Building a R.E.A.L. Sunday School Ministry

1. Building a R.E.A.L. Sunday School Ministry

2. Systems Relationships Evangelism Assimilation Life-Changing Bible Study Culture: Your Unique Way of Demonstrating Core Values. Holistic Ministry Open Small Group Transformational Teaching Biblical Foundation

3. Systems R E A L Culture H O T Biblical Foundation

4. Foundation: Biblical • Old Testament – Deuteronomy 31:12 Gather the people together, Men, and women, and children, And thy stranger that is within thy gates, That they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law.

5. Foundation: Biblical • New Testament - Matthew 28:19-20 • Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations; • Baptizing them in the name of the • Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: • Teaching them to observe all things • Whatsoever I have commanded you: • And Lo, I am with you alway, • Even unto the end of the world. Amen

6. Systems R E A L Culture H O T Biblical Foundation

7. Supporting Pillars: H.O.T. Core Values Holistic Ministry If Jesus were your Sunday School teacher, how would He do ministry? Holistic Ministry The Good Samaritan Story ‘Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?’ And he said, ‘He that showed mercy on him.’ Then said Jesus unto him, ‘Go, and do thou likewise’ Luke 10:36-37 Holistic Ministry If Jesus were your Sunday School Teacher He would lead the class to minister to the whole person.

8. Supporting Pillars: H.O.T. Core Values Open Small Group If Jesus Christ were still incarnate and here on earth and was your Sunday School teacher, what would be His number one priority for His Class? • Open Small Group • ‘For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost’ Luke 19:10 • ‘For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved’ John 3:17 • ‘…for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.’ John 12:47 • ‘…for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ Luke 9:56 Open Small Group If Jesus Christ were your Sunday School teacher, He would lead the class to be open and evangelistically driven.

9. Supporting Pillars: H.O.T. Core Values Transformational Teaching If Jesus were your Sunday School Teacher, what and how would he teach? • Transformational Teaching • ‘Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me.’ John 5:39 Transformational Teaching If Jesus were your Sunday School teacher, He would lead the class to search the scriptures for life-changing Bible truths.

10. Systems R E A L Culture H O T Biblical Foundation

11. The Floor: Culture • Culture is defined as the patterns of behavior in which a group interacts. • Use the survey of the Fastest Growing Churches to evaluate the CULTURE of your church. What do the survey results say about your church’s core values? Question: What Culture Change Might Be Needed In Your Church?

12. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches 1. 98% provide systematic training for Sunday School Leaders We have a systematic plan for equipping our Sunday School leaders.

13. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches Our pastor is intentionalin supporting and elevating the Sunday School ministry. 2. 96% believes the pastor’s support of the Sunday school is important to the health of the church.

14. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches Our members have an attitude of flexibility regarding room assignments and schedules. 3. 96% are overcoming space Limitations

15. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches We make it easy to enroll in Sunday School and are intentional in expanding the enrollment each year. 4.. 91% practice Open Enrollment

16. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches Our church provides personal evangelism training for members on a regular basis. 5. 85% use an evangelism training process or method

17. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches We intentionally create one or more new classes each year. 6. 83% strategically create new classes

18. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches We have an active and strategic outreach ministry that emphasizes face to face contact. 7. 80% have a weekly visitation ministry

19. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches We have a system for identifying, following up, and tracking prospects. 8. 78% maintain a prospect list

20. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches We have written standards that leaders agree and adhere to. 9. 78% have high standards for their leaders

21. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches Our Sunday School is organized based on who we are trying to reach rather than who attends. 10. 78% intentionally organize for growth

22. Ten Common Practices of Fastest Growing Churches Question: What Culture Change Might Be Needed In Your Church? Evaluate your Sunday School based on these findings.

23. Systems R E Four Ministry Strategies A L Culture H O T Biblical Foundation

24. The “Early Church” is a good model to follow for Building a R.E.A.L. Sunday School.Listen to the biblical accounts of the ministry strategies of these early Christians to discover the R.E.A.L. Purpose of the Sunday School for today.

25. Systems R E A L Culture H O T Biblical Foundation

26. RELATIONSHIPS • Acts 2:46-47 “They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.” The Message

27. RELATIONSHIPS • Question: How do you think the “People” liked what they saw? What might have been happening? Josh Hunt calls it Ice Cream Evangelism. Don’t invite people to church/Sunday School, invite them to your home for ice cream. No body doesn’t like ice cream.

28. Systems R E A L Culture H O T Biblical Foundation

29. EVANGELISM • Acts 1:8 Ye shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth! KJV

30. EVANGELISM • How do you think the early church fulfilled this mission? • Peter’s sermon in Jerusalem • Peter’s witness to Cornelius • Paul and Barnabas mission trips

31. EVANGELISM • The early church took Jesus’ command seriously. They started at home, then they turned their eyes externally to the world, i.e. local gentiles, and world missions.

32. Systems R E A L Culture H O T Biblical Foundation

33. ASSIMILATION • Acts 9:25-17 Back in Jerusalem he (Paul) tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing.

34. ASSIMILATION • He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him told them how Saul had seen and spoke to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus’ name. The Message

35. ASSIMILATION • Barnabas did two things: He connected Paul to the small group of believers and he connected him to a ministry. Paul was already preaching. • If we want to close the back door of the church, those two things are essential –connect people to a small group and to a ministry they can perform.

36. Systems R E A L Culture H O T Biblical Foundation

37. LIFE-CHANGING BIBLE STUDY • Acts 8:30-35 Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: ‘At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.’

38. LIFE-CHANGING BIBLE STUDY • He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

39. LIFE-CHANGING BIBLE STUDY • The Spirit told Philip, ‘Climb into the chariot.’ Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, ‘Do you understand what you’re reading?’

40. LIFE-CHANGING BIBLE STUDY He answered, ‘How can I without some help?’ and invited Philip into the chariot with him….

41. LIFE-CHANGING BIBLE STUDY • The eunuch said, ‘Tell me who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?’ Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him. The Message

42. LIFE-CHANGING BIBLE STUDY Teaching is a life-style, not just something we do on Sunday Morning at 9:45.

43. LIFE-CHANGING BIBLE STUDY 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman that doesn’t need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth. Teaching takes skill, study, and commitment to excellence.

44. Here’s My Heart… Sunday School is not all about us; it’s not just about those already attending.

45. Here’s My Heart… Sunday School is not an internally focused church program. It’s externally focused; it’s all about those not yet coming.

46. Here’s My Heart… Sunday School is more than a program that must be kept alive or a Sunday morning event;

47. Here’s My Heart… …it’s a ministry strategy, a way of living as the “body of Christ”. It’s about being the “presence of Christ” in our world.

48. Here’s My Heart… Sunday School is not a closed group for in-depth Bible study where disciples come to grow “fat on the Word”,

49. Here’s My Heart… …but rather it is an inclusive, open ministry through which growing disciples “do” discipleship.

50. Here’s My Heart… Sunday School is disciples building relationships (with people in their world) into friendships,