The Far-Reaching Benefits of Sunday School

Should a church invest in a Sunday School program? There is ample evidence of the far-reaching benefits of starting or maintaining a Sunday morning small group setting. While there is a cost, churches and church attendees of all ages can gain a lot from that extra hour. And the kingdom impact can be even greater.

Sunday School models and encourages the study of God’s Word. Studying the Bible not only helps hearers understand the heart of God, but also how to deal with life. Scripture guides wise decision-making and helps God’s people stay strong and faithful when life is difficult. God desires to impress His words on our hearts so He is known. Knowing God’s heart builds up lasting faith. Consider the following passages:

People attending Sunday School are more likely to develop a trustworthy theology, which is critical today. Many people have skewed thoughts about God due to influences outside of the church. The church must step up to maximize engagement of attendees while they are inside the doors. By engaging in study and discussion with other believers, a right theology forms and grows. “None of us is sufficient for the theological task as an individual, but when we come together to do theology, we learn from one another.”

More people will serve the community. According to Lifeway Research, “Theological beliefs and church attendance frequency contribute to the likelihood a person wants to serve and will have actually volunteered outside of their congregation.” Serving in the community means providing for the needs of others, with the potential to display the love of Christ. Serving others also boosts dopamine levels, leading to happier and healthier people.

Sunday School helps people feel seen. Lacking a Sunday School program gives further opportunity for church attendees to go in and go out unnoticed. Offering small group settings on Sunday mornings creates meaningful connections. Those deeper connections create a family environment, leading to consistency and growth of attendance. According to Lifeway Research, “Having a higher percentage of your attendees attending small groups each week... predicts higher worship attendance five years down the road.”

Sunday School makes use of spiritual gifts. Teaching is too big a job for vocational pastors alone, and too vital to be contained to one weekly sermon alone. It is important for leaders to delegate and encourage members to use their gifts. In Acts 6:1-7, the disciples called upon others to take on food service so that they could focus on teaching. We are all given special abilities that should garner most of our time. Church leaders need to use people with the gifts of teaching, knowledge, and leadership to help expand biblical knowledge on Sunday mornings. Doing so will result in higher engagement of serving within the church.

More people serving your church yields more disciples. Discipleship exponentially raises up new candidates to serve and lead. Cut open an apple and observe the number of seeds inside. The actual number of seeds the apple contains is immeasurable if those seeds are planted, cultivated, and developed properly. A Sunday School program furthers the opportunity to make disciples with the potential to reach the ends of the earth. God can use such a program to reach far beyond what we even ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).