Leadership guru, John Maxwell, wrote a book in 2010 entitled Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Together We Can Do the Impossible. That title bears much truth related to Sunday School work. There are several evaluation questions that come to mind related to Sunday School:
- You you have a Sunday School team?
- If you have one, do you utilize your team? Do you do so effectively?
- Does your team work well together? Are relationships healthy and encouraging?
- Do you and your team have a dream? How large is that dream?
- Are you working toward that dream together? How effectively are you pursuing that dream?
- Is God in a key position on your team? Is He is the source of your team’s dream? Do you as a team earnestly and prayerfully seek His leadership?
Those are some heavy duty evaluation questions. While the questions are worthy of some personal reflection, they are also worthy of discussion together as a team.
Teamwork Challenges
We can accomplish so much more together. Yes, sometimes in the short run, teamwork takes more time. But in the long run, teamwork has the potential to make the work more effective, more creative, and greater in impact. Busyness, shortsightedness, and selfishness can short circuit our work.
I believe the greatest stumbling block in our teamwork is leaving God out of the team. We begin meetings with prayer, but we don’t seek His leadership. We make plans (build bigger silos) rather than joining God where He is at work. Too often our vision does not excite us because it is too small rather than God-sized.
In many Sunday Schools in recent years, I have noticed an absence of teams. The teacher does everything. There is no secretary, apprentice teacher, outreach leader, or member care leader. No one helps the teacher. No wonder so many teachers are burning out!
Besides the class team, there is often an absence of team in the Sunday School as a whole. I am hearing many Sunday Schools who have no Sunday School director. And if they have a director, he/she primarily gathers attendance records and distributes curriculum quarterly. There are no planning meetings, training events, or communication. That makes our Sunday School work more discouraging and difficult.
Making the Dream Work
To make the dream work requires God’s involvement, a dream, focus, hard work, and a team. When these five work together, unbelievable things can happen. In fact, as Maxwell’s book title indicated, “together we can accomplish the impossible.” Watching God work is fun.
I want to challenge you to pursue God in your Sunday School work. Dream a God-sized dream together. Focus together on the work He has given you. Work hard together. And celebrate what He does in you and through you as a Sunday School team together. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!
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