Prayer: Lesson 1 – The Forgiving Savior
Heavenly Father, As we begin this new quarter of studies on Your Son, help our teachers today to impress upon their classes how importantly You value forgiveness. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Teaching is Not Reading
Have you ever attended a Sunday school that was just a reading session? You know what I mean, don't you? First one person reads a verse and its commentary. Then the next person reads the second verse and commentary. And so the class continues until time is up or the material in the Sunday school quarterly is exhausted.
Please don't misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with reading a verse and its comments. Our lessons have been prepared so that you can easily read both scripture and its commentary. And, a good lesson may include reviewing a good amount of this commentary. But a true lesson is not made up of just reading material that anyone could read any time. Rather, a lesson includes information, exploration, discussion, collaboration, and application.
A question we should always ask ourselves is: how will my students' lives be changed as a result of this lesson?
Prayer: Lesson 13 – The Gift of Sight
Heavenly Father,
Bless our teachers and classes today as they conclude this quarter on the Miracles of Jesus. Help us to realize that while You do not always choose to perform miracles of healing in response to our prayers, You are still a miracle-working God. Increase our faith in You. In Jesus' name, we pray this. Amen.
What Influence Does the Sunday School Teacher Have?
"Henrietta Mears, an influential Christian educator and leader during the first half of the twentieth century, described her own personal pilgrimage, 'First I learned to love my teacher. Then I learned to love my teacher's God.'" (Haystead)
Have you seriously considered the important role you have in leading your students closer to Christ, due to the relationship they have with you in your class? While such a thought is understandably intimidating, it is worth reflection. If the teacher's relationship with his students is a key ingredient for their spiritual growth, how important is his study of God's Word in preparation for the lesson? At the same time, can the teacher fulfill her task of discipling her students by approaching the lesson only as an intellectual exercise?
How should you work at building relationships with your students this week in order to influence them for Christ?
Source: Haystead, Wes (2005). The 21st Century Sunday School: Strategies for Today and Tomorrow. Cincinnati, OH: The Standard Publishing Company. p.18.
Prayer – Lesson 12: The Giver of Life
Heavenly Father, help our teachers and students today grasp the amazing truth that You do truly understand our humanity … and that You love us … and that You offer us real life. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Which should we stress in Sunday School – real-life issues or Bible content?
"Which is more important in Christian teaching - dealing with real-life issues or communicating Bible content?" If you think this is a trick question, you're right! Both elements are essential for faithful Christian teaching. If the Bible is not taught, we have little authority for what we teach. If we fail to address life issues, then our lesson risks becoming stale theology. In truth, the Gospel separated from real life is truly not Good News.
These lessons have been developed with the purpose of both addressing real-life issues and communicating the timeless truth of God's Word. Yet you may need to tailor these lessons to address your students' specific needs. Furthermore, while this lesson has been developed with the intention of giving you more than enough material to teach the week's Scripture passage, further study made be needed to understand what God's Word is saying to you and your class.
Source: Haystead, Wes (2005). The 21st Century Sunday School: Strategies for Today and Tomorrow. Cincinnati, OH: The Standard Publishing Company. p.16
Prayer – Lesson 11: Faith Rewarded
Heavenly Father, bless our classes today with Your Presence. Challenge our faith. Help us to believe You for great things. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
The Accessible Sunday School
Wes Haystead writes, "A Sunday school that is not seeing unchurched people won to Christ is a stagnant program." Haystead also notes that many Sunday schools have become ingrown, even though they may have never said that their purpose was only to serve the Christian.
As you consider your typical class format, are there any methods that would be confusing to the new person? For example, when your class prays together, do you prompt your students to stand, kneel, etc., or is the prayer position assumed? Would a new person be embarrassed because she didn't know the procedures your class follow by habit? When referring to lesson books, do you prompt your students where to turn? Would a new person be frustrated because he didn't know how to follow along?
As you teach this week, be attentive to ways your class may have become less accessible to the unchurched.
Haystead, Wes (2005). The 21st Century Sunday School: Strategies for Today and Tomorrow. Cincinnati, OH: The Standard Publishing Company. p.15
Prayer – Lesson 10, The Storm Calmed
Heavenly Father, as our teachers lead their classes today in study of Your miracle of calming the stormy lake, help them to impress upon their students the lesson that Your presence drives out fear; therefore, we should seek to live daily close to You. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Your Church's School
Arthur Flake asserts "The Sunday School is the 'school' of the church." (Toler, 1995, p. 2).
When you think of "school", what comes to your mind? Heavy textbooks, boring lectures, and an overwhelming sleepiness or new adventures, challenging discussions, and practical application?
Most probably agree that school is important, even though some may argue that the traditional classroom is not always the most effective method of training. We recognize our level of achievement will be greatly stunted if we do not receive some type of education.
Sunday school does not necessarily have the same respect. This is unfortunate as Sunday school plays an integral role in our discipleship. Such disdain may have been earned from years of enduring boring, trivial or unprepared classes. Your calling, Teacher, is to help make Sunday school an essential ministry of your local church.
When your students think "Sunday school", what comes to their mind?
References
Toler, Stan (1995). 101 ways to grow a healthy sunday school. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press.