SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNITS

1. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNITS Sabbath School Action Units What they are and how they work

2. Sabbath School Problems • Research reveals that nearly 20% of those who have been Adventists from 4 to 10 years never study their Sabbath School lessons. • The comparison between members on the church books and Sabbath school attendance shows a large number of missing members. • The majority of teachers have neverhad any training. Sabbath School Action Units

3. Purposes of Sabbath School • Study of the Word • Fellowship • Community outreach • World mission emphasis Sabbath School Action Units

4. Basic divine imperatives for a finished work “The church must realize its obligation to carry the gospel of present truth to every creature.” —Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 111). 1 Sabbath School Action Units

5. Basic divine imperatives for a finished work “The greatest help that can be given our people is to teach them to work for God, and to depend on him, not on ministers.”—Testimonies, vol.7, p. 19. 2 Sabbath School Action Units

6. Basic divine imperatives for a finished work “The Sabbath School should be one of the greatest instrumentalities and the most effectual in bringing souls to Christ.”—Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 10. 3 Sabbath School Action Units

7. Basic divine imperatives for a finished work “The formation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort is a plan that has been presented before me by One who can not err. If there is a large number in the church, let the members be formed into small companies, to work not only for the church members but for unbelievers also”—Evangelism, p. 115. 4 Sabbath School Action Units

8. Sabbath School Action Unit Potential Sabbath School Action Units

9. Sabbath School Action Unit Potential • Contribute to a finished work through focused, coordinated effort. • Turn spectators into participants. • Provide an excellent training school. • Prepare members for effective outreach. • Enable members to win and retain non-attenders. • Assist members in reaching their own goals. • Provide assistance for church project and activities. Sabbath School Action Units

10. How Sabbath School Action Units Work Sabbath School Action Units

11. 1 Classes of six to eight Why? Maximum participation happens in small groups of six to eight. The larger the group, the less the participation. Sabbath School Action Units

12. 2 Outreach Leader - Care Coordinator A tactful, enthusiastic, persevering, and loving, concerned active member with a burden for souls. Develops a band of well-trained soul winners. Sabbath School Action Units

13. 3 Teacher/ Discussion leader • Reviews the high points of the lesson. • Secures participation. • Applies lesson to life. Sabbath School Action Units

14. 4 Outreach Plan Each Action Unit will decide on an outreach project that fulfills the community outreach objective of Sabbath School Sabbath School Action Units

15. 5 Action Unit Organization Action Unit time: - 1 hour 5 min. - care for missing class members. 20 min. - outreach plan. 35 min. lesson study. Time Sabbath School Action Units

16. 6 Action Unit Organization Time Periodic Corporate Sharing Sabbath School Action Units

17. 7 Action Unit Organization Time Monthly Home Fellowship/ Evaluation Sabbath School Action Units

18. Action Unit Teaching System 8 Lesson discussion & application Sabbath School Action Units

19. How to Set Up Sabbath School Action Units 9 • Decide on the number of classes needed by dividing current Sabbath School adult attendance by seven. • Decide on best way to form Action Units. • Provision may be made for a regular class for those who do not wish to participate. Sabbath School Action Units

20. Why Sabbath School Action Units Are Important

21. Who Skips Sabbath School?

22. BASIC REASONS FOR LEAVING THE CHURCH • Lack of warm fellowship and support by fellow members. • Church services do not meet felt needs in coping with the complexities of daily life.

23. Counsels on Sabbath School Workers, p. 257. • “Our Sabbath schools are not what the Lord would have them to be, for there is altogether too much dependence placed upon form and machinery,while the life-giving power of God is not manifested for the conversion of souls, for whom Christ died. The order of things must be changed if our Sabbath schools meet the purpose for which they exist.”

24. Counsels on Sabbath School Workers, p. 66. • “How sad it is to think of the great amount of mechanical work that is done in the Sabbath school, while there is little evidence that there is moral transformation in the souls of those who teach and who are taught.”

25. 5 Testimonies, p. 256 • “There is much to be done in the Sabbath School work also, in bringing the people to realize their obligation and to act their part. God calls them to work for Him, and the ministers should guide them their effort.”

26. SABBATH SCHOOL OBJECTIVES • Study of the Word • Fellowship • Community outreach • World mission emphasis

27. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT

28. BLESSING OF SABATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • FROM 20-100 IN SIX WEEKS, Portland Oregon.

29. BLESSING OF SABATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • FROM 20-100 IN SIX WEEKS, Portland Oregon. • FIFTY FAMILIES RETURNED: Holland, Michigan.

30. BLESSING OF SABATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • FROM 20-100 IN SIX WEEKS, Portland Oregon. • FIFTY FAMILIES RETURNED: Holland, Michigan. • SIXTY BROUGHT BACK 31:Owasso, Michigan.

31. BLESSING OF SABATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • FROM 20-100 IN SIX WEEKS, Portland Oregon. • FIFTY FAMILIES RETURNED: Holland, Michigan. • SIXTY BROUGHT BACK 31:Owasso, Michigan. • A TRANSFORMED CHURCH: Iona, Michigan.

32. BLESSINGS OF SABATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • FROM 20-100 IN SIX WEEKS, Portland Oregon. • FIFTY FAMILIES RETURNED: Holland, Michigan. • SIXTY BROUGHT BACK 31:Owasso, Michigan. • A TRANSFORMED CHURCH: Iona, Michigan. * Sanigaw, Michigan.

33. BLESSINGS OF SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • Four non-Adventist came to Paradise Valley, AZ.

34. BLESSINGS OF SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • Four non-Adventist came to Paradise Valley, AZ. • Back to Church 30 years: Grand Rapids, Michigan.

35. BLESSINGS OF SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • Four non-Adventist came to Paradise Valley, AZ. • Back to Church 30 years: Grand Rapids, Michigan. • A 15%-90% increase in daily lesson in two months, Owasso, Michigan.

36. BLESSINGS OF SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • Four non-Adventist came to Paradise Valley, AZ. • Back to Church 30 years: Grand Rapids, Michigan. • A 15%-90% increase in daily lesson in two months, Owasso, Michigan. • Discovered her spiritual gift, Baltimore First.

37. ADVANTAGES OF SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT • Basic Divine Imperatives for a Finished Work. • The Potential: The Small Group Sabbath School Classes Can Provide Adherence to the Above Imperatives.

38. BASIC DIVINE IMPERATVES FOR A FINISHED WORK • The greatest help that can be given our people is to teach them to work for God, and to depend on him, not on ministers (7T19). • The Sabbath School should be one of the greatest instrumentalities and the most effectual in bringing souls to Christ (CSSW 10). • “One who cannot err” has advised the formation of small groups “as a basis of Christian effort” (7T21,22).

39. THE FORMATION OF SMALL GROUP • “The formation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort is a plan that has been presented before me by One who can not err. If there is a large number in the church, let the members be formed into small companies, to work not only for the church members but for unbelievers also” Evangelism, p. 115.

40. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT POTENTIAL • Provide an excellent “training school.”

41. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT POTENTIAL • Provide an excellent “training school.” • Turn spectators into participants.

42. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT POTENTIAL • Provide an excellent “training school.” • Turn spectators into participants. • Prepare members for effective outreach.

43. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT POTENTIAL • Provide an excellent “training school.” • Turn spectators into participants. • Prepare members for effective outreach. • Enable members to win and retain backsliders.

44. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT POTENTIAL • Provide an excellent “training school.” • Turn spectators into participants. • Prepare members for effective outreach. • Enable members to win and retain backsliders. • Assist members to reach their own goals.

45. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT POTENTIAL • Provide an excellent “training school.” • Turn spectators into participants. • Prepare members for effective outreach. • Enable members to win and retain backsliders. • Assist members to reach their own goals.

46. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT POTENTIAL • Provide an excellent “training school.” • Turn spectators into participants. • Prepare members for effective outreach. • Enable members to win and retain backsliders. • Assist members to reach their own goals. • Contribute to a finished work through focused, coordinated effort.

47. SABBATH SCHOOL ACTION UNIT POTENTIAL • Provide an excellent “training school.” • Turn spectators into participants. • Prepare members for effective outreach. • Enable members to win and retain backsliders. • Assist members to reach their own goals. • Contribute to a finished work through focused, coordinated effort. • Provide assistance to most church project and activities.

48. CLASS OPERATION • Discussion Group Leaders (5 minutes) Cares for missing class members. • Care Coordinator (20 minutes) a. Calls for experiences related to class plan. b. Trains from experience shared. c. Assigns visits. d. Promotes the class plan. e. Conducts prayer session.

49. Discussion Group Leader - a choir director, not a soloist (35 minutes) a. Review the high points of the lesson. b. Ask 3 or 4 questions. c. Secure full participation. d. Applies lesson to life this week.

50. WHO, WHERE, HOW, WHEN?