The Ohio Independent Baptist, October 1971

our Hear the discouraged pastor as he laments, "I have been in this field of service for five whole years now and the Sunday School is at a stand– still . It has reached its peak. I believe the Lord is calling me to another field of service." Too often it is easier in the flesh for a pastor to move to an– other field than to sit down \Vith the Sunday School superintendent and other members of the church family and analyze, organize, agonize, and plan through setting of new goals and procedures to build a great Sunday School for the glory of God. Accord– ing to Dr. Elmer Towns in his book The Ten Largest Sunday Schools and What Makes Them Grow, the average length of the pastor's tenure in the ten largest schools in America is twenty two years and one month . Such a fact is most revealing! Great Sunday Schools aren't built upon short - pastor tenures. However, great Sunday Schools do not come about by "happen-chance." Back of every school that is progress– ing spirituality and numerically are a pastor and staff that are constantly pl anning, promoting, and seeing to it that the school is performing. Without specific plans, your Sun– day School is planned to fail! There must be long and short ranged goals. Consider then one aspect of Sunday School planning - the short ranged planned promotional program for the coming fall months in your school . Plan Early By all means start planning in time wi th beginning plans formulated early in Jul y for the fall months. One needs to be on the lookot1t for new ideas all the time through reading, vi siting other churches, and wri ting down ideas that may come to him. I have a file on promotional tips to which I am con– stantly adding material s. As one be– gins to plan, such filed information is invaluable. THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST anne by Richard L. Snavely Especially there must be early plan– ning this year in regard to the fall n1onths since Regular Baptist Press and other publishing houses are changing tl1eir curriculum to coincide with the regular calendar year. Hence, the new quarter will begin in September which means class promotion will have to be in August. Evaluate past attendance and see what the percentage of attendance in– crease is over the past months and year. A satisfied school is a stalemated stagnant school! New attendance goals need to be set for the fa ll months– overall school attendance, department– al goals, and individual class goals. By each class having its goal, each is helping work toward the set overall goal. Work Together The pastor, Sunday School super– intendent, and departmental superin– tendents can work together in setting the attendance goals. The same group plus several others who have talents in the field of publicity and promotion should have planned meetings to "brainstorm" for ideas and to put to- Rev. Richard L. Snavely • • gether the fall promotional plan. Once the plan is complete, it would be well to make up a mimeographed brochure on 8 y 2 x 11 paper with an attractive cover ,vith the theme of the fall em– phasis. The brochure would cover the details of each Sunday and outline the overall program. Each teacher and worker would have his own brochure. Several weeks before the official fa]l emphasis begins, a Teacher-Worker Appreciation Banquet is in order with the brochures given out at the banquet and the fall plans fully explained. All Sunday School personnel, child– ren's church workers, and official board members should be present that al l ,vorkers of the church may receive the vision of what can be accomplished for the Lord's glory in the months ahead. Bring in a visiting pastor where God has been blessing the church and Sunday School for the banquet speaker to challenge the staff and workers . Good 1 Sugg,estions Several special days should be planned as a part of an attendance promotional emphasis. The following are mere suggetsions that can be en– larged upon. I. Gigantic gospel tract balloon re– lease fifteen minutes prior to the regular Sunday School opening with each child toddler through junior having his own helium filled balJoon . Name cards are filled out on the Sunday prior to the balloon release in the pre- e ion time and tract i at– tached by the child to the card . The finder of the card i a ked to return it to the church. Some of our boys and girl received replie back 550 n1ile from Findl ay. A uper ' ize balloon ca n be released by each cla , in the teen depart111ent. (Continued on page 18) OCTOBER, 1971 7