The Classic Approach to Sunday School Growth Flake’s Formula The Classic Approach to Sunday School Growth

Arthur Flake Born in Texas in 1862, Arthur Flake became a successful clothing merchant in Mississippi. Joining the Sunday School Board in 1909, he became head of the Sunday School Department in 1920. He outlined five laws of Sunday School growth and challenged the convention to build churches by building the Sunday School,

Arthur Flake Flake wrote ten books after he was 58 years old, one of which (Building a Standard Sunday School) has been studied by over a million people. He taught Southern Baptists how to build Sunday Schools, bringing Sunday School enrolment from around one million in 1910 to six million at the time of his death in 1952.

Flake’s Formula Know the possibilities Enlarge the organization Enlist and train the workers Provide space Go Get ‘Em!

Know the Possibilities Know your church Know your community Know your strengths and weaknesses Know your resources Know your prospects “Knowing the Possibilities” begins with the recognition that with God, all things are possible. Yet at the same time we are exhorted to count the cost and plan. Major building projects in the Bible(the Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem) are good models for building an organization. The single most important “possibility” is knowing your prospects. We need to know about those to whom we seek to minister--basic demographics so we can organize to best reach them; their physical, emotional, and intellectual needs to allow us to provide effective ministry; their current spiritual condition; the methods that would best reach them.

Enlarge the Organization Provide sufficient units to do the work Teaching Units = Enrollment / 18 Keep units small for Better Outreach 1 / 25 / 12 Rule Better Ministry Better Fellowship Better Teaching Better Assimilation My favorite definition of “organization” is “getting in the best position to allow God to work through us most effectively.” Organization is a set of structured relationships which allow us to accomplish a task. In this case, the task is the Great Commission. The most important thing a church can do to begin growing is to add new teaching units. The organization needs to be larger than required to minister to those currently attending so that it can accommodate growth. A tested rule of thumb is that forming one new adult unit will result in an increase in enrollment of 25 over a 12 month period. (This enrollment increase will be realized over the entire Sunday School, not just in the new unit.)

Principles of Organization A gifted person can do a lot, but no person is gifted enough to guide a ministry alone. High-visibility leadership is still needed, but the role must be limited. Big loads are to be borne by many, but they must be carefully selected. When there is proper management: Leaders don’t wear out Harmony prevails -- Chuck Swindol, 7/3/89

Enlist and Train the Workers Workers = Enrollment / 10 Enlist sufficient workers to do the work Use your organization! Enlist Properly Honestly Face to face Basis for commitment Develop a training calendar The secret of Sunday School is its ability to mobilize lay leadership to accomplish much more than a staff of paid workers could ever achieve. Workers must be enlisted properly, else problems will eventually develop. The organization provides the framework for enlistment. The Sunday School director enlists the division directors, who enlist department directors, who enlist the teachers in their department, who in turn enlist the officers in their class. This makes the task of enlistment manageable and begins structuring relationships to accomplish the best results. The best way to enlist is by appointment in the prospective teacher’s home, with time to provide information (curriculum materials, class roster, training schedule, expectations of workers, and support provided by the :Sunday School). Even a long-term worker deserves an enlistment visit to celebrate her ministry and to encourage her to continued achievement. Every opportunity needs to be taken to provide quality training in age-group characteristics, teaching methods, organizational principles, Biblical studies, and outreach and evangelism techniques. Local, regional, and national training opportunities should be provided and promoted. Workers participating in training should be supported and recognized.

Provide Space Adapt/adjust existing space 40 square feet per person 10 square feet for each youth and adult 25 square feet for each preschooler and child Practical limit to 80% capacity Multiple use of space Building program Lack of appropriate space will limit the ability of your Sunday School to grow. A growing church will need to continually provide additional space to stay ahead of the need. Dual Sunday Schools can provide much more efficient use of space and allow ministry to more people. Beyond the basic needs for adequate square footage, consider also the quality of space provided: cleanliness and repair, lighting, furnishings, teaching aids (bulletin boards and marker boards, overhead projectors, etc.), temperature, access, convenience to restrooms and preschool areas, etc.

Use of Space The church is unique in its ineffective use of space. First, 20% of church space is taken up by large assembly areas such as the sanctuary, chapel, and fellowship hall. And 60% of the church is education space while 10% is office space. That means that 90% of the space is used only 5% of the time and 10% of the space is used 30% of the time.

Go Get ‘Em! WORK! WORK! WORK! Plan your work and work your plan Contacts -- stay in touch! Visitation Outreach Ministry Evangelism The work of the Sunday School must be deliberate and purposeful. It can never be “business as usual” and still be effective. The leadership must catch God’s vision of the possibilities, impart it to the faculty and membership, and develop realistic plans to achieve meaningful goals which move toward that vision. Annual, monthly, and weekly evaluation and planning will keep individuals and resources focused on achieving God’s purpose for His church. A high-quality Bible teaching program will remain ineffective unless it continually reaches people. A Sunday School will not grow until the teachers and members engage in outreach contacts and visitation. The Great Commission does not permit our message to be “come and see,” but rather commands us to “go and tell.” New people typically visit Sunday School classes because they are invited. As the Sunday School class discovers new prospects, cultivates them as potential class members, involves them in meaningful Bible study, and seeks to lead them to saving faith and Christian maturity, it is carrying out the ministry of Christ on His behalf.

The Teacher “Your job as a Sunday School Teacher is no different with respect to the members of your class than the pastor’s job with respect to the total congregation.”