Perhaps you are the new Sunday School Director in your church. Perhaps you've been on the job a long time and are very experienced.  The ideas below can help you build a Spirit-led, Bible-centered, people-reaching, transformational Sunday School. You can say, "With God’s help and guidance, and with much prayer, this is my action plan for leading our Sunday School to be a great people-reaching, Bible teaching force!"  ... And may God bless you bountifully! -Robert Stewart

Ø      Obtain rosters of current faculty, names, addresses, and responsibilities.

Ø      Identify vacancies and areas of under-staffing.

Ø      Interview pastor and staff ministers as to their hopes and dreams for the church’s Bible Teaching Ministry. Invite each to help compile a list of strengths and a list of challenges.

Ø      Visit in the homes of and interview Age Division Directors or key age group leaders as to their hopes and dreams for the church’s Bible Teaching Ministry. Invite each to help compile a list of strengths and a list of challenges. Offer to visit with them into the homes of their teachers and workers.

Ø      Check to see if adequate and appropriate curriculum is available. Take corrective action as needed.

Ø      Examine attendance record "system." Check on supplies and utilization for each class.

Ø      Evaluate prospect discovery and assignment plan; check on effectiveness of reporting visits and contacts.

Ø      Determine procedures for obtaining, storing and distributing teaching supplies and resources. Enhance availability of visual aids, newsprint, markers, and teaching resources. 

Ø      Compose and send an introductory challenge letter to all teachers and workers. Enclose a "What are Your Dreams? How Can I Help?" survey and stamped return envelope.

Ø      Begin a strategy to visit in the homes of all workers by the end of January.

Ø      Compile a mailing list with birthdays and anniversaries. Plot dates on a calendar to be reminded to send notes and cards and to make congratulatory phone calls.

Ø      Make it a point to always be positive, affirming, and enthusiastic about our Sunday School and church when talking with any worker.

Ø      Help strengthen our effectiveness in reaching people, unchurched and secular as well as misplaced church members. Guide in organizing Classes and departments effectively for Inreach and Outreach.

Ø      Examine and improve prospect files, Reach Out Pockets-Cards class notebooks, and assignment strategy follow-through.

Ø      Encourage and lead every adult and youth class to enlist an Outreach-Evangelism Leader.

Ø      Provide opportunity at least monthly for the Outreach-Inreach Team to gather for prayer, sharing testimonies, and for training. Consider 9:30 – 9:50 Sunday mornings, during the other SS workers meetings at 7:15 - 8:00 Wednesday nights, or a quarterly visitation blitz and fellowship. 

Ø      Review church calendar for last 3 years and list training events, study courses, and conferences attended. Discover how many attended and who attended.

Ø      Survey leaders to determine past experience, perceived needs and interests, and suggestions for future skill development.

Ø      Examine study course and Christian Development Diploma Plan records.

Ø      Prepare a draft for a year-round training strategy to present at the Church Council Retreat September 15-16.

Ø      Establish a potential worker discovery and training process to begin in late January 2001.

Ø      Assist in publicizing and encouraging attendance of teachers at the Wednesday night teachers’ meetings and lesson overviews.

Ø      Set in motion a guided reading strategy. Select key books; write list of names in the inside front cover (in order of most likely to read to least likely); give book to first person on list, asking him/her to read the book or marked chapter(s), to initial by his/her name, then to give the book to the next person on the list, giving that person the same instructions. In about 6 months invite all who read a particular book to my house for fellowship and a summary and brainstorming about implications from that book for our church.

Ø      Lead SS Leader team to calendar and plan for at least 4 training events during the year.

Ø      As time allows and need dictates, identify one person with potential with whom to develop mentoring (Paul to Timothy) Attend training conferences with this person. Provide special books and articles to read and videos to view, then discuss together. If necessary and appropriate, teach a class or lead a department for a month to demonstrate and model effective teaching.

Ø      Go on a "Prayer Walk" through the building with pastor and/or minister of education. Stop in every room briefly to read the class roster and to pray for teachers and members. Make notes about classes obviously well arranged and utilized. Make notes on observable needs and good work being done.

Ø      Perform a "Space Study" to determine available square footage per room, number of people (adults-youth; children; preschoolers) suitable for room size, and compare with current enrollment and attendance patterns. Speculate on reassigning space for better utilization.

Ø      Evaluate storage areas allocated for teaching supplies. Survey needs and plans for making supplies easily and readily available.

Ø      Plan and conduct a special SS worker appreciation event, banquet, feature in a worship service, or an opening SS rally one Sunday in September or October.

Ø      Buy 4 boxes of scripture-text "Encouragement" cards from a Christian bookstore. Keep cards near my TV watching place ready to write several notes each week. Write notes based on observations from Saturday night or Sunday morning "Prayer Walks" through the building and my observations about quality teaching being done.

Ø      With permission of the teachers, work together to schedule specific times to visit in every class or every age group. Try to visit, have lunch with, or a fellowship time with workers in that class within two weeks of having made the class or department visit. 

Ø      Pray for my fellow team members specifically and by name.

Ø      Schedule some "Reasoning Together With God" time at least once a month. Get away to a quiet place for a couple of hours.

Ø      Utilize drive time and waiting on stoplights for intentional prayer. Post prayer reminders on the car visor.

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