“God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything other than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is.”

“It is doubtful that God can use anyone greatly, until He has hurt them deeply.”

How to Have a Great Sunday School

Chapter Two

            The reason that I am going to come back to chapter two is the list of benefits, the list of purposes, and the importance of a Sunday School mission statement.  I really appreciated the list of benefits which are really important reasons that can be used to teach and encourage people to begin to faithfully attend a Sunday School class.  The list of purposes was also profitable and helped to clarify what a Sunday School class is designed to do, which helps to keep it on track.  The importance of a mission statement specifically for each Sunday School age group is something that I had not quite thought of before this, but now completely agree with the necessity of it.  It is very true that oftentimes people that teach a children’s Sunday School class will struggle to know how to apply the overall mission statement of the church to their specific ministry.  So in summary this chapter is a great starting point for the understanding of what Sunday School provides, what it is, and how to keep it headed in the right direction.

 

Chapter Three

            This chapter was extremely helpful in its overview of teaching to change lives.  I will come back to this chapter again and again to look over the six goals that are shared within it.  The one thing that I found so helpful about the content was that the goals are a guide to help a teacher to teach to what Richards calls the, “whole person.”  The section on finding appropriate curriculum was a good reminder of questions to ask when searching for curriculum for each group.  Also I really profited from another presentation of the learning process.  I really am glad to be exposed to this reality over and over, because it reminds me that I am not done when I have dispensed information, it does not mean that I have taught.  The teacher evaluation sheets will be a great resource for me to become a better teacher and to also help others to do the same.  This chapter I will revisit again, I am sure.

 

Chapter Four

              This chapter began with the lesson aims, and this is something that is useful to me.  It is helpful to be able to learn about and ponder teaching to affect these three areas of learning.  The one that is usually addressed in my experience is the cognitive area.  This made the material in this chapter interesting to read.  What made it more profitable was the evaluation time after a lesson is over, to ask yourself how well you addressed these three learning areas.  The section dealing with how to break up time and how you use it for different teaching activities was very helpful for me.  The varying of activities is something to help me be more creative.  Also, the section on activities with purpose was something that helped to get my mind working on how to teach biblical truths in creative ways.  The reminder in this chapter about the importance of student-teacher interaction was very relevant and useful.  The learning activities suggested and the actual breakdown of class time for each age group is extremely useful.  The practicality of this book is well worth the price.  Again, this chapter will be revisited. 

Chapter Five

              This chapter on successful Sunday School organization is very useful.  There is so much practical, and easy to understand information provided in this chapter on how to help keep your people in leadership from becoming overwhelmed to how to effectively minister to each age group.  This is a great chapter that even deals with how to minister to handicapped people, teaching bilingually, which are things that I have not given a lot of thought to.  There is so much information in this chapter alone that deals with the minute points of ministry it is astounding.  The model forms for safety policies in the church is something that is very useful to have and to adapt for my own church, and to make existing ones better.  The forms in this chapter are great to have, to get you thinking about things that you might otherwise overlook.  The reminders of not allowing classes to become too large is also full of good teaching.  The teacher-to-student ratios are also useful to look at and compare to what you are using in your own church. 

 

Chapter Six

            This chapter is excellent.  The truth stated within this chapter about the importance of clear job descriptions is in no way understated.  The model job descriptions also provide you with a great starting point to developing your own for your church.  The section on building a feeling of teamwork is very good.  The practical suggestions for how to encourage teamwork is exactly what you need, when you might not know where to start.  The authors provide great suggestions, but the extra insights from other church leaders helps to further extend your thinking.  The best part about this book and this chapter is that the authors provide job descriptions and suggestions for each age group. 

 

Chapter Seven

            The information in this chapter on how to publicize your Sunday School program is extremely helpful.  It provides you with not only teaching from the authors but also the real life examples from the local church leaders and how they helped to recruit new leaders within their congregations.  There is great insight provided with the teaching in this chapter that states that recruiting should never stop, and that it should be something that all people within the Sunday School program can be praying about.  The reminder of finding the right person for the right job is a very healthy reminder.  This is something that does not happen very often in my experience, usually the first person that cannot outrun the recruiter and is afraid to say no, becomes the new teacher.  The sample volunteer survey is also something that is good to be able to adapt and use in my own church.  I appreciated the process that is described in recruiting volunteers and how to actually walk through the process with a recruit and even how to respond to what their answer is.  This is a great chapter.

 

Chapter Eight

            I really did benefit from this chapter on training and planning.  This chapter gives incredibly useful instruction and insight in how to have a successful, high impact ongoing training ministry in your church.  It is very practical, very easy to understand.  This is a chapter

that I devoured when reading it, and I am sure that I will return to it again, to better hone my skills in training others.  The sample training calendar was great, and really got me thinking.  The case for planning is also well presented, and really shows the need for strategic planning to

be done among those leading the Sunday School classes and ministries.  It shows how these type of planning meetings get leaders involved together and strengthen teams. 

 

Chapter Nine

            This chapter is appropriate and relevant for almost any church that I have ever encountered.  The practical information that is shared about the importance of a room being pleasant to be in, not being too small, and being appropriate for those that are meeting in it is so helpful.  The tips on how to make better use of space, tips on how to re-model, tips on how to make use of the outdoors, tips for multiple service, and how to build new ministry space are all excellent.  The diagrams on how to set up a ministry space are also so helpful.  The chart providing a list of all the age groups and the necessity of different resources is also greatly appreciated, because it helps you to have a starting point of knowing what different groups need and don’t need.  It is something that I am sure is not given enough thought in my situation, how the teaching environments are hindering effectiveness.  Great chapter.

 

Chapter Ten

            This chapter was just awesome in the information that it provides.  The reality of the need for a deliberate outreach plan in the Sunday School is very well presented in this chapter.  The affirmation that accurate attendance, a list of potential participants, outreach events, and people to take ownership of heading up the evangelistic outreach are all needed is just fantastic.  The outreach ideas provided are good.  The great teaching I found that I am sure I will use and reproduce is the information on how to treat visitors so that they will come back faithfully and come to know Christ.  The tips on how to follow up with visitors of all ages are fantastic.  This is a valuable chapter.  The information is well needed in a lot of places. 

 

Chapter Eleven

            This final chapter was also very profitable.  The information contained that encourages the Sunday School to affirm and help to strengthen families is very good.  The case is well presented, and the practical ideas to help to get families together at certain times of the year are also well presented.  The practical instruction on how to actually teach your children at home is so valuable.  This information presented in this chapter is something that I would like to use and adapt to help parents in my church to become models and teachers of the same Christian values that their kids will be receiving in Sunday School, church, and Christian school.  This chapter is such a great end to a very, very useful book.  I will use this for years to come.

           

Seglar presented many significant statements/ideas regarding worship.  He makes the statement that “worship, not church growth must be the church’s priority[1].”  This was a statement that made me think quite a bit.  The point that Seglar makes here is of utmost importance because if the church adds people to a body that is not truly worshiping God, what have the newly added people actually joined?  He helps his readers to be reoriented to a proper perspective of living for God.              Another point that Seglar makes is in regard to the importance of worship and theology.  He says, “worship without theology is sentimental and weak; theology without worship is cold and dead.  Worship and theology together combine to motivate a strong Christian faith and to empower a fruitful Christian life.  Worship should be regulated and determined by doctrine[2].”  The statement that Seglar makes here I believe summarizes the issues that the proponents of “hymnology” and the proponents of the “praise and worship” movement have with each other.  One group accuses the other of one of the worship “crimes” mentioned above.  The author’s statement should drive both sides to examine their hearts, and their music.              Seglar proposes that, “the church as the people of God is as universal as the action of God.  Our estrangement and loneliness can be overcome only when we participate in the worship of God and become aware that we belong to an eternal people.  The church is formed in worship, and its vitality is sustained in proportion to the genuineness of its continuing worship[3].”  This is powerful statement to realize that we cannot be close to one another without being close to God.  The connection with God is needful for a healthy Christian life, and a healthy community of faith.  Another point that Seglar made almost floored me because I never thought of things the way that he sees them.  He says that, “True worship will bring new life in the church.  As branches must be vitally connected with the vine, so must the church itself be vitally related to the source of its life, the living Christ[4].”  What Seglar proposes here in this statement is completely contrary to what we often focus on when “attempting to effect spiritual renewal” in our churches.  It is such an obvious solution that we miss it.  People and churches are not spiritually healthy because we are not rightly related to God, and we are not connecting with Him in meaningful ways.              The final point that I will focus on that Seglar makes is in regard to Christian unity.  He mentions that, “True worship in the church will move toward the goal of Christian unity among the people of God.  The conscious worship of the living Christ tends to unite all people who worship him and to elicit the yearning for all to be one as Christ and the Father are one[5].”  I am ashamed of this, but I believe that I have been guilty of forgetting the importance of their being a congregation-wide connection with God during every part of the service (not just the sermon time) being the key to the spiritual transformation of the individual and as a result the body as a whole.  It is so obvious now as I read Seglar’s statements.              This book has really influenced my understanding and my ideas on the practice of worship.  As I have stated above, I believe that I have neglected the importance of a genuine congregational connection with God in our services with the result of transformation.  I now will lead and encourage the people to focus more on speaking to/singing to God, and listening for His response in our services.  I have been convicted of my wrong thinking in this very important area of the Christian life and community.              One of the areas that I would like to explore more as a result of this book is the implementation of dramatic video presentations as a part of the service.  Another area that I would like to explore more as a result of this book is the implementation of a more focused/purposeful order of service.  Instead of just doing things because they sound nice, to do things to attempt to accomplish specific ends.  A third area that I would like to explore as a result of this book (and hearing about it so much) is the Christian year.  I do not feel completely comfortable with all of the aspects of the Christian year because of the stigma that these “days/times” often carry.  But I do think that I will look into them some more to gain the good from them.

            I have completed reading both books.  I am sorry for sighting my “5 significant statements/ideas” from the first half of the book but those were the things that really affected me in my thinking.  The statements mentioned above really changed my thinking.            

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[1] P. 11

[2] P. 47

[3] P. 56

[4] P. 76

[5] P. 83

The main focus of this book was to determine how a Christian would be able to minister cross-culturally in the most effective and biblical way possible.  The author brought his own personal experience, the biblical teaching, the personal experience of others, and also the analysis of other experts.  The book really walked through a process of how a Christian would attempt to ensure that he would communicate in a Christ-like way, instead of just a Western version of Christ-likeness. 

            The strengths of the book are numerous.  The author provides many personal experiences where he did not communicate or serve in the most effective way.  This made the book very personal and helped to re-enforce the statements that the author made about how the steps to effective cross-cultural communicate were attainable over time (a process that would take time and effort).  He also provided great examples of effective cross-cultural communication.  There was a wealth of Scriptural evidence given to affirm what the author was teaching about servanthood.  The section on leadership at the end of the book was really refreshing.  I believe that a strength of this book is its relevance to every form of Christian ministry in this world!  I think this would be a great book for every Christian to read that is involved in any form of ministry.

            If there were any weakness at all I would say that it would be in the area that discussed leadership.  I do agree with the majority of what the author wrote, very biblical.  Any time a person exerts leadership in an overbearing or ungodly way it is wrong/sin.  I do believe that it is important not to go too far in the other direction and not be willing to be a person of conviction.  I am cautious of a totally non-committal form of leadership.  The tribal-chief example sounds nice, but I am not ready to jump to that position yet.  It sounds too similar to seeking out the most popular opinion and then going with it.  I am very cautious of the majority wins way of doing church.  Every true believer is a priest, is able to hear from God, and God is able to speak through them.  I do believe this needs to be approached with caution, not every person that claims to speak for God is really doing so (leader or churchman).  I do in my heart believe that if every person is in close relation with God and seeking His will that we should come to the right/best answer, but that is at times a very mysterious thing.  It is difficult to tell who is hearing the right message, if God is speaking at all through any of the sides.

            There were so many great ideas that I will take away from this book.  The whole process of becoming a cross-cultural servant will be something that I will ask God to help me implement in my service for Him.  The principles that the author presented are useful and necessary in any ministry, in any part of the world.  God has used the author to truly give us a gift for more effective ministry.  This is the best book that I have read this year.     

The main focus of this book was to attempt to develop some kind of a starting point and strategy to be able to communicate the message of the Word of God into a culture without it being tainted by the communicator’s culture and without it being twisted by the receptor’s culture.  The author sought to provide information of how to take the unchanging Word of God and allow someone to be a biblical Christian in their own culture.

            The strengths of the book I would say would be the wide variety of examples the author gave of how culture has affected the communication of the biblical message throughout history.  This I believe will greatly help readers to recognize and maybe change some of the cultural biases that we bring to the table.  There were examples of what happens when someone falls into the trap of syncretism in the spreading of the biblical message to other cultures.  There were warnings on both sides of the issue; not being too culturally insensitive, and not being too accommodating to cultural issues that are contrary to Scripture.  The section on what a biblical theology really is, was excellent.  It really helps to show what a Christian worldview should be.

            Some of the weaknesses of the book would be, at points the book was a little difficult to wade through, especially when dealing with those “believers” who fancy themselves as philosophers.  Their language is a bit “cloudy” at times.  The language that described some of the foreign religions and their belief systems was a bit foreign to me also.  I remember having to study some of these religions in high school but do not have the knowledge base to understand all of what the author was discussing at points.

            There were some new ideas that I learned from this book.  The principals that were set forth on how to communicate the message of the Bible to other cultures will be very helpful in every aspect of life and ministry.  There were warnings involved for us not to become to culturally influenced, and thereby become entrenched in wrong thinking and living.  There were also helpful tips of how to be a Christian in times and cultures that are continuously changing.

            I was reminded by this book the importance of helping people in my church to realize that Christianity and the American political process are not synonymous.  It has further reinforced my feelings that we should stop wrapping ourselves in the American flag.  We need to start practicing our grammatical-historical method of understanding Scripture and apply that to the fact that we are not living in the promised land.  We are people that have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, and therefore, have been adopted into the family of God.  We live according to the instruction and standards of God’s Word.  I am beginning to realize why so many people in other countries are skeptical of American believers, because too many times we have too closely associated ourselves with the American way of life, instead of “the way” that is described in the book of Acts.  This must change. 

The main focus of this book was to provide a handbook for: why to become involved in microenterprise development, and how to become involved in microenterprise development.  The book was very detailed in the risks and the rewards of such a venture.  It even discussed the Christian responsibility of becoming involved in such a ministry.  It was obvious that the author has done a great deal of research on this issue.            One of the strengths of this book is the detail with which it is written.  The author gives very detailed instruction in how to start or join microenterprise development.  Another strength is the information that the author gave to show the foundation for why such a venture should be started or pursued.  The reality that many people are stuck in a cycle of poverty is something that the author introduced in this book.  The principles that the author gave in how to avoid failure, and how to invest wisely were all very useful.            One of the weaknesses of the book is the technical language that is used to discuss this kind of venture.  This is something that I am certain that the author cannot really avoid though.  This is not just a ministry, but it is a business venture.  This out of necessity requires technical business and financial language.  If someone is not a business person, but basically just a person with a burden for those in poverty, they might have a difficult time with such an article.  That would also substantiate the author’s warnings, to partner with established groups if you don’t have the knowledge necessary to be involved in M.E.D. by yourself.             There were a few new ideas that I learned from this book.  This book helped to enforce in my mind the reality of poverty that is happening around this world.  The book provides the helpful information needed to bring solutions to this widespread problem.  The amount of planning involved in a ministry like this is really a bit overwhelming for someone like me.  I do not enjoy administration-type responsibilities, so I would definitely need to partner with others who are more “business-savvy.”              A way that I will implement this information into my ministry is to help to communicate more accurately to people that I encounter the needs that exist in this world.  Now I know of a more adequate solution to the problem.  The potential for ministry is astounding.

            This book was very thought provoking in regard to the future of missionary work in the world and its effectiveness in the west.  The main focus of the book was the examination of the declining effectiveness of missionary efforts that are being propagated by those in western culture.  The book takes an unapologetic look at the western church’s ties to modernity and its way of life.  This really helps those involved with the topic recognize that there is a source to the problem besides the usual standby, that “God warned us that things would get worse.”  This book evaluated what is going on worldwide in missions and how the western church could effectively partner with the rest of the world in making true disciples of Jesus Christ.              There were quite a few strengths in the book.  One of which was the dissection of the harmful practices that were adopted from modernity.  The authors accurately presented that the practices of N.T. disciple-making are not equal to the practices of modernity that the western missionary movement has equated them with.  The strength in this was that the authors presented some hope for effective disciple-making that would entail global partnerships.  This diagnosis and the entailing suggestions most certainly are closer to the N.T. model of indigenous churches (instead of the outwardly-reliant churches that are being planted worldwide).  Another strength was the call to authentic disciple-making.  This is a sad reality that is not just being propagated by western missions outside of their own borders, it is happening within western borders.  It is a worldwide epidemic that must change, just as the authors have called for.            In regard to weaknesses in the book, there would be a few that I noticed.  One of which was the biblical hermeneutics of the authors.  There were a few places that the authors applied Scripture in a way that was not accurate.  There are many places we could find in the N.T. that tell us to imitate Christ, but not Jesus’ request of Peter to “follow Him” at the end of John.  I believe that the call to social reform is a noble one, but I don’t know if I would go as far as the authors would in that respect.  I believe that this would be a possible area of weakness.  I think this area would be cleared up if I knew the author’s heart more on this issue, it is sometimes difficult to discern the totality of their motives in one book.            The idea of partnership and encouragement from western churches instead of dominance and lack of independence were excellent points that I came away with.  Great information and exhortation to us as we make disciples in this world for the glory of God.  The ideas that I will attempt to implement in my ministry would be to carefully research what the methods of ministry are, when evaluating a missionary candidate; reasserting the emphasis on the necessity of concentrated discipleship for life-change in our churches.  I recently read this statement by A.W. Tozer, “The church has two goals in this world: to spread Christianity where ever it goes, and to make sure that the Christianity that she spreads is the N.T. kind.”  This book was a great exhortation and tool toward that realization.