By Brent Lacy

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.

The truth is, some of the most effective Sunday Schools in America look exactly like this. They do not have fancy curriculum budgets or dedicated buildings. They have faithful teachers, a simple plan, and a commitment to showing up every week.

Start with What You Have

Do not wait until you have 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

The MinistryPlace 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.

Other free resources worth considering:

• Bible Gateway Reading Plans — Structured Scripture reading for individuals or groups
• GotQuestions.org — Accessible answers to common Bible questions, good for lesson preparation
• MinistryPlace Curriculum Library — Free downloadable lessons for children, youth, and adults

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.

The MinistryPlace Sunday School Curriculum Guide includes a Teacher Training Workshop template you can use to prepare your volunteers. It covers the basics: how to open a lesson, how to ask good questions, how to handle difficult topics, and how to close with prayer.

Focus on Faithfulness, Not Numbers

If three children show up to Sunday School, that is three children who are learning about Jesus. Do not compare your Sunday School to the church down the road with 50 kids and a full-time children’s pastor. Your job is faithfulness, not competition.

Over time, faithfulness produces fruit. Children who are taught the Bible consistently grow up knowing the stories, the characters, and the truths of Scripture. That is worth more than any program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if we only have one volunteer willing to teach?

Start with one class for all ages. Use a curriculum that works across age groups, or rotate between children’s lessons and adult discussion. One faithful teacher is enough to start. As the class grows, God will provide more workers.

How do we handle children with behavioral challenges?

With patience and clear expectations. Set simple rules on the first day. Enforce them consistently. And remember that a child who is struggling behaviorally is often a child who is struggling at home. Your Sunday School might be the only stable, safe place that child experiences all week.

Should we combine Sunday School with the worship service?

Some small churches have children stay in the entire service. This works well when the sermon is accessible and the congregation is welcoming to children. Other churches prefer a separate time. There is no right answer. Do what works for your church.

What about youth? They are too old for children’s class but too few for their own group.

Include them in the adult class. Give them a role: reading Scripture, leading discussion, helping with younger children. Youth who are given responsibility rise to the occasion. Youth who are bored leave.

Sources

1. Karl Vaters, “Recruiting Volunteers In a Small Church”
2. Nick Blevins, “How to Recruit Church Volunteers (A Proven 5-Part Framework)”
3. Pushpay, “How to Recruit Volunteers for Church: A Guide for Church Leaders”
4. Better Bible Teachers, “5 Methods for Recruiting and Keeping Church Volunteers”