The Sunday School
Growth Evaluation Plan
Ken Marler
Partnership Specialist
LifeWay Christian Resources
Ken.Marler@lifeway.com
Healthy Things Grow
Growing Things Change
Changing Things Challenge
Challenges Drive us to Trust God
Trusting God Leads to Obedience
Obedience Leads to Health
Healthy Things Grow
Enrollment
• Growth Goal: Increased
enrollment over last year
Enrollment = Ministry
Enrollment
• Increased Enrollment means:
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Increased Sunday School attendance
Increased Worship attendance
Increased ministry
Increased baptisms
Increased offerings
Increased number of workers
Enrollment
Open Enrollment
Anywhere
Anytime
If They Agree
Enrollment
How?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Enrollment Cards
During Bible Study
During Worship Services
During Visitation
Special Church Events
Enrollment
The Key Is Follow-Up
1. Deliver Bible Study Resources
2. Provide Information
3. Provide Transportation
4. Sit With New Members/Guests
5. Stand With New Members
Enrollment
Guiding Principles
1. Think People Not Percentages
2. Drop Persons From The Roll
When They Die
3. Ministry! Ministry! Ministry!
Units
Growth Goal: One per 18 persons
enrolled in Bible Study
Without new units being developed
regularly you are organized for
maintenance
Units
Bible Study Classes reach their
maximum effectiveness in 12-18
months
The Sunday School
Growth Evaluation
Plan
The Sunday School
Growth Evaluation
Plan
CAUTION:
Units
1. Class members become overly attached
to the teacher.
2. Class members become overly attached
to the room
3. Class members become overly attached
to each other
4. A class stops growing
5. A class stops sending members out
Units
Principles:
Guiding
1. Space determines unit enrollment
2. New units determine growth
3. New unit considerations:
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a class with a large enrollment
a class with broad age ranges
a target group not being reached
a lifestyle class
off campus classes
Ministry Touches
Growth Goal:
Everyone on the ministry list
should be contacted every
week for ministry
• The roll is the ministry list
Ministry Touches
• Devise a strategy to contact
everyone on the ministry list
every week
Attendance
Growth goal:
An attendance of 40%-60%
of the enrollment should be
achieved
Attendance
Attendance Follows
Ministry
Space
Growth Principle:
One space for every on campus
unit
Space
Four types of space
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Worship
Education
Parking
Preschool
When any of these is 80% full consider the
space full
Space
Discover space
1. Available
2. Adjusted
3. Adjacent
4. Adapted
Space
Guiding Principle:
Space should never keep a
church from reaching people
Leaders
Growth Goal:
One Worker for every five persons on
the Sunday School ministry list
Leaders: Those who are involved in the
work of teaching, reaching, or
ministry
Leaders
Four things every adult class need to do to
help members leave
1. Missionary Member board
2. FYI phone call to missionary member
immediately after church
3. Missionary member receives a ministry
contact during the week
4. Monthly party
Leaders
Guiding Principles:
• Pray for workers to be called
• Learn the art of discovery
• Learn the art of encouragement and
motivation
Leaders in Training
Growth Goal:
Every leader participates in
leadership training every year
Leaders in Training
Determine a strategy to enable every
Leader to earn their leadership
diploma in one year
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Individual
Church
Association
State
National
Leaders in Training
Guiding Principles:
• Every leader in training: and it
is never ending
• No leader says, “I already know
that.”
Sunday School Leadership
Meeting
Growth Goal:
75% of workers attending a weekly
team meeting
Sunday School Leadership
Meeting
Four areas of work to be done
1. Focus on Mission
2. Focus on Relationships
3. Focus on Bible Study
4. After the meeting
The 4 P’s of Leadership
Meetings
1. Pray
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Every Meeting For:
The lost
The unchurched/backslidden
The teacher
The class leaders
The church staff
Intercessory Needs
The Church’s Ministry
2. Promote Resources
1. Available Training Resources (the
latest study course materials, books,
articles, web sites, etc.)
2. Upcoming training events
– Church Training events (Discipleship training or special
training sessions)
– Associational Training events (check with the DOM office
for locations)
– State Training events (check the website for locations)
– National training events (Ridgecrest, Glorieta)
3. Principles
1. Remember the timeless growth
principles that will always work.
Enrollment
Outreach/Evangelism
Prospects
Birthing New Classes
Organization and structure
Inreach
4. Plan
1. Set goals
2. Determine strategies to meet goals
3. Plan for intentional growth (do the
necessary little things to make a
difference)
Persons in Discipleship
Growth goal:
At least one half of the
Sunday School attendance
is enrolled in a Discipleship
class.
Persons in Discipleship
These classes are closed and
are for building Great
Commission Christians
• A director of Discipleship
is needed in every adult
class
Worship Attendance
Growth Goal:
No more than 10-20% more
in worship than in Sunday
School.
Worship Attendance
Remember to get persons in
worship services on the
ministry list who are not
already on the Sunday
School ministry list
Offerings
Growth Goal:
Sunday School attendance
multiplied by the per capita
giving
Offerings
Divide weekly undesignated
offerings by the average
Sunday School attendance.
This gives the per capita
giving
Offerings
Guiding Principle:
We do not need more
money!
We need more people!
Prospects
Growth Goal:
Prospects = Ministry List
• Anyone who does not attend Bible
Study is your prospect.
Prospects
Valid Prospect:
Someone who is assigned a class
with proper information
Prospects
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How?
I know a prospect cards
Opinion Polls/People Search
New Residence information
Special event registration
Broadman Prospect Services
Prospects
Guiding Principles:
1. Equal to the number on the ministry
list
2. A director of prospecting to keep
everyone aware of the need
3. Anyone not attending Bible Study is
a prospect
Outreach
Growth Goal:
Every class involved in
outreach every week
Outreach
• Train persons “How To”
• Give the motivation
• Provide the organization to
assimilate new persons
The Sunday School
Growth Evaluation Plan
Ken Marler
Partnership Specialist
LifeWay Christian Resources