Bill Alphin, contact person:

Sunday School

• Provide General information, General Officers and Adult. This includes assisting churches to provide leadership training for Sunday School leaders.
• Help coordinate training resources/opportunities for church Sunday School Leaders.
• Partner with district associations to provide leadership development for Sunday School leaders.
• Help churches discover/develop the best resources for their Christian Education through the Sunday School. Periodically the VBMB coordinates a process to review available teaching resources.

Important Emphases in Sunday School:

• Quality Bible study/Teaching that is focused on the learner and the Bible.
• Trained leaders who have a sense of “Call” by God to lead in the Sunday School.
• The nurture and care of people within the Sunday School sphere of influence.
• Involvement of new people in the ministry of the Sunday School.
• Creating new adult Sunday School classes.
• Balanced ministry with all age groups.

Addition Bible Study Opportunities

• January Bible Study in partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources
  • www.Lifeway.com
• Courageous Churches Discipleship Bible study in partnership with the Baptist Center for Ethics and Acacia Resources.
  • This is a thirteen-week Bible study that can be used in Sunday School, discipleship small groups and home Bible study groups. For more information go to: www.ethicsdaily.com/static.cfm?mode=curricula_churches.

Discipleship

• Providing Christian education support for church leaders who want to lead their congregation to become more intentional about making and nurturing disciples. This includes developing/discovery of resources and providing a Christian education process or “path”/infrastructure for making and nurturing disciples.
  
• Provide support to churches to Develop faith of members through various methods/processes of discipleship development primarily through mentoring individuals, small group participation and ministry involvement.

Small Groups: A Tool for the Nurture and Development of Christian Disciples

• Leadership support for churches using small groups for Bible study and discipleship--(How to organize, lead groups, resources, leadership training of group leaders, discovery of group leaders.)
  
• Discovery of how to differentiate between “open” and “closed” small groups. Dealing with the question, “Are adult Sunday School classes small groups?”
  
  • Open groups are always open to the inclusion of new members. Examples include adult Sunday School classes and groups using the “empty chair”. The emphasis is placed on reaching and nurturing new members in the group.
    
  • On the other hand, closed groups place emphasis on trust and accountability to develop discipleship in a way that is not possible with open groups. The focus is on a deeper relationship with God by those who are in the group. The key issue becomes accountability and confidentiality among the small group members. Expectations for Christian growth are higher in a closed group.

Adult Ministry Issues

Millennials: The youngest generation of adults that were named for the fact that the very first of this group graduated from high school in 2000. They are the children of Boomers and will become a larger portion of the population than their parents with the potential for greater influence. Ministry with the group of adults will not look like their “fathers” ministry. This group may usher in the “Post” Post-Modern era in the church! We are on the brink of such a movement. Will the church lead the shift in our society? (Alphin)

The aging X’ers and Boomers: Are they becoming more like their parents as they age? Or is the view of older adult about to change?

Which leads to senior adults: Boomers are changing the face of senior adults. They are not happy with the once-a-month lunch meeting and bus tour. They are physically active. And often they leave the church when the kids leave home. The model for senior adult ministry is changing.

Single adults cross many age group lines. And it is increasing difficult for churches to identify singles as one cohesive group. Increasingly churches are focusing on issues, interest and needs and letting people “self-sort”. Singles are choosing to be a part of the larger group. The issues of single parents, divorce, re-marriage, and the career professional who choose not to marry help to shape the ministry of the church with single adults.

Christian education is not a church staff position! It’s the cohesive actions of the church to provide a curriculum “map” that develops the Christ-follower/learner.

• Discovery/development/adaptation of curriculum resources for Christian education.
• Support/participation in the Virginia Baptist Religious Educator’s Association
• Development of a “Curriculum Map” for Discipleship development.
• Shaping the church ministries through the “eyes” of Christian Education.

Christian Education: Bible Study & Discipleship and Adult Ministry

• Church consultations. (short term and long term)
• Resource/support leadership development events.
• Support the discovery/development/evaluation of curriculum resources
• Partnership with other Christian groups to support religious education in VGAB churches.