LINDSAY— James Harmon took over as Sunday School director at Lindsay, Erin Springs in August and immediately realized the benefits of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma’s ReConnect Sunday School strategy.
After seeing ReConnect on the web, Harmon took it to heart.
“I used the web site, was certified and earned several badges,” he said. “I decided then that we needed this training for all of our Sunday School teachers. We have 14 teachers, and we have substitutes for each of them. We started using the web site and began at the basic, entry level. We view four or five of the videos at one sitting.“
Harmon said he believes having group discussion about the videos is a key component of the strategy for Erin Springs.
“We have finished the first certification level as a group and are moving into the second level—doctrine and theology,” he said.
Asked how long it takes to complete the training, he said, “It depends on how you want to accomplish it. You can sit down and watch one (video) right after the other if you want to, but I prefer to have the discussion as a group. I think we get more out of it that way, and I think we learn more that way.
“We’re not going to be done for probably a year and maybe longer than that, but it is making a difference already. People are starting to see that we are investing in our Sunday School and the strategy is going to pay off when we get all of them heading in the same direction and they develop future teachers. And, then, they also have missions and outreach in their classes and the potential to grow.”
The church’s Sunday School has grown from 70 to 85 since August, an increase of about 20 percent.
“We are using the ReConnect Strategy to reinvest in our Sunday School, and we were very much excited about finding it, utilizing it and then watching the results,” he said. “We also are cleaning up our records and making the numbers true and accurate.”
Harmon does the ReConnect training on Sunday evenings after church.
“Our teachers are very dedicated, and their attendance is great,” he said. “I think ReConnect is a wonderful tool for Sunday School directors and churches. We don’t have a lot of time to do extra training, but we are taking the time on a monthly basis to do that, and it’s readily available. It’s on the Internet where we have access to it. That’s the beauty of it. It’s always available. I don’t have to do it at a certain time, it’s right there.
For more information about ReConnect, visit reconnectss.com.
