Sunday School and the Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching the to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

For the past few months, I have been taking our Sunday School teachers through the book, The Six Core Values of Sunday School by Allan Taylor (Minister of Education at First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia). This book is designed to cast a vision and help set in motion a plan to fulfill the Great Commission through Sunday School. For months we have talked about Reaching people, Teaching people, Ministering to people, Involving people, Assimilating people, and Building Relationships with people. These are the core values and what we are seeking to instill into the life of our Sunday School classes.

The idea is that Sunday School is not just a one hour on Sunday morning Bible study. Many seem to see it as that however. But as for us, Sunday School is a vital part of the strategy of our church to fulfill the Great Commission. It is the place where the Church is the Church. My old pastor in Fort Worth, Dr. Al Meredith (Wedgwood Baptist Church), would always remind us that "You haven't been to church until you have been to Sunday School." Our Sunday School classes are the place where we get involved in the lives of one another and learn to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Our Sunday School classes are the place where we are intentional in encouraging one another and reaching out together to the lost world around us. Sunday School happens throughout the week as we do life together.

In the coming weeks, I will be posting on these Six Core Values of Sunday School and seeking to lay a foundational understanding for our church on the value and effectiveness of Sunday School and how we all can be a part of it. That we may know Him and make Him known.