“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” – Proverbs 29:18

The Sunday school ministry is a powerful, effective tool in the New Testament local church. Under its organization, workers have been used to reach lost souls with the Gospel, provide Bible teaching for Christians of all ages, and train faithfulness to the house of God. Regardless of past successes, now more than ever we need churches and Sunday school teachers to have a vision for this important ministry. 

Pastor Trieber has often defined vision as “picturing how it could be or should be in the immediate future.” Growth and excitement in the Sunday school is a direct result of the vision of the Sunday school teachers and superintendents. Whether you have been involved in this vital ministry for months or years, the new year is a perfect time to take inventory of your area of responsibility. Ask yourself: How can I grow as a teacher? How can I better teach the Word of God to my students? How can I increase my class enrollment? How can I recruit more laborers for this ministry? 

By simply taking time to examine your personal level of involvement and zeal and then setting goals for improvement in your own area of the ministry, you can see immediate growth and results. Here are some practical areas for you to consider as you begin to set goals for 2020:

1. Numerical Goals

  • Attendance: The Sunday school is built off the enrollment of students. If your current roster has ten names, set a numerical goal to find additional people to add to your roster. The more people you have on your roster, the better the chance your class attendance will grow. Enrollment of new students can come through soul winning, church visitors, and connections through your current class members. 
  • Salvations: Every Christian should be actively seeking to reach the lost. As a Sunday school worker, set personal goals for the number of people you would like to see saved through your door-to-door soul winning efforts. 
  • Baptisms: The people we reach with the Gospel and people attending our classes must realize that the first step of obedience after salvation is baptism. Is everyone in your class baptized?
  • Visitation: Visiting the home of each of your class members is an important role of the Sunday school teacher. It shows a personal effort to be an encouragement and help outside of church, not simply during class or service. Visits should be brief, happy, and done regularly. 

2. Calendar Goals

  • Bible Training: As you prepare for 2020, develop a list of Bible truths and applications that you would like your students to learn while attending your class. 
  • Bible Memorization: Memorizing the Bible is an important part of Sunday school. Develop a list of practical verses that your class can memorize together throughout the year. 
  • Campaigns: Throughout the year, plan special contests to reach new people, build excitement, and motivate workers and students. Using simple promotions, you can see great results in your class and ministry.

3. Weekly Preparation Goals

  • Prayer: The Sunday school is a spiritual work and must be accomplished through the leading of the Holy Spirit. As Sunday school workers, we must seek His power, guidance, and aid. 
  • Bible Study: Preparation for the Sunday school lesson should not begin on Saturday night. Instead, the teacher should devote time daily throughout the week to Bible study and lesson preparation. 
  • Classroom Setup: Sunday school workers should arrive to church early on Sunday to ensure their classroom is ready when students arrive. Play bright, gospel music; have refreshments for students; ensure the classroom temperature is set properly; and set up the right number of chairs for your classroom. Your students ought to receive a warm welcome; they should never come to an empty classroom with a cold, uninviting feeling.

Serving the Lord in the Sunday school ministry is a great responsibility and privilege. As we near the beginning of 2020, let us determine to do more for the work of God. I encourage you to begin today to ask God for wisdom. Devote effort, thought, and time toward preparing and setting goals for your class or ministry. If you begin to picture how your area could be in the future, it may not be long until that vision becomes a reality.  


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Andrew Reimers

Andrew Reimers, Sunday School Director

Having grown up in a wonderful Christian home, Brother Reimers was saved at an early age. After high school, he moved from Meriden, Connecticut, to attend Golden State Baptist College in 2009. Following graduation, he married his wife Joy and joined the church staff as Director of North Valley Publications and the Sunday School.