Small Groups vs. Sunday School

Why can't we all just get along? OK, when Rodney King asked that nearly 20 years ago he meant something else by the question. 

But I ask the question in relation to Sunday School (or whatever your church calls it) and small groups. A few weeks ago I participated in a webinar at Lifeway in Nashville, TN. One of the questions I responded to is how small groups and Sunday school can get along. For the life of me, I can't figure out way there is an adversarial history between the two methods of spiritual growth and community. Both classroom and home-based groups can add value to church and help attenders develop spiritually.  

 John Wesley, is a patron saint of the small groups movement. But he's also a patron saint of classroom learning. I'm fortunate to work at a church that has long enjoyed a healthy relationship between small groups and classroom communities. There are certainly advantages to small groups and advantages to Sunday schools. And each church has to consider which method is best for them. I grew up in a church with only Sunday schools and worked at a church with only small groups. For the last few years I've worked at a church with both. I've a learned a lot through the experience. And most of what I've learned is that there are loads of misconceptions. First of all, most people who are "haters" pick out the worst examples and build a straw-man case against the pathetic class or group. It's better research to compare healthy, strong groups and healthy, strong classes if you're trying to choose.

Two of my friends at Lifeway faced off on this very question. You can check out David Francis and Rick Howerton go ten rounds on this topic here  www.lifeway.com/sundayschoolvssmallgroups/index.html . I like their fake boxing metaphor but I think they should have really put on boxing shorts and gloves and taken some real swings at each other. The entertainment factor would have gone waaaay up!

So what do you think? What's your preference - groups, classes, or both - and why?

Comments

[Groupsguy]

Bill,
We run both ABFs and Home ABFs at our church. There really shouldn't be any battle. Both are helpful and useful to people. Home groups do better at intimacy and discipleship. They also excel at being a vehicle to share issues and allow the group to serve and encourage. Sunday School is great at pulling in folks who might get a little intimated in a small setting. Since they run on Sunday some folks find it the only time they can connect with other adults. You can lose a bit in a building over a house terms of intimacy, but you can gain much with the large group. SS don't die quickly...that's good and bad. They are easier to supervise. They can tackle large serving projects or care needs that would inundate a sm grp.
I lead an ABF, but serve as the Home ABF Pastor at my church. I think both are important and necessary to give as many as possible an experience of community.

[Nick Schonlau]

Bill,

Thanks for this post. I think there is a real opportunity to get the word out that small groups and sunday school can coexist in the same church. We do it here too! Now, while I like both, we move people from Newcomer to Sunday School attender to Small Group member. The reason for this is an easy transition and an opportunity to build personal relationships. We used to have sunday school classes that looked and felt like small groups, but these groups couldn't get past a certain point in their growth because new people would always be dropping in on them. It was sunday school! So, we encourage learners to attend Sunday School and communitity yearners into small groups.

Thanks for the ministry you do!

[Josh Hunt]

I agree. A group is a group wherever it meets.

Josh Hunt
Good Questions Have Groups Talking
www.joshhunt.com

[Michael Simpkins]

I agree. Small groups and Sunday school should coexist. To me, Sunday school is more of a bible study and small groups are more for fellowship. Meaning small groups are a time for us to come together and discuss whatever the topic is in a group setting.

Michael Simpkins
Live Video Chat Small Groups Online
www.bundlebunch.net