Sunday School That Really Excels Edited by Steve R. Parr
This new book edited by Steve R. Parr, vice president for
Sunday school and evangelism with the Georgia Baptist Convention is right for
exploring the various challenges and motivation for Sunday schools in
church. Having always wondered why
Sunday schools in the various churches I’ve been in don’t seem to do so well,
this book caught my eye. The difference
between this book and others on Sunday school is that book is designed to tell
stories of churches with thriving Sunday school programs rather than just relay
some good principles (19). Why, because
stories are powerful in that they hit home for many people, relating the real
experiences of life in a church. The
chapters in the book range from the state of Sunday school today to excelling
in rural areas to excelling in a multicultural community. The chapters are designed to be focused on
particular demographic and stages of a church’s life. Each chapter is written by a different author
alongside some pastors writing more than one chapter. What ends up is a book that brings to life
the vitality of a good Sunday school along with the challenges that churches
face in promoting and sustaining Sunday school.
The first chapter written by Steve R. Parr is more a
dialogue between him and Dr. Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian
Resources, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Rainer commits to saying that the idea of
high expectations is the thread that runs through all of his books, including
his take on the Sunday school movement.
In doing some careful research, Dr. Rainer found out that there is
strong correlation between the health of a church and a strong Sunday school
ministry (27). Not only do believers
strengthen their faith by being a part of Sunday school, but the likelihood for
someone becoming a follower of Christ is dramatically increased as they take
part in a Sunday school setting. Yet,
Dr. Rainer also indicates in the chapter that the Sunday school ministry at the
present is waning right now, in part due to an emphasis on other things such as
worship, missions, and preaching. Even
more telling is the little attention given to Sunday school groups in the
context of seminary training. Part of
the goal of providing a solid Sunday school program is the need for the Sunday
school ministry to be consistent the vision and theology of the church
(34).
One of the prominent themes of great importance in the book
was the pastoral support that a Sunday school must have to excel. Why?
Because if a pastor is wholeheartedly in support of the Sunday school
ministry, he will cast a vision for its growth that will captivate others to
join in on the ministry. Pastor Jeff
Hurts of Beulah Baptist Church is an excellent example of this pastoral support
of Sunday school ministry. By four key
focuses; intentional evangelism, warm and loving fellowship, prayer, and guest
ministry, Jeff is able to bring people alongside him in casting a vision for
the Sunday school ministry (73-75). I
think one of the reasons why this is so important is that the book clearly
indicates that Sunday school ministry shouldn’t be a compartment of the vision
of the church but should encapsulate the vision from start to finish, including
such ingredients as evangelism, disciple-making, missions, and outreach. The pastor leads the congregation in focusing
on the things a church values and implementing these core values in a way that
makes Sunday school ministry part of the livelihood of the church.
This book would be a great resource for Sunday
school leaders, small group facilitators and anyone interested in teaching in the
local church. With chapters ranging on
such a wide variety of issues, there is bound to be a chapter written for you
in here.
Thanks to Kregel Ministry for the complimentary review copy
of the book in exchange for review.
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