Beyond Attendance: Building a Connected Class

Adults

Beyond Attendance:Building a Connected Class

Purpose Statement

To determine from scripture how to develop a class that is “connected” and keep it from becoming “fragmented”.

Before the Session

Focal Wall, Room Setup, & Decoration Ideas(optional)

Have an attendance poster with names and gold stars for different dates showing those that have been absent and those that have been present.

Resources to Collect & Prepare

  • Poster boards/easel pads
  • Markers
  • Name tags
  • Use tape or easels to display poster boards/easel pads
  • Pre-written numbers “1” and “2” or pre-written words ”hands” and “eyes” or pre-cut eye glasses and hand. If you use the pre-cut eye glasses and hand also utilize for name tag. Any of these props will assist in teaming people up later into groups of two (ex: “1” and “2” as a team or hands and eye glasses as a team) or into two larger groups (ex: all eye glasses are team 1 and all hands are team 2).
  • One blindfold for every two in attendance (large cloth napkins, handkerchiefs, towels, ties, etc)
  • Do not give these out until time to do the task—Create teams of two people. Make a copy of two mazes (each team member gets a different maze that is not shown to the teammate)
  • Pencils/pens for each team

During the Session

Procedure Steps

As people come in have them get their name tags and assign each person either with a 1 or a 2, hand or eye glasses, etc.

Looking at the focal wall with the attendance list—showing gold stars for attendance and nothing for absence—ask the following questions:

  1. Discuss how you think adults take to public recognition for their attendance and/or lack of attendance?
  2. What if you were there person always there (lots of stars)?
  3. What if you were the one that had few or no stars?
  4. How would you feel?
  5. Does the attendance display truly promote unity? Connectedness?
  6. Does it promote competition?
  7. What does it say about a class as to what is important?

Remember the old envelopes that used to have percentages for attendance, offering, Bible brought, lesson studies, and attending worship? Does that check list represent the heart of people or just their actions? How can our heart and actions be different?

1 Samuel 15:22b “to obey is better than sacrifice”

Break into two teams: all the 1’s and all the 2’s or all the eye glasses and all the hands

  • Have one group answer the question: How would you describe a “connected class”? Is the definition of a connected class in short a “healthy” class?
  • Have the other group describe a “fragmented class” or a “disconnected class”. This can also be described as an unhealthy class.

Have each group put their answers on a poster board or easel pad at the front of the entire group for future discussion. Go over the answers after giving teams enough time to gather information and display. Ask for additional insights for each question.

After getting the group to understand the differences in each “type” of class, ask “What goes on in a connected class?” Get action words and get examples of what a “connected class” does or experiences and not just how it feels (ex: real prayer, real share time, spending time together outside of church/class, being in each others’ homes, getting together for recreation, getting together for ministry, having people go through struggles/hardships together)

State that “we could ask what goes on in a fragmented class, but instead let’s take time to focus on what makes the difference in a “connected class”

  1. Holy Spirit
  2. Matthew 18:20 “where two or three…”
  3. Need to start with more than one—my preference is 3 Christians or more

Scripture states that this is important, but in a class it also creates synergy and accountability.

  1. Acts 1:8 “…receive power…”
  2. Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house…”

A class must be built and dependent upon the Lord and not on gimmicks or personality. Prayer is a building block for connection.

  1. Acts 4:8 Peter became bold when addressing the Jewish leadership
  2. In our obedience God provides the boldness needed to accomplish His task.

Recognize that God will enable us to witness and minister to those that He has placed us around (neighbors, friends, family, school, work, shops)

  1. Acts 9:31 “…strengthened and encouraged…”
  2. In our obedience God provides the strength and encouragement needed to accomplish His task.

Gives us accountability to others as well as allows us to encourage others.

  • How else does the Holy Spirit impact relationships? A class? A ministry?
  • Has anyone ever taught a SS lesson in their own strength or power?
  • How did you feel? Alone, failed, naked?
  • Has anyone ever ministered out of duty or in their own strength?
  • How did you feel? Empty, angry, unfulfilled?
  • On the other hand, have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit and how He has supplied words, compassion, direction, examples that once you finished you knew God had intervened?
  • How did you feel? Humbled, excited, fulfilled, overflowing, joyous, awe?
  1. Love others as yourself
  2. Matthew 22:39 “…love your neighbor as yourself”
  3. Think about others and not just yourself
  4. Be accepting of others (ex: guests)
  5. Be open and trustworthy

What are some other ways we show others that we love them? Sit with guests and other small group members in church, invite them to your home, invite them out to eat

  1. Be focused yet willing to change in order to be obedient
  2. Matthew 6:33 “Seek you first the kingdom of God…”
  3. Detour—still get to the destination, but must overcome obstacles
  4. Side trips may enrich the journey

What changes might be needed in how you do Sunday School but won’t interfere with the ultimate destination? (ex: prayer time-conversational prayer, small group prayer, specified people to lead in prayer, one person leads in prayer, silent prayer)

  1. Recognize others’ gifts and allow them to minister using that gift (see how each fits into body)
  2. 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 12, 26
  3. Different gifts (ex: spiritual endowment) and same Spirit
  4. Different ministries (ex: service, ministering) and same Lord
  5. Different activities (ex: an effect, operation working) and same God

If you are working in your area of giftedness then you don’t burn out. You do feel fulfilled. Plus you are normally efficient and effective long term. (Pass out “My Place in God’s Kingdom – Spiritual Gifts Inventory” and tell them to fill this out when they have time in order to see what their areas of giftedness may be. Feel free to use this with your Sunday School class.)

As a tool of God we are made to do certain function. He can use us in whatever function that is needed at anytime, but He normally has us “bent” for certain functions/ministries for long term. We can always use a set of pliers to tighten or loosen a bolt, but a wrench is better on the bolt.

We can utilize a wrench to hammer a nail, but a hammer is better.

In both situations a tool can be used, but each is made for a different function thus the quality can be affected if the wrong tool is used. Likewise we can be used for different functions other than those that God “bent” us for and then end up being frustrated, thus affecting others. Our misuse of our talents could cause excessive time/energy/emotions to be used. The ministry may not even be able to occur if the wrong body part is at work (ex: writing with a hand or mouth or toes may work, but try writing with your ear or leg)

Get people into teams of two using the pre-written numbers or pre-written words or pre-cut eye glasses and hands. Have each of the “1’s” put on the blindfold. Give the “2’s” one of the mazes and a pencil for them to place in front of the “1’s”. The “2’s” will give directions to the “1’s” as to how to make it through the maze. The “2’s” can place the “1’s” with the pencil at the start of the maze. The “2’s” can explain to the “1’s” to move the pencil to the right or go down one inch and then stop and go right two inches, etc. See if the team can work together to get through the maze. Now switch the blindfold and allow the “2’s” to mark their way through the maze with the help of directions from the “1’s”.

How is it more difficult to work through a maze when you are unable to use your own eyes and have to depend on someone else and then depend upon other “parts” of the body such as your ears to complete this task?

As difficult as it is using someone else to give directions to go through a maze, could you have made it through without their help assuming you had to keep the blindfold on?

How does the analogy of being able to use your own eyes (being one body) and doing the maze in comparison to the Body of Christ (being one body) and doing ministry?

The Body of Christ is made of different parts, so we should allow each part to do their God given function/ministry. Recognize other’s gifts and allow them to utilize them. A class should minister together and often, allowing different opportunities for each person’s gifts, ministries, and activities to be used. Don’t micromanage. Allow the Holy Spirit, His love in us, and our focus on Him to direct us to obedience to whatever ministry He show us.

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