Barnabas File

“What we talk about here on Sunday morning has very little to do with what I do on Monday.”     The Sunday school class member who said this during a class session was not mean or angry; he was just stating the truth as he saw.  Although he caught me off guard, I tried not to take offense and understand what was going on in his life. Since then, his comment has stuck with me as a Bible study leader.  Does what we talk about on Sunday really make a difference on Monday morning?  The question challenges me as a teacher to consider several things. First, do I take seriously the types of challenges class members face each day?  Not everyone is in their dream job and may have to struggle to get up and do to work on Monday morning just to pay their bills and care for their families. Some find themselves in stressful situations that may be not only physically but morally challenging.  A reality for many is the possibility t...

Sunday morning Bible study is still an important part of the church I attend.   I teach a class most Sundays and have served in leadership roles in the Bible Study/Sunday School program over the years.     Our church has long had the policy of giving teachers and classes the opportunity to select their own curriculum.     This can be a bit messy, but I have been impressed by the wisdom and creativity shown in this process. I think a written curriculum is important.  Not only have I used materials from a number of publishers, I have written lessons in the dim, dark past.  The idea of scope and sequence in a series of lessons is important, but there are many ways to organize Bible and discipleship studies. In recent years, I have come the conclusion that a teacher and class can have the best materials in the world and still have an inadequate learning experience.  What makes a Bible study effective?  I think there...

Teaching Sunday school is always a learning experience for me.  Whether I am the designated teacher or one of the participants, I find it beneficial to hear another’s understanding of the text.  Each of us brings our own life experience and needs to the text.   I am becoming more committed to the idea that the study of Scripture is incomplete unless it takes place in community. Sunday school classes are called various things now, but whatever they are called, they are small groups of people who learn and grow together. Small groups have been important to the life of the church for years, finding expression in various forms--the “holy clubs” of John Wesley, the modern Sunday school movement, home Bible studies, and recovery support groups among other examples.  Even in the age of the megachurch, small groups are an important strategy for growth and discipleship. Scott Thumma and Warren Bird’s study  for Leadership Network of 25,000 megachurch atte...

This past Wednesday night, I was part of an adult Sunday School leaders training event at our church.   This was the kick-off for the Sunday School year.   I don’t know how the Sunday morning Bible study is going in your church, but this meeting gave me hope for the viability of this venerable institution in our church. Why?   Here are a few reasons. I was part of a conversation with three leaders who were talking about how the class could use social media to connect members with the lesson during the week. Not remarkable? All three of these individuals are retired persons (who have been educators in either public schools or higher education).  I was impressed by their openness to new ways to approach their task and to “think outside the box.” Two other leaders are working on launching a new class that will take both theological reflection and life application seriously.  They are excited about trying something new in Bible study in our setting and in...

The Nashville Tennessean carried the story this week of a former megachurch that is putting its facility on the market.  Built for a congregation of 6000, the church now averages about 850 on Sundays.  They plan to use the receipts of the sale to fund two or more satellite locations.  The pastor is reported to have said that worshipers prefer smaller locations where they can build friendships.   “It used to be that everyone wanted to drive to a big church,” the pastor said. “Now, they want to be at a church in their community.” I sincerely doubt his generalization that “everybody” wanted to be part of a megachurch.  There are many of people who do like to attend big churches (and 850 attendance is still a big church to most of us), but there are many smaller congregations that have continued to survive and even prosper despite the growth of megachurches across our nation.  A lot of folks have invested themselves in ...