Churches that have Sunday School will have to decide if it’s something to continue or not. Most churches I’ve been part of with SS struggled to incorporate new people into SS and there was usually a significant attendance difference between SS and the main service. Some switched SS with the main service thinking people would stay for SS afterwards if they came for the main service. Not sure how well that works.
What I do see is that more church plants do not have Sunday School. Part of the problem in a new church is renting space by the hour and the lack of appropriat.e space. It also might be confusing to have two starting times. We do not have Sunday School for those reasons and more. Our worship service might be longer than most, there is children’s church during the message, and nursery space. Some parents prefer to keep their children in the main service the entire time. We encourage people to be part of a weekly Grace Group in homes where they can study the Bible and fellowship. Having been in a SS church and now in a non-SS church I would not want to go back.
Sunday School can be useful if 1) it is used as a time for teaching deeper thinking on important doctrines, 2) the teachers themselves are qualified in knowledge, wisdom, and character, 3) it isn’t uber-segregated 4) it isn’t viewed as a mandate.
Too often SS classes are taught by someone with a pulse who has the spiritual discernment of coleslaw, using materials that are shallow and trite, and the classes are divided into age and demographics like college, singles, young marrieds, older marrieds, married with children, married without children, senior citizens, widowed/widowers, homeowners, renters, suburban, rural….
OK, so I started exaggerating at some point….
SS is a problem when it becomes the tail that wags the dog.
Any info as to how one could acquire this small group curriculum ?
4th Baptist Church uses Regular Baptist Press. I regard the material as A++ with this caveat: An adult teacher should plan on preparing 5-8 hours for a lesson and should not rely on the RBP material exclusively.
Regular Baptist Press material is:
Baptist
Dispensational
I would regard it as moderately separatistic
My criticisms: I think the discussion questions are largely lame.
I work with a young adult class. I ask the teachers to prepare 3 open ended questions for discussion.
The reason why ministries meet and “do” different programs is to accomplish ministry objectives. In the end it really doesn’t move me one way or the other if a church does this ministry or that ministry (including Sunday School). The question is what are the objectives of the church……and when/how do you best accomplish those without taking more time from individuals/families that is needed. Each church has to ask that question and then organize based on the needs of that individual church. We no longer have a Sunday PM service in our congregation - but we have kept the AM service, the AM Sunday School and the various small groups that meet through the week.
Straight Ahead!
jt
Dr. Joel Tetreau serves as Senior Pastor, Southeast Valley Bible Church (sevbc.org); Regional Coordinator for IBL West (iblministry.com), Board Member & friend for several different ministries;
Joel is right, what you want to accomplish has to drive how you function. SS should not be a sacred cow. However, it seems increasingly difficult for the church family to find time to be together and for the pastor have time with the flock. Cutting out the SS hour eliminates one more hour that the pastor has to invest with his people. In most settings, that hour represents 25-33% of the weekly corporate meeting time. Trying to balance all of the important goals the church must strive to accomplish is not easy.
Why is it that my voice always seems to be loudest when I am saying the dumbest things?
One advantage that I see with maintaining a SS program is that it gives an opportunity to focus on things that might not fit so well in another format. For example I have taught Sunday School in our church off and on and have covered topics like Creationism/Evolution, Apologetics, a contrast of some of the different views of sanctification, and I even did one on the date of Revelation to supplement our Pastor’s exposition of the book. They were well received ( as far as I know ) and people asked quite a few questions. I do agree that it should never be a test of a persons commitment. I remember when our children were young that it was like pulling teeth just to get everyone ready and out the door in time for the regular service.
Discussion
NewSunday School
Churches that have Sunday School will have to decide if it’s something to continue or not. Most churches I’ve been part of with SS struggled to incorporate new people into SS and there was usually a significant attendance difference between SS and the main service. Some switched SS with the main service thinking people would stay for SS afterwards if they came for the main service. Not sure how well that works.
What I do see is that more church plants do not have Sunday School. Part of the problem in a new church is renting space by the hour and the lack of appropriat.e space. It also might be confusing to have two starting times. We do not have Sunday School for those reasons and more. Our worship service might be longer than most, there is children’s church during the message, and nursery space. Some parents prefer to keep their children in the main service the entire time. We encourage people to be part of a weekly Grace Group in homes where they can study the Bible and fellowship. Having been in a SS church and now in a non-SS church I would not want to go back.
Stephen M. Davis, PhD
https://www.gracechurchphilly.org/ www.stephenmdavis.com
NewUseful
Sunday School can be useful if 1) it is used as a time for teaching deeper thinking on important doctrines, 2) the teachers themselves are qualified in knowledge, wisdom, and character, 3) it isn’t uber-segregated 4) it isn’t viewed as a mandate.
Too often SS classes are taught by someone with a pulse who has the spiritual discernment of coleslaw, using materials that are shallow and trite, and the classes are divided into age and demographics like college, singles, young marrieds, older marrieds, married with children, married without children, senior citizens, widowed/widowers, homeowners, renters, suburban, rural….
OK, so I started exaggerating at some point….
SS is a problem when it becomes the tail that wags the dog.
Scenescape Media
New4th Baptist has a robust ABF program
4th Baptist has a robust ABF program:
We love it and benefit from it.
Twitter
Jim's Doctrinal Statement
NewCurriculum
Any info as to how one could acquire this small group curriculum ?
Mr Bailey
New4th Baptist Church uses ...
4th Baptist Church uses Regular Baptist Press. I regard the material as A++ with this caveat: An adult teacher should plan on preparing 5-8 hours for a lesson and should not rely on the RBP material exclusively.
Regular Baptist Press material is:
My criticisms: I think the discussion questions are largely lame.
I work with a young adult class. I ask the teachers to prepare 3 open ended questions for discussion.
Twitter
Jim's Doctrinal Statement
NewThe foundation
The reason why ministries meet and “do” different programs is to accomplish ministry objectives. In the end it really doesn’t move me one way or the other if a church does this ministry or that ministry (including Sunday School). The question is what are the objectives of the church……and when/how do you best accomplish those without taking more time from individuals/families that is needed. Each church has to ask that question and then organize based on the needs of that individual church. We no longer have a Sunday PM service in our congregation - but we have kept the AM service, the AM Sunday School and the various small groups that meet through the week.
Straight Ahead!
jt
Dr. Joel Tetreau serves as Senior Pastor, Southeast Valley Bible Church (sevbc.org); Regional Coordinator for IBL West (iblministry.com), Board Member & friend for several different ministries;
NewJoel is right, what you want
Joel is right, what you want to accomplish has to drive how you function. SS should not be a sacred cow. However, it seems increasingly difficult for the church family to find time to be together and for the pastor have time with the flock. Cutting out the SS hour eliminates one more hour that the pastor has to invest with his people. In most settings, that hour represents 25-33% of the weekly corporate meeting time. Trying to balance all of the important goals the church must strive to accomplish is not easy.
Why is it that my voice always seems to be loudest when I am saying the dumbest things?
NewOne advantage that I see with
One advantage that I see with maintaining a SS program is that it gives an opportunity to focus on things that might not fit so well in another format. For example I have taught Sunday School in our church off and on and have covered topics like Creationism/Evolution, Apologetics, a contrast of some of the different views of sanctification, and I even did one on the date of Revelation to supplement our Pastor’s exposition of the book. They were well received ( as far as I know ) and people asked quite a few questions. I do agree that it should never be a test of a persons commitment. I remember when our children were young that it was like pulling teeth just to get everyone ready and out the door in time for the regular service.