Sabbath School is designed to be a small group. It’s a place where every individual in church should be able to build relationships, have accountability, share a common interest, and work toward a goal. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a Sabbath School mission which includes: study of the Word, fellowship, community outreach, and world mission emphasis. A lot of thought goes into the organization of Sabbath School on a global and local basis. So is there any room for change?
If you’re struggling to stay involved, stay awake, or attend Sabbath School, there may be a way to liven it up.
- Attend Sabbath School as often as possible!
Sadly, it’s not surprising how many people will skip Sabbath School because it’s boring. The only way to enjoy it is to go, build relationships with others there, and contribute to the discussion and the group. - Prepare for the lesson.
If you don’t know the material and you’re lost throughout the discussion, you will not enjoy yourself. There are many great resources for Sabbath School. The children’s Sabbath School has videos on Youtube, as well as the adult lessons, and collegiate. Teresa Thompson’s weekly Sabbath School notes are a great place to start. - Offer to teach or share your story.
Depending upon the size of your church and the policy for training and selecting teachers, you may slide right into a class, or you may have to wait or volunteer as an assistant. No matter what role you play, it will be less boring when you have a job, have a voice, and have some insight. - Talk during Sabbath School.
Visit the Sabbath School and get a feel for the environment. There may be some teachers that encourage discussion, and others who follow more of a teacher-student lecture style. If you don’t see much discussion, try raising your hand during class, or talk to the teacher afterward about how he or she would feel if you started a discussion. - Make friends with the group.
We’re all itching to make a connection, especially on Sabbath, away from school and work. Use the opportunity to catch someone’s eye, share a smile, invite someone to sit with your family at potluck, or even invite someone home for lunch. Make a connection that will mean you have a friend there next week, a friend that will hold you accountability, and someone to save your seat when you’re late! - Plan a field trip or outing.
You don’t have to organize a committee or get board permission to plan an outing and invite some friends from Sabbath School to hang out. It’s a great way to fellowship, have fun, get to know each other’s families, and to unwind outside of the church setting. Go to a local park and picnic, hit the gym and learn to rock climb, go floating or swimming–the sky is the limit when you’re enjoying yourself.
Do you have other ideas to shake up a boring Sabbath School class? Has something great revitalized your own Sabbath School experience? Share your story! If you have a great Sabbath School program and class, don’t forget to tell your teacher they’re doing a good job (they probably don’t hear it enough), and tell the rest of us what makes it so great.
