Here at our small church (in MN), we are evaluating our approach to Christian Education, specifically Sunday School. While Sunday School works wonderfully in many churches, others have considered it a worn-out approach, and are utilizing other ideas. It seems (at least here) that doing things by rote "keeps the lid on" positive change. We're looking around for other ideas or formats to try this summer. Has anyone tried another approach to Sunday School/CE that has worked well? What are you doing that's effective and working? Also, what has been anyone's experience with taking the summer off from Sunday School classes? Does it foster new enthusiasm at end-of-summer start-up, or does it have the effect of putting the damper on a good habit of attending weekly classes?

-- Anonymous, June 02, 2000

Answers

For the past 3 years, we have engaged in a Monday through Friday educational ministry. It is a low-cost (financially), high quality education program providing a proper biblically based curriculum in a "one-room" setting. It has greatly enhanced the education of our young people. In addition to learning the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic, we emphasize scripture memorization and character building. In the past three years the students have memorized the first four chapters of Genesis, the book of James and the book of First Thessalonians (including my 9-year old daughter).

The program has required 3-5 staff members for 5 hours a day (we have all been volunteers, not paid). At any given time there are usually 2 staff members present. It meets the minimum requirement of the state education program and by the grace of God we have seen a tremendous rise in the CAT performance as well as the SAT scores.

Our top enrollment has been 16 students, so it would definitely serve as an example of how a small church can get big results.

If you want more details, e-mail me and I will send them.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2000

I'm surprised at the lack of 'conversation' this thread has generated. I was glad to see it asked in hopes of seeing some practical discussion..... and have been disappointed. Sunday School is very, very important. Children are inundated by non-Christian information from all sides.... it is a great opportunity to instill the Word in them. And, of course, it is the only learning opportunity many adults have (or take) as well. Perhaps the 'Evangelism' thread that was started elsewhere would be the place to ask it....

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2000

Why is Sunday School in particular so important? At least for adults?

I am now at my second congregation in a row with no adult Sunday school. Both congregations put an emphasis on daily time in devotion to prayer and study, small groups meeting during the week, and the more mature in faith mentoring the younger one on one. Both congregations are also the two fastest growing congregations I have every been a part of and they both have extremely high involvement by members in ministries. (one exceeded 200 in attendance and 100 members before the one year anniversary of its planting, the latter is 2.5 years old, more than 600 in attendance and about 230 members. Both have more than 80% of members involved in some sort of lay ministry).

If one is committed to adult Sunday Schools as a method of meeting the purposes of community/church, check out the book "Why Nobody Learns Much of Anything at Church: And How to Fix It" by Thom Schultz. Emphasizes teaching students how to learn as much as what they learn. Great book however you teach groups, be it through Sunday schools or other methods, though the focus in the book is SS and sermons.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Mark W.,

I didn't necessarily mean to imply that Sunday School is more important than other aspects of Christian Education.... although, I can see that it might have appeared that way. However, IMO, Adult Sunday School is an important part of Christian Education. I would be interested in knowing WHY you did not have adult Sunday School in the churches you mentioned.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Well, the answer I originally gave never showed, though others I gave elsewhere (other threads) have appeared. Let me try again.

In the previous church I was at, one where I was on the leadership team (new church, pre-elder), we had two hour Sunday assembly with a 40-55 minute sermon. The sermon was sometimes interactive (questions could be asked, occasional discussion, really just enough to make sure minds were engaged for that length of time -- keep 'em awake). We had discipleship groups meeting during the week in homes, each with an hour or more of study. And new Christians were mentored by more mature Christians. So we achieved the purposes of Adult SS in other ways.

Now, we could have had Adult SS in addition, but we wanted balance. We asked members to commit to family time, hospitality times (time spent building relationships with non-Christians with the eventual goal of planting seed), ministry time (doing, not studying) on and on. We felt that too many churches spend too much time studying and meeting with one another and not enough time doing ministry and reaching out to the lost. We felt we did plenty of education without robbing the "doing" time.

Similarly, my current church, Crosspointe, is trying to balance ministry, fellowship, worship, outreach, and discipleship. Facilities are partially to blame for not doing more, but what facility access we do have must be balanced with the other purposes. Adult SS is not in the plans ever, but other discipleship related activity is, held up by facilities, leadership development (Crosspointe has grown so fast, mostly drawing the non-Christians into the fold, that lay leadership is lagging), and full-time staff (two openings (was three last month before the hiring of a worship minister) with a current ministry staff of five (was four until Mike started last week)).

Maybe this response will stick.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Mark, who's your new worship minister?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Mike Frasier (or maybe that is Frazier -- haven't seen his name in print yet). Just started Sunday. Our previous guy in the position, Eric Otto, took a pulpit position at a church in Virginia Beach.

Mike is former worship minister of a church in Indiana. I don't know which one or even the city -- no one has mentioned it publicly and in my private communications with leadership the subject hasn't come up. His bio hasn't made it to the web page, so all I know is that he has a wife and two children and is apparently formerly Baptist, having trained for ministry at a Baptist college.

One down, two to go -- though we may end up creating another position or two while we fill the two current openings. Kind of depends on what happens in the next few months.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

What other positions are you looking to fill?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Sam,

Crosspointe hires to five areas (beyond general ones to large affinity ones like "youth" and "children's"). Those five can be expressed as magnification i.e. worship, membership (or fellowship), maturity (discipleship/education), ministry, and mission i.e. evangelism.

The next two hires go to maturity and ministry, which will give Crosspointe one in each area plus a youth and children's ministers. The maturity position's duties as they have been described to me will be to organize and oversee a midweek service and to share the pulpit with Steve. And actually, given the space issues in Cary, Steve is now looking to find a second facility to rent Sunday mornings rather than a larger facility to fill the gap until our building is ready in two years (we hope only two years). So the maturity minister will likely be preaching most Sundays, though probably he will have to prepare only 20 something Sunday sermons per year, preaching them one Sunday at one campus and another Sunday at the other campus. The goal for filling this position had been this month, but replacing Eric Otto pushed that back a bit.

The other position, for ministry, will co-ordinate lay ministries run by members and will take a primary role in equipping members appropriately for their ministries. I understand that this position will also have some adminstrative duties, so some sort of business background will likely be expected in any seriously considered applicant. The target time to hire had been in the 4th quarter of this year; I don't know if there will be a push back.

Anyone reading this who wants to apply or to nominate someone can found out the process for doing so by firing a note to Steve Larson at steve@crosspointe.org. The only thing I know about the process is that Steve looks at character, chemistry, and compentence, in that order, in making hiring recommendations.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

With the emphasis on educating our children in the ways of the Lord, perhaps some more thought should be given to the Monday through Friday aspects rather than merely the Sunday "School". What do you think?

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2000

Should I begin a new thread with the previous question?

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000

Keith,

The Monday thru Friday aspect of CE is part of the alternative to Sunday School - certainly; but my original question is from a different context. Small churches (such as ours, under 100) simply don't have the horses to offer that kind of ministry.

I'm a little surprised that your question didn't draw response from home-schoolers (are there any out there?). That's how many Christians are answering the need you raise, and apparently are effectively dealing with in your context.

So, to elaborately answer your question - yes.

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000