Text Box: Text Box: The Sunday School Challenge Text Box: Text Box: This year the Great Lakes Conference is issuing a challenge to grow our Sunday Schools. Special recognition will be awarded at the next annual Conference and Campmeeting for the top performing Sunday School. Sunday School of the Year will receive a trophy plus a special reward to be announced! First Runner Up will receive a certificate. Others will receive Honorable Mention. Text Box: The secrets to a thriving Sunday School class are not secret. Solid preparation, steeped in prayer is the cornerstone. In addition, the following are vitally important: Contacting new persons and absentees There is no substitute for regular contact with your absentees. In addition, some system or program should be in place to encourage both teacher and students to seek out new persons. Making the classroom attractive Special attention should be given to make the classroom attractive and inviting. First of all, the room should be clean and neat. Perhaps a little sprucing up or remodeling is in order. Probably the most common, easiest and effective way to make an immediate impact is through the use of fresh bulletin board ideas. Do something with your class Nothing says, “You’re special!” more than spending some time with your students outside of class time. Plan an activity that will interest and excite your age group. This is also a great way to introduce new people to your group. Host a Vacation Bible School VBS is a great way to reach out to your community while strengthening the church family. Seek out a quality program that will fit your situation. Advance planning will be the key to a successful program. Attend a Seminar or Convention The annual Bus and Outreach Convention and other forums like these are a great way to renew the passion and enthusiasm for outreach. These presentations often bring fresh ideas and a different perspective. Some helpful links are: www.sschool.com has an amazing amount of resources for all members of the Sunday School team. There is even a forum where you can interact with others. www.teacherhelp.org is designed especially for Christian teachers and has a host of ideas that can be adapted for the Sunday School. www.busconvention.com provides details and dates for the Annual Bus and Outreach Convention. Text Box: Reporting Great Lakes Conference Sunday Schools that wish to be considered for Sunday School of the Year should send an email report quarterly to pastorward@evartbiblemethodist.org For this Conference year, Sunday School Superintendents or Pastors should report promptly at the end of December, for the months of October through December, March, for the period of January through March, and June, for April through June. Included in that email should be: Number of teachers in your Sunday School. Number of teacher who regularly made contact with absentees and reached out for new students. Number of teachers who did something in the quarter to make their classroom attractive. Number of teachers who participated in an activity with their students outside of regular class time. Number of classes which saw an increase in attendance for the quarter. In addition to these quarterly reports, churches should report if they held a Vacation Bible School within the Conference Year and how many of their Sunday School team, including pastor, superintendent, and teachers, attended the Bus and Outreach Convention. All of these factors will be used in calculating Sunday School of the Year.