What Are You Training Sunday School Classes to Do?

Yesterday my post was entitled What Are You Asking Sunday School Classes to Do?. My premise was that classes may not accomplish what we expect, but they will never reach our expectations if we never communicate those expectations.

Today’s premise is similar. Classes may not do all of what we train them to do, but they will likely never attempt to do so without training. Training helps to raise vision for what is possible through class efforts of teaching, reaching, and caring. Training reminds classes about important things. Training affirms actions that are currently being practiced. Training reminds about actions that formerly were being done. And training stretches leaders to think about fresh ways to carrying out the work of the class. Finally, training also offers understanding of responsibility to new class leaders.

With that in mind, what are you training classes to do? Without training, classes will settle into habits of doing less and less. They will focus on themselves. It is like my friend, Josh Hunt, says about planning fellowships: All good fun eventually deteriorates into work. And without training, the class tends to do less and less work.

Train classes and class leaders to do what you expect them to do. Then remind them regularly through training to keep doing that work. Do so creatively. Doing so several times each year helps to reinforce the training and importance of the work. The training reminders do not require two hours every time. Sometimes all that is needed is five minutes in a monthly planning meetings.

Do you want teachers to use a variety of teaching methods? Train them to do so. Want outreach leaders to add names of friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors to class prospect lists? Train them to do so. Want class greeters to greet, register guests, and encourage name tags? Train them to do so?

Whether big or small, train classes to do what you expect. Train them to give God their best efforts in reaching, teaching, and caring. Pray. Evaluate. Plan. Train. Be revolutionary!