Our annual training day for Sunday School teachers is coming! It is on the 24th September. It’s called Massive: A bigger vision for smaller people.
It may well be the best conference of its kind in the world, but we’ve heard tell of one that happens in a small provincial town in New South Wales, so until we’ve visited that one, we need to be modest and say that it’s the best one in the Northern Hemisphere! But that may not be enough to convince you to come. After 5 years of running Massive, we’re convinced that it is all that the Sunday School teacher needs to get them up and running for the coming year. Here are three reasons why every leader who teaches children in your church needs to join us:
1. Be motivated by the Bible. If you’re a Sunday School teacher, I am certain that there will be moments this year when you’re sat at your desk, feeling weary, faced with a blank sheet of paper wondering if it’s worth the effort to prepare a lesson for your class. Your good intentions, the encouraging word from a Senior Pastor or the rushed, “Thanks!” from the slightly-more-polite-than-most child are unlikely to keep you going this year. You need to tell yourself the Truth. You need to remind yourself that God’s own Word is the most important voice a child needs to hear- more than their Headteacher’s, more than their favourite celebrity’s and more than their best friend’s. You need to know that the Spirit will breathe new life into children as they hear their Lord speak. You need to be confident that it is enough to give it your best effort, because God’s Word never returns empty, even when it’s normal people like you and me explaining it. Come and be motivated for the year ahead by hearing God’s reasons to teach the Bible to children.
2. Be trained by experts. The Gospel does not change. It needs no gimmicks. There is no special secret that will suddenly make teaching simple. But normally we need to be trained by others to teach the Bible simply to children in a way they can relate to and engage with. We all need to keep learning. We need to see new ideas. We need to practise proven methods. We have seminars at Massive that will help you to take your first nervous steps in Children’s Ministry. We have other seminars for those who want to get better at teaching Pre-Schoolers, at leading effective discussion groups, at managing their class and at teaching a mixed age group. Come and be trained by experts who will give you the confidence to be a better Sunday School teacher.
3. Be encouraged by other leaders. Year after year we are told that it is the incidental conversations, it is the lunch with new friends and it is the shared encouragements that are the unexpected highlight of Massive. It is a blessing from the Lord to be stood in a room full of other people who have chosen to serve the families in our local churches. You are not alone! You are one of countless millions doing this, and we’re going to put you in a room with more than a hundred of them. And every other individual has their own experiences, wisdom and creative solutions to shared problems. Don’t miss out on the chance to be encouraged by your brothers and sisters who you haven’t met yet!
Join us at Massive.We’ll be sad if we miss you!