Sunday Morning Schedule
(Chapter 6 from Dr. Hyle's excellent book, The Hyles Sunday School Manual)
This chapter will be largely review. It shall consist of the tying together of what has previously been said about Sunday school class and its organization, work and activities on Sunday. We will start at the beginning of the day and go through the entire Sunday morning schedule.
1. The teacher should get up early enough so as to avoid any rushing.
2. The teacher should brush over his lesson for the task at hand.
3. He should dress himself properly so as to be a good example.
4. He should arrive fifteen minutes early to prepare the classroom and the pupil for the lesson.
5. He should then stand at the door to greet the class members as they enter.
6. The teacher should properly meet and greet all visitors before the starting of the opening assembly or the class.
7. Perhaps the sunshine chairman has arrived by now to add some sunshine and cheer to the class.
8. The vice-president is at the back of the room or at the door of the room sharing with others the privilege of greeting the members and visitors as they enter.
9. The secretary is passing out the envelopes, membership slips, and visitor’s cards.
10. The vice-president may be introducing the visitors to other members as they come in. All of this together makes them feel at home.
11. The pianist has arrived at least ten minutes early and is playing the prelude. The prelude should be one that moves along rapidly and one which creates a spirit of fellowship in the class.
12. The songleader has also arrived early enough to pick out the songs and discuss them with the pianist.
13. At the exact starting time (not one minute later) the superintendent should call the department to order and introduce the music director who in turn leads in a well-planned congregational song. Well-known choruses can be used. Certainly all songs should be familiar to the majority of the people.
14. The departmental superintendent then presents a well-planned, brief opening assembly. This opening assembly should include adequate welcoming of visitors. It may or may not tie in with the lesson, but it certainly should be something pertinent to the needs of the pupils. The entire opening exercise in the departmental assembly room should last no longer than ten minutes. For a Sunday school that lasts one hour, this gives ten minutes for time spent in going to the classes and in business.
In the opening assembly time, the superintendent should certainly promote attendance for future Sundays, give honor to those who have done good jobs in the past, and instill and inspire in the hearts of the pupils the desire to bring others with them.
15. The teacher then stands at the door of the classroom and welcomes the pupils as they enter. In case there is no opening assembly in the department, things aforementioned should be done such as passing out of envelopes, the vice-president welcoming the visitors, etc.
16. The teacher or president calls the class to order. This should, of course, be done in a winning way and should immediately be impressive to members and visitors alike.
17. Much attention should be given to the visitors. They may be introduced by the teacher, the president , the vice-president, or the group captain. Whoever does it should be effervescent in his welcome.
18. Class business. This should be limited basically to the announcements. All planning of socials and extracurricular activities should be done prior to class time, and business cared for in the class should be limited to announcements, simple promotion, etc.
19. The teaching of the lesson. The president introduces the teacher. The teacher puts his heart, mind, body, and soul into the teaching of the Word of God. His lesson should include a title, a point of contact, body or general teaching, a conclusion, and an appeal.
20. The class may close with a report of the secretary and others if needed, such people as mission chairman, sunshine chairman, social chairman, etc. As mentioned in another chapter, the reports should be limited to thirty seconds or less.
At the end of the class the members should be told about the preaching service and should be encouraged to attend.
This sums up the activities of a Sunday morning. Certainly other things could and should be added, and in some cases, some of these suggestions could be omitted. The purpose of this chapter is not necessarily to tell the Sunday school superintendent and teachers what to do, but rather to impress upon them the importance of doing well what they do. The teaching of the Word of God is the biggest thing in all the world. Let us treat it as such.
More Life Changing Sermons by Dr. Jack Hyles:
Do you know for sure that if you died today, you would go to Heaven? You can know!
Click Here to find out how!
