Sunday School - A Team Effort

In the critical seconds of a game, team effort makes all the difference. Sunday Schools that become teams see exciting results. They have enthusiasm. They care about team members. They are focused on the team’s goals, and they score the victory.

Sound like your Sunday School? Or has your Sunday School settled into a static routine? It meets. It studies. Then it goes home until it meets again. Helping your Sunday School transition from a school to a team concept can be an exciting journey.

Building Team Spirit

Several factors affect the team spirit of any group.

Team Vision:

Is there a clear vision of team’s purpose and goal? Is your vision just higher attendance, or is it transforming lives through Bible study and relationships? Why does your Sunday School meet every week? Surely there is a vision great enough to challenge your members. How else will they become a team of people on mission for the Lord?

Team Definition: Sunday School = Teams of people on mission for the Lord

Each team (class) meets for Bible Study so they can discover how to live for and serve God.
Each class meets to build relationships with one another to encourage and sustain each other.
Each team meets to share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. In fact, they bring their friends and acquaintances to experience this knowledge.
Each team becomes accountable to each other.
Each team becomes a prayer group, praying for the unsaved, the hurting, and for one another.

Using a Team Organization

Sunday School can offer a team option for organizing Sunday school classes. The Toward 2000 Series books offers a team options for organizing Sunday School classes.

The concept of team organization can be used throughout the Sunday School. It works well in adult/youth classes. In children’s and preschool departments teachers work as team members.

Creating Sunday Morning: Team Time

Lead teachers to see the value of taking a few moments for “Team Time” each Sunday morning. What is “Team Time?” Team Time is time for team building and reporting. It is time for prayer.

Here’s How It Works!

In adult and youth classes, teachers call on members to share how their involvement with God and with others has gone this week. Did God do something special in your life this week? Did you interact with someone this week that had a special need? It is in the process of sharing these experiences that we help class members realize they are people on mission for God each day of the week (4-5 minutes).
Teachers invite people to pray for one another. Prayer time helps us get in touch with God’s power and direction for our lives (2-3 minutes).
Teachers lead in Bible study. Because we are people seeking God’s direction, Bible study helps us find that direction (rest of class time).

It’s simple. It works. Team Time helps connect the Sunday morning experience to our mission as God’s people.

Sunday School Directors, You are Team Leaders

As team leader, you will want to answer these questions: Who is on my team? Teams are made up of the teachers, class officers and members.
What is my team trying to accomplish? You are trying to reach people for Christ by involving them in a team of caring people who study the Bible together.
How is my team accomplishing its objective? By helping existing classes become teams of people in mission and by starting new groups (classes) who are on mission for Christ.
When will my team be trained? By having regular team training (worker meetings) times. Show team members how to become a team.
When will my team do its work? In class, every Sunday. This is your basic team time. In the lives of members. The purpose of “Team Time” is to equip people to live daily for Christ and reach out to the people in their mission field – their family, friends, work associates, neighbors, and people they meet casually each day.