Announcing A Brand New "Local Training Workshop"...

Keys To A Successful Sunday School!

“A workshop designed to show participants the 12 positive steps that each person can take to help their Sunday school grow and be even better and more effective!”

“Sunday School...It’s Every Member’s Responsibility!”  That’s a slogan that we have used here at the Pennsylvania State Sunday School Association for a number of years. But, what exactly does that slogan mean?

Many people have concerns about their Sunday schools today. Across the nation, Sunday school attendance has declined by over 25% in the past 20 years. Attendance is down, it keeps getting harder and harder to find good teachers and leaders, and it has even come to the point where many churches have simply stopped holding the program. Do these facts mean that Sunday school is dead and outdated? Certainly not!  

If Sunday school is to continue to be effective as the educational arm of the church, we need to do more to tell all of the members of your church and our community about the importance of this special program. But, whose responsibility is it to get out the word about Sunday school? Is it just the pastor? The education committee members? Sunday school teachers? Yes! Each of these persons should be involved, but we believe that Sunday school is every member’s responsibility! All persons of all ages who are involved with Sunday school need to be involved in sharing an invitation and their love for the program with their friends, neighbors, family member and others.

Across Pennsylvania there are many outstanding, growing Sunday schools. Over the past several years we have been studying many of these good Sunday schools and have discovered a variety of “keys” that these churches and their Christian education programs have in common. These elements include things like making sure that all church members know the importance of Sunday school, having a plan and goal for growth, having properly recruited and trained teachers, incorporating fellowship and service into their program, and more. In all, we have identified 12 “keys” that these churches are using to make sure that their Sunday school programs are successful.

To help share the information that we have learned with other churches and individual Christians, we have created the “Keys To A Successful Sunday School” workshop. The workshop has been designed to help all persons who love Sunday school...teachers, leaders and individual members...learn the positive things that can be done by churches and by individuals to help their Sunday school grow and become even more effective in teaching all persons of all ages about Jesus Christ, the Bible and God’s will for each of their lives.

The three-hour workshop includes a number of “hands-on” learning activities. Participants will each receive a set of worksheets plus additional information to read and study following the workshop itself. These follow-up materials even include a free copy of the P.S.S.S.A.’s new “42 Reasons Why EVERYONE Should Love Sunday School” daily devotional booklet for each workshop participant. This little booklet is designed to help individuals learn why Sunday school is important and how they can share their love for Sunday school with others.

Now is the time to schedule the “Keys To A Successful Sunday School” workshop at your church. The three-hour event can be scheduled on either a Saturday morning (from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon) or on a Sunday afternoon (from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.). The total cost of each workshop is just $300.00. There are no additional mileage or materials costs. And, there is no minimum number of participants required. (This workshop can be presented in local churches in either Pennsylvania or Maryland at no additional cost.)

For more information and to reserve your workshop date, contact the Pennsylvania State Sunday School Association office by calling 1-800-358-2303 or 717-652-1930.