Kingdom Vision: Start New Churches Through the Sunday School

God can use and has used the Sunday School to impact the work of the Kingdom in so many ways. I have written about many of them:

• training missionaries
• training leaders
• reaching people
• leading people to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord
• starting new classes on campus
• starting new classes off campus
• starting new classes at other days and times than Sunday morning
• ministering to needs of members and prospects
• praying for people and teaching people to pray
• learning more about God’s Word, ways, and will
• learning how to live as His disciples in this world
• and so many more ways!

Let’s raise the vision for Sunday School in yet one more way. How could you use your Sunday School to start a new church? In the same way in which more sheep pens (classes) are needed to reach and care for more of God’s sheep, more churches are needed to do the same.

It may be that your current Sunday School is ineffective at reaching some people. It could be young adults. It could be a different socio-economic group. It could be another people group. Or it just could be a specific area of the city or county. It just might be that the best solution would be to start a new church by using your Sunday School. Dennis Tate of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists has put together a PowerPoint presentation for the North American Mission Board entitled Using Sunday School to Start New Churches. In the presentation, Dennis has listed ten steps:

1. Commit to start a new Sunday School: see the need, pray for vision, formally adopt commitment, set a start date
2. Elect a new Sunday School director: prayerfully select a new director, train the director
3. Determine the general area and target group: do windshield probe, study demographics of area, identify unreached areas
4. Provide financial support: Sunday School material, rent (if needed), miscellaneous expenses
5. Conduct prospect discovery: neighborhood survey, special events, block party, backyard Bible clubs, VBSs
6. Select and train leaders: teachers, outreach leaders, care group leaders, support staff (as needed)
7. Cultivate selected area: prayer, preliminary activities (home Bible studies, visitation, advertisements, mail-outs), prayer walk, block party
8. Secure teaching location and materials: secure facilities, order materials
9. Launch the new Sunday School: be prepared, be energized, be Christ-like
10. Encourage and support the new work: don’t become frustrated, negative, or slothful; support with attendance, leaders, finances, and training

Spend time with God. Follow His leadership. Keep your eyes open for where He is at work. Allow God to give you Kingdom vision. Consider using the tool of the Sunday School that God has given you to reach people by starting another church. Be revolutionary!