March to Sunday School in March

Remember that phrase from last century? March was the month in which every church had a campaign to encourage everyone to go to Sunday School. We have now gone beyond the point of the Sunday School being the exclusive instrument for teaching and making disciples in the church but maybe the “March to Sunday School in March” would be a good idea to preserve. Perhaps we could call it something like “March to Discipleship in March” and we could encourage everyone: children, youth, and adults, to be involved in a discipleship experience in the month.

This could include, in addition to Sunday School, adult small groups, adult Bible studies, children’s church, midweek children’s, youth, and adult ministries, youth events, mentoring and discipleship relationships. Let’s start with us. If you are a parent, set aside opportunities this month to spend one-on-one time with your children (yes, even your adult children) and provide guidance in their spiritual development. From the other perspective, if your parents are still alive, set aside time to talk to them, share your spiritual journey and allow God to use their spiritual insights to help you in your walk with Christ. Let’s encourage everyone to dedicate himself or herself to a teaching and disciple-making activity in March!

March is always a monumental month for GCSSA. This month we are preparing for a three-day event in which believers from all over the country will be converging on Arlington Heights to prepare themselves to pass on God’s truth to the next generation. Workshops will be presented by our nation’s ministry leaders on children, youth, and adult small groups, on discipleship within the family, mentoring, and intergenerational discipleship.

At 4:00 pm on Friday, March 27th, during the convention, the first GCSSA Teaching & Discipleship Resource, Passing the Torch of God’s Truth from Generation to Generation, will be introduced. It’s being co-authored by six GCSSA workshop leaders and includes chapters on multigenerational church programs, family discipleship, generation to generation mentoring, and discipling children and youth at home.

This month we’re going to be including selections of this new GCSSA resource in the GCSSA blog. Many of these selections will be a challenge to your teaching and discipleship program and preconceived ideas about teaching and discipleship. So, as you read these selections from the new GCSSA resource, please feel free to make comments and respond to each other. I would love for this book to serve as a source of a rich discussion about how to best pass on our faith.

And don’t forget to register for the 2009 Midwest Teaching & Discipleship Convention. The two keynote speakers, Bryan Loritts and Darren Whitehead, will inspire you and the workshop leaders will increase your ministry. This is the last week to receive the pre-registration discount and I want you all to be there!

-Paul

Paul J. Loth, Ed.D.
Executive Director
GCSSA