Responsibilities of Preschool Sunday School Leaders
Depending on the needs and size of your church, the Preschool Leadership Team may be small or large. This team will have an impact on the lives of preschoolers and their families.
Common Tasks for All Preschool Leaders
Participates in prospect discovery, outreach activities, witnessing, and ministry.
Prepares in advance, arrives on time, and evaluates and participates in age-appropriate Bible teaching.
Serves in extended session/ETC.
Ministers to preschoolers and their families.
Participates in leader training events.
Participates regularly in both corporate and personal worship.
Preschool Teacher
The preschool teacher is key to learning for the preschooler.
Obtains teaching materials and supplies prior to a session.
Plans and prepares in advance for individual and small group Bible-learning experiences.
Visits, contacts, and ministers to preschoolers and their families assigned for ministry.
Preschool Division Outreach Leader
The division outreach leader works with the division director in coordinating the reaching ministry of Preschool Sunday School.
Participates in weekly visitation, outreach, and witnessing.
Maintains and/or assists in maintaining active division and department prospect records.
Greets visitors on Sunday morning and ensures that preschoolers are placed in the appropriate departments.
Obtains and records department assignments, addresses, phone numbers, and names of parent(s) or caregivers.
Coordinates all the reaching activities of the Preschool Division.
Coordinates prospect discovery projects for the division.
Responsibilities of Children's Sunday School Leaders
Children's Teacher
Teaches a small group of children during Bible-study time.
Reaches out to find and enroll children who need to be in Sunday School.
Contacts absentees weekly and all children in assigned groups regularly.
Cares for and ministers to assigned children and their families.
Witnesses to children and their families.
Fellowships with children and their families.
Participates in regular planning.
Children's Department Director
Leads teachers in all work of department including planning and evaluating.
Guides the large-group activities on Sunday morning.
Enlists all department workers.
Determines training needs for workers.
Secures literature and resources with secretary.
Maintains department records (if there is no secretary).
Represents department on Sunday School council (if there is no Children's Division director).
Children's Secretary
Maintains department attendance records.
Maintains department reaching contact records.
Orders literature and other supplies and resources.
Children's Outreach-Evangelism Director
Leads department workers in evangelistic visitation and prospect discovery.
Cooperates with the Sunday School outreach-evangelism director, as appropriate
Youth Ministry
Student Teacher
A teacher's responsibility is:
to live by the principle that the leader is the lesson and Sunday School is a seven-day-a-week strategy.
to administer the growth of a Youth Sunday School class by planning weekly for effective Bible study, and to participate in training opportunities.
to evangelize youth and the adults who influence them through regular contacts, participation in personal visitation, and class outreach events.
to disciple teenagers in their relationship with God and to enlist and train youth to serve as class leaders.
to guide youth to fellowship with each other as well as with the entire church.
to minister to teens and their families and to lead youth to care for one another.
to lead youth to worship by helping them develop a lifestyle that includes personal quiet times and participation in corporate worship.
to teach youth the Bible using a variety of teaching-learning approaches and prayerfully guiding youth toward spiritual transformation.
Student Department Director
In addition to the teacher's responsibilities, a department director:
participates in the growth of Youth Sunday School in the church through annual planning, communication, organization, and evaluation of the work of the department; leads weekly leadership meetings.
works with the department outreach-evangelism director and/or division director to plan department outreach events for youth and leaders.
guides the department (large group) time during Sunday School. The department director also relates the department's training needs to the Youth Division Director.
plans evangelism training opportunities for department members and leads all members of the department to become involved in witnessing to the unsaved.
promotes fellowship among youth class members and others on the leadership team by planning quarterly fellowship opportunities.
encourages youth and leaders to develop personal quiet times and participate in corporate worship, including leading department worship experiences.
Student Department Outreach-Evangelism Leader
The department outreach-evangelism leader's job responsibilities include:
1.administering the planning and conducting of department outreach and evangelism activities through annual planning events, communication, and weekly leadership meetings.
2.evangelizing youth through participation in personal visitation and group outreach events and equipping all other Youth Sunday School members and leaders in developing their evangelism skills 3.ministering to leaders, members, and nonmembers, and leading youth and leaders to care for members and nonmembers and their families.
Responsibilities of Adult Sunday School Leaders
The Sunday School Leadership Team
Every Adult Sunday School leader has the right to know what expectations and responsibilities come with the job. When leaders understand expectations and their role as part of a leadership team, they are more likely to respond positively to the call to lead or serve and to be effective in their jobs.
The majority of leaders in a church´s Bible teaching ministry relate to specific age groups. These leaders relate to one of the following basic roles: (1) division directors, department directors, and others who provide administrative leadership for the work of an age group; (2) teachers, coordinators, apprentices, and class leaders who guide participants in Bible study and engage them in evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship.
Adult Division Director
An Adult Division director is responsible to the Sunday School director for the total ministry of the Adult Division, which includes planning, organizing, enlisting department directors, and evaluating the work. The division director serves on the Sunday School Leadership Planning Team/Sunday School Council and works closely with other members of that team as well as with the Adult Division and department leaders.
The primary responsibilities are to:
meet regularly with the Sunday School Council.
coordinate the work of the division and determine organizational needs.
discover, enlist, and train new leaders.
evaluate, encourage, affirm, and direct adult leaders in their ministries.
meet regularly with department leaders for planning and evaluation.
evaluate needs related to space, budget, Bible study curriculum materials, supplies, and other resources; recommend actions related to needs.
set a positive example for others by living as an authentic witness of Christ and being fully involved in the life and ministry of the church.
Adult Division Outreach-Evangelism Director
The Adult Division outreach-evangelism director works with the Adult Division director and the Sunday School outreach-evangelism director to lead the Adult Division in outreach and evangelism. This leader works closely with adult department leaders. The primary responsibilities are to:
coordinate all evangelism and outreach activities of the division.
coordinate prospect-discovery efforts for the division.
assist in training division and department leaders and members in evangelism and outreach.
evaluate, encourage, affirm, and direct adult leaders in their evangelism and outreach efforts.
promote outreach and evangelism objectives with other leaders and members.
maintain active division and department prospect records.
greet visitors and guide them to the meeting place for their Bible study group.
set a positive example for others by living as an authentic witness of Christ and being fully involved in the life and ministry of the church.
Adult Teacher
An adult teacher is responsible for leading people toward faith in Christ and guiding them to serve Him through evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship. In pursuing this mission, a teacher must understand that teaching moves beyond the Bible study session into the daily living of participants. A teacher must look for opportunities to mentor participants before and after Bible study sessions; ensure that a positive ministry environment is provided during the session that facilitates the work of the Holy Spirit; invest himself or herself in building positive relationships with participants; and involve learners in meaningful Bible study.
The major responsibilities are to:
lead a small group of adults in meaningful Bible study.
build positive relationships with participants and prospects and ensure that they are contacted regularly in order to meet their needs.
maintain attendance records and other participant information that strengthens the group´s pursuit of the overall purpose and mission of Sunday School.
lead participants toward faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and guide them to serve Him through evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship; organize the class to support that work effectively.
enlist an apprentice from the group for the purpose of teaching a new adult class or working in another age group as a teacher within two years.
set a positive example for others by living as an authentic witness of Christ and being fully involved in the life and ministry of the church.
Adult Class Outreach-Evangelism Leader
An adult class outreach-evangelism leader works with the department outreach-evangelism leader to lead the class in outreach and evangelism. In churches using FAITH Sunday School Evangelism Strategy®, this person works with the department outreach-evangelism leader to administer class involvement in FAITH.
The primary responsibilities are to:
coordinate all evangelism and outreach activities of the class.
coordinate prospect-discovery and prospect-enlistment efforts of the class.
lead members to create an atmosphere that encourages unsaved people to place their faith in Christ and encourages believers to lead others to Christ.
maintain prospect records for the Bible study group.
set a positive example for others by living as an authentic witness of Christ and being fully involved in the life and ministry of the church.
Adult Apprentice
An adult apprentice is enlisted from an adult Bible study group to assist a teacher in his or her major responsibilities and/or to prepare to start a new Bible study unit within two years. An apprentice serves as a substitute when the teacher is absent.
Adult Class Leaders
Bible study group leaders are enlisted by the teacher of an adult Bible study group to assist with the total work of the group. Group leaders work in one or more of the five key areas of Sunday School work in either a leader-based approach or a team-based approach. The five key areas of work follow. (Generally, the Bible study group outreach-evangelism leader leads the key area of evangelism.)
Evangelism: Create an atmosphere that encourages unsaved people to place their faith in Christ and encourages believers to lead others to Christ. (In churches using FAITH Sunday School Evangelism Strategy®, this group leader or members of this team also should be on a FAITH team.)
Discipleship: Create an atmosphere that encourages believers to grow in maturity in Christ; monitor the discipleship needs of believers and work with the church's Discipleship Training director to provide learning opportunities focused on addressing those needs.
Fellowship: Create an atmosphere conducive to members building relationships with one another as together they build on their relationship with God; and lead actions that help new members be assimilated into the fellowship of the Bible study group and the team to which they are assigned.
Ministry: Create an atmosphere in which members and prospects can experience direct care and concern for life´s needs and avenues through which they may identify and implement ministry and missions projects that utilize the gifts and abilities of members; and lead out in intercessory prayer as an integral part of the ministry and missions activities of the class.
Worship: Create a worshipful atmosphere; encourage participation in the church's corporate worship events; lead small-group worship experiences; and encourage personal worship in home and family settings.
Participants
Adults who attend Bible study groups are not merely the intended recipients of Sunday School´s Great Commission ministry. They are the grass roots ministers. Adult Sunday School is all about building Great Commission Christians. All Bible study group leaders, teachers, directors, and pastoral leaders needed now or in the future may be found on the membership or prospect lists of Bible study groups today. Every participant should receive the opportunity to serve according to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We can offer those opportunities through Adult Sunday School.
The primary responsibilities are to:
participate in personal and group Bible study regularly, giving attention to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in one's life.
be receptive to God´s efforts to draw people to faith in Christ through His Word, His Spirit, and His people.
actively participate in efforts to lead others toward faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
participate individually and with the Bible study group to serve Christ through evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship.
follow God´s leadership in responding to opportunities to grow spiritually and to serve God´s people in leadership roles.
evangelizing youth through participation in personal visitation and group outreach events and equipping all other Youth Sunday School members and leaders in developing their evangelism skills 3.ministering to leaders, members, and nonmembers, and leading youth and leaders to care for members and nonmembers and their families.