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 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 F Know the possibilities F Enlarge the organization F Enlist and train the workers F Provide space F Go Get ‘Em!

Know the Possibilities F Know your church F Know your community F Know your strengths and weaknesses F Know your resources F Know your prospects

Enlarge the Organization F Provide sufficient units to do the work Teaching Units = Enrollment / 18 F Keep units small for –Better Outreach 1 / 25 / 12 Rule –Better Ministry –Better Fellowship –Better Teaching –Better Assimilation

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

Enlist and Train the Workers F Enlist sufficient workers to do the work Workers = Enrollment / 10 F Use your organization! F Enlist Properly –Honestly –Face to face –Basis for commitment F Develop a training calendar

Provide Space F Adapt/adjust existing space F 40 square feet per person –10 square feet for each youth and adult –25 square feet for each preschooler and child F Practical limit to 80% capacity F Multiple use of space F Building program

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! F WORK! WORK! WORK! F Plan your work and work your plan F Contacts -- stay in touch! F Visitation –Outreach –Ministry –Evangelism

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.”