Everyone wants to succeed. Some do – some don’t. Teachers may define success by the numbers of attendees, or by getting through the entire lesson, or by avoiding any glaring blunders. The definitions of success vary from teacher to teacher.

Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com

All of us should spend some time reflecting on how well we did or didn’t do keeping in mind that success cannot always be judged by the immediate result. However, the path to success must travel on the road named “Process.”

Here’s a process for success that should become common to all Sabbath school teachers.

S – Seek It
U – Understand It
C – Compose It
C – Convey It
E – Explore It
S – Show It
S – Sell It

Seek It.

Teachers must spend adequate time in studying for their sessions. They should prayerfully study the Bible and other related sources of information to serve as a foundation for the upcoming class.

Understand It.

Through prayer and study, we as teachers must “get it.” The Bible promises that God will give us understanding and we should claim the promise of James 1:5-6 and not leave this second phase until we understand the essence of the lesson.

Compose It.

You’ve done your research and understand the theme. Now you need to prepare your guideline and talking points in a way that helps the session flow. Each part of the theme you plan to explore should be built on biblical references. Streamline your research into a few key points. Too much information can be just as bad as too little.

Convey It.

Once class starts pray that the Holy Spirit will speak through you to touch hearts. Then proceed with confidence and energy. Give the Holy Spirit room to work by projecting energy and warmth. Smile. Attendees are more responsive to presenters that are energetic and lively.

Jesus demonstrated the power of stories. Harness some of that power by starting the class with an interesting story or some interesting fact or statistic. Be intentional about how you start. Make sure to make this a part of your planning.

Explore It.

The best way to explore the lesson is through great questions. You should have questions that will lead your class in the direction of your theme. Anticipate what the answers to your questions might be and have more questions for the answers given. Go beneath the surface of clichés and standard answers. People love a good discussion and it all starts with great questions. (For more on this see, “Let’s Give Them Something To Talk About.”)

Show It.

When you have begun the process of exploration through your questions, make sure that you can reach your destination. Bring the discussion to the point where they will also see the gems of truth you discovered through your preparation. In other words, the discussion should be focused – but not so focused that you cannot entertain a side trip into a member’s need or into what another member discovered.

Sell It.

If the God of the universe has shared something with you for you to in turn share with your class, you need to sell it. Be passionate without being offensive. Don’t start strong and end weak. Give energy to your close and make an appeal for a greater commitment to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the purpose of what we do.

I like the way Jim Rohn put it: Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.

Best wishes on your continued success!

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