The New Believer’s Sabbath School Class
A few seasoned Adventists think of Sabbath School as a place where they come to spar and debate with their fellow Adventist friends about the 144,000 being a symbolic or literal number, or whether Jesus came with a pre-lapsarian nature or post-lapsarian nature. However, that is not the purpose of Sabbath School. The purpose of Sabbath school is to introduce people to Jesus.
The Sabbath school should be one of the greatest instrumentalities, and the most effectual, in bringing souls to Christ. (Ellen White, Counsels of Sabbath School Works, page 10)
While the worship service is orientted for believers, the Sabbath School is designed for evangelism. There were no Sabbath Schools as such in Bible times. Seventh-day Adventists got the idea for Sabbath School from the Protestant Sunday Schools which began in Great Britain in the 1780’s as a way to teach poor children to read and learn the Bible.1 As the Bible Worker for the Tampa First Seventh-day Adventist Church, I lead out in our New Believer’s Sabbath School class. The sole purpose of this class is to lead new believers or seekers to Jesus.
What Makes a New Believer’s Class Different From All The Rest?
1. Curriculum: While we have at times used the regular Sabbath School quarterly, when it is based on themes for evangelism, we mostly use other lessons to help introduce people to Jesus and basic Bible teachings. Our class has enjoyed the In Light of the Cross Study Guides, which are also available with the New Living Translation2 and in Spanish. These lessons present our basic Bible teachings in the light of the cross, and avoid legalism while preserving Bible standards. I have heard from other churches in Florida as well as a few around the world telling me these lessons have been greatly appreciated in their classes for new believers. I developed the New Living Translation edition, when I realized how many of my immigrant Bible students were having trouble reading English, let alone 17th-century English. We have also used the Growth Group Dialogues by Pastor Denis Sand.
2. Setting: While Sabbath Schools are not found in the Bible, home churches are. We try to give our classroom a home feeling, with comfortable chairs or couches. We sit in a circle, which encourages members to feel comfortable sharing questions related to the study. (When you sit in rows with the speaker up front, it makes people feel like they are in the worship service, and should not talk or ask questions. I have visited churches where the Sabbath School was is the sanctuary, and I left feeling like I heard two sermons and had no Sabbath School.)
3. Conversation: We begin each class with the members sharing one “high,” which is something good that happened that week, and one low, which is something not so good that happened that week. Or we just ask for praise reports and prayer requests. I have assigned a member to write down the prayer requests and email them to the class in the middle of the week to remind us to keep praying for them. At one time we had a praise team leader who led out in a couple of songs before our study time, but they left us to start their own young adult class which is growing by leaps and bounds. Often we will use ice breaker questions to lead into the study. This does not detract from the study time. People learn more from a study when they feel like they are a part of it and have invested themselves into the lesson. Conversation time is important to the study. Jesus did not learn about the needs of people while He was lecturing them, but rather while He was visiting with them.
Earlier this year I was holding a prophecy seminar in lecture format. I invited my prophecy seminar members to join a Bible study growth group I was starting, and am I glad I did! The prophecy seminar members mentioned how much better we were all getting to know and understand each other in the Bible study group. That never would have happened in the prophecy class where I lectured, and yet it’s very important to understand people’s backgrounds and ways of thinking when discussing something as crucial as prophecy. So now you can see why conversation time is so important in a new believer’s Sabbath School class.
One Sabbath our New Believer’s SS class had class at a park by the beach, followed by a fellowship lunch picnic.
4. Social: The new believer’s class is a family. We study together, pray together, and socialize together. The New Believer’s class is for all ages. We have socials where teens and senior citizens are playing games together and forming friendships that flow over into Bible study. One week, when I was preaching elsewhere and no adults would volunteer to teach the class, I had a middle school girl lead out. When I came back the next week, I found out that she had brought muffins for everyone and led out in a tremendous Bible study presentation. Suddenly I was not the most popular teacher any more, as she could teach and bake! Outside of class we go to classical concerts and ball games together, and we enjoy lunches and get-togethers in each others’ homes.
So what happens when a new believer becomes a seasoned believer?
We have a spiritual gifts Sabbath school class where the teacher gives my new members an invitation when they are not so new any more. This helps them find where they are best fit to serve in the church. I like the teacher of the next class inviting them instead of me, as I could never ask someone to leave my class. I love them too much and, of course, we always remain friends! Now some take the invitation, others, after baptism, go looking for a new class on their own. Still others remain in my class as mentors and even co-facilitators. I think it is important to keep some seasoned members in my new believers’ class to help mentor the new ones.
If your church does not already have a class for new believers or seekers, you may ask God if He wants you to start one. Why not talk to your pastor and Sabbath School Superintendent about it today? But remember, all Sabbath Schools are intended to be used to win souls for Jesus. Are you making sure your class is seeker friendly and winning souls for Jesus?
- See “When Did Sunday Schools Start?”
- See more about the New Living Translation of the Bible here.
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William, I am very glad that your church has some vision, at least enough to see that new people need to have something different. Incidentally Ellen White also saw campmeeting as a time for evangelism but not strictly so.
I think attitude has a lot to do with it but I think there other circumstances that make doing what you are doing a lot more difficult. First of all you do not belong to a small church. Of course it isn't the size of some of the churches that have upwards of 4000 members but having over 500 members and essentially three pastors gives you some advantages that very small churches just don't have.
Basically, I think we as a people need to be more conscious of our mission and that all that we do while at church should be to disciple people including ourselves. As I see it the difficulty with small churches is a matter of making one size fit all, how do we serve the needs of everyone coming to church without excluding anyone?
Tyler, it's true that if there are only 8 people attending a small church, then it's probably unrealistic to have more than one Sabbath School class.
But if there are 12 persons attending, there can easily be two classes, with the ideal class size being between 8 and 12 members. Then one class could be New Believer's class. It doesn't require a church of 300 members or 3 pastors.
Have you ever noticed how only a few people really speak up in a Sabbath School class? And it's usually about the same number of people - whether the class has 12 or 120 members. In a class of 12, it is much more likely that everyone will be engaged. And engaging everyone in an interactive manner should be the goal of every Sabbath School teacher. By engaging everyone, we don't leave anyone out.
If we could all get used to the idea that a Sabbath School is supposed to be interactive and evangelistic, I believe our churches would be transformed, and they would no longer fit the description of Laodicea.
I tend to think that small churches have some real advantages in being able to foster an intimate family atmosphere.
We attend two small churches - with the "larger" one having an average attendance of about 75 nowadays. The smaller church, where we go to help out, has anywhere from 12 - 40 people attending. But it doesn't fall short on a warm atmosphere, and I believe that with commitment and dedication, any small group of believers can create a welcoming atmosphere that will draw in anyone who comes in the door.
Good thoughtful discussion Tyler and Inge. I agree with what has been said and would add, if you don't have enough people for a main Sabbath School and New Believer's Sabbath School then if you have to choose one or the other, choose an evangelistic Sabbath School. Like I said in my post, even a small church can have their Sabbath school in a circle instead of like so many do, just having it the in the sanctuary where it is more of a dry lecture instead of a Bible study. I don't mean to harp about it, but I really do feel Sabbath Schools would draw more people and be more interesting if they were not in the sanctuary.
Hi William, you are doing a fantastic work with your class, not only with providing the right level of Bible study but just as importantly with giving them a social circle.
It is interesting to hear that in your area the sermon is for believers. I have found in my area that the sermons are milk and the SS class is meat. In my area we have SS program 9:30-10:00, SS lesson 10:00-10:45, divine service 11:00-12:00 of which the sermon is only 25 min.
Depending on the size of the church there are a varity of SS classes from those who like to listen to those who like to participate.
I wonder in other areas do people still have the "program" before the lesson study?
Our program consists of songs, mission story, short talk.
Thank you Shirley, I am glad people are getting the "meat" one way or the other in your area, whether it is service time or Sabbath School. My church, Tampa First SDA Church has had the "program" mission focus and spotlight and all right after first service and before Sabbath School class. But most churches that have one service just go to the class with no program.
Christians are human. And humans enjoy beauty, nature, recreation and are almost unfailingly bored by monotony. I speak for many - I humbly assume - when I say Christian folk are stereotyped to be boring (with good reason?).
Without running the abhorrent risk of trivializing the life saving gospel, I loudly applaud your efforts William at injecting the 'interest' factor into Bible study. The thing I find most powerful about what you are doing is how it implodes the concept of Christianity being far removed from everyday life (in the eyes of non-Christians) and shows them them if anything the gospel is RELEVANT to everyday life.
Coming from an advertising background where understanding your target audience is key: I have enjoyed the privilege of seeing the eyes of a class light up when the lesson is introduced using poignant examples the audience resonate with. I strongly believe the approach you adopt William can and ought to be encouraged as widely as applicable because it simply works.
When Chirst uttered a parable, He entrenched the meaning and impact of it by referencing and associating it with the familiar. The result ? 'We have never heard a man speak/teach like this!' (Without relegating the importance of the Holy Spirit to the back seat).
Thank you Cliff and everyone for the encouraging words. I pray that our Sabbath Schools will all really be on fire for Jesus and evangelism.
William, what I detect from yours and others opinions, is that however well a program works for some, does not always work well for others. Sometimes due to facility limitations or other differences. As the SS Coordinator for our church, we have a rotation of 8 plus 4 substitute, teachers for two classes in the main sanctuary, that gives the members an opportunity to appreciate a variety of ideas. We also had a circular seating class in another area that was taught by the pastor. We are just now welcoming a new pastor. The one thing that I stress to all the teachers, is class member participation. Leave preaching for the after service. We have long ago discontinued preliminaries. We start at 9:30 and try to stop at 10:30. Any SS program that accomplishes it's purpose, is a good program. Yours is an excellent example.
Thank you Paul, and with a variety of teachers like you have, people get attached to Bible study instead of just being attached to Bible teachers.