Breaking Through The Barriers of Sunday School Growth Dr. Steve R. Parr Sunday School/Open Groups Georgia Baptist Convention

Why Churches Struggle With Barriers? Barriers may require the pastor to relate to the congregation in a new way. Barriers may require decisions that may not have unanimous support. Key decisions may result in the loss of “good people.” Barriers may require a new balance of pastoral and lay leadership.

Pastoral and Lay Leadership Smaller congregations often provide much of the leadership (committees) and expect pastors to provide much of the ministry. Transitioning often requires a shift where the pastors provide most of the leadership and the congregation provides most of the ministry.

Checklist #1. Do we have the staff? Getting past 100 will require a pastor who provides “hands-on” leadership. Moving beyond 200 requires a staff member to serve as the “Key Leader” and the pastor serves as the “Chief Cheerleader.” The right quality of staff is more important than the right quantity of staff.

Checklist #2. Do we the space to go to the next level? You will be limited by the smallest of: Worship, Education, Parking, Property, Fellowship Space. How may empty rooms do you have? How is the quality of space? How is the quantity of space?

Checklist #3. Do we have an adequate number of classes? You will need one class for every ten that you desire to average in attendance (when all ages are averaged together).

Checklist #4. Do we have the leadership to get us to the next level? Moving forward will require a systematic equipping plan. Do you have a comprehensive leader enlistment plan? Breaking barriers may require that you raise leadership expectations/standards.

Checklist #5. Do we have a pool from which we can draw a larger attendance? You will need at least two enrolled for each person you desire to average. Your percentage of attendance to enrollment will fall at as you break barriers but should not fall below 40%.

Checklist #6. Are our adult classes organized to minister to every family? Contacts and Care Groups become more critical at every level!

Checklist #7. Do we provide quality ministries for “all age groups?” You will not be able to leave any group behind if you want to break barriers. Quality expectations are higher for a church as it grows.

Checklist #8. Are we strategically implementing outreach strategies to reach children, teens, and young adults? Your style of worship may have to adjust. This does not mean that you have to “go contemporary,” but that you might need to be “more contemporary.” How are people being trained in evangelism? What is the evangelism strategy?

Checklist #9. Are we strategic in assimilation? Do you have a new members class? Do you immediately assign new members to a small group? Do you quickly move new members into places of ministry?

Checklist #10. Do we need to transition from committee led enlistment to staff led enlistment? This will be critical as staff are added. Staff members get better results when they have direct responsibility for enlisting, training, and caring for those who serve in their ministry area.

Questions

Breaking Through The Barriers of Sunday School Growth Dr. Steve R. Parr Sunday School/Open Groups Georgia Baptist Convention