|
Help!
I am a new Sunday School Director!
by Robert Stewart.
To send an email or suggestion, click
here.
"Help! They've asked me to be the
Sunday School Director. What do I do?" This article suggests
nine areas of opportunity and responsibility a new Sunday School Director
might consider. It is written as a covenant a Sunday School Director might
make with the pastor and church. Very few directors can accomplish all
nine challenges, nor the actions within each challenge. However, every
Sunday School director can select two or three challenges and actions
to work on this year.
Nine Challenges &
Opportunities for the Sunday School Director
"I am the new Sunday School
Director in my church. With
God’s help and guidance, here is my action plan for leading our Sunday
School to be a great people-reaching, Bible teaching force."
*
Obtain rosters of
current faculty, names, addresses, and responsibilities.
*
Identify vacancies
and areas of under-staffing.
*
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.
*
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.
*Check to see if
adequate and appropriate curriculum is available. Take corrective action
as needed.
* Examine attendance
record “system.” Check on supplies and utilization for each class.
* Evaluate prospect
discovery and assignment plan; check on effectiveness of reporting visits
and contacts.
* 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.
Robert Stewart is a Church Growth and Congregational Coach, former Bible Teaching-Reaching Team Leader, Congregational
Services Group, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, recently
retired and in personal coaching ministries.
rstewart55@nc.rr.com
|
