Adult Sunday School

[John81]

I'm very thankful we have adult Sunday school. I look forward to that each Sunday as much as I do the preaching service. (Our pastor teaches the adult SS I attend) We also have another adult SS class but that's a group of older ladies.

[Invicta]

That is interesting, Invicta.  Children's Sunday School started in England.  I would think that there would be an adult Sunday School.

 

There may be, but I don't know of any. 

 

(I have three ads on this page, to leading to different Sunday School lesson sites and one to meditation lessons.)

 

We find it difficult to get children to attend regularly.  We may have a good number (for us) one week and the same number each week, but completely different children. 

[candlelight]

There may be, but I don't know of any. 

 

(I have three ads on this page, to leading to different Sunday School lesson sites and one to meditation lessons.)

 

We find it difficult to get children to attend regularly.  We may have a good number (for us) one week and the same number each week, but completely different children. 

 

That is so sad, Invicta.  I took a class on how to teach Sunday School and I remember it was started by a man in England who had a burden for the youth.  So, he started SS and the youth were attending SS faithfully.  Mind you, this was many years ago.

[John81]

Our children's SS numbers go up and down all the time. We have a few children that are almost always there and then several others who almost seem to rotate. That makes it difficult for the teachers because one week they may have 3 students and the next have 12.

 

We are trying to figure out a way to get more of our adults into the SS in the hopes that will mean some will also be having their children or grandchildren in SS too.

[Invicta]

Another thing is that we have difficulty attracting students from the universities.  In the past we had a number.  We used to have a stall at freshers week and got some students from there but in recent years we haven't.  The were only interested in knowing what the "worship" is like, meaning the singing. In recent years we have not been allowed at Freshers Week. We do have a Czech student but she came via a different route.  She visited a church in the next county and a member spoke to her and she said she wanted accommodation in Canterbury, and he said his brother lived in Canterbury.  She got in touch with him, one of our deacons and she is staying with him and his wife, and attends our church.  She is a Christian and is very keen to attract other students, especially those from her own country.

[Invicta]

That is so sad, Invicta.  I took a class on how to teach Sunday School and I remember it was started by a man in England who had a burden for the youth.  So, he started SS and the youth were attending SS faithfully.  Mind you, this was many years ago.

 If I remember correctly, SSs were mainly started to teach poor people to read.  They probably used the bible to do that. 

[John81]

 If I remember correctly, SSs were mainly started to teach poor people to read.  They probably used the bible to do that. 

I've read something to that effect.

[candlelight]

Another thing is that we have difficulty attracting students from the universities.  In the past we had a number.  We used to have a stall at freshers week and got some students from there but in recent years we haven't.  The were only interested in knowing what the "worship" is like, meaning the singing. In recent years we have not been allowed at Freshers Week. We do have a Czech student but she came via a different route.  She visited a church in the next county and a member spoke to her and she said she wanted accommodation in Canterbury, and he said his brother lived in Canterbury.  She got in touch with him, one of our deacons and she is staying with him and his wife, and attends our church.  She is a Christian and is very keen to attract other students, especially those from her own country.

 

That sounds wonderful, Invicta.

[2bLikeJesus]

I guess I have been spoiled.  I thought all IFB churches had an adult SS.  All the one's I have ever been in have one.  Pastor Caviness is a masterful teacher and we typically have self made handouts to fill in.  I especially enjoy when we have every couple of months, "open forum" where the congregation can pose whatever questions they may have.  We have had some REALLY interesting discussions and class then!  We are a small church, and our building we meet in is WAY to small to have children's SS on our property, we have to bus them about 5 miles away to a school building to meet.

Our busses are packed most Sunday's.

 

We pack our bus because we have a minimum of 4 bus workers on the bus not counting the driver.  They keep the bus loud, singing, playing games all the time and feed the kids muffins and juice/milk for breakfast when the get on.  Kids fight, to get a seat just to ride the bus.  We wish we had 2 more busses because we could fill them.

[Salyan]

There may be, but I don't know of any.

(I have three ads on this page, to leading to different Sunday School lesson sites and one to meditation lessons.)

We find it difficult to get children to attend regularly. We may have a good number (for us) one week and the same number each week, but completely different children.

Let Br. Matt know about that meditation one... I think he can do something about it.

[Invicta]

Let Br. Matt know about that meditation one... I think he can do something about it.

 

The ad I get most often is for the RCG. The restored Church of God, The Herbert W. Armstrong crowd.

[Bro K]

 If I remember correctly, SSs were mainly started to teach poor people to read.  They probably used the bible to do that. 

Read somewhere that SS had its beginning around 1750 in England.  Purpose was to educate the children of those parents who worked in the factories.

Its a tradition which has evolved into what we have today. Undoubtedly, we all have benefited immensely through the SS program.

[Pastorj]

John81

I have pastored 2 churches and we have tried many different "methods" to get adults to start coming to SS. Some have worked better than others. The best method we have found is to do a 1:1 discipleship program with families. As you cover major topics (one of which is church attendance), I have seen a dramatic increase in faithfulness to all services.

 

We started a discipleship program and saw our adult ss attendance double in a year.

 

I stopped harping about those things from the pulpit as I found it didn't change a thing.

 

Hope that helps.

[John81]

Thank you for the input Pastorj!

 

This sounds like something we are currently trying to do, and it has reaped a few new attendees.

 

We have two morning services (8 and 10:30) with SS in between. Some of us who attend the 8:00 service have been able to get a few folks to stay over for SS. It's been much harder trying to get those who attend the 10:30 service to come an hour earlier for SS.

 

Sometimes it's almost like trying to herd cats. So many seem possibly willing and open but as soon as you actually try to get them involved they scatter.

 

We are a small, rural church and our congregation comes from a 50 mile radius (sad so many folks have to drive so far to hear biblical preaching). For a few folks I can see how that extra hour (staying after the first service or arriving before the 2nd service) could be an issue. Yet for most folks that one hour difference wouldn't be a big deal if they simply decided it was important enough.

 

It seems building SS attendance, whether adult or children, is a difficult matter for most.

[Bro K]

As previously stated the first objective is to get them in SS; and simply mentioning it from the pulpit doesn't seem to have any affect. As in any type of job; it takes work to accomplish what needs to be done. Some things we should consider:

1. Pastors need to do in-depth teaching on the importance of SS; and understand that they are accountable for the SS programs.

2. Cannot stress the importance of having SS teachers who are capable of teaching. If the folks are not being helped; why should they attend?

3. Teachers should take the initiative outside the SS class to encourage folks to attend SS.