Add A New Unit, Class, Small Group, or Branch
It’s not too late to start thinking about starting some new Sunday School classes, units, small groups, or branches. One of the best guarantees for Sunday School growth is new units. “If we always do what we ‘ve always done, we’ll always be what we’ve always been.”
Virgil Grant at Eastside BC in Richmond mentioned in an e-mail that he wanted to start 20 more small groups this summer. That got my attention! He has campus small groups (SS) and community small groups. His church understands the difference. Virgil’s church has moved from being Attractive to being Missional and now they are moving to become Incarnational. Eric Swanson and Rick Rusaw have written a new outward focused book called: “Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community”. Quest explains the Attractive – Missional – Incarnational process.
As I met with Bill Page at Crittenden BC, he stated four new classes that have pushed his Sunday School attendance from 100 to 120, a 20% change. Starting new classes has not been easy but Bill has stayed committed to it.
Darrell Wilson, our KBC Sunday School director, has a blog: Sunday School Revolutionary! He has many entries that relate to starting new classes or units. When our team went to Real Life Ministries in ID, we found them continually starting new small groups and they call it “branching” from John 15.
Starting – birthing – branching: No matter what you call it, it is time to Just Do It!
Isaiah 54:2: “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”