• Home
  • About
  • Resources
  • Contact

Sunday School Revolutionary

Sunday School matters. Be revolutionary!

Initial Reflections on Sunday School Survey Results, Part 6

February 8, 2011 by Darryl Wilson Leave a Comment

In the previous posts of this series, I have shared some interesting results of a Sunday School survey, highlighting some of the differences between growing and declining Sunday Schools. In this post, I want to share my reflections on those results. As a review, let me share my comments from the previous posts:

  • Growing Sunday Schools are more likely to apprentice and train new teachers and workers so new classes can be started.
  • Growing Sunday Schools are more likely to have had a recent high attendance emphasis.
  • Declining Sunday Schools are more likely to budget less than is needed.
  • Growing Sunday Schools are more likely to have class prospects lists.
  • The most common planning meetings are occasional–less than quarterly.
  • Growing churches are slightly more likely to have them more often.
  • Growing Sunday Schools are more likely to face the need to deal with limited parking.
  • Decisions for Christ happen slightly more often in growing Sunday School.
  • Classes in growing Sunday Schools are more likely to start on-time.
  • Classes in growing Sunday Schools are more likely to meet around tables.
  • Classes in declining Sunday Schools are less likely to be age-graded.
  • Growing Sunday Schools have fewer mostly empty classrooms. Churches with declining Sunday Schools are less likely to share worship guest registration with classes.
  • Growing Sunday Schools tend to have fewer available classrooms.
  • Growing Sunday Schools are more likely to provide training and encourage participation in training.
  • Growing Sunday Schools are slightly more likely to set goals and use records to assess progress and make adjustments.
  • Declining Sunday Schools are less likely to make regular contacts with attenders.
  • Growing Sunday Schools tend to have more frequent visitation than declining Sunday Schools.
  • Teachers in growing Sunday Schools tend to arrive early to pray, prepare, and greet.
  • New classes tend to have been started more recently in growing Sunday Schools.
  • The person completing the survey has tended to serve longer in the growing Sunday Schools.
  • More rural growing Sunday School surveys were returned than declining ones. Growing Sunday Schools averaged a higher percentage of their enrollment than did declining Sunday Schools.
  • Growing Sunday Schools tend to have more classes this year than last year.
  • Growing Sunday School tend to have a little longer for Sunday School.
  • Growing Sunday Schools have small groups away from church or on another day more often than declining Sunday Schools.

In Part 1 , I shared an important, overall comment about the results: The difference between a growing and a declining Sunday School has to do with more than one factor. In other words, there is no magic pill or one-step process toward a growing Sunday School. There is no one factor that determines whether your Sunday School will grow because ignoring others will undermine the effort.

When I scan the comments above, I see a Sunday School that is ready and eager to do its best. I see a Sunday School desiring to please God and to pursue people for whom Jesus died. I see a willingness to prepare, plan, train, and organize. I see investment in relationships, caring, invitations, guest registration, and follow up. Also, underneath the surface of these results and comments, I see Sunday Schools with leadership and expectations. These Sunday Schools have balance and intentionality in their work because of that leadership.

I will share my concluding comments in Part 7 of this series. There I will connect some of the results and take a glance at what may be missing.

Related posts:

Looking for a Sunday School Curriculum for Urban/Multicultural Believers?

Sunday School: Connecting for Him

Steps Toward Sunday School Change, Part 3

Sunday School: Invite, Invite, Invite

Filed Under: Misc, Outreach, Pastors/Sunday School Directors Tagged With: declining, growing Sunday Schools, reflections, research, survey

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Looking for Something?

Loading

Connect With Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Order Copies of Discipling and Caring

 

Two encounters are critical. First, the leader encounters God in His Word and is changed. Second, the leader guides the group to have a life-changing encounter.

Order Your Copy Today!

In John 13:34-35, three times Jesus said, “Love one another.” Your group is the ideal place to practice and launch the kind of love for one another that shows the world that we are His disciples.

Order Your Copy Today!

Categories

  • 100 Small Changes (103)
  • 30 Days of Prayer (2)
  • 31 Day Countdown (31)
  • 31 Days of 3 Roles for Guiding Groups (30)
  • 31 Days of Extreme Sunday School (26)
  • 31 Days of Missionary Sunday School (29)
  • 31 Days of Transformational Class (31)
  • 31 Days Series (2)
  • 31 Days to a Better Teacher (33)
  • 31 Ideas of Outreach & Evangelism (31)
  • 5 Weeks of Flake (27)
  • Assimilation (332)
  • Best Practices (6)
  • Bible Study (95)
  • Connect (15)
  • Disciplemaking (30)
  • Enlistment (44)
  • Enrollment (50)
  • Evangelism (75)
  • Events (26)
  • Flake's Formula (22)
  • Great Expectations (33)
  • Group Life (34)
  • Growing your Group (58)
  • Job Description (33)
  • Leadership (329)
  • Learning (52)
  • Ministry (122)
  • Misc (230)
  • Mission (53)
  • New Groups (52)
  • Organization (30)
  • Outreach (454)
  • Outreach/Evangelism (160)
  • Pastors/Sunday School Directors (476)
  • Planning (199)
  • Prayer (58)
  • Resources (44)
  • Serving (4)
  • Small Groups (144)
  • Space (17)
  • Space and Facilities (19)
  • Space/Arrangement (11)
  • Spiritual Disciplines (7)
  • Spiritual Maturity (265)
  • Starting New Classes (143)
  • Sunday School (457)
  • Teaching (589)
  • Theology (2)
  • Training (31)
  • Transformation (22)
  • Vacation Bible School (18)

Together we can make the needed changes to strengthen leaders and churches to reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.