DON'T HAVE A MESSED-UP SUNDAY SCHOOL OR CHURCH SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION

Look around your church. How long has it been since your Sunday school or church school has been evaluated? What ratings did the superintendent, assistant superintendents, teachers, workers, and students receive? What about the organization of the school? How is the school organized? Do leaders and teachers know their roles and duties? Do teachers and support staff understand their titles, the reasons for teachers, the required work to be an effective teacher, and perhaps what teachers should or should not do? Maybe some churches find themselves with a messed up Sunday school or church school, a school where there seems to be little organizational skills. This handbook will assist leaders to rethink ideas for organizing or reorganizing a Sunday school or church school.

WHAT IS A SUNDAY SCHOOL OR CHURCH SCHOOL HANDBOOK?

A Sunday school or church school handbook allows teachers, leaders, a support team (workers), and students to understand the operation of the Sunday school or church school. It sets calmness to frustration caused by misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and perhaps, poor communication. A handbook serves as a doorknob for visitors. It also serves as an order for leaders, teachers, the support team, and students. Visitors can turn the knob that directs them in the right spiritual, educational direction. Climaxing is a framework of “knowingalitiy” for everyone.

A Sunday school or church school handbook is an order established by leaders of the Sunday school or church school, recommended by the superintendent, and reviewed and approved by a director of Christian education or a pastor. (Usually the pastor approves plans in the absence of the director of Christian education. In any case, the pastor should review the handbook.) The handbook provides answers to questions related to program administration. The handbook may be developed into Sunday school or church school mini handbooks, especially sections about prospective teachers and current teachers. The handbook is a component of the Department of Christian Education Handbook.

A messed up church school is when the a church school or what some call Sunday school, is not smoothly operating, disjointed, unclear directions, and sometimes just “lost” with words to better perfect teaching. A messed up church school is also when any person or group does not understand the goals, objectives, and ways of church school administration. The church school is further messed up when other ministries and church schools are not working as a unit to provide ministry. This book discusses this one day school, for an hour or so, whether it meets on Saturdays, Sundays, or another day.

A school that teaches academics, i.e., a Christian school, grades Pre-K, or K through elementary, or perhaps high school is not my focus. My focus is upon a school where teachers volunteer and use a Sunday school or church school book and perhaps only the Bible for religious instruction. This focus is on any school that causes students to indulge in some type of Biblical study beyond the sermon, regular Bible-study and prayer services.

This book is one of many to help church leaders organize or reorganize the church school. Help is provided to assist pastors, church teachers, professors of Christian education, directors of Christian education, church school superintendents, the support team, and students to reevaluate the Sunday school or church school. The key for developing a holistic Sunday school or church school is to discuss the operation of the Sunday school or church school. Every Sunday school or church school needs order, direction, instruction, and clear understanding of procedures, operations, and other administrative icons. A Sunday school or church school handbook is the most practical solution to a messed up Sunday school or church school.

Terms in this book: “church school” means the same as “Sunday school.” A Sunday school operates on Sunday and a church school operates on another day to fulfill the requirements met in Sunday school. An academic church school differs because academic instruction takes place daily, and usually, employees are salaried. The terms “Support Staff or “Support Team” refers to workers who assist leaders and teachers.

This book will focus on ways to develop or modify a church school. Chapter one provides some steps for developing a church school handbook, chapter two provides forms that the church school may consider for use for modifying a church school, chapter three addresses current teachers, chapter four addresses prospective teachers, chapter five alludes to the support team, chapter six provides a message to superintendents, and chapter seven concludes with a discussion about the future of Sunday schools or church schools and also includes two interviews.