Sunday School That Really Works, Lesson #3A Discussion Guide to Steve Parr’s Book.Good Questions Have Groups Talking

Note: questions in bold are ready to ask in class. Material below the questions is supplemental and may or may not be used at your discretion.

Chapters 5 & 6

OPEN

Let’s each share your name and one thing you love about your group.

DIG

  1. The first half of chapter five deals with the pastor’s role in Sunday School. Two questions: What is one thing you appreciate about our pastor, and what is one way he might could do even better in supporting the Sunday School?

Johnny Hunt attends Sunday School:

This gave Pastor Johnny an opportunity to attend Sunday School so he visited some Sunday School classes with the goal of joining one. (He did join one and is in Sunday School every week.) One day in a staff meeting he shared about visiting classes and said to me, “Allan, we have some wonderful classes, and we have some teachers who really know their Bibles, but I have noticed that many of them lecture every week. I think we want to get people interacting in a Sunday School class.” “I agree, Pastor, we do want people interacting in Sunday School,” I replied, “and I think I know why so many teachers lecture and where the problem lies. Pastor, you are the problem.” Now at this point I was going to have some fun or many regrets! Pastor grinned and said, “All right, tell me more.” I then explained that it was really a compliment to him. He was such a great Bible teacher, a wonderful communicator of truth, and so passionate about the Word of God that all the teachers wanted to be like him. When teachers hear the Word proclaimed, they most always hear it preached from the pulpit. Unconsciously their mind is conditioned that preaching or lecturing is the way to do it. They mimic that style in their Sunday School class. We must be careful that we do not turn Sunday School into an age-division worship service. Sunday School is to be distinctly different from a worship service.

As we involve people, not only do they learn more effectively, but their retention rate increases as well. Retention is a by-product of concentration. Therefore, teachers cannot afford to let class members sit on the sidelines each week and watch the teacher play the game. They must be engaged in the game with the teacher. Members discovering truth are involved; involvement produces concentration; concentration produces retention; retention means they have grasped a truth. They are positioned to obey because they understand. It is shameful for the teacher to take “the word of God [which] is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12) and render it dead, weak, and duller than a butter knife to the unengaged member. — Taylor, Allan (2009). Sunday School in HD: Sharpening the Focus on What Makes Your Church Healthy (pp. 66-68). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

  1. Let’s look at some of the questions starting on page 103. First, do we have enough classes? What would you say the next three classes we need to start are?

You grow a Sunday School by increasing the number of groups, not by growing each group. The average size of each group will usually start pretty constant—around 10. If you want to grow your Sunday School, be thinking of how to create new groups.

  1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of a large class?

The size can be exciting. The problem is when people miss and are not missed, they tend to miss. We want a place where everybody knows your name. Andy Stanley says, “If there is a back row, it is not a small group.”

  1. How can a large class keep up with everyone?

Subdivide. Have care groups.

  1. Page 104. How big of a problem is lack of leadership in churches you have been in?

Jesus said it would be true. The harvest is plentiful; the laborers are few. It is true in big churches and small, country churches and city churches.

  1. What can we do to insure that our church has enough workers.

1)Pray. That is what Jesus said: pray that God would raise up workers.

2)Give a positive testimony of how much you love serving. Do this as often as you can. It should come up naturally in the flow of teaching.

3)Ask people to try something. Don’t ask them to sign up to teach a class for a year. Ask them to observe one week.

4)Debrief. Talk to them about their experience. What you are likely to hear is, “yeah, but.” What I mean is there will be some things they like and some things they don’t like about their experience.

5)Move them closer to the goal. There is no such thing as failure; just learning (Anthony Robbins). Use the knowledge gained from the experience to move them closer to the goal.

  1. How did you get involved in ministry and what can that teach us about getting others involved?

Joyce once facilitated a prayer-based women's group. Prayer was a passion of hers and she was gifted in a way that drew others. Joyce was an older woman, comfortable with who she was, and she enjoyed using her shepherding gifts to encourage the younger women toward deepening their walk with God. After about a year, the focus of the group began shifting. Their prayer for the city in which they lived was leading them toward increased activism. Corporately, the women decided to get more actively involved in meeting needs in their community.

"I am really excited about this new direction," said Joyce. "It feels like it's of God, and a natural outflow from our times of prayer and reflection. I definitely want to be a part of this new phase. That said, I don't know that I'm the best person to continue in a facilitation role. I think you're going to need someone with a more direct leadership style, someone who can organize outings, cast vision, delegate responsibilities. That's just not me. And I can see this new direction challenging me in some really important ways, and I think I need to be in a learner role to fully experience that."

Joyce, by stepping down from her role at just the right time, showed exemplary self-awareness, an understanding of the needs and direction of the group, and the ability to listen to the Holy Spirit. These qualities in a facilitator contribute toward empowering others and investing in their development. — Tara Miller;Jenn Peppers. Finding the Flow: A Guide for Leading Small Groups and Gatherings (pp. 169-170). Kindle Edition.

  1. Anyone have a story of someone you have helped into ministry?

A man named Patrick, who once led a rather large small group, refused the term leader outright. Instead, he insisted that he was just helping out with coordinating the group, and other people were really making it happen. And indeed, Patrick did have help. He had another person hosting. He asked different people to help with the teaching/ content portion of the evening. He had set up an e-mail listserve so others in the group could initiate service projects. He designated prayer group leaders for the end of the evening, when prayer and sharing were done in smaller groups-within-a-group.

In short, Patrick was leading in the most biblical way possible-by developing others. He could quickly spot someone with a teaching or hospitality gift. He identified the people who had the shepherding gifts necessary to guide the prayer groups, where people felt included and heard. And whenever Patrick saw those gifts, he called them out by asking people if they would be willing to serve by using them. When people were ready to use their gifts, ownership was created. In this way, the group had developed enough traction that when Patrick was no longer available to lead, it continued on without him. — Tara Miller;Jenn Peppers. Finding the Flow: A Guide for Leading Small Groups and Gatherings (p. 171). Kindle Edition.

  1. Let’s talk about organization. Why does a group need organization?

Groups that have a big team are more than twice as likely (115%) to be growing, compared with those who had a small team. A big team was defined as four or more people. A small team was the teacher and one other person. The more people you have helping you, the more likely it is that you’ll grow. The results are quite linear. The following chart shows the percentage of groups that are growing, in proportion to the number of people actively helping the group grow. The more people we have helping, the more likely the growth:

When we combine this factor with the one in our last chapter, the results are even more stunning. Groups with lots of parties (9 or more a year) and a large team are nearly five times as likely (389%) to be growing, compared with those who have 4 or less parties a year and a small team. — Josh Hunt, Make Your Group Grow.

  1. What organization do we need?

Here is the bare minimum. You can have more than one person in each of these roles:

  • Fellowship leaders plan a fellowship every month
  • Inreach leaders invite every member
  • Outreach leaders invite every prospect
  1. Page 109 speaks of targets. What is the goal of your group? What is the win?

The idea ofsetting a multiplication goal was confirmed in my Ph.D. research of eight large cell churches in eight different countries. The 700 cell leaders surveyed were asked, “Do you know when your group is going to multiply?” Possible answers were “yes,” “no,” or “not sure.” When the survey results were analyzed, cell leaders who knew their goal—when their groups would give birth—consistently multiplied their groups more often than leaders who didn’t know or just “hoped it would happen.” In fact, if a cell leader fails to set goals that the cell members clearly remember, the group has about a 50-50 chance of multiplying. But if the leader sets a clear goal for multiplication, the chance of multiplying increases to three out of four. Without the accountability of a goal, it’s easy to drift into unfocused ministry and be lulled into contentment with the status quo.

Even though community and relationship building is an essential part of group life, I’ve also noticed that community and personal growth does not lead to multiplication. There needs to be a clear focus and vision to reach beyond the group. And the group leader and coach need to promote and prepare for multiplication to actually happen. — Comiskey, Joel (2011). COACH: Empower Others to Effectively Lead a Small Group (Kindle Locations 671-680). CCS Publishing. Kindle Edition.

  1. Page 116. How do we motivate people to want to serve?

In the Spanish-American War, a youthful soldier was going into battle. He was so frightened that he threw himself on the ground and cried uncontrollably.

General Chaffee saw the youth and knew exactly what he needed. "What's the trouble?" he kindly asked. The young soldier replied, "I'm scared."

Reaching forth his hand, the general said, "Get up, take your gun again, and face the enemy. I'll stand by you here. They are more likely to hit me than you. I believe there is a soldier buttoned up in your jacket. I want to see that soldier come out and be a real solider!"

Encouraged, the young man jumped to his feet, faced the enemy and fought bravely. — Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.

Chapter Six

  1. Page 123. Do you fear evangelism? Do you think the people in your group fear evangelism?

On the flight from Chicago to Lincoln, Nebraska, I sat next to a Saudi Arabian guy, Ali, who was on his way to start college in Lincoln. As soon as I heard that he’d never been in the United States before and was from the Middle East, I felt Jesus tugging at my heart. After a little chitchat about his feelings about being so far from home and asking what he knew about American culture or life in Nebraska, I told him I was a follower of Jesus.

I asked Ali about his spiritual background. I told him that he’d probably meet a number of people in Nebraska who are Christians, and said it’d probably be helpful to understand a little of where they’re coming from. I pulled out the Four Spiritual Laws and read through each point with him.

We talked a little bit more, and then I went back to reading my book. He opened the booklet and read it cover to cover. I was so excited. I prayed for him as he was reading it, thankful to have been reminded this morning that God is the one who works, convicting people of their need for him. After Ali finished reading, I asked him what he thought, and he said it was very interesting.

As the plane landed I told him I’d pray for him, then was convicted that I should do it right then. I asked if I could pray for him, and he immediately said yes. At the baggage claim I went over and met his cousin and invited them both to an American cultural event—Christmas Eve service at our church! We’ll see!

This is why I love being a Christian—it’s heart-pounding scary at times and exhilarating when I see someone I know Jesus wants to come to him, and I have the choice to step out in faith or stay in security. —Email from Marilyn Adamson, Orlando, Florida (December 2006) / Larson, C. B., & Ten Elshof, P. (2008). 1001 illustrations that connect (62–63). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

  1. How do we get over a fear of evangelism?

Many years ago when my brothers were small, one of them said to the other, "I'm going to eat you!"

My mother overheard and said, "Oh, we don't eat people. There are some people who eat other people. We call them cannibals. Someone should tell them about Jesus."

To which David replied, "Well, they'd better tell them over the telephone." — Miriam Martin / 1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories: For Preachers, Teachers, and Writers.

  1. How can fellowships be used to help grow our groups?

The group that has 9 or more fellowships a year is twice as likely (104%) to be growing compared with the group that has one fellowship a quarter or less. Double the number of parties; double the chance of growing. (Note: this is not a scientifically randomized survey, but rather a survey of group leaders that I filled out surveys online and at conferences.)

Don’t you love it when you are right? I have not been right on every one of these things. I have already reported on things that I thought would really matter that do not matter hardly at all, or do not matter very much. In this case, the data supports what I have been saying for years: groups that party together grow together.

How much better if groups follow the formula: invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month. But, the sheer practice of parties, whether or not we invite outsiders doubles our chances of doubling.

Truth is, this plan is as old as the Bible. Consider these verses:

  • Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner. Romans 12:13 (TLB)
  • Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9 (NIV)
  • Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)
  • Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends. Luke 14:12a (NIV)

I had someone say to me after a conference recently, “What you are talking about is just doing what the Bible says.” — Josh Hunt. See Make Your Group Grow

  1. What kind of parties do you think would work well in your group?

Never underestimate the power of a parry to draw a crowd! Every two months, we planned social gatherings. Amongst ourselves we jokingly called them "sinner dinners." We found that we could double our attendance and get non-churched students to come to our house if the kids invited them to a "party." We have found if we have a theme ("Squirt Gun Wars," "I Hate Winter," "Halloween Bonfire," and "Fifties Night" are always hits), grill some hot dogs, and play a few corny games, we'll have a crowd. They will have a blast and will listen intently to a few of their friends share their story of how they came to a personal relationship with Jesus. We have had as many as eighty-nine kids show up and as many as a dozen make salvation decisions for Christ-all because we had a party. Adults enjoy parties too. You'd be surprised how many of your group's friends will come to a game night or get together to watch a movie. Just remember that guests love to contribute, so ask them to bring something tasty with them and they'll instantly feel at home at the gathering. Testimony One of the easiest ways to gain attention, sustain interest, and preach the gospel without being "preachy" in your small group meetings is to have someone share how they came to Christ. It is wise to have a testimony that somewhat mirrors the people you hope to reach. For example, if you are inviting unsaved husbands to your group have a former unsaved husband share how he came to Christ. — The Pocket Guide to Leading a Small Group: 52 Ways to Help You and Your Small Group Grow by Dave Earley, Rod Dempsey