Step 4: The Launch
All the planning and preparation builds up to this very important day—Launch Sunday. The Pastor, Sunday School Leaders and the Sunday School Champions have spent weeks encouraging and challenging one another to Reach and Enroll New Members, to Teach Toward Changed Lives and to Involve Members in Ongoing Ministry.
On this Sunday, each class will submit their goals to the Pastor and Sunday School Champions. The Pastor should articulate what God could prayerfully accomplish in the next 4 to 8 weeks as every class seeks to Reach, Teach and Involve members in moving toward a healthy, growing Sunday School class. Will we reach new people? Will we and those we lead be better students of God’s Word? Will we discover, understand, and use our spiritual gifts and equip those we lead to do the same?
The Pastor needs to commission every leader and every class to be faithful to carry out their plans to accomplish each and every goal. Pray over each class, each leader and each goal. Ask God to do a mighty work in the lives of all of them. This is a time to focus on hope for a better future and the desire to join God every day to accomplish His purpose throughout this Challenge.
What if nothing works right? What if we don’t grow? What if we don’t experience a move toward becoming a healthier, growing Sunday School class? Now is not the time to be a pessimist. Believe in God and believe in His people. If God is still at work in your church and community, (and He is) the only thing the Sunday School Challenge hopes to accomplish is getting everyone on the same page at the same time to accomplish something great for the glory of God. That is never a bad thing.
I know this is going to be difficult for some of you. It is a huge ASK that you are wanting your church to trust you and follow you. It is worth asking. You and your church will be better for it.
Oh, and by the way, don’t let this be the only time you lead your church through the Sunday School Challenge. This is something to do 1, 2 or even 3 times a year. Below are links to websites with resources on helping your classes set SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) goals.
- http://www.sundayschoolrevolutionary.com/setting-sunday-school-goals/
- http://www.sundayschoolleader.com/keys-to-setting-goals/
- http://www.bobmayfield.com/tag/sunday-school-goalsetting/
- http://www.sundayschoolrevolutionary.com/setting-sunday-school-class-goals-to-grow/
- http://www.sundayschoolleader.com/what-are-your-sunday-school-class-growth-goals/
- http://www.bpnews.net/27610/reaching-sunday-school-goals
- https://churchleaders.com/smallgroups/small-group-blogs/157888-josh_hunt_elmer_towns_the_4_purposes_of_sunday_school.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1tOQgYJEf8
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA53yhiOe04
