"Move Beyond Sunday to Every Day"
“The work you do through your Sunday School and church is essential for the future of your culture and the lives of those you teach,” affirmed newly elected Sunday School Ministries Director Woodie J. Stevens in his opening remarks. “What if we counted everyone who is ministered to in our churches each week? There is a lot more happening than on Sunday morning. Sunday School must be expanded, renewed, and revitalized.”
Stevens relocated to Kansas City from New Mexico where he has served as the district superintendent for the past twelve and one-half years. Stevens urged churches to “count carefully and count them all,” a quote from Central California District Superintendent Mel Rich.
Stevens posed the questions, “What has changed in your church, and who has to adapt?
He suggested three areas of change.
• Attendance – It is difficult to earn attendance pins. At one time the average Sunday School attendee missed three times a year. Currently, that has increased to thirteen times a year or a quarter of Sunday School attendance.
• Work and vacation schedules – One-fourth of the population is working on Sunday morning during regularly scheduled Sunday School classes. Threeday weekends compete for people’s time.
• Worship count – Prior to 1972, only membership and Sunday School attendance were reported.
Stevens quoted a recent Gallup poll as stating, “There is an unprecedented desire for religion.
There is an intense searching, hunger for God.” The challenge is how do we adapt to change? We have resources, programs, institutions, and members. But do we have disciples discipling disciples?
Stevens shared the three Cs of discipleship. Classic discipleship uses a curriculum with Bible study. Christian formation discipleship involves God using the spiritual disciplines to form Christ in us.
Discipleship in community recognizes we cannot be solo Christians, but together God uses His words, His spirit, and His body to shape us as His followers. “Sunday School and discipleship, an essential part of our DNA, must become our daily mission,” challenged Stevens. He listed three basic assumptions:
• Prayer is the key.
• The Bible is the main curriculum.
• Transformation comes before multiplication.
Stevens expanded the theme, “each one win one” to “each one win one teach one.” He suggested that if three people discipled three people every six months and that continued for four years, 19,683 people would be discipled.
“Who is your teacher, and who are you teaching?” asked Stevens. He concluded with the words of Jesus, “If you love me, you will do what I command.” “I will build my church …Go make disciples.”