CHRISTIAN WORKERS’ CLINIC A look a t the 70 's by C. Chester Carson • What future does the Sunday school have? • What emphasis should be made for Sunday school in the 70’s? T he S unday school , as well as the church, has had its critics during the 60’s. Some have written the Sunday s choo l “ OFF!” for the 70’s. Others have changed the Sunday school for pre-school and the lower grade school children. Yet, Elmer Towns of Deerfield, Illinois, indicates in a recent article that the fifty larg est Sunday schools in the country are not declining but rather grow ing. Mr. Towns says: “ The ten largest Sunday schools are char acterized by their emphasis upon the Bible as the inspired Word of God, are simply but well organ ized, and are in churches full of people who are convinced they are serving God by attending church and Sunday school and who feel c ompe l l ed to bring friends with them.” Most evangelical leaders admit that the Sunday school will need a NEW EMPHASIS in the 70’s — but are not in agreement with those who feel that the Sunday school is a “ Dying Corpse” or that it is the “most wasted hour o f the week.” We will never agree fully what the greatest need of the Sunday school is for the 70’s, but here are some suggestions which must be EMPHASIZED in the 70’s if our Sunday schools are to GROW. First, we must EMPHASIZE LEARNING, NOT A T TEND ANCE, for pupils — In other
to train one worker for every worker you now have in your Sun day school. It will pay off in the 70’s! Third, we must EMPHASIZE MATURITY OVER DECISION in our Total Church Program. The greatest work of the Sunday school is to see people come to Christ, and to “ grow up into Christ!” (Eph. 4:11-15). I have read, and will stand cor rected if I’m in error, but statis tics show up to 70% of our young people leave the Sunday school and church, many never to return, before they reach the age of 20! Sunday school records, curricu lum, training — all these are in volved in maturity. What can we do to see “EVERY MAN PER FECT IN CHRIST” ? (Col. 1:28). First of all, be sure of the all- important personal decision to re ceive Christ as Saviour. Follow ing this decision, what are you doing to see everyone growing, developing, maturing in Christ? C. S. Dobbins says: “ Sunday school evangelism is not only see ing a person come to know Christ, but to help him develop into a Christ-likeness!” I do not have all the answers, but this is sure: it takes time, patience, love, concern, etc., etc., to help people grow and become like Christ in an age such as ours. “ Church-man-ship” . . . what does it mean to you ? To your students? Young people? Adults? Fourth, we must EMPHASIZE Contact, NOT Contest, for Sun day school promotion. Too long, the Sunday school contest has been the only means of reaching out into a community to reach the unreached. It may have its place in some areas, but the schools that are growing are the schools that have a definite program of personal contact on the part of its membership. These are people feeling responsible to reach other people, and have faith to believe that the Sunday school is the means o f the contact for Christ. Sunday school visitation is becom ing a thing o f the past in out- Cont. on p. 44
words, we must put the school back into Sunday school. So many adults feel the Sunday school is only for children, simply because the Sunday school is no longer school. We must have a strong curricu lum that will teach the Bible. This curriculum must be tested against the truth taught each quarter, each year, and perhaps a compre hensive at the close of each three years and perhaps at the close of the twelve years of study. How about giving diplomas and degrees in Sunday school? We must help people learn if we intend to keep them coming year by year. Beyond the high school level we must plan for adults and young adults. No doubt our Sunday schools will change their format in the 70’s to meet this need. Second, WE MUST EMPHA SIZE TRA IN ING , NOT RE CRUITMENT, for personnel. In a recent survey o f 200 teachers, every one indicated that TRAIN ING was the No. 1 need in their lives. Why then do we not provide for it? We know that Sunday school grows in direct proportion to the number of workers and teachers we have, yet we go out and canvass rather than stay home and train! Standards , job descriptions, training courses, are a must for the 70’s. Any Sunday school will rise or fall on its faculty. There fore, train your workers. My early experience in Sunday school was, if I needed a teacher or worker, I would go to the Adult Bible Class and tap someone on the back and ask if he would help in Sunday school. Believe it or not, they are still helping, and many o f them without any train ing! This ought not to be. We can train through workers’ conferences, clinics, short-term- on-the-job training. The field is white, ready to be harvested, but the laborers are few! Plan now
DECEMBER, 1969
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