{"id":723,"date":"2015-10-02T17:10:20","date_gmt":"2015-10-02T23:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/?p=723"},"modified":"2017-07-11T16:56:44","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T22:56:44","slug":"building-a-strong-sunday-school-foundation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/blog\/training\/building-a-strong-sunday-school-foundation\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Strong Sunday School Foundation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy? If you haven\u2019t been there in person, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen pictures. Construction on the tower began in 1173 and by the time builders began work on the second floor, the tower had begun to sink to one side. The cause? <strong>A weak foundation.<\/strong> At a mere 3 meters, or about 9 feet, and set in weak, unstable subsoil, the foundation was flawed from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>Like a tower, a solid, thriving Sunday school starts with a firm foundation. Get the foundation right and you\u2019ll be on your way to reaching children for Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>The foundational base for your Sunday school is found in<strong> God\u2019s Word<\/strong>. Jesus charged us with reaching and teaching children and families\u2014to help them become fully devoted followers of Jesus. His words in Matthew 28:19-20 give us a foundational \u201cwhy\u201d for Sunday school:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cTherefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As a Sunday school leader, you want to ensure that your ministry has that solid foundation from which everything else can spring.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s look at what it takes to build a solid foundation for your Sunday school ministry.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>1. Determine your mission<\/h3>\n<p>A mission statement helps solidify your \u201cwhy.\u201d If you don\u2019t have a mission statement, then gather your key teachers and create one. Here are tips for creating your mission statement.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Keep it biblical.<\/span><\/strong> Keep it reflective of Matthew 28:19-20.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Keep it unified.<\/span> <\/strong>Align it with your church\u2019s overall mission statement, if possible.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Keep it short.<\/span> <\/strong>If it\u2019s simple, it\u2019ll be memorable. Long mission statements might look good on paper, but most people won\u2019t remember them. For example, ours is \u201cImpacting Our World With the Love and Message of Jesus Christ&#8230;Everyone&#8230;Every day&#8230;Everywhere.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Keep it fun.<\/span> <\/strong>Each time your team gets together, have them repeat the mission statement. Make it fun by saying it as a cheer or shouting it together. Reminding your teachers of your mission helps them stay focused and motivated in a unified direction.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Keep it visible.<\/span> <\/strong>Put it on display in your Sunday school rooms and hallways, in print on take-home pieces, and so on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2. Define your core values<\/h3>\n<p>After you\u2019ve solidified your mission statement, create your core values. Core values are the pillars that help you live out your mission statement. They\u2019re the foundational supports that solidify your mission. Core values are the key goals you\u2019re committed to as a team, what you\u2019re passionate about, and what guides your Sunday school ministry.<\/p>\n<p>As you create your core values, here\u2019s what you need to remember.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Brevity<\/span>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Limit the number and length of core values. You want people to remember them. The average human brain best remembers seven words or fewer.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Publicity<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; Once you\u2019ve named your core values, publicize and display them. Hang them in meeting rooms and hallways, and print them on handouts and teacher materials.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Clarity<\/span>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Explain your core values to your team. Help them understand that positive actions follow positive core values. When you introduce the core values and when newcomers begin service in your ministry, ask them to agree to abide by the core values.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Accountability<\/span>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Hold each other accountable. For example, if a teacher gossips about another teacher and you have an \u201cAll for One\u201d core value, the listener could kindly remind the speaker about that core value.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Recognition<\/span>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Recognize and honor teammates who reflect the core values. For example, if you have a \u201cLive to Give\u201d core value and a team member visits and prays with a child in the hospital, you can point out the core value you noticed either privately or publicly.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Repetition<\/span>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>Repeat core values often. Core values leak and have a way of disappearing. Keep pointing your team toward them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"well\" style=\"margin: 15px auto\">\n<h3 class=\"all-caps\">Core values examples<\/h3>\n<p>Here are examples of the core values where I serve.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">All for one<\/span> &#8211;<\/strong> Unity centered on Jesus and our core beliefs<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Inside out<\/span> <\/strong>&#8211; Living a life marked by prayer and integrity<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Grow to go<\/span><\/strong> &#8211; Remaining teachable to become usable<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Live to give<\/span> <\/strong>&#8211; Stewarding our lives for eternity<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">A passion for people<\/span> <\/strong>&#8211; Impacting humanity with the love of God<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"black-headline responsive_headline\" style=\"font-size: 26px\">3. Build a strong team<\/h3>\n<p>The strength of your Sunday school also rests on the foundation of your leadership team. That\u2019s the irony of a children\u2019s Sunday school ministry: It\u2019s just as much about the adults who minister to the children as it is about the children themselves. Ensure that you have all your roles clearly defined. Once you\u2019ve done that, empower your team to thrive in their roles. Empowering a volunteer team is foundational; <span class=\"click-to-tweet\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Show me a thriving Sunday school and I\u2019ll show you a thriving team of volunteers (via @groupkidmin) http:\/\/bit.ly\/1Bx4Dla %23kidmin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">show me a thriving Sunday school and I\u2019ll show you a thriving team of volunteers<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Your team is a key aspect of your Sunday school foundation. Here are the key roles you\u2019ll need.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Sunday School Leader<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; This person is your Sunday school champion\u2014 someone who\u2019s passionate about growing faith in kids and families and who lives and breathes your mission statement and core values. This person is a thermostat, not a thermometer, setting the spiritual temperature of your Sunday school ministry. This person has the gift of leadership and a shepherd\u2019s heart. He or she is a key decision-maker when it comes to curriculum, casting vision, training and equipping teachers, setting calendar dates, and more. Weekend availability is critical for encouraging team members and greeting kids and families.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Key Teacher<\/span> <\/strong>This person loves to teach and impact kids. He or she is responsible for facilitating lessons and connecting with families. Key teachers are naturally good with kids and are people kids like to be around.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Assistant Teacher<\/span> <\/strong>This person also loves to teach and impact kids. He or she assists the key teacher in facilitating the lesson and is usually equipped to take the lead when the key teacher is absent.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Room Assistant<\/span> <\/strong>This is someone who enjoys being around kids. He or she provides general support inside the room with tasks such as crafts, snacks, restroom breaks, and more.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Hallway Coordinator<\/span> <\/strong>This person\u2019s responsibility is to ensure that each group is operating smoothly and the teachers have what they need for their activities.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Greeter<\/span> <\/strong>A greeter\u2019s main job is to smile. Look for cheerful, outgoing people who can make guests feel welcome and comfortable. Greeters assist families with check-in, register first-time guests, and give directions.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Resource Coordinator<\/span><\/strong> This person prepares supplies for each Sunday school class. With most of the prep time taking place during the week, this person loves details, organizing, and even shopping. He or she may also recruit other people to come in during the week to prepare resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 class=\"black-headline responsive_headline\" style=\"font-size: 26px\">Find, place, and sustain your team<\/h4>\n<p>There\u2019s so much involved in creating a dynamic Sunday school team. As you build your team, there are four important factors to keep in mind.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Clarify job descriptions.<\/span> <\/strong>It\u2019s important to create a job description for each role on your team. Clearly outline the time commitment, the responsibilities, the benefits of the role, and any other expectations.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Place people in their \u201csweet spot.\u201d<\/span><\/strong> Take time to find out each person\u2019s gifts and passions. Don\u2019t place people where you need them to fill a gap. Instead, place them where they\u2019re gifted. When people are in their sweet spot, serving is energizing.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Build mentorship into your team structure.<\/span> <\/strong>Create a culture where each teacher or team member intentionally mentors another teacher or team member as everyone serves together. In other words, the leader invests in key teachers who can one day be Sunday school leaders. A key teacher prepares assistant teachers to become key teachers one day. An assistant teacher prepares room assistants to be assistant teachers one day.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Plan for appropriate adult-to-child ratios.<\/span> <\/strong>Check with your state\u2019s law required adult-to-child ratios first, and then build a set ratio into the foundation of your Sunday school. Here\u2019s the ratio our ministry follows.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Infants: 1 to 2<\/li>\n<li>Crawlers: 1 to 3<\/li>\n<li>Toddlers and Twos: 1 to 4<\/li>\n<li>Threes and Fours: 1 to 8<\/li>\n<li>Fives through Sixth-Graders: 1 to 10<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Having a good adult-to-child ratio is critical to the success of your ministry. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Effective learning is possible.<\/span><\/strong> You can move from \u201ccrowd control\u201d to interactive, hands-on learning.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Safety increases.<\/span> <\/strong>Teachers can supervise children more closely, which leads to fewer accidents. And things such as fire evacuation plans are more efficient.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Teacher retention goes up.<\/span> <\/strong>Nothing causes burnout faster than putting teachers or team members in a room where the ratio is way out of proportion. They\u2019ll leave frustrated, wondering whether they can do it again next week. When you honor ratios, you\u2019re honoring your team.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Parent confidence increases.<\/span> <\/strong>Parents feel comfortable leaving children with you when adult-to-child ratios are correct. A new family looking into an overcrowded room will be hesitant to leave their kids\u2014or they won\u2019t come back.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">The children enjoy the experience more.<\/span><\/strong> Children experience stress when they\u2019re in crowded situations where there is a lack of toys, personal attention, and personal space for play. Proper ratios help kids relax, have fun, and learn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"black-headline responsive_headline\" style=\"font-size: 26px\">4. Evaluate your ministry<\/h3>\n<p>Continual evaluation is vital to sustaining a strong ministry foundation. Start with the \u201cwins\u201d or successes you hope to achieve in each area of your Sunday school.<\/p>\n<p>Create a checklist from your wins and use it to evaluate your Sunday school ministry regularly. It\u2019s also a good idea to occasionally have someone from outside your ministry do the evaluation. A fresh set of eyes lets you see new things. Also take time for discussion with your key teachers after each evaluation. Ask key questions, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What\u2019s working well?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s not working well?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s missing?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s confusing?<\/li>\n<li>What can we improve?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Be willing to tweak. <span class=\"click-to-tweet\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Always look for ways to change your program and make it better (via @groupkidmin) http:\/\/bit.ly\/1Bx4Dla %23kidmin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Always look for ways to change your program and make it better<\/a>. <\/span> Just think: If you tweak one thing each week, this time next year, <strong>your Sunday school will be 52 times better!<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"well complex-well\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\">\n<h4 class=\"all-caps\" style=\"text-align: left\">Preschool wins<\/h4>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 0\">\n<li>Environment is welcoming and appealing to new families.<\/li>\n<li>Adult-to-child ratio is appropriate.<\/li>\n<li>Team members engage with the kids.<\/li>\n<li>Teams follow the curriculum plan.<\/li>\n<li>Kids are engaged and learning.<\/li>\n<li>Music is worshipful, fun, and age-appropriate.<\/li>\n<li>Rooms are clean and well-maintained.<\/li>\n<li>Take-home pieces go home with parents.<\/li>\n<li>Drop-off and pick-up process is quick, safe, and efficient.<\/li>\n<li>Kids go home remembering the Bible point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-6\">\n<h4 class=\"all-caps\" style=\"text-align: left\">Elementary wins<\/h4>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 0\">\n<li>Environment is welcoming and appealing to new families.<\/li>\n<li>Adult-to-child ratio is appropriate.<\/li>\n<li>Team members engage with the kids.<\/li>\n<li>Kids are engaged and learning.<\/li>\n<li>Teams follow the curriculum plan.<\/li>\n<li>Music is worshipful, fun, and age-appropriate.<\/li>\n<li>Rooms are clean and well-maintained.<\/li>\n<li>Take-home piece goes home with parents.<\/li>\n<li>Drop-off and pick-up process is quick, safe, and efficient.<\/li>\n<li>Kids go home remembering the Bible passage and main point.<\/li>\n<li>Kids know the Scripture passages.<\/li>\n<li>Kids complete the weekly challenge.<\/li>\n<li>Kids bring their friends to church.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"black-headline responsive_headline\">5. Build a strong relationship with your church<\/h3>\n<p>An average Sunday school impacts children, but a strong Sunday school impacts an entire church. Unity within your church is foundational to the success of your Sunday school ministry. Here are pointers to build a strong relationship with your church body.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Build strong relationships through collaboration.<\/span> <\/strong>Rather than being a silo where you\u2019re separated from other areas of your church, be intentional about partnering with other ministries within your church.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Build strong relationships through feedback.<\/span><\/strong> Invite feedback from church leaders and parents\u2014and stay teachable and humble. <span class=\"click-to-tweet\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Great leaders are always growing...and always will be (via @groupkidmin) http:\/\/bit.ly\/1Bx4Dla %23kidmin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Great leaders are always growing&#8230;and always will be. <\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Build strong relationships through communication.<\/span> <\/strong>Provide regular reports to your church leadership. Share progress and praise reports. Share challenges, but when you have challenges, come to church leaders with possible solutions as well. Remember that an average Sunday school brings challenges to church leaders, but a great Sunday school brings challenges and possible solutions to church leaders.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"semi-bold\">Build strong relationships through trust.<\/span> <\/strong><span class=\"click-to-tweet\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=When an issue arises, fill the gap with trust\u2014assume the best about other peoples' motives (via @groupkidmin) http:\/\/bit.ly\/1Bx4Dla %23kidmin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">When an issue arises and hasn\u2019t been resolved, always fill the gap with trust\u2014assume the best about the other person\u2019s motives. <\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Establish these principles into the foundation of your children\u2019s Sunday school ministry and it\u2019ll stand tall and straight and impact kids and families for eternity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Looking for more ways to improve your children&#8217;s ministry?<\/strong> I invite you to join me at\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/group.com\/kidmin\">Group KidMin Conference.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0It&#8217;s this September 22-24, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. I will be there both as a keynote speaker and also a presenter. I&#8217;ll be leading the following sessions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pre-conference session:\u00a0Lead Well in Kidmin<\/li>\n<li>The Secret Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams<\/li>\n<li>Leading Millennial Volunteers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Hope to see you there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy? If you haven\u2019t been there in person, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen pictures. Construction on the tower began in 1173 and by the time builders began work on the second floor, the tower had begun to sink to one side. The cause? A weak foundation. At a mere 3 meters, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[83],"class_list":["post-723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training","tag-how-to-guides"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Build a Strong Sunday School Foundation - Group Children&#039;s Ministry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you want to impact kids for eternity through your children\u2019s ministry, you have to start with the ministry. A solid foundation is essential to building and sustaining a strong ministry. This guide gives insight on ways to build a solid foundation for your Sunday school ministry with God\u2019s Word as the base. It dives deeper into the following six principles, which are key to helping you develop a strong and thriving ministry.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/blog\/training\/building-a-strong-sunday-school-foundation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FREE GUIDE: Building a Strong Sunday School Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you want to impact kids for eternity through your children\u2019s ministry, you have to start with the ministry. This free guides shows you how to build a solid foundation that is essential to sustaining a strong ministry. This guide gives insight on ways to build a solid foundation for your Sunday school ministry with God\u2019s Word as the base. It dives deeper into the following six principles, which are key to helping you develop a strong and thriving ministry.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/blog\/training\/building-a-strong-sunday-school-foundation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Group Children&#039;s Ministry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GroupChildrensMinistry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-10-02T23:10:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-07-11T22:56:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/childrens-ministry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2015\/06\/building-a-strong-sunday-school-foundation-fb.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dale Hudson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"FREE GUIDE: Building a Strong Sunday School Foundation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"If you want to impact kids for eternity through your children\u2019s ministry, you have to start with the ministry. 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