A new resource from the
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC) is aimed at helping local
churches strengthen their efforts to be missional in the way they do Sunday
School and small groups.
Leaderesource is a leadership
development initiative that offers free downloads of training modules for
Sunday School and small group leaders. Phil Stone, senior consultant for Sunday
School ministries for the BSC, has enlisted a team of pastors, education
ministers, student and children’s ministers, and lay leaders from across the
state to write training guides that will be available for leaders of
preschoolers, children, youth and adults.
Although the training can take place
any time, churches are encouraged to plan their training between August 15 and
September 18 and use the event as a kickoff.
- Sign up online as a
participating Leaderesource church at www.leaderesource.org.
Each participating
church will receive a free Ed Stetzer DVD about missional small communities.
- Visit
www.leaderesource.org and download the free training modules for your church to
use in training your leaders. Each module includes a teaching outline,
listening guide, handouts and PowerPoint presentation.
- Plan at least
one day for a Leaderesource training event in your church or association
- After the training,
go online and report the number of leaders you trained
- Follow up on what
you learn in the Leaderesource training by doing a mission project in your
community
“By doing a class mission
project and letting the class or small group choose and organize the project
through their group, the church is likely to have more people engaged in
missions than ever before,” said Brian Upshaw, BSC church ministry team leader.
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“Now, imagine the impact
of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of class mission projects occurring in your town.
Your community will begin to see local churches that are interested in them and
care about their community. The church becomes relevant. Couple this relevancy
with the new Bible training your leaders are receiving through Leaderesource,
and you have the makings of spiritual transformation in your town.”
Jean Willoughby is one
of the curriculum contributors. Willoughby has 37 years of experience in
working with preschoolers and children. Her husband is the pastor of First
Baptist Church in Mills River, a new church plant that leases building space on
Sunday mornings from another church. Willoughby has served in churches
described as small, large, rural, city, poor and rich. “Now I’m in a church
where I have Sunday School in my suitcase,” she said.
The focus of her
curriculum is preschoolers. She writes about tips for teaching preschoolers,
such as how to be a growing teacher and how to make biblical concepts the
foundation of the Sunday School.
Willoughby’s training
guide will help teachers get prepared, because all too often “teachers think
because it’s a two or five-year-old they don’t have to prepare and they’ll wait
until the last minute.” Teaching children is more than babysitting.
Another curriculum
contributor is Eric Davis, family pastor at Green Street Baptist Church in High
Point. Prior to coming to Green Street two years ago Davis was on staff 12
years at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. Davis is writing material to
help adult classes be more intentional about doing life together, rather than
just coming together for an hour or so each week for a lesson. When class
members are in each other’s homes and encouraging one another and providing
accountability, “the class becomes an extension from just that Sunday morning
hour,” Davis said.
Davis also wants
parents to understand the vital role they play in the lives of their children.
Parents help shape their children’s character, worldview and perspective on what
is important in life. “The family schedule drives everything,” Davis said.
“Whatever drives the family schedule will be influencing a child to help them
see what is important and what is not.”
The online curriculums
will be available this month. Visit www.leaderesource.org.