Favorite Post: Pulpit Sunday School Promotion

Over the next five weeks, I will be writing a book about Sunday School. During that period, I will be sharing favorite blog posts–those which have received the most hits (pageviews). Here is the number twenty-one favorite!

Without any question, there is power in an invitation. People like to be invited (even if they don’t accept the invitation). And the body of Christ is to be an inviter. We are to invite people to Jesus. We are to invite them to receive His and our love. We are to invite them on a journey to be His disciples. We are to invite them to assemble together for worship. We are to invite them to do works of service.

An invitation to Sunday School can also have power. Many are seeking the benefits that Sunday School has to offer. This ranges from relationships, to understanding of the Bible, to ministry in time of need, and beyond. I invite you to check out the following blog entries for additional suggestions:

• Sunday School Testimony: Powerful Revolutionary Tool
• Revolutionary Sunday School Invitations (Postcards)
• Invitation to Sunday School
• Personal Invitations Are Needed and Still Work!
• Sunday School Inviting Worship Attenders
• Grow Your Sunday School: Part 1, Preparing Your Class to Invite New People
• Grow Your Sunday School: Part 2, Steps for Inviting New People
• Who Will You Invite to Sunday School?
• Christmas Invitation to Sunday School
• Care Groups: Prayer, Ministry, Assimilation, and Invitation.

Beyond the personal invitation, an invitation from the pulpit still also has power. Specifically, I am talking about an invitation to attend and/or join Sunday School. This may be done in a variety of ways. In a blog entry entitled Moving Worshippers into Sunday School/Small Groups, I listed several of those: preaching about Sunday School, registration cards, testimonies, automatically enrolling new church members, zone offense, announcing new class births, and inviting all worship guests. These are important actions that need to be regularly practiced in order to invite worship attenders to Sunday School.

In addition to these things, I think it is important to emphasize the importance of the pastor’s invitation and testimony. Some will try Sunday School simply because the pastor invited them to do so. So, pastor, do so regularly! I have shared about this important subject in another blog post entitled When Pastors Attend Sunday School/Small Groups, It Is Contagious!. Your leadership and example are contagious!

Chet Cromer is a regular reader who leaves comments on this blog. Recently he listed several actions they are going to take on the second Sunday of each month to emphasize Sunday School during the morning worship service. These range from bulletin inserts emphasizing each of the age groups to news and calendar items and from Sunday School testimonies to recognition services. What might you be able to incorporate into your plans to promote Sunday School from your pulpit?

Invitations are powerful. Don’t hesitate to utilize your pulpit to extend invitations regularly for church members and guests to attend Sunday School. Mobilize your members to invite worship attenders. Do everything you can to promote Sunday School’s importance and impact. Challenge attenders. Invite them. Be revolutionary!