SUNDAY SCHOOL THAT REALLY RESPONDS by Steve Parr: AN UNSOLICITED REVIEW

Parr, Steve R. (2011), Sunday School that Really Responds: Wisdom for Confronting 24 Common Sunday School Emergencies. Grand Rapids, MI: Kreger Publications. 256 pp., ISBN: 978-0-8254-4064-9 (sc). $14.99.

After I finished high school and after several uninteresting jobs, I befriended the director of the local emergency medical service (EMS). Time was that emergency medical services were new and challenging the status quo of the time when funeral home hearses doubled as ambulances. In the early 1970s emergency medicine had made strides such that a major trauma or heart attack did not automatically precede a trip to the funeral home. We began to see ambulances owned by funeral homes as a conflict of interest. …but that is another story. Soon I found myself attending school to become a certified Emergency Medical Technician and worked in emergency medicine for several years. I became proficient at emergent care in the medical profession as well as the spiritual. In fact, I find myself to be a better crisis leader than for long term maintenance. Familiarity with emergent care helped me to find Steve Parr’s book, Sunday School that Really Responds, very interesting.

The author looks at the health of a church’s Sunday school through the motif of a patient who may be at any of several crisis points. Thus, the subtitle of the book is fitting—Wisdom for Confronting 24 Common Sunday School Emergencies. The book is neatly divided into two parts with the first listed as “Common Organizational Emergencies” and part two as “Common Class/Group Emergencies.” There are twelve organizational emergencies addressed:

1. OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL IS DYING
2.  WE ARE GOING THROUGH A SLUMP
3. OUR TEACHERS ARE NOT COMMITTED (AND OFTEN ARRIVE LATE)
4. OUR TEACHERS WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING
5. WE DO NOT HAVE (M)ANY YOUNG PEOPLE
6. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH LEADERS
7. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON OUR ROLLS THAT DO NOT ATTEND
8. OUR WORSHIP ATTENDANCE IS MUCH LARGER THAN OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
9. WE HAVE A TEACHER THAT NEEDS TO STEP DOWN
10. OUR TEACHERS ARE BORING
11. WE ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF SPACE
12. WE HAVE A CLASS THAT WILL NOT COOPERATE

Steve Parr correctly understands that organizational crises can cripple a Sunday school as quickly as a theological challenge which is in fact rare. Church Sunday school or small group crises usually revolve around 1) relational issues, 2) organizational issues, and/or 3) group dynamics. Parr focuses on the organizational issues and group dynamics in this book. Again, theological conflict is often blamed but is actually quite rare. When people won’t get along or if the organization is unhealthy, it is easy to blame some theological issue.

Part 2: Common Class/Group Emergencies includes the following chapters:

1. THEY WANT TO SPLIT (OR CHANGE) MY CLASS
2. WE NEVER HAVE ANY GUESTS
3. OUR GUESTS NEVER RETURN
4. NO ONE WANTS TO HELP WITH OUTREACH
5. I CANNOT GET ANYONE INVOLVED IN DISCUSSION
6. MY CLASS HAS NO LIFE (OR LACKS MORALE)
7. MY CLASS IS NOT GROWING
8. I DO NOT LIKE THE CURRICULUM
9. I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO LEAD MY CLASS (TO DO ALL THAT IS NEEDED)
10. I CANNOT GET ANYONE TO HELP ME
11. OUR LEADERS EXPECT TOO MUCH OF THE TEACHERS
12. I WANT TO QUIT

The author effectively includes stories that connect the reader to the concept being discussed. The book is well planned, simple, as well as practical for pastors and ministry staff and volunteers. Each of the 24 chapters includes crisis levels with diagnostic questions so readers may determine the condition of their Sunday school and small groups. The condition levels are the emergency, triage, prescription, first aid, and rehab.

This is an excellent book to which this writer gives a five star rating primarily because it connects to the target audience with practical helps. As a discipleship specialist, Parr’s book may easily assist leaders in improving the disciple-making effectiveness of the Bible study units of the church. While the traditional main objective of Sunday school is “reaching people” with the gospel of Christ, the goal is to make disciples and not just converts. It is imperative that the triage questions be used for determining the effectiveness of disciple-making. Parr lists ten overall principles by which to guide leaders. The ten principles may easily apply to the overall mission of the church—to make disciple-makers. (For the principles—read the book.) Unfortunately, the book is not yet available in electronic format. This book is highly recommended to leaders looking for practical answers to the Sunday school/small group problems.

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Questions:

1. Consider two churches where one uses Sunday school and the other uses small groups. Do the crisis problems and solutions apply to both?
2. What are the differences organizationally and relationally from Sunday school to small groups?
3. What is the condition of your Sunday school/small groups?
4. Do you agree that the principles of this book apply to discipleship as well?
5. Do you agree that most Sunday school/small group problems are relational?

 

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Dr. Tom Cocklereece is CEO of RENOVA Coaching and Consulting, LLC. He is a pastor, author, professional coach, leadership specialist, and is a member Coach/Teacher/Speaker for the John Maxwell Team

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It is not enough to teach WHAT Jesus taught, Part 1- By Josh Hunt

Josh Hunt has a way of simplifying issues and cutting right to the point. He is particularly effective at helping church and small group leaders improve their teaching and increase their class size. The primary key is good teaching by framing the questions. Most people fail to understand that Jesus himself often taught by asking questions (Mt 6:28; 7:3; 9:4; 9:28; Mk 8:29; 13:2; Lk 6:46; 22:46; Jn 4:35; 9:35; 13:12; 21:15-16). This is the genius of Josh Hunt’s method, and it sounds easy but requires that small group leaders do more than simply bore their classes by lecturing them or reading points from an outline. Josh challenges leaders to spiritually come alive and get creative. So how does the principles of Josh Hunt’s teachings apply to Simple Discipleship (SD)? SD encourages building great Bible study groups and a strong sense of community within those groups. Additionally, strong Bible study groups are needed in a Simple Discipleship church since they are the center of ministry within the church and missional outreach. You can read more of Josh Hunt’s articles at http://www.joshhunt.com/

It is not enough to teach what Jesus taught; we need to teach how Jesus taught.

I start reading hundreds of books but rarely finish any of them. Occasionally I finish one. Once in a blue moon I read one twice. Reading a book three times is almost unheard of. I have just done it with two different books. I want to talk about one of them in this set of articles.

Modern science has taught us much about communication. A great deal of research has been done on what makes a message stick. One of the best books on the subject is Heath and Heath’s Made to Stick. If you have ever seen a copy you might remember. The book is bright orange with a piece of duct tape stuck to it. The cover itself teaches one of the six principles contained inside.

As I read (then listened) to this incredible book, I was struck by two things:

• This is exactly how Jesus taught
• Every Bible Study lesson should include these 6 elements

It is not enough to teach what Jesus taught; we need to teach how Jesus taught.

Jesus perfectly illustrates all six of the what the best of modern science tells us goes into making a message sticky. Its like He knew! 😉 Today, we can understand and appreciate on a deeper level why people down through the ages consider Jesus to be the greatest teacher ever. And we have all the more insight into how we can teach sticky lessons as Jesus taught sticky lessons.

Jesus’ message was sticky. It sticks. People remember what Jesus said. They quote him. People quote Jesus who do not even know they are quoting Jesus. He has impacted every corner of culture.

What are these six principles?  We will look at them more in detail–and illustrate these in the life of Jesus, but here is an overview. (Note that it spells out the word SUCCES)

Simple.

Jesus taught in short, pithy, memorable slogans. The golden rule is one one example. Rick Warren says people don’t remember paragraphs; people remember slogans. Jesus reduced many of the most profound truths down to memorable slogans. Simple is not simplistic. You don’t have to be very smart to make things complicated. It takes a genius to make them simple. Jesus was a genius at simple, but profound communication.

I try to do this in my lessons-often including a repeated phrase to reduce the lessons to something that will be ringing in their ears when they walk out. (And, if it is really sticky, much later.) You would do well to include a simple, memorable, slogan-like summary of what you want to teach in every lesson.

Unexpected.

The brain is wired to notice what changes, what is different, what is new, what is unusual, what is out of the ordinary. This is the really amazing thing about Jesus’ teaching. I have read the gospels hundreds of times and Jesus’ message still shocks me. I still can’t believe he said what he did to the Syrophoenician woman.

In contrast, a lot of Sunday School lessons are sadly predictable. They have this “yup-yup” tone about them. That is why people are yawning. It is not enough to teach what Jesus taught. We need to teach how Jesus taught.

My wife gets credit for this suggestion. I try to include something unexpected, something creative, something shocking in every lesson. You should too. Jesus was unexpected. We should be too.

Concrete.

I cant prove it, but I think Jesus held stuff a lot when he taught. I think he pointed to things. Like when he spoke about wheat I imagine him with some wheat in his hand. I can’t prove that and it might not be true. But, I know this is true: he talked about lots of stuff that you can touch and feel. He used the physical to teach the invisible. We should too.

This is the part of my lessons that I struggle with the most, but it is perhaps most important to make a message sticky. Try to bring something into the classroom every week that you can touch and feel. Your people will remember what the hold and smell. The message will stick.

Credible.

This was one of the most shocking things about Jesus’ teaching. “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,  because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” Matthew 7:28-29 (NIV)

Jesus teaching had its own authority. We don’t have the authority of Jesus so we quote him, and the rest of the Bible, as our authority. We also do well to quote respected leaders. Sometimes, saying, “John MacArthur says” is better than, “I have always thought.”

Here is a quote I used yesterday. I think you will agree it is much more powerful coming from John Piper: “The obstacle that keeps us from obeying the first (vertical) commandment is the same obstacle that keeps us from obeying the second (horizontal) commandment. It is not that we are all trying to please ourselves, but that we are all far too easily pleased.” —Desiring God, John Piper. I try to include quotes like this in every lesson and you would do well to do the same.

Emotional.

My preaching professor in seminary used to often say, “People are very seldom moved by cold, hard logic” We change people when we move them emotionally. Jesus moved people emotionally. He made the angry and he made the cry. He made the puzzled and he shocked them. So should we. Emotional messages stick. I try to include great stories in every lesson to make the message emotional and thus sticky. You should too.

Story.

 Jesus used illustrations to tell the crowds all these things. He did not tell them anything without illustrating it with a story. Matthew 13:34 (GW)

Great teachers use great stories. Great stories stick. Most of us can tell stories told to us in childhood. I work at including great stories in every lesson and you should too.

Over the next six articles we will be looking at these six principles and how we can include then in every lesson to be a more sticky teacher. Jesus used these principles and is the master teacher of all times. We will be illustrating these principles from the life of Jesus.

 It is not enough to teach what Jesus taught; we need to teach how Jesus taught.

Next article: Simple lessons stick