Tag Archives: Tony Brooks

So many of our churches are trying to figure out how to reach the Millennial generation (born between 1980-2000)—currently the second largest generation in the US. Many churches are more geared to reach the Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-1964), which is now the third largest generation. Your church might find it helpful to research the population in your area to see which generations are most represented.

I have been a part of the sandwich generation for the past 30 years. What is the sandwich generation?

As we begin the New Year, what is God doing in your Sunday School? What vision have you received? Though I know some have begun planning based on a fall schedule, most adults consider January 1 to be a time to set New Year’s resolutions. Why not take advantage of it?

Loving God with all your mind means being in an ongoing Bible study. Pastors, preach it from the pulpit that every follower of Christ who loves God with all their mind needs to be in an ongoing Bible study! You do a great job in helping them grow. A small group Bible study helps them ask questions about life application to scripture. You also should preach that they should reach someone else.

If Sunday School is about The Great Commandment of loving God and neighbor, and The Great Commission is about making disciples as you reach new people, then we need to provide classes for unchurched people. Here are some ideas.

Every guest should be treated as though you are showing hospitality to angels! Here are some suggestions to help guests feel a part of your church/community of faith.

It is sad to say, but Walmart does a better job of welcoming people than many churches! They have assigned parking for people with disabilities and for expectant mothers. They have a greeter at each door. They smile and say, “Welcome to Walmart,” and provide stickers for children. Any employee is ready to help you find what you need. They smile when you leave and provide a warm goodbye. Following up with first-time guests at church and creating a comfortable environment is critical in this culture!

Numbers do matter! Ask sports teams about sabermetrics and analytics. Since 2001, when Manager Billy Beane of the Oakland As started using them to have a competitive MLB team, sports teams in the colleges and pros use numbers to increase their chances of winning. Sunday School specialists have been using certain numbers to increase the overall health of churches since long before 2001!

In a day when people are wondering about the chaos and challenges in our world and their personal lives, I believe we have GOOD NEWS to share and to show! All of us are called to encourage others to hear God’s Word and make disciples. How do we help each class member know their responsibility? Practice open enrollment and show them how!

Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose twelve? We could take the biblical symbol as twelve representing the twelve tribes of Israel. We could say that it represents a complete number in biblical times. We know that Jesus had many other followers. He could have spent his three years speaking in colosseums and amphitheaters the entire time.

Do you understand the “why” behind Sunday School and small groups in your church? What does a “win” look like? How do you celebrate the “win?” That is a key point in revitalizing: letting people know when they are moving in the right direction!

Have we forgotten the value of something new? God is doing a new thing always…why do we think that keeping classes and small groups the same is the answer to a stronger discipleship program?

Training/continuing education is expected in most jobs. Sunday School teachers, small group leaders and others who share from God’s Word have a big responsibility to help others discover faith in God and put it into practice (life transformation). I suggest that what happens in their classroom/small group meeting may have a more lasting impact than any profession!

The third step to revitalize our Sunday School is giving Sunday School and discipleship the attention they need to flourish with mature disciples who then disciple others to be mature disciples. Whatever we choose to do in life with excellence requires our attention. Whether it is in school, the workplace, our family, our health, or our spiritual growth, they require our attention. When we are attentive, we are aware of what is needed. When we are aware, we begin to set goals and make action plans to succeed.

You can tell a church’s priorities by its budget. What does the budget tell you about your church? I know there are some churches who put more money in the cemetery fund than they do in Sunday School and discipleship; what does that say about the church?