Giving Birth

This video about “birthing” a new class puts it in a little better perspective than what first impressions often do.

To Table or Not to Table

We’ve talked a bit about tables lately. To have them, or not have them. We’ve even seen a few changes popping up here and there as some of our teachers have started to put some of these ideas to the test. I thank you for that. I thank you for trying. And I challenge you to not give up.

At the same time, I want to encourage you to continue to be flexible. I’ve heard already of “Somebody” (honestly, why won’t that guy just quit coming to our Sunday School, along with his buddies “Nobody” and “Everybody”) – “Somebody” is threatening (I use that word rather figuratively) to stop coming to Sunday School because of the “table issue.” Now I don’t know who Somebody is this time, and I really don’t care. I care for my teacher, though, and others in the class who are concerned… do we back down? Do we stand firm? Do we get them their own little TV tray so they can set their Bible somewhere? (we have those, by the way)

I encourage you to keep your eyes on the mission – reach, teach, and minister… and nothing else. If a table helps you accomplish these goals, go for it. If it gets in the way, fold it up and move it out! If you don’t know what effect it has, intentionally evaluate it. Try it for a few weeks with, and then a few weeks without. Mix things up. Talk to it with your regular attenders, and with your visitors.

And just in case you’d like some ammo going into a conversation, I’d encourage you to check out this link. It is an excellent resource on the use of tables in the Sunday School setting, both for adults and children.

To Table:

• For most teachers and classes, using tables limits creativity–it limits the way the classroom can be arranged, how groups can be formed, and teaching methods.
• Sitting around a table can lead attenders to experience an inner circle and an outer circle–which is negative psychologically for guests and latecomers;
• If the class meets around a table, it can feel like the room is full when the table is full, potentially leading to ceasing inviting more people;
• If a class starts with tables and then attendance grows resulting in the need to remove the tables, most classes become vocally resistant.

Or maybe, Not to Table

• In preschool and children’s classroom with large rooms that have adequate space for current and projected attendance at 35 square foot per child
• In a fellowship hall that will be used that day following church for a church activity requiring tables (but why not ask the class to set these up after Sunday School?).

I encourage you to continue and evaluate your classrooms. Tables may be the right thing for you, or you may find through removing them you create a more open environment (albeit a bit more uncomfortable for a few weeks). Do not be afraid to try new things, do not be afraid to ask for support, advice, or help (even from your own class). One of the best pieces of advice in this article, I think, is this: “In adult space where tables are in use, begin by removing all unused tables. Then, when attendance increases, remove tables asking the teacher to lead the class to accept their removal in order to keep growing”

Be strong and courageous! This is our Sunday School!

Birthing a new class

Wow… YouTube Sunday School! This is a great video that gives birthing a new class a little lighter side…

Sunday School Update: February 4, 2008

Welcome to a new month! It’s amazing how quickly the days are flying by this year, yet at the same time some of them remain more vivid and detailed in my mind than many in the past. From the growth of my little boy to the development of our Sunday School program, things are moving, and we have GOT to hang on tight, because our endurance and commitment is going to be tested over the upcoming months.

During the month of February,

Time Management For Teachers

I glanced over an excellent article this week about time management for teachers. I am including some excerpts from it here. You may also read the entire article, in two parts, by using these links:

Part 1 Part 2

Here are some excerpts from the articles:

Revolutionary Sunday School requires more than two four-letter words: time and work. It also requires the wisest investment of that time and work. Many teachers, directors, and pastors are spending lots of time doing Sunday School work, but they are only doing good things rather than the best things. This is the difference between being “busy” and making a difference/being effective. We all have the same amount of time. The difference is how we use the time and energy we have.

Prayer for Jeremy, Sara, and Karen

Please be in prayer for three of our Sunday School Leaders – Jeremy and Sara Craig, along with Jeremy’s mom, Karen. Jeremy and Sara are going through a great loss right now and need our prayers and support. Pray for them, their families, and their ministries at our church. Support them, help them, and reach out to them.

Sunday School Done Right Pictures

I’ve posted several SSDR pictures online today. Thanks for taking these, Sara! I’m going to put a couple here, but check out this link for all of them! This was a great event, and I will recap it some more in the near future. It is going to be the spring board for a lot of things to come.

Here is the link to the gallery of pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/mylabruby/SundaySchool

Here’s a few more pictures:

The Month of Febuary: Evangelism

Hi Team,

I am in the middle of a big behind-the-scenes project that’s going to be a great resource for us and our teachers to keep in touch and equip each other with the things we need to reach, teach, and minister to the people in our Sunday School and community. More on that, later.

The theme of Lifeway’s material for the month of February is Evangelism (from the little research I’ve done). I am attaching a file that you may want to glance at and get to your teachers if you think it would prove useful to them for discussion based SS classes. These may center around our youth and adult classes, but Jill and Sara, I’d encourage you to take a look at them as well and print or email copies to your teachers to help them prepare.

The attachment I’m sending you today is for this week’s lesson, particularly from the “Bible Studies for Life” literature. If you’d like more lesson and Q&A starters, you can go to this website: http://www.joshhunt.com/sunday-school.htm. Click on the series you want stuff for, and then you can download the lesson. If & when you are prompted for a password, I think you can use “yes” for the user name and “yes” for the password.

I hope you find this stuff useful. I am counting on you to (1) review this stuff and (2) get this information to your teachers if you feel it’s useful.

We’ll be communicating more on how we can use the month of February and the theme of evangelism to communicate the mission (reach), the work (teach), and the heart (minister) of Sunday School.

Thanks, guys…

Here is the direct link to the first lesson in February.

Welcome!

Welcome to our website! This is a place for us to communicate, collaborate, and… hmm… I can’t think of another “C” word. Oh well. Welcome, anyways! One of the primary purposes of this site is to help me track communications with our Sunday School Leadership Team and Teachers. This is also a place you can come to find information on our Sunday School activities and what’s going on behind the scenes.

If you’d like to comment on any post, feel free to do so. If you’d like to participate by writing articles or adding new posts, email me at chet@chetcromer.com and I will set you up. I’m thinking of including thoughts on Sunday School lessons, videos or articles from the Internet that might prove useful, and anything else we can share over the medium of the Internet. I’m also hoping to make this thing work so that you can “subscribe” to it and it will send you an email, maybe once a day or once a week, as things happen, with any new information that gets posted here. That way you don’t have to come look for it, it will come straight to you, but it will also always be available here… communication and command central.