Hooray! You’re going to teach Sunday School! What an exciting job! I know that’s a lot of exclamation marks but I do love Sunday School.
This weekly event is an amazing opportunity to reach children and to teach them about God’s word. Churches that offer this classic bible ministry provide teachers and students with that important more one on one time. These classes are where lifetime memories are made. As Christians, we often develop our knowledge of God during Sunday School.
Top 3 Responsibilities of a Sunday School Teacher
- Study, Study, Study – You must know the Bible before you can teach it to others.
- Get Prepared, Teacher – You must have a lesson plan to teach.
- Support Your Church’s Program – You must be a team player.
If you’re new to teaching Sunday School you may feel overwhelmed and also a little unsure of yourself. That’s perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all experienced those nervous butterflies. So what are the duties of a Sunday School teacher? To be honest, this question is a pretty simple one but the answers depend on your church’s Sunday School program. For the best answers, talk to someone who knows a thing or two about what your church has planned. In the meantime, I’m happy to share what I know.
Study, Study, Study – Know Your Bible
Study to show thyself approved. Don’t take for granted that just because children are on a lower learning level than you they won’t have questions. Oh, they’ll question everything! And if you don’t study, they will ask questions about things that you won’t be prepared for. You should study the Sunday School lesson before you come to class. Read it, pray about it and make notes for yourself. Prayer and study are crucial.
Get Prepared, Teacher – Know Your Lesson Plan
As mentioned above, don’t wait until the day before Sunday School to study the lesson. Flying by the seat of your pants once in a while might be okay but you don’t want to make that a practice. Dig deep into this week’s lesson. You never know what great things you uncover can share with your class. Don’t forget about supporting crafts. Reinforcing a lesson in a Sunday School class often involves keeping little hands busy. Prepare craft supplies ahead of time so that your kids will have exactly what they need to have a take-home item. It could be something as simple as a bookmark or even a hand puppet. I advise testing out your Sunday School craft and Bible games before the lesson because it’s easy to forget items unless you’ve tried it yourself.
Support Your Church’s Sunday School Program
Another duty you have as a Sunday School teacher involves continuity. You want your lessons to be tied to the larger program. Don’t go, rogue, when teaching. It’s probably fine to step away from the program once in a while. Just to do something a little different than what everyone else is doing but don’t make that a common occurrence. Make it easier for parents by teaching different grade levels or different classrooms the same thing. Everyone learns differently, that’s true. And you may not be super excited about teaching Jonah and the whale again but remember you are part of a team. Part of your duties as a Sunday School teacher is to represent your children’s ministry with excellence. That means teaching the agreed-upon lessons and programs. Have fun with your classroom decorations and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Children will love your creativity and parents will be grateful for your hard work. Even if you don’t hear thank you every week, you are making a difference.
You can do it!
This post was written by Mimi Patrick from Ministry-To-Children