HOW DO YOU FIND A LEADER FOR JUNIOR SABBATH SCHOOL? by Jerry E. Bartram, CPA

• Great care and much prayer
• "We might see a different order of things should a number consecrate themselves wholly to God, and then devote their talents to the Sabbath school work, ever advancing in knowledge, and educating themselves so that they would be able to instruct others as to the best methods to employ in the work; but is not for the workers to seek for methods by which they can make a show, consuming time in theatrical performance and musical display, for this benefits no one...Teachers are often secured who cannot lead souls to Christ because the know not what it is to find Him precious to their own souls, but all those who do not value the soul so that they will work as Christ would have them, will scatter away from Christ." CSSW 153, 154

• "Let not those who have a mechanical way of doing things take complete charge of the school, and mold it into formal ways, into precise habits, and yet all its life stifled in a multiplicity of regulations. It is essential to have order, but we need a great deal more spiritual knowledge along with our rules and regulations." CSSW 162
• Nominating Committee
• Personal traits to look for
• Are children anxious to go to Sabbath School and what do they say about this person
• Does this person demonstrate the "Fruit of the Spirit" in his/her life
• Willing to make the time to be trained
• Can motivate and inspire others to get involved
• Can lead a child to Christ
• Can be trusted to be a role model

• Characteristics
• Need to be men and women of God.
• "Our teachers need to be converted men and women, who know what it means to wrestle with God, who will not be at rest until the hearts of the children are turned to love, praise, and glorify God. Who will be earnest workers for souls in our Sabbath School? Who will take the youth separately, and talk and pray with them, beseeching them to yield their heart to Jesus, that they may be as a sweet savor to Christ? As we view the magnitude of the work, and see how little it is appreciated, we feel like groaning in spirit, and exclaiming, Who will accept these grave responsibilities, and watch for souls as they that must give an account? We are Christ's representatives upon the earth." CSSW 75
• Be committed to spending time for the salvation of children
• "Those who have entered upon the work of teaching, or who have been called to any position of responsibility, should not be satisfied to take the product of the researches of other minds, but they should investigate truth for themselves. It they do not form the habit of investigation themes of truth for themselves, they will become superficial in their life and acquirements." CSSW 33
• Be caring

• "You will come close to them in loving sympathy, visiting them at their homes, learning their true condition by conversing with them concerning their experience in the things of God, and you will bear them in the arms of your faith to the throne of the Father. CSSW 76
• Be Patient

• "Pupils in Sabbath school are likely to do that which will annoy the teacher, by their misconduct. But the teacher must not speak sharp words, and manifest an uncontrolled spirit; for in so doing he will not be using the sword of the Spirit, but the weapons of Satan." CSSW 171
• Be a happy person
• "Smile, parents; Smile, teachers. If your heart is sad, let not your face reveal the fact. Let the sunshine from a loving, grateful heart light up the countenance. Unbend from your iron dignity, adapt yourselves in the children's needs, and make them love you. You must win their affection, if you would impress religious truth upon their heart. FE 68 CSSW 177

• How do you find teachers
• Each member in the church should be a recruiter for the lower divisions

• Parents who have children in the lower divisions should be the ones to lead and teach their own children

• It is best not to have people teach below the age of their children

• Continuous training of new teachers must always be going on

• As soon as class size gets above five teachers the leader needs to start recruiting a new teacher

• The children need to have the largest and best available

• Rooms should be utilized based on size and needs, not on the fact that this has always been a particular divisions room

• The younger the children the greater need to be able to move around the room

• Be creative. Look for under utilized space that can be used

• Get support from key church members and your pastor before you present your plan to the church as a whole

• Don't give up until you get the space you need

• Develop a program as a division, Leaders, Teachers and Children
• Create a budget to do the program
• Sell the program to the pastor, key leaders, and parents
• Present the program to the board

• Ask them to allow you to set up a fund for the department that parents and other church members can contribute to.(A restricted Fund)
• Give an accounting each quarter to parents, children and board what you have done and how much it costs.
• Be willing to be led and be held accountable

• ASKING FOR WISDOM AND GUIDANCE
• Depend on the Lord to bring about change. We are used by Him to bring about changes in individuals and in churches
• WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR PEOPLE TO CHANGE
• There are causes for the ways people think and act. Value system, insecurity, past experiences
• Care givers personalities have a great need to have things to be very predictable and want as little change as possible
• People want to have control and feel secure. Change is very threatening if you are not a real part of the process. They need to know the facts, be convinced that it will work, have input into the decisions that are being made.
• The fact that a person conforms to what has been decided does not mean that their attitude has changed
• HOW TO HANDLE OR AVOID NEGATIVE FEELINGS
• When people are faced with the possibility of change, remember, they will react a normal human beings, they will fear change. Be prepared to handle negative feelings, but don't expect rejection
• List the pros and cons think out objections and have answers in mind, but don't over whelm them. Give it time but be persistent and positive
• Win people, not arguments. Sometimes, when opposition is intense, the best course is to become neutral. Abandon any pressure. Usually this will cause the other person to consider abandoning his counter pressure. Keep the discussion on issues - not personalities.
• Go through proper channels
• Make change in your own area of responsibility, not those above you.
• Watch you timing. Good timing requires a balance between "urgency" and "do not rush."
• Try again. Don't give up when your idea doesn't win a warm reception.
• Delay change, if necessary, to give people time to adjust

• Keep channels of communication open. Points of conflict can become points of creativity and more effective communication - if handled correctly.
• Humor helps people over the rough spots
• Expect some failures and problems, but learn from them

• BUILDING A WINNING TEAM
• Identify and respond to the needs of your church
• Don't force solutions - be flexible enough to see and suggest new solutions to the problem
• Focus more on building trust, than on the proposed change
• Consult and involve others. Your leaders/teachers will accept change better if they are involved in the process and it becomes "our idea"
• Help people discover for themselves the difference between what is and what could be
• Show the benefits of change to counterbalance the cost
• Start with small changes. Success breeds success. A person who is successful will try more ideas
• Try to get people to agree on short-term or immediate goals

• Large room if possible
• Round tables for 4 - 6 children and chairs
• Colorful bulletin boards. One for sharing circle and one for each class
• Bibles for each child. As many EG White books as possible. Bible concordance, index, SDA commentary set, other research books and materials
• Books showing various secret codes and various puzzles to get ideas from
• Tape or CD player for background music
• Birthday cards, "We miss you" cards, "We are glad you came to our Sabbath school" cards, sign in cards or sheets
• Small gifts for birthdays
• Color magic markers, pencil, paper, crayons, glue stick, poster board
• Pictures for bulletin boards, lettering, cut outs

• The main and most important job of the leader
• Train by example
• Have a prospective teacher come and observe one week. At the end of Sabbath School, sit down and share with him/her what you did and why you did it.
• If they seem interested invite them home for Sabbath lunch. After lunch go into detail what you did, the reasons for each step of the program.

• Invite them to come next week and observe in a class, have that teacher primed to invite them home for lunch. Have the teacher talk about their experiences in teaching.
• During the week the leader should call the prospective teacher and invite him/her to come early and see how the activities are laid out and the program planned.
• After class have all the teachers stay and do a little dialog about what went on. Invite the new teacher to spend some time with an experienced teacher and do a lesson together
• If all teachers think the person will make an effective teacher, invite him/her to become a teacher. It he/she says OK, then invite them to come to your house after church and together start planning next weeks lesson. Encourage him/her to work on the lesson all week. Get together Friday night and complete the lesson. Have the new teacher team teach with an experienced teacher. Make sure the new teacher does at least one section of the lesson.
• The following week again meet Friday night and this time the new teacher should do the complete lesson and all you should do is make suggestions.
• When Sabbath comes the new teacher should do the entire class while you only observe. Have visitors and a few great kids from other classes make up the new class.

• Hold the teachers and leaders up in daily prayer
• Look for potential teachers in the adult Sabbath school. Each member should be a recruiter for the lower divisions
• Financial support
• Willing to do special projects and parts
• Be approachable by children as they do surveys, etc.

• Hold the teacher/leader in prayer
• Support the teacher in his/her efforts. If you have a complaint with something that goes on in class, make sure that the teacher is approached in private.
• Stay involved in the room. Be a teacher or leader. Go on outings. Help do anything that is asked.
• Make sure the child gets to Sabbath School each week on time or early. Don't plan vacation, trips, etc. over important weekends that have been planned in Sabbath School
• Help financially

• Train, inspire, support teachers
• Be available by phone or make you self available in person
• Coordinate and lead out in quarterly, monthly planning sessions
• Always be ready to teach each week. If somebody has to leave town or is sick you may have to fill in with short notice
• Plan the sharing circle time
• Plan and coordinate the Bible learning activities
• Be the "gopher" during the Sabbath School program

• Pray for each child each day by name
• Keep parents informed what you are doing and will be doing
• Be a Christ Centered role model for the children
• Spend a least 30 minutes in study of the lesson each day besides your daily devotional time
• Make sure to spend time each day with the Lord. Seek the Lord for protection from Satan, for Satan will seek to destroy you and your ministry
• Prepare the Lesson
• Bible readiness
• Exploring Gods Word
• Application for living
• Be alert for items the children want to share in the sharing circle
• Lead in the Bible learning activities
• Give special recognition for birthdays, special events at school or in sports.
• Try to be aware of any special needs that may arise with the child and his /her family. Work with the parents to help meet the needs.

• LISTENING
• It is important to secure the attention of the children
• A room environment that sets the mood of what you want to do
• Initial introduction to the material to be studied
• Attractively displayed learning materials

• EXPLORING
• Careful investigation of a problem or subject
• Total involvement in the search of something not yet known or experienced
• He/she is not a passive listener or mere spectator
• He/she is a central and active participant in the learning process
• Children may select the activity (all of which are lesson-related) in which they would like to participate
• Children may pose their own problems

• Children may want to collaborate with their fellow students in learning activity
• Children can be trusted by their teachers
• Children need a classroom environment in which there is consistent order and which minimizes the comparison of the student performance

• DISCOVERING
• As a result of the listening and exploring process the learner discovers for himself what the Bible says
• Guided by the Holy Spirit, he understands its implication for his own life

• APPROPRIATING
• A noted researcher states that only self-discovered, self-appropriated learning significantly influences behavior.

• ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY
• Called the "Crown of the learning process".
• Here God's truth actually changes and molds a child's thinking, attitude and behavior.
• Our children must perceive the necessity of doing certain things on the basis of what they have been experiencing.
• A child needs to see clearly the actions necessitated by the study and be led into assuming responsibility for them.

• Know your learners.
• Plan for children to consistently have a choice of activities (within limits).
• Provide opportunities for children to interact with peers.
• Listen attentively.
• Be flexible in your teaching procedure.
• Provide opportunities for children to share with others.

• Develop an atmosphere of love and acceptance.
• Children long to feel that someone cares about them.
• Provide meaningful activities.
• Children need to be challenged by the effective use of Bible readiness choices.
• Children often misbehave simply because they are bored.
• Allow the child to make choices.

• Set realistic standards that can be enforced.
• Recognize accomplishments and good behavior.

• Deal with the problem individually.
• Have the child tell what he did.
• Be sure he understands why the behavior is not acceptable in the classroom.
• Redirect the child into positive behavior.
• Let the child experience the consequences of his behavior.