Our Sunday School's DNA

Our Sunday School, like our physical life, is made up of its own DNA. This "Sunday School DNA" is the basic building block that molds and shapes us into the kind of life with which we have our existence. Each human body, constructed by its own individual DNA, has distinctives that make them unique. The color of our eyes, the color and growth of our hair, etc. create recognizable differences in each human life. So it is with Sunday School. Each Sunday School is a product of it's DNA--those building blocks that comprise and define its existence and makes one Sunday School different from another Sunday School. So what are the building blocks of our Sunday School? What is our Sunday School's DNA? Our Sunday School's DNA is made up of...

Reaching People for Christ
At the very heart of Sunday School is the Great Commission. In fact, Sunday  School is the ministry we have chosen with the mandate to reach people! Sunday School is our church's strategy to carry out the Great Commission. The greatest service our church can provide for our community is to lead dysfunctional and dying people to Jesus Christ. The Sunday School has no greater task than this! Many would say that the main purpose of Sunday School is to teach the Bible. Others would suggest fellowship as the driving purpose of Sunday School. Many other recommendations could be offered. Now it is true that all these things are extremely important and contribute to the overall healthiness of the church and individual believers. However, let's ask the popular question of our day: "What would Jesus do?" If Jesus was the teacher of your class what would be His main purpose for the class? I would suggest that He would view winning the lost as the number one objective for every Sunday School class. Let's allow Jesus to speak for Himself:

• "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

• "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

Teaching People God's Word
Everyone has an authority that dictates his/her core values: parents, teachers, philosophers, self, etc. In Sunday School, the Bible is our sole authority! Each week a committed, prepared, Bible-believing teacher presents life-changing truth from God's Holy Word. The goal of our Sunday School is to teach the Word of God in such a way that lives will be changed. In fact, I have heard it said that good teaching is teaching that makes great disciples! The Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 3:1-3 that it is not about patting ourselves on the back or how much flattery we receive but about the lives that are changed. The real test of good teaching is the life of the student! "Great teaching is not about people feeling moved in class, it is about people moving when they get out of class."

Ministering to People
People are hurting today like never before. Since the day sin entered the world, pain has been part of the human experience. But as we draw closer to the time of the world's greatest suffering--the Great Tribulation--it appears pain is increasing at an accelerated rate. Divorce, child abuse, drugs, rebellious children, suicide, crime, sexual promiscuousness, etc. Life seems to come unraveled so easily these days. Where does one go for the love and support so desperately needed in times of crisis? Sunday School! Your class may not have all the answers, but they will stand with you through the fire.

Building Relationships with People
Worship is designed for you to make a personal connection with the Living God. Sunday School is designed for you to make a personal connection with God's people. God created each of us with the need for relationships. Stress researchers at the University of Illinois found that persons who feel connected with other people are more calmed and less tense. In Sunday School you will establish new friendships and Christian relationships.

Assimilating People
Sunday School is structured so that people have a natural means to get into the life stream of the church. Everyone desires a place where they belong, are known, know others, are loved, and are appreciated. Sunday School is such a place. We have age-graded classes that will allow you to fit with a homogeneous group.

Involving People in Ministry
There is an old adage that says: People rarely join a church to get involved but they rarely stay unless they are! Sunday School is a place to get involved in the lives of others. Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Sunday School is the core ministry of our church family. It is the place where people are prayed for, encouraged, and challenged in their spiritual walk. We encourage every member to find a place to serve whether that place of service is teaching the class or greeting people at the door.

I know of nothing that has the potential to address the needs of people, families, and society more than an evangelistic, outreaching, on-fire Sunday School class. Make a commitment to Sunday School today! Together we can make a difference in our world!