Adult Class "Success Factors" Keep Participants Coming Back

By Diana Hynson

I've been teaching and leading an adult Sunday school class at our church for years, and while our class members have the freedom to come or go, most attend quite regularly. The "regulars" do sometimes slip out for a few weeks at a time to join in a special, short-term study, but they always come back.

What makes our class appealing, and why are we faithful participants?

We have several "success factors" that I think can be replicated in other churches.

The teacher is prepared. I happen to have a seminary education and feel an obligation — and a joy — in sharing its fruits. But the teacher's education level is not the main point.

What's important is that whoever leads the class takes her/his teaching, and the class participants, seriously enough to spend quality time getting ready.

The teaching aids in our United Methodist curriculum resources are generally quite good, and even if they are not perfect for my specific class, they provide a great starting place. I can be well prepared without having to make things up on my own.

The lesson is relevant to the participants. My class has covered a wide array of curriculum over the years, from FaithLink, which has a new topic every week; to Bible studies; thematic or topical studies; and current literature. Regardless of the subject matter, I work hard (and it takes some effort!) to encourage the class members to "get out of their heads" and think about what is theologically important for their lives.

Our class is not for the "faint-hearted." Many classes will have newcomers or persons new to the faith; others will have participants who have been immersed in the church, its culture, its theology, and its language for many years. Our members come from a wide variety of denominational backgrounds, but they all have some experience.

Not every class will deal with the deep and hard questions and issues of the faith, but every church needs at least one venue in which participants can dig as deeply as they wish to go. In such a class, no topic is taboo, and the understanding and position of each class member is treated with respect.

We take care of each other. This may be the most important factor. We may not be on the phone between classes, but we take some time during the session to pay attention to what is going on with each other. On many occasions we have taken the time to anoint and pray for persons who would soon be undergoing significant medical treatments or who had experienced a deep loss. In any case, prayer is a part of our lives together.

We also have the freedom to be silly or outrageous with each other. Many of us work in vocations related to social justice, and thus with persons who are on the margins of society. Such work is draining, and we appreciate having a class that supports those vocations as ministry and in which we can find joy and laughter.