HOW CAN WE GET MORE PEOPLE TO ATTEND BIBLE CLASSES? A brother in the Lord, who is a cherished friend of mine, recently wrote and asked me a question alone these lines. There may be a few isolated cases and congregations in which the number who attend Bible classes matches the number who attend worship services, but unfortunately, those would be exceptions, rather than the standard practice. Our brothers concern is legitimate. Every local church of which I have ever had knowledge has had members who did not regularly attend Sunday and/or mid-week Bible classes. Spiritually-minded saints and congregational leaders are always wondering what, if anything, can be done to increase attendance of Bible classes. Let me offer a few suggestions for all of us to consider. Present Bible class attendance to the congregation as a priority, something that we look at as being mighty important. Advertise the classes. Make it known to the whole church that our goal is to have 100% attendance of our members coming to every Bible class. We recognize that sometime things happen that are totally out of members control and legitimately prevent them from attending Bible classes, but we are talking about all of our folks having a desire and making an effort to be at such classes. I personally am befuddled by the mindset that presents the goal for Bible class attendance as a lower figure from the number who attend worship on the Lords day. What kind of message does it send when we tell members that our goal for Sunday worship is 100 people, but our goal for Bible classes on Sunday is 75 people, and our goal for mid-week Bible classes is 40?! Why not make the goal 100%?! Educate all members about the need for and benefits of Bible study. God wants us to grow in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). He wants us to desire the word so we can grow by it (1 Peter 2:2). One of our greatest joys as a Christian is being able to teach others the Bible. We all recognize the truth that each of us is capable of teaching only those things that he has learned (2 Timothy 2:2), and in order to know the Book, we need to study. Personal Bible study in the privacy of our residence is wonderful, but organized public classes can also be extremely helpful. Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled (Matthew 5:6). When folks are hungry enough for the word and see its power to transform their lives, they will make an effort to attend Bible classes. For those members who have kids or grandkids, appeal to them to think about the spiritual welfare of their offspring. Being in Bible classes temporarily keeps kids out of trouble and away from the corruption of the entertainment industry, but more than that, it allows them to learn Gods story of salvation. Can you think of a better use of a childs time? Timothy was blessed because someone took the time to see to it that he was taught Gods word (2 Timothy 3:15). Kids need to be in class, learning the way of the Lord! Surely every conscientious parent or grandparent would agree. Teaching kids the truth of Jehovah helps lay the foundation for the rest of their lives. Parents, get your kids to Bible class - every time and on time. It just might make the difference in where they (and you!) will be in eternity. Make every effort to make the Bible classes appealing and beneficial. That begins with having the best teachers possible doing the teaching. Unprepared teachers, incapable teachers, those whose spiritual maturity is below the level of those whom they teach, and teachers who seem to have an agenda or hobby [for instance, in 3 out of every 4 classes that they teach, they seem compelled to bring up dancing or the origin of Satan] - such teachers will prevent Bible classes from reaching their potential. We need dedicated, mature-but-still growing teachers in our classrooms teaching the truth of God with a kind disposition. My life has been richly blessed by sitting at the feet of such teachers. A second key element in making classes attractive is the atmosphere of the teaching. Does in-depth Bible study go on in them, or are they merely a forum for pooling ignorant comments about matters that are far removed from the Bible? Do those who regularly attend Bible classes speak courteously to one another and to the teacher, even when they do not see eye to eye, or do they sound as if they would be more than happy to take it outside and settle it with their fists? Do some of the students constantly bring up irrelevant topics that ruin the flow of the study? Do a couple of people hog the floor with excessively long comments? Or, do people do their best to make their comments brief, stay on subject, and let the teacher do his/her job, which is to be the teacher, leader, and guide of the study? Finally, it would be great if those saints who come to every Bible class would encourage the non-attenders to come and be a part of the classes. Those who already receive benefit from the classes that they attend should be a special advertisement for Bible classes. Talk up the classes. Talk up the benefits of attending. Exhort others to come and share in the spiritual nutrition and uplifting that good Bible classes provide. No, I do not believe that a single article on Bible class attendance will change the minds of the majority of those children of God who have not yet been convinced to attend Bible classes. But, hopefully I have presented some ideas that will help stimulate further serious thought on the subject. -- Roger D. Campbell
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 20:51:53 +0000
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