Committing To Sunday School

Happy “Members” Weekend, Everyone!

For my devotional this week I’ll be going “Off The Grid.” Yes, we are in Ruth this Sunday and I will have the pleasure of teaching that class, but something that God has impressed on me several times in the past few weeks has come to the forefront!

Soooooooooooooo, here we go!

Few people will argue (they agree) that church attendance in many churches in America is declining. My own research indicates that the majority of churches in our country are not growing. Factually, 100 churches a year close their doors for good. Our own District 10 SS is the only “entire” District in PA that still holds SS regularly, we learned just this week, although there are still some sporadic SS here and there.

Most of us have our own ideas why attendance is declining. Many have suggested that our nation is shifting away from its Christian roots, and thus the churches are declining as a smaller proportion of our country are believers in Christ. In other words, more and more are being molded by the World.

I certainly will not argue with that premise. Certainly, attendance declines are related to massive cultural shifts in our nation. But I would also suggest that one reason for declines has a greater impact than others.

The number one reason for the decline in church attendance, and there are many, is that members attend with less frequency than they did just a few years ago. Death is the easy one, but others reasons are either obvious or harder to recognize.

For example, if 100 members attend every week, the average attendance is, obviously, 100%. But if one-half of those members miss only one out of four weeks, the attendance drops to 75%.

Did you catch that? No members left the church. Everyone is still relatively active in the church. But attendance declined over 25% because half the members changed their attendance behavior. Sunday school is so much worse. Out of 100 church members the average Sunday school attender is 15 – 17%. We actually have Members that will only attend Worship and never Sunday School once per two or maybe three months, out of the year.

We really don’t notice when someone who attends four times a month begins to attend only three times a month. Nor do we typically catch it when the twice-a-month attendee becomes a once-a-month attendee. Sunday school records show some people attending SS 2 or 3 times a year. Seriously?

Sooooooooooo, exactly what is the problem? The heart of the problem, is not declining numbers, it’s declining commitment! As membership becomes less meaningful, commitment naturally decreases. Friends, the heart of the problem is the heart!

Friends, we need to raise the expectations of membership. You may be surprised how many church members don’t really think it’s that important to be an active part of the church, and no one has ever told them differently.

There is also a Double-Edged Sword here. On one side many members become less frequent attendees because they have no ministry roles in the church. They do not feel like they are an integral part of the church. Then on the other side there are those that want nothing to do with ministry AT ALL. Those only come sporadically so as to not be pressured into commitments. A young man told me several years ago that his parents said they go to church because “there really isn’t anything to do on Sundays until noon, anyways.”

Hence, the real authority of Sunday School – Teaching members their roles as Christians, as Members of the Church, as Evangelists, as Witnesses, as God’s Priesthood, and as Future Teachers and Missionaries for the Kingdom. I’ve been saying this for over 30 years… A Sermon will “fill your tank” but Sunday School will teach you how to Drive!! Goodness, I asked an officer of the church, one time, to open SS in prayer. You’d have thought I’d asked her to sing a solo!

Most people want to be a part of something that makes a difference. They desire to be involved in something bigger than themselves.

Unfortunately, in many churches’ membership has become less and less meaningful. Until we get our churches back to the committed membership the Apostle Paul mandates in 1 Corinthians 12, we will continue to see declining attendance. But when membership becomes truly meaningful again, if it ever does, our churches will become an unstoppable force for the Kingdom and glory of God.

Christian Brothers and Sisters, this is a complex issue in this world we live in. A world that is spiraling downward, faster and faster as the days go on. It is possible that Jesus could come at any time. It is also possible that this will get worse and worse, and this world won’t see a Revival until the 144,000 show up.