News / Education
Conference examines Sunday school in black culture
Leadership and passion for the church are key elements of success
More than 250 Christian educators from black churches across the country gathered in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 2-3 for the National Black Sunday School Conference. The conference was sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
The NBSSC is designed to provide skills in building strong Sunday schools in predominately black churches and address issues within the context of traditions and culture of the black church. The conference is geared toward pastors, ministers of education (directors of Christian education), Sunday school directors and age-group Sunday school leaders.
Participants chose from more than 40 breakout sessions relating to age-group education, leadership development, learning styles and fellowship ideas. In addition, there were general sessions aimed at NBSSC veterans and new attendees.
A theme throughout the conference was helping Sunday school leaders and teachers become more effective.
Effective teaching
Chandra Bennett, editor of the "YOU" curriculum, a quarterly Bible study resource created with urban/multicultural believers in mind, said that enthusiasm for teaching was crucial to success.
"If you aren’t having fun teaching, see if you really have the joy of the Lord," she said. "Don’t be boring!"
She proposed three questions teachers can ask themselves to determine whether their teaching is effective: Are believers changing into the likeness of Jesus? Are believers growing in their love and trust of God? Are believers becoming more obedient to God?
Enthusiasm for church
During a session for conference veterans, Art Groomes, LifeWay’s discipleship and evangelism specialist, said a passion for your church is one of the first things people notice when you invite them to come.
"If you don’t exhibit an excitement when you talk about your church, no one will want to come," Groomes said. "Nobody wants to go to a dull church!"
Gizelle Kirkwood from New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in East St. Louis, Ill., agreed. "Our church is a place of community," she said. "We love our church and are excited about it. We want to share it with others. Enthusiasm shows and is contagious."
Leadership development
Leadership development is key to having successful Sunday schools, according to Charles Grant, a LifeWay church consultant. Developing and motivating your Sunday school leadership has to be an ongoing process.
"It’s difficult to develop leaders," he said. "The people you want as leaders are often over committed in other areas. They are typically strong willed and have personal agendas. Sometimes they are drawn away by opportunities that look more exciting or meaningful."
Grant acknowledged that keeping Sunday school leaders motivated takes work. He said it is important to encourage leaders, letting them know they are appreciated and respected. He added that even seasoned leaders benefit from a mentor who will provide one-on-one motivation and encouragement.
Communication is crucial. "People like to have information," Grant said. "Build a system that allows everyone to know what others are doing. This helps them learn from each other and develop the team mentality."
Wayne Poling, LifeWay’s senior lead Sunday school specialist, said he hoped each participant walked away from the conference with a strong, ministry-changing understanding of the work of Sunday school. He summed up this understanding with the acronym GOSS, or Growth Oriented Sunday School.
"A Growth Oriented Sunday School is committed to teaching those who show up on Sunday, but it is also a Sunday school in which the leadership and class members are committed to reaching people and seeing lives transformed," Poling said. "Conference participants examined the purpose, ministry and growth of their Sunday schools; the teaching for life-change; and the developing of plans for their Sunday schools in the context of the history of traditions within the black church."
Participants learned how to implement each of three primary principles involved in building their Sunday schools: invite, discover and connect.
- Invite. GOSS groups invite people to be a part of their group because the class is compassionately committed to attending to the lives of people.
- Discover. GOSS classes are focused on seeing people’s lives transformed through discovering the truths of God’s Word and hearing the faith stories of others in their group.
- Connect. GOSS group members work together to provide people the opportunity to connect through fellowship and ministry.
The next NBSSC will be in Nashville Oct. 22-23, 2010. LifeWay is also joining with the Georgia Baptist Convention to offer the Southeast Black Sunday School Conference April 30-May 1, 2010 in Decatur, Ga. More information will be available soon at LifeWay.com/blackchurchlife.
