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Commentary
COMMENTARY: A poll on Sunday school Katie Shockley, Jun 18, 2009
Katie Shockley
By Katie Shockley Special Contributor
When I was the Bible study coordinator at my church, one of the things I struggled with was why certain adult Bible study classes we offered would succeed and others would not. Some classes would have 50 or 60 people register and others would have only one or two.
It became increasingly difficult to introduce new study series or new teachers into the schedule when we could not figure out which classes would attract attendance.
This spring I conducted a small-scale congregational survey to find out the criteria adults use when choosing a small-group Bible study or Sunday school class. I surveyed adult members of two congregations, one with 500-plus members and one with more than 2,000 members.
I was not surprised that students indicated topic, length of study, friend or spouse attendance, and teacher as being primary influences in their decision to attend a particular study. But I was very surprised to find that the time, day or season a class was offered was among the top criteria.
I also interviewed adult-education coordinators at three local churches, one with 500-plus members, one with 7,000-plus members and one with 15,000-plus members.
The coordinator at the largest church noted that the season of the year is the biggest factor in whether or not an offering will succeed. Fall studies tend to be more academic, while spring studies tend to be shorter and more focused on life enrichment.
The teacher has a lot to do with whether or not a class makes it, according to the other churches’ coordinators. Teachers that attract the most students are those who are known in the congregation and who intentionally invite people to participate.
Survey participants also provided interesting comments. One young mother pointed out the need for material with short segments that she can work on during the day—while sitting in her car in the school parking lot, for instance.
My conclusions? Adult education coordinators and education committees need to recruit gifted teachers and offer a broad range of topics, taking into account the time of day, day of the week and season of the year that studies are offered.
Coordinators must also be sensitive to changing patterns in their congregations due to family commitments, economic pressures and interest levels.
Granted, my survey and interviews were limited: I interacted only with white, middle-class church members, and I interviewed only women who worked with congregations that were predominantly white and middle to upper-middle class.
This type of survey needs to be expanded to a broader range of demographics and geographic locations before any lasting conclusions can be made.
In the meantime, I invite adult-education coordinators and committees to ask their congregations what they look for in small-group offerings.
I also suggest that coordinators contact other United Methodist churches in their area to find out what does and does not work for them. We can learn a lot from each other in the connection if we take the time to listen to what people tell us.
Ms. Shockley, a member of First UMC in Rockwall, Texas, just completed a Master of Church Ministries degree at Perkins School of Theology.
Katie Shockley
