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The Intentional Sunday School

by: John H. Ewart

Years ago, while serving in the Philippines, my missionary supervisor and I were scheduled to attend a new church-start planning meeting on a nearby island. We drove to the coast but unfortunately missed the automobile ferry. A man at the dock told us of another boat that could accommodate us and led us to a smaller ferry designed to carry people with no ramp for vehicles. We explained we would need our car on the island. He just smiled and told us they could get the car onboard.

The crew proceeded to lay two large boards between the dock and the edge of the boat. Then the man said, "Drive on." My supervisor, who had been driving and to whom the car was assigned, quickly handed me the keys. As I drove toward the dock’s edge, I realized I had a major problem. The dock was higher than the boat and the boards slanted downward. I could not see the boards! Recognizing my dilemma, a crew member hopped on the boards and began to direct me with hand signals. I was totally dependent upon him, and I focused intentionally upon his every direction. One wrong move and I would plunge into the ocean. I crept forward, clutch and all, moving up and down with the tide, and inched my way toward the boat.

Life is like that. We cannot see what the future holds. We cannot see the "boards." We need the one who has put the "boards" into place to guide us. We must focus intentionally upon his every direction in order to succeed.

Graciously, God has created and set into place certain "boards" upon which His church is to intentionally move forward to fulfill His Great Commission. These "boards" are the church’s biblical purposes.

Scripture reveals these purposes. The church must intentionally move forward in her worship (both public and private, including prayer), her witness (evangelism/missions), her walk (discipleship/education), her work (ministry), and her welcome (fellowship).

How will the church effectively accomplish these purposes? To do so will require educating members and providing opportunities for practical experience in each purpose area. It will require a systematic approach ensuring that each age group is involved. It will require a method of assimilating new members into the process and reaching out to prospective members. In short, it will mandate a church-wide coordinated effort. How will the busy church of the 21st century manage such a task?

There is an historic answer: Sunday school. When intentionally organized and carried out, the Sunday school can become a platform from which the biblical purposes of the church are accomplished.

Why the Sunday school? Some pundits would argue that the Sunday school is archaic and no longer a relevant ministry. Recent research, however, by church growth experts such as Thom Rainer would indicate just the opposite. For many of the most effective evangelical churches today, the Sunday school is a vital component of their growth strategy and success.

In many churches the Sunday school is already the largest ministry with the largest leadership team. It can be organized with leadership responsible for every age group. It can be structured to lead in outreach, prayer, ministry, assimilation and fellowship. And, it can be a primary vehicle for teaching and training in worship.

Historically, the Sunday school was the church’s evangelistic arm. But due to an unfortunate paradigm shift in some churches and denominations, it became nothing more than a series of inwardly focused study groups or relegated to children’s ministry only. It is time to reclaim the Sunday school heritage and intentionally develop it into a coordinated strategy of outwardly focused ministry teams for all ages with the fulfillment of the church’s biblical purposes as its primary reason for existence.

An intentional Sunday school requires high expectations from its leadership and membership. The articles that follow in this series will describe the restructuring and the rethinking that may be necessary in your ministry setting. The transformation that can result is well worth the energy and focus required.

We made it to the island and to our meeting. As a result, a new church was born. God has put into place the boards on which you may move forward. He is ready to see churches reborn. Will you focus intentionally upon His every direction? I challenge you to begin with your Sunday school.