Breathing Life Into Sunday School

Book excerpt: Breathing Life into Sunday School speaks to the most important ministry that churches have, their Bible teaching ministry. Although Sunday school goes by many names today, it is still a time-honored and effective ministry for teaching the Bible, reaching people for Christ, assimilating them into the church, and growing them as disciples. The majority of churches inside and outside the SBC utilize Sunday school and need to know ways to grow it and improve its health. Although Sunday school is an important ministry, many churches have not experienced its full potential. Sunday school is in decline in most denominations, and there is a lack of health and vitality that it once had. In many churches, the leadership of the Sunday school is in the hands of untrained laymen (Sunday school directors), or is led by the pastor who has no paid staff members, and who might even be bi-vocational. This limits the pastor's time to address the needs of the church's Sunday school. This book details twelve ways that a church can experience new life and vibrancy in its Sunday school ministry. The twelve essentials are replicable by churches of any size. Based on the author's extensive history and training in Christian education and Sunday school, he helps the reader focus on key practices that are needed in order for a Sunday school to grow. The 128 page book is designed to help church leaders train Sunday school directors, teachers, and group members of a Sunday school class or Bible study group.