, and paste it into an email to the volunteer. Then, the presentation could be viewed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Online training like this is a great way to present content, allowing for precious face to face interaction time with volunteers to be used for developing relationships, discussing ministry strategy, and providing encouragement. Check out the E-quip training site which hosts more than 150 training presentations and let me know what you think. realtimeleaders.e-quip.net Catalytic Spiritual Practices
In his book No Little People, Francis Schaeffer explains that the primary threat to the church is not other religions, secular governments, or atheist ideologies. The real problem is this: the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, . . . tending to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh rather than of the Spirit. The central problem is always in the midst of the people of God, not in the circumstances surrounding them. Francis A. Schaeffer, No Little People If Christ’s church is going to accomplish the mission that He gave us, we will need to do His work in the power of His Spirit. When the church attempts to do the Lord’s work in the power of the flesh it becomes a mere semblance of the church Christ intended. Fleshly churches resemble the true church of Christ in their façade, but underneath, they seem powerless to affect true life transformation and accomplish the Great Commission. Dallas Willard explains that the starting place for discipleship is the “transformed person.” This is not a call for activism. Instead it is a call for deep inner alignment with God’s purposes. The means by which we align our heart with that of God is prayer, which is the primary means of forming character. It combines our freedom with God’s power, resulting in service through love. Transformed hearts produce transformed persons, through and through, and deeds arise from the heart quickened by faith. The deeds of the kingdom arise naturally out of a certain quality of life. We cultivate that life in its wholeness by directing our bodies into activities that empower the inner and outer person for God and through God. Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy Engaging in catalytic spiritual practices can help direct God’s people toward activities that empower them to stop relying on the power of the flesh and release the power of the Spirit. In Acts 1-2 we see Jesus’ disciples gathering together to study God’s word, pray, worship, fellowship, minister to one another, and proclaim the gospel. It was in the context of these spiritual practices that the first missionary movement of the church was launched and the disciples were empowered to live out the call of the Great Commission to great effect. Spiritual Development Stages
A clear understanding of the spiritual development process is essential for developing Kingdom People. Mature disciples are not created overnight, but begin as new believers who reach maturity by growing through a developmental stage process. These stages of spiritual growth are: Seeker, Believer, Disciple, Disciple Maker, Servant Leader. 1. Seeker Stage - Primary Characteristic: Interested In the Seeker Stage, a person begins to get interested in the Bible, in God, and in being around Christians. It is important to understand that people in the seeker stage are not yet believers, and their interest should not be interpreted as faith. Primary Spiritual Needs in the Seeker Stage a. Safe place to explore their interests in God, God’s word, and God’s people. b. Good examples of Christian faith and life. c. Opportunities to build relationships with mature Christians. d. Opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. 2. Believer Stage – 1 Thessalonians 2:8-11 - Primary Characteristic: Needs to be Fed The believer stage is the beginning phase for new Christians. During this spiritual development stage, the primary activities of an individual are learning and growing. Individuals in this stage are hungry for God’s word, but they have not yet learned to feed themselves and are dependent on care and nurture from mature Christians who are committed to helping them grow. Primary Spiritual Needs in the Believer Stage a. Spiritual nurture and care by mature Christians in the context of Biblical relationships. b. Spending time, outside of church programming and events, with mature Christians who model a growing healthy faith. c. Opportunities to begin learning about their spiritual gifts and begin serving in ministry. d. Learn the basics of living out faith. e. Christian relationships as a foundation of unity, edification, and accountability. f. Opportunities to learn the principles, practices, and doctrines of Christian faith. g. Discipling Mentoring 3. Disciple Stage - The Disciple Stage is the initial stage of Christian maturity in which the individual takes spiritual responsibility for self. The disciple has learned to be consistent in living out faith, and is a doer of the Word who actively engages in living out the truths of Scripture. This person is also learning to be consistent in overcoming the sinful snares and entanglements of the world that hinder faith. Primary Characteristic: Feeds Self Primary Spiritual Needs in the Disciple Stage a. Encouragement to assume responsibility for own spiritual needs within the context of Christian relationships. b. Support in consistently living out faith and overcoming temptation. c. Mature Christian relationships as a continuing foundation of unity, edification, and accountability. d. Encouragement and guidance in discovering place of kingdom service. e. Continuing opportunities to learn the principles, practices, and doctrines of Christian faith. f. Discipling Mentor 4. Disciple Maker Stage Matthew 28:16-20 - Primary Characteristic: Feeds Others The Disciple Maker stage is characterized by spiritual reproduction. During this phase, an individual is ready and able to take spiritual responsibility for others. A person in the Disciple Maker Stage is committed to a lifestyle of sharing the Gospel, and nurturing other Christians toward spiritual maturity. Primary Spiritual Needs in the Disciple Maker Stage a. Encouragement to assume the responsibility for the spiritual needs of others as well as self within the context of Christian relationships. b. Support in consistently living out mature faith as a model for others to follow. c. Ongoing Christian relationships as a foundation for equipping others to grow in faith. e. Ongoing equipping for effectiveness in leading others toward Christian maturity. f. Opportunities to mentor others. 5. Servant Leader Stage John 17:6-19 - Primary Characteristic: Leads in Ministry The Servant Leader stage is characterized by leadership in Great Commission Ministry. A person in this stage not only takes spiritual responsibility for others, but is committed to developing and leading people who have the passion and skill to in turn develop others. People in this stage are generally key ministry leaders who multiply themselves in others. People in the servant leader stage may also be leaders in their families or demonstrate Servant leadership in other areas of life. Relationships are the foundation of disciple making. Jesus modeled the importance of relationships in His own disciple making ministry, and demonstrated that learning happens best in the context of relationships, where lives overlap and are shared. The overlapped life is the space where discipleship happens. This discipleship space is created when disciple making leaders build relationships with others for the purpose of multiplying themselves. Disciple makers must be intentional about creating environments where relationships can be built and discipleship space can be developed. Intentional Discipling Relationships can be illustrated by the following diagrams. Relational One to One Discipling Relational Small Group Discipling Discipling relationships are demanding and require a substantial investment of time and energy, which is why they do not happen without intentionality. Instead, relational disciple making groups are developed when a disciple making leader acts as a catalyst to bring people together for the purpose of spiritual reproduction.
Unfortunately, because of the busyness in the lives of many Christians, there is little room for life overlap resulting in little or no discipleship space. The diagram below illustrates how many Christians relate to one another resulting in ineffective discipleship. Non-Relational Small Group (Discipling rarely happens because there is no discipleship space) A few years ago, the Church Health Group asked the question: What should a mature disciple be like? We believed that the church’s effectiveness in developing mature disciples would be greatly enhanced when the goal of disciple making was clearly articulated. Through studying Scripture and consulting with experienced disciple making leaders, The Kingdom Person Strategy was developed. The Kingdom Person Strategy takes its name from its commitment to develop people who recognize and demonstrate Jesus as King and Lord of their lives.
The starting point for the Kingdom Person Strategy is the Great Commission: 18 Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (HCSB) Jesus’ goal for His followers was that they would be committed to the mission of developing people who demonstrated obedience to His commands. The Kingdom Person Strategy focuses specifically on Matthew 22:36-40, in which Jesus explained His expectations with regard to keeping the commandments. An understanding of this passage in the context of the overall message of Scripture makes it clear that a Kingdom Person organizes his or her life according to the Great Commandment: loving God and loving people as expressed in the following six dimensions: A Worshipping Person – lives worship by surrendering his or her own agenda and embracing God’s agenda. A Praying Person – has learned to hear the Father’s voice and respond to His mission, just as Jesus modeled. A Biblical Person – is developing a healthy Biblical framework for living and is committed to following Jesus in every area of life. A Serving Person - demonstrates love to one’s neighbor through willingness to put the needs of others above oneself and live out the truths of the Gospel. A Generous Person – extravagantly invests in the Kingdom of God and the well-being of His body. A Reproducing Person – is a disciple maker who leads others to lead others to live like Jesus. The first 3 characteristics—worship, prayer, and Scripture—represent the vertical dimension of the Kingdom Person and are ways we relate appropriately to God. The next 3 characteristics—service, generosity, and reproduction—represent the horizontal dimension of the Kingdom Person and are ways we relate appropriately to others. Developing Kingdom People Developing Kingdom People does not happen without an intentional and strategic process. While the details of the Kingdom Person process can vary based on a particular context, the essential elements for developing Kingdom People are: 1. Establish Biblical Foundations - A process for developing Kingdom People must be based on Scriptural principles and encourage reading and applying the Bible to life as a foundational component for spiritual growth. 2 Timothy 2:15 2. Encourage Relational Environments - Christian relationships are the key to developing Kingdom People. Jesus made disciples in the context of relationships. Relational environments promote effective learning based on modeling faith in real life situations. Genuine Christian relationships also promote unity, and provide an effective context for encouragement and accountability. Matthew 12:46-50. 3. Employ a Spiritual Development Process - A clear understanding of the spiritual development process is essential for developing Kingdom People. Mature disciples are not created overnight, but begin as new believers who reach maturity by growing through a developmental stage process. 1 John 2:12-14. An example of a spiritual development process based on 1 John 2:12-14 is provided in the Appendix. 4. Expect Maturity - Every follower of Christ must be expected to grow. An expectation of Christian growth and maturity must become the norm for the church. It is a serious problem when believers do not grow in their faith and fail to demonstrate increasing levels of spiritual maturity. Ephesians 4:11-14 5. Equip and Release Leaders - Developing Kingdom People is dependent on effectively developing and releasing leaders who are skilled and motivated to impact the lives of others by modeling maturity and helping others grow in their faith. 2 Timothy 2:2 Developing Kingdom People can be represented by the following model that combines the 6 dimensions of a Kingdom Person with the 5 essential elements for developing Kingdom people. Much of this content was developed my Mike Kahn of the Tampa Bay Baptist Association
Jesus did many wonderful things during His three years of ministry. He taught and preached, healed the sick, cast out devils, and much more. Certainly all would agree that one of His major emphases was His training of His disciples. Some of Jesus’ last words were, according to the Gospel of John, “As the Father has sent Me, so send I you.” He clearly commanded His disciples to be about the things that He was about: preaching, teaching, and of course, making disciples. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said to His disciples shortly before ascending up to Heaven, “Go and make disciples.” These Great Commissions, as we now refer to them, are a cornerstone of how ministry is to be done. We are to follow the example and commandment of Jesus by intentionally being discipled and then committing to a lifestyle of discipling others. What exactly is a disciple? The word disciple means to be a learner. However, it is much more than just understanding theological facts. A disciple is one who continues to learn biblical truth and then applies what he learns so that he can more deeply love and more fully obey the Lord. Discipleship is the life-long process of becoming a disciple or whole-hearted follower of Jesus. In the early church a believer in Christ and a disciple of Christ were almost synonymous. In the evangelical church today many mistakenly believe that believing in Christ is all that is necessary and that really following Jesus (being a disciple) is reserved for the pastor and leaders. They seem to think that discipleship is somewhat optional. Yet Jesus taught that all of His children are to grow to be His disciples. See the definitions sketch. Believer - Trusts Jesus as Savior for eternal well-being Disciple - Trusts Jesus as Lord (Master) for every part of daily living. According to the Bible, a disciple …. John 15:1-10 intimately knows and depends on Christ v.4-7 remains in the word of God (reads, studies, & memorizes it) v.3,7 prays often to God v.7 bears “much” fruit v.8 (fruitfulness in ministry/fruit of the Spirit) obeys and loves God v.10 Luke 14:26-27,33 loves Christ much more than anyone or anything else Luke 9:23 denies himself and takes up his cross daily Luke 6:40 who is fully trained becomes like Jesus Matthew 4:19 regularly shares the gospel with others 1. following Jesus – head 2. being changed by Jesus - heart 3. sharing Jesus - hands John 13:34-35 deeply loves others John 8:31-32 remains in (reads and studies) the word of God John 14:21; 15:10 obeys God Mark 10:42-45 sacrificially serves others Luke 6:38 gives generously The truths from the scriptures from the Gospels can be summarized in a few ways that clarify what God expects for His children to become. A disciple loves … Matthew 22:37-40, Luke 14:26, John 13:34-35 A disciple learns … John 8:31-32, Matt. 5 “You have heard it said … but I say to you.” A disciple lives … Matthew 7:24-27, John 14:15 Certainly God plays the major role in making disciples. He works in the hearts of each of us to draw us into a closer, more vibrant relationship with Him. He loves us, convicts us, encourages us, and much more because He desires to finish the work He began in us when He saved us. However, God most often uses others to disciple us. He uses corporate worship, preaching, and the teaching of His word to produce disciples. He uses books and resources to help us grow in truth. However, this alone generally does not produce the type of disciple that Jesus described in the Gospels. This is probably due to the fact that there is little accountability for learning in a large group environment. Truth taught in the context of loving and accountable relationships often is necessary for real life-changing learning to take place. Following the example of Jesus, discipling takes place in a small group of like-minded believers who intentionally study what the Bible teaches about being a disciple. This group not only learns biblical truths but also loves and exhorts each other to live out these truths and then pour them into others. Much of this content was developed my Mike Kahn of the Tampa Bay Baptist Association |
Tony HoffmanCampus Pastor at First Baptist Church in Leesburg, FL where his passion is to help people discover and live out their calling in Christ. Tony regularly consults, speaks, and teaches about discipleship and Christian education. Archives
December 2017
Categories
All
|