The Sabbath School Experience

1. The Sabbath School Experience

5. Sunday School and Sabbath School 53% Non-Seventh-day Adventist Seventh-day Adventist 99%

6. The Four Emphases of Sabbath School

7. “The Sabbath school was developed to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ in response to the command of Jesus, and in the setting of the three angels’ messages. In loyalty to this original purpose the Sabbath school continues to communicate the good news with the objective to win, hold, and train for Jesus Christ, men and women, youth, boys and girls, in all the world. This objective is carried forward through the following four areas: faith emphasis, fellowship emphasis, community emphasis, and world emphasis” (Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, p. 1258).

9. Fellowship Spend social time outside of class. Schedule more time for personal sharing. Engage in show and tell. Establish Sabbath School prayer-partners. Pray together more. Organize class retreats. Pray over calendars. Fast together as a class.

10. Outreach Invite non-Christians into your home. Build relationships with non-Seventh-day Adventists. Take advantage of the holidays. Reach out to the families of newborns. Pray for nonbelievers. Organize children’s ministries. Use a newspaper to find people in need. Develop a learning library. Serve the community.

11. Outreach “Disinterested Benevolence” “That person who is actuated by true disinterested benevolence is a partaker of the divine nature.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 534)

12. Outreach “There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice” (Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 458).

13. Outreach Building a Vision for Your Community What do you consider your community’s three greatest needs? What changes do you think God wants to make in your community? What can your class do to help?

14. Bible Study Vary teaching methods. Change size of group frequently. Encourage active learning. Use visual aids. Search the Bible. Stay focused. Make personal application. Use the Bible Study Guide as a tool.

15. Bible Study = +

16. Bible Study “It is necessary to exercise more than reason to come to a true knowledge of God” (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1003.

17. Bible Study Why do we neglect the affective aspects of learning? 1. You can discuss a question or issue without commitment. 2. There is a discomfort with any kind of emotion in our modernist subculture. 3. With strong emphasis on doctrine, it’s easy to conclude that truth is solely intellective. We get caught up on an atmosphere of proof, debate, facts, etc.

18. Bible Study Information i Transformation

19. Bible Study Resources for Teachers

20. Bible Study

21. Bible Study

22. Bible Study Contemporary Comments on the Adult Sabbath School Lesson http://www.creativeministry.org/resources/cc/ccform.htm

23. Bible Study

24. Mission Matthew 28:18-20 Ephesians 4:11-16 Revelation 14:6-12

25. Mission Prayer adopt a family. Participate in a $10-church program. Organize a mission trip. Sponsor a Sabbath School. Pray for a specific country. Encourage personal sharing. Sponsor a child. Send care packages.

26. Mission ””””””””””””””” 300 Christians ””””””””” ””” 175 Muslims ””””””” 55 Buddhists ””” 128 Hindus 47 Animists ” 4 Jews ”””” 81 other religions ””””””””””” 210 atheist or no religion

27. Mission

28. Sabbath School Resources

31. P P P P

32. Superintendence Organizational ideas Resource list Sabbath School council meetings Suggestions for new superintendents Going postal over attendance

35. Outreach Fellowship Mission Bible Study The Four Emphases of Sabbath School