The Sunday School Growth Evaluation Plan Ken Marler Partnership Specialist LifeWay Christian Resources Ken.Marler@lifeway.com

Healthy Things Grow Growing Things Change Changing Things Challenge Challenges Drive us to Trust God Trusting God Leads to Obedience Obedience Leads to Health Healthy Things Grow

Enrollment Enrollment = Ministry Growth Goal: Increased enrollment over last year Enrollment = Ministry

Enrollment Increased Enrollment means: Increased Sunday School attendance Increased Worship attendance Increased ministry Increased baptisms Increased offerings Increased number of workers

Enrollment Open Enrollment Anywhere Anytime If They Agree

Enrollment How? 1. Enrollment Cards 2. During Bible Study 3. During Worship Services 4. During Visitation 5. Special Church Events

Enrollment The Key Is Follow-Up 1. Deliver Bible Study Resources 2. Provide Information 3. Provide Transportation 4. Sit With New Members/Guests 5. Stand With New Members

Enrollment Guiding Principles 1. Think People Not Percentages 2. Drop Persons From The Roll When They Die 3. Ministry! Ministry! Ministry!

ENGAGEMENT OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Units Growth Goal: One per 18 persons enrolled in Bible Study Without new units being developed regularly you are organized for maintenance

Units Bible Study Classes reach their maximum effectiveness in 12-18 months

The Sunday School Growth Evaluation Plan

The Sunday School Growth Evaluation Plan

Units CAUTION: 1. Class members become overly attached to the teacher. 2. Class members become overly attached to the room 3. Class members become overly attached to each other 4. A class stops growing 5. A class stops sending members out

Units Guiding Principles: 1. Space determines unit enrollment 2. New units determine growth 3. New unit considerations: a class with a large enrollment a class with broad age ranges a target group not being reached a lifestyle class off campus classes

Ministry Touches Growth Goal: Everyone on the ministry list should be contacted every week for ministry The roll is the ministry list

Ministry Touches Devise a strategy to contact everyone on the ministry list every week

Attendance Growth goal: An attendance of 40%-60% of the enrollment should be achieved

Attendance Follows Ministry

Space Growth Principle: One space for every on campus unit

Space Four types of space Worship Education Parking Preschool When any of these is 80% full consider the space full

Space Discover space 1. Available 2. Adjusted 3. Adjacent 4. Adapted

Space Guiding Principle: Space should never keep a church from reaching people

Leaders Growth Goal: One Worker for every five persons on the Sunday School ministry list Leaders: Those who are involved in the work of teaching, reaching, or ministry

Leaders Four things every adult class need to do to help members leave 1. Missionary Member board 2. FYI phone call to missionary member immediately after church 3. Missionary member receives a ministry contact during the week 4. Monthly party

Leaders Guiding Principles: Pray for workers to be called Learn the art of discovery Learn the art of encouragement and motivation

Leaders in Training Growth Goal: Every leader participates in leadership training every year

Leaders in Training Determine a strategy to enable every Leader to earn their leadership diploma in one year Individual Church Association State National

Leaders in Training Guiding Principles: Every leader in training: and it is never ending No leader says, “I already know that.”

Sunday School Leadership Meeting Growth Goal: 75% of workers attending a weekly team meeting

Sunday School Leadership Meeting Four areas of work to be done 1. Focus on Mission 2. Focus on Relationships 3. Focus on Bible Study 4. After the meeting

Sunday School Leadership Meeting Results of the Meeting 1. Fellowship 2. Leadership development 3. Team spirit 4. Prayer 5. Ministry 6. Commitment

Sunday School Leadership Meeting Results of the Meeting 7. Preparation 8. Promotion 9. Outreach 10. Evaluation 11. Correlation of work

The 4 P’s of Leadership Meetings

1. Pray Every Meeting For: 1. The lost 2. The unchurched/backslidden 3. The teacher 4. The class leaders 5. The church staff 6. Intercessory Needs 7. The Church’s Ministry

2. Promote Resources Available Training Resources (the latest study course materials, books, articles, web sites, etc.) Upcoming training events Church Training events (Discipleship training or special training sessions) Associational Training events (check with the DOM office for locations) State Training events (check the website for locations) National training events (Ridgecrest, Glorieta)

3. Principles Remember the timeless growth principles that will always work. Enrollment Outreach/Evangelism Prospects Birthing New Classes Organization and structure Inreach

4. Plan Set goals Determine strategies to meet goals Plan for intentional growth (do the necessary little things to make a difference)

Persons in Discipleship Growth goal: At least one half of the Sunday School attendance is enrolled in a Discipleship class.

Persons in Discipleship These classes are closed and are for building Great Commission Christians A director of Discipleship is needed in every adult class

Worship Attendance Growth Goal: No more than 10-20% more in worship than in Sunday School.

Worship Attendance Remember to get persons in worship services on the ministry list who are not already on the Sunday School ministry list

Offerings Growth Goal: Sunday School attendance multiplied by the per capita giving

Offerings Divide weekly undesignated offerings by the average Sunday School attendance. This gives the per capita giving

Offerings Guiding Principle: We do not need more money! We need more people!

Prospects Growth Goal: Prospects = Ministry List Anyone who does not attend Bible Study is your prospect.

Prospects Valid Prospect: Someone who is assigned a class with proper information

Prospects How? 1. I know a prospect cards 2. Opinion Polls/People Search 3. New Residence information 4. Special event registration 5. Broadman Prospect Services

Prospects Guiding Principles: 1. Equal to the number on the ministry list 2. A director of prospecting to keep everyone aware of the need 3. Anyone not attending Bible Study is a prospect

Outreach Growth Goal: Every class involved in outreach every week

Outreach Train persons “How To” Give the motivation Provide the organization to assimilate new persons

The Sunday School Growth Evaluation Plan Ken Marler Partnership Specialist LifeWay Christian Resources