Don’t Panic
So you’ve been asked to lead an adult Sunday School class or Bible study and you don’t know where to begin. Or maybe just to fill in for a week for the usual leader. Or maybe you’ve heard that still, small voice that God uses to speak to us, and you think he might be telling you to start a group. Whatever your reasons for reading this, I’ve been there. I understand. It can be intimidating. That’s why you searched How to Lead an Adult Sunday School Class. I’m here to help.
FREE BONUS – if you are a subscriber, I have a host of free lesson plans that you can download, modify, and use as your own. Each week as I teach a class, I’ll post the lesson plan in the free-materials section of this website.
Types of Studies
There are many approaches to leading a group study. How do you decide what is right for you? Click here to see the pros and cons of each, or just keep scrolling to see how I do it.
Book Study
There’s tons of books out there designed for group studies. An online search will help you find these quickly.
- Pros
- Easy for the leader. You just follow instructions in the materials.
- Tons of great studies are available.
- Cons
- Cost. Many people don’t want join a study where they have to buy a book.
- Convenience. If people miss a week, they feel behind and might not come back.
Video Series
Similar to a book study, but the curriculum features a well-known speaker on video talking to all of you. Often accompanied by a workbook.
- Pros
- Easy for the leader, although you need some prep work to make sure the video will play properly at your location.
- Can be inspiring to see a person of God leading you through a series on a topic.
- Cons
- Cost. You would likely have to foot the cost for leader package and video, and attendees might have to purchase a workbook.
- Time and group dynamics. Often the studies suggest that you break into sub-groups to discuss the topics. This can take a time commitment and logistics for the sub-groups.
- Homework – Homework can be great to reinforce the concepts in the video. But some attendees might not want a study that requires extra effort.
Verse-by-verse (do-it-yourself)
Pick a book, chapter, or section of the Bible, and go through it verse-by-verse with your group.
- Pros
- No cost. The Bible is free.
- Flexible schedules for attendees. They can jump in and out from one week to another without feeling lost.
- I’ve found the group participation and discussions to be more lively.
- Cons
- Requires more preparation time for you as the leader. I’ll step through what this looks like in the next section.
Three Keys to Success as an Adult Sunday School Leader
Regardless of the approach you take, if you are guided by the following principles, the Lord will bless your efforts:
Lead with Humility
This was easy for me with my first class, because I recognized that others knew more about Scripture than I did. And they still do. But everyone brings something to the table. I cheer inside whenever someone unexpected drops a deep insight on the class.
Most importantly, don’t talk down to the group. Let everyone know that you are right there with them, learning. It is a journey we take together.
Encourage Discussion
Fashion questions in advance that will spur discussion (advice on how to create such questions are below). Foster an environment where everyone can be heard, but nobody feels pressured to speak. This is an art that you will develop with experience. Don’t be discouraged if it feels awkward at first.
Let the introverts have a safe space, but keep an eye out for nonverbal clues that they have something to say, and then call on them. For those who want to share, by all means encourage them. People like to be heard. People also like to hear varied voices. Even if I were the most learned Bible scholar, the class would grow tired of me if I monopolized the conversation.
Bring it back to the Word of God
Some devotionals or Bible studies teach great concepts, but they neglect to bring the conversation back to Scripture. You’d be surprised how much people want to read the actual words of the Bible, but struggle to do it on their own. Analyzing verses with a group of like-minded people can make us fall in love with God’s Word.
How I Structure My Sunday School Class
My Sunday School classes essentially take the verse-by-verse approach, but for the past year I’ve done something innovative – I’ve been playing a short clip from a scene in The Chosen television series, and then diving into the scripture that inspired that scene. Here is the basic structure of our hour and 15 minute class:
- Prayer – we open by asking if there are any prayer requests, and then we spend a few minutes praying for those needs and for our time together. This is an important way to build community.
- Icebreaker – sometimes I’ll come up with an icebreaker question or activity that’s related to the topic. This is optional.
- Play clip from The Chosen, if using a clip that week.
- Usually I will introduce the clip and what characters to expect (not everyone has seen the show).
- I also talk about what parts are fiction backstory of characters, and what parts are biblical.
- Provide context. What is the setting? What has happened in the Bible leading up to this scene?
- Read the Scripture that accompanies the scene.
- Step through my list of pre-prepared discussion questions about the clip and/or the Scripture.
- I’ve learned that I need to give people time to think. An awkward pause isn’t always the worst thing.
- If nobody responds, I say something like “well here’s a few things I came up with…” and then give my own thoughts on the question. Note that this requires that I prepare answers to my own questions.
- Important – not all questions have right or wrong answers. Opinion questions are good. For example, once we were studying King Ahab in the Old Testament (an evil king), and we came across a passage where it appeared that he truly repented. So I asked whether the group thought we’d see King Ahab in heaven. I don’t know that there’s a right answer to that, so it was important to be open-minded as I listened to the responses. The ensuing discussion took up most of the class!
- I’ve learned that I don’t have to get through all my questions. If people want to talk, let them go. You can always extend the lesson into the next class, and you get a week off from preparing a new lesson!
- Close in prayer. Usually want to keep this one shorter.
Sounds great, But how can I come up with engaging discussion questions?
I like to vary the type of discussion questions I ask. Below are some different types of questions with examples (Examples taken from a study of Matthew 9:10-13, where Pharisees were criticizing Jesus for dining with sinners).
Observation Questions
These are simply asking them to pull something directly out of the text. You don’t want too many of these, but they get the juices flowing. Ex: Jesus responded to the Pharisees by instructing them to “go learn what this means…” What did he tell them to learn?
Interpretation Questions
These questions simply ask “what does x mean?” Ex: What is mercy? Why is it contrasted with sacrifices?
Opinion Questions
These can vary widely, but the intent is to ask a question that makes people think, possibly without having a right or wrong answer. An example is the question I asked about King Ahab from a different study.
Imagination Questions
These prompt everyone to imagine what it was like to be a person in the story. What was going through their head? What life experiences would have affected their reactions? How would we have responded if we were placed in that situation? Ex: There is the fear that their sin will rub off on us if we cavort with unbelievers. Were the Pharisees in this scene completely wrong about everything? What do you think was going through the prostitutes’ heads when the Pharisees started hurling accusations?
Application Questions
These questions bring the discussion home to our own lives, today. Ex: How can we show mercy to sinners without condoning their lifestyle?
Another effective application question, when somebody is willing to respond, is to ask if anyone has a life experience that they are willing to share that exemplifies the truths we’ve discussed. Ex: Has anyone at work ever asked you to go to a “gentlemen’s club” as part of a work function? If so, how did you handle it?
Does this help?
Let me know in the comments if this was helpful or if you have questions. Also, don’t forget to subscribe and get access to free lesson plans from The Chosen classes.
Have you led an adult Sunday School class or Bible study? If so, what are some things that have worked for you? Share with the rest of us.
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