Ten things Sunday School can do
to prepare for the future
The various clergy and church resources, futurists, bloggers, and number crunchers I follow* are predicting a very challenging future for churches. Most of them believe the pandemic exposed, accelerated, and let loose changes that will be with us for many years to come, if not permanently. Many of the changes were already "trends" before the pandemic -- membership and worship attendance decline, financial stress, declining numbers of children -- to name a few.
We can debate "why" attendance trends have been and will continue to be a serious issue — but not “if." Various surveys and experts point to several reasons for the trends so I'm not going to rehash them. Instead of hand-wringing and finger-pointing, I'm going to look at ways my Sunday School can adapt.
The BIGGEST CHANGE COMING that will affect "Sunday School" is attendance and the "quality" or definition of that attendance. By "quality" I mean the extent to which you as a teacher/leader engage and disciple the children and people in your care, and not in terms of "how many Sundays a month did they show up." Yes, it's easier to engage groups of people you can count on to attend each week, but if that's your only model for engagement both you and they will lose out. (Even Jesus moved from town to town.)
If you're one of the lucky churches with a good preacher who attracts people and a nice facility in a growing area, you might be able to use the old definitions of renewal. But for many, "renewal" probably won't mean an increase or renewal in attendance.
Renewal will first mean a renewed sense of purpose and commitment coupled with some new ways of reaching out, discipling, and equipping.
Ten Things Sunday School Leaders Can Do to Prepare for the Future
- Fear not. Like every other wilderness, God is with us in this one. The wilderness has a way of clarifying and strengthening.
- Believe that "Sunday School" is a concept, not only a day of the week. It's about the importance of teaching the Bible, and that can happen in many ways on any day.
- Reimagine and renew how you teach based on the kids you WILL have and results you need, and not the attendance you no longer have or may never again achieve --and do it now before the expectations and spirit of your kids, teachers, and parents gets any lower.
- Look for alternate times and places to add Sunday School-like teaching. For example, if parents are gathering with adults in a home for a Bible study, the kids could be doing the same in the basement. In children's worship, use break-out groups for actual study and discussion instead of just a talking head delivering "a message." Add teaching opportunities to existing church events, such as your dinners and picnics.
- Equip and resource parents to do Bible teaching through their parenting. This long-standing goal is now more important than ever. (Note: Sending home flyers and coloring sheets is not the answer.)
- Establish an outreach & teaching program for non & infrequent attenders. This will include online opportunities and the use of social media, as well as equipping their parents and establishing a personal relationship with your kids outside of the classroom. Create something that works for them on their schedule and needs, instead of what used to work for the church's schedule. (Why haven't we been doing this all along?)
- Train & Resource Your Church's Grandparents to be their grandchildren's Christian educators. This may be your "silver-haired" church's next great opportunity to reach & teach kids -- especially in congregations that don't have many kids in attendance but have loads of grandkids.
- Help your church make Bible study a priority and hallmark of your congregational life. Parents who believe in their own Bible study will make it a priority for their children, and they will attract others to your church who also believe or want that as a priority in their lives. Just please don't schedule it all at one time or place. Today's people need options.
- Be cautious about OVER broadly grading your classes. Most older children resist being treated "like babies" and doing so can hasten their exit. Instead, when you have just one or two much older children in a broadly graded-group, turn them into leaders in the group, and mentor them in other ways.
- Use the concepts of "rotation" and "workshop" to improve your teaching and the student's attendance experience. Rotation = focus on major stories for more than one lesson. Workshop = use a variety of creative teaching methods.
- What would you add here?
Tall order.
I'm hopeful because I believe that crisis is often the mother of invention. I have helped turn around dead and dying Sunday Schools and I know that Christian educators are some of the most creative people on earth. When this website was started, most people weren't yet online and few people were online talking about Sunday School. Things can change.
I'm also hopeful because wilderness experiences are part of our faith DNA. They help us to clarify, discover, rethink, prioritize, and hear the voice of God leading us.
I'm also not overly nostalgic about the past when attendance was "good." (Where are all those kids now?) Time to put the past in our rear-view mirror and set some new goals.
