How to Start a Sunday School When You Have Nothing
You have three volunteers, no budget, and a classroom that also doubles as the church fellowship hall. Here is how to start (or restart) Sunday School in your small church.
Start with What You Have
Do not wait until you have a perfect curriculum, trained teachers, and dedicated classrooms. Start with what you have. One teacher. One age group. One hour.
Three volunteers can handle an entire small church Sunday School: one for children, one for youth, one for adults. That is it.
Use Free Curriculum
Our Sunday School Curriculum Guide includes free lessons for every age group, designed specifically for small churches. No purchase necessary. No subscription. Just download and teach.
The curriculum is written for volunteer teachers who are not seminary graduates. It includes discussion questions, activities, and application points that work in a church of any size.
Keep It Simple
A successful Sunday School in a small church does not require elaborate programming. Here is a Sunday morning schedule that works:
- 15 minutes: Welcome and opening activity
- 20 minutes: Bible lesson (use your curriculum)
- 15 minutes: Discussion questions
- 10 minutes: Prayer and closing
That is 60 minutes. No slideshows. No video equipment. No fancy materials. Just the Bible, a teacher, and students.
Train Your Teachers
Your volunteers are doing this for free, on top of their regular lives. Make it easy for them. Give them the curriculum at least two weeks before they teach. Provide a one-page guide with the key points. Pray for them.
Our Sunday School Curriculum Guide includes a Teacher Training Workshop template you can use to prepare your volunteers.
Focus on Faithfulness, Not Numbers
If two children show up on Sunday morning, that is not a failed program. That is two children learning about Jesus. Faithfulness in a small church often looks different than faithfulness in a large church, but it is no less valuable.
Download the free Sunday School Curriculum — Lessons for every age group, designed for small churches.
Brent Lacy is the founder of MinistryPlace and has been involved in small church ministry for over 25 years.
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