Topic: The Role and Qualities of a Good Sunday School Teacher

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
Text:
evangelists; and some, pastors and TEACHERS; Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

I. THE ROLE OF A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER : A CALLING FROM GOD

1. Teachers are God’s gift to the local churches
2. Teachers have a God-given responsibilities – to Edify –( builder ) the Body of Christ
3. Teachers are God’s instrument in :
a. Evangelizing the children
b. Molding the children/youth – who are the future leaders of the church Prov. 22:6
c. Reaching out the parents of the children

II. THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER :

A. A HEART FOR GOD – Every Sunday School Teacher must examine first his/her motive and purpose of
Teaching. The Teacher must be motivated by the Love of God. Galatians 2:20. The Teacher must
teach for the Glory of God 1 Corinthians 10:31. The Teacher must realize that Teaching is a Vocation
from God. Ephesians 4:1-2
B. A HEART FOR CHILDREN – Matthew 19:13-15 . The Sunday School Teacher must loved his/her
students just like what the Lord Jesus did. Children are naturally naughty, curious, and are very active
( hyper ), many of the apostles were annoyed and rebuked the children, but the Lord Jesus showed
LOVE, COMPASSION, AND PATIENCE toward the children and prayed for them.
C. A HEART -FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST – Galatians 5:22-24 Sunday School Teachers should be
Spirit-filled and not CARNAL- The fruits of the Spirit will always make the Teacher’s personality God-
pleasing and appealing to children. Children can easily sense the mood of their teacher. Teachers must
learn to set-aside their personal and emotional problems when teaching children. ( The Teacher’s
mood has a great effect on the students )
D. MASTERY OF THE LESSON- 1 Corinthians 9:25
A good Sunday School Teacher must know his/her lesson very well. This is achieved by diligent
Study of the Bible and early preparation of his/her lessons.
E. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT – 1 Corinth. 14:40 A good Sunday School Teacher is systematic and
employ good classroom management, this includes :
A. Organized Students’ record
B. Control/Discipline of the Classroom and
C. Lesson Delivery :
a. Routine b. Motivation c. Proper Lesson d. Evaluation
F. VARIETY – OF TEACHING TECHNIQUES - A good Sunday School Teacher must be able to use various
Teaching Techniques to arouse Interests in the mind of the students . Children have short-span of
Attention and are easily bored. Examples of Techniques : Role Playing, group-discussion, etc.,
G. RESOURCEFUL – A Good Sunday School Teacher must be able to utilize Visual Aids / Technology in
Teaching children. Visual aids will help catch and maintain the attention of the students. Children are
70 % visual and 30% Auditory.
H. FOLLOW- UP - A good Sunday School Teacher is able to extend his/her classes beyond the four
corners of his/her Sunday School room. The teacher must conduct home visitation to follow up the
students, to know them better and establish deeper relationship and reach out the parents of his/her
students for the purpose of evangelizing them and inviting them to the church
I. HUMILITY –
The willingness to submit and listen to his/her pastor and Sunday School Superintendent
The willingness to learn from others
The willingness to undergo training – there is always room for improvements
 I. The Min

1.Role ng Sunday school teacher

2.Qualities of a Sunday school teacher

3.Tips po pwede I share para maging effective teacher sa children ministry

Sunday School Teachers' Role & Qualifications

Training Category: Shepherding Ministry

What is a Sunday School teacher's role?

The primary task of a Sunday School teacher is to systematically teach the Word of God, specifically
for changed lives. To reach that objective the teacher needs to be the kind of teacher who will make a
difference, maintain the right goals, teach the way students learn best, and rely on the work of the Holy Spirit.
A teacher must thereby "do his/her best to present himself to God as one approved, a workman who does not
need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).
A teacher may equip, disciple, or mentor but what makes a Sunday School teacher's role unique is that the
setting yields the potential for systematic teaching of the Word of God.

What personal qualities will help Sunday School teachers fulfill

this role?
We can list many qualities but the posts on the TrainBibleTeachers.com site from a series looking at 2 Timothy
2:15 will give you plenty for reflection.

 Diligent Bible Teachers

 Accountable Bible Teachers
 Faithful Bible Teachers
 Industrious Bible Teachers
 Irreproachable Bible Teachers
 Conscientious Bible Teachers
Also check out this resource with 30 devotionals of different qualities: Be-Attitudes for Teachers Devotional
Guide

What qualifications should we look for in Sunday School teachers

in terms of spiritual gifts?
Ideally, someone with the gift of teaching would fill this position. However, those with the gifts
of exhortation or prophecy may also find themselves teaching Sunday School. Teachers with this kind of
gifting, unless having a more detailed and analytical personality, will not tend to be as systematic in their
approach.
 Teachers with the gift of exhortation, and not teaching, will be more application-oriented. They will tend to
get off on tangents more, going with the flow of the students' train of thought. To best utilize their time, they
must work at being systematic and staying more on target.

 Teachers with the gift of prophecy, and not teaching, will tend to be more preachy and revival-oriented.
They will tend to get on soap boxes more, taking a stand against the world's woes. To best utilize their
 time, they must work at teaching the whole counsel of God and using Scripture for teaching, correcting,
and training and not just rebuking.
Teaching is a vital work of shepherding but only one aspect. Sunday School teachers who are able and willing
to serve their students outside the walls of the classroom will have the most impact on their students' lives.

If the teaching gifts are accompanied by the gift of pastor, the Sunday School teacher will tend to feel a
compulsion to look after the welfare of the students beyond the class.

Teachers without the gift of pastor may need to work at being more deliberate in going the extra mile.
In addition to the content on this page, the Shepherding Ministry Manual asks you some questions to reflect
on improvements you can make to church's Sunday School ministry. It also includes content about Sunday
School from the following posts:
 So, what about Sunday School?
 How can a busy Sunday School teacher to do it all?
 What about Sunday School students and the teacher's relationship with them?
 What is Sunday School's greatest resource?

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

A SYMPOSIUM.

The main purpose of the Sunday school is religious instruc-

tion. This is distinctly indicated in the methods of the Sunday

school, the place it occupies, and the imperative needs for it.

The Sunday school uses school methods. It has a text-book

— the Bible ; it has a graded system of classification into depart-

ments and classes ; it instructs by question and answer. Its

features not designed for instruction are secondary. Sustained

for religious purposes and centering about the Bible, its educa-

tional aim must be to train its pupils in the religious life.

The Sunday school has a distinctive place of its own, filled

by no other church service. Every church has three distinctive

functions which it should seek to meet — evangelization, instruc-

tion, and worship ; evangelization, to win the soul to God ; instruc-

tion, to furnish knowledge of divine truth ; worship, to promote

communion with God. Evangelization is best done by appeals

from the pulpit and from friend with friend. Worship is best
promoted by family prayer, by social meetings, and by public

sabbath exercises planned to arouse the holiest emotions. But

instruction is the special office of the Sunday school. The Sunday

school requires study, stimulates individual thought, and by its

method of questioning requires definite views to be clearly

expressed in answers.

The crying need of today is for instruction in religious things.

The drift of the age has been toward superficiality in Christian

knowledge. Emotion has undue sway ; tradition has been

accepted without examination ; while latterly bold investigators

in new lines in biblical science have shaken the faith that has been

resting on unquestioned tradition. Never was it more necessary

for the people of God to search beneath the rubbish for the

immovable foundation stones of the divine temple. Faith must

be reinforced by knowledge. Facts must be grasped in their

256

MAIN PURPOSE OF SUNDAY SCHOOL 257

solidity. The sword of the Spirit must be seized firmly and

wielded skilfully. To do all this the Sunday school must be

utilized to the full. Nothing else can take its place. But it

must be made more efficient and become an educator in the

truest sense. We want no superficial and imperfect work, if

possible to avoid it. The best of scholarship and of pedagogy

is none too good for the sanctuary. Nor do we want cold intel-

lectuality. The Sunday school is not to vivisect the Bible and

gloat over its dismemberment in the interest of science. It is

to bring dead souls into contact with the throbbing heart of the

Bible, the prophet of God, and thus to warm them into life.

Addison P. Foster,

Secretary for New England of the

American Sunday-School Union.

Boston, Mass.

My scholar has an intellect, affections, and a will. In deal-

ing with him the Gibraltar at which I aim is the will. If this

be unreached, nothing permanent has been accomplished. Of

course, in order to effect this I must make use of the intellect, so

as to present motives and ideals to his mind. This can be done

in various ways, such as the delineation of historical events

from the Word, with their deeper teachings, or the picturing of

the lives of Bible heroes in such way as to stir the affections

and move the will. Or I may present such purely didactic

truths as shall arouse to action. But all the intellectual work

has as its chief aim the arousing of affections, to the end

that the will may be reached and brought to right activity. Man

has on this earth one duty, and one only, and that is to do the

will of God. To reach this divine result in the scholar's life is

the chief aim of every well-instructed teacher. If this be done,

all is well. If this be not effected, all is still undone.

If the above is right, then it will be seen that a scholar may

be thoroughly instructed in biblical history, and in geography,

and in orientalisms, and what not, and yet the very ABC of true

Sunday-school work be unattained. Conversely, there may be

very little of such information imparted, and yet, if the will of

258 THE BIBLICAL WORLD

the scholar be reached, so that he is doing the will of God, the

best aim has been attained.

In all this work the experienced teacher knows that, while it

is well within his power to inform the intellect without any

especial divine aid, it lies utterly beyond his power to move the

affections and govern the will. To this end he must have the

influence of the divine Spirit. Not all the theologians in the

world can make one child yield its will to the will of God. That

is divine work. Hence the teacher relies on prayer, asking that

God may so bless the truth taught that the heart and will of the

scholar may be touched, and be brought into subjection to God's

will. He needs the Spirit's aid to cause the pupil to love God

with all his heart and obey him with all his will. When this

has been perfectly accomplished (and not till then) the work of

the teacher is complete.

A. F. SCHAUFFLER.

New York, N. Y.

The main purpose of the Sunday school is Christian culture

in compliance with the divine commands of both the Old and

New Testaments.

Conversion, by whatever term called, in its culmination is the

work of the Holy Spirit. The Sunday school deals with the

life, the soul, the aspirations of the individual for a lifetime. It

is a school with a course of study and system of instruction, and

its purpose is to cause this course of study to be learned, under-

stood, and appropriated, which, in this case, is Christian culture.

The school is for young and old, believer and unbeliever.

While bringing the soul into contact with the vital truth, and

to a saving acceptance of it, is the chief essential in the highest

culture, and is the most important to the soul, there is a sense in

which it is incidental in the continuous work of the Sunday

school. One may more fully realize this by conceiving of a

school in which all the pupils have accepted Christ as Savior — a

not impossible thing. Either all the subsequent years are given

to minor purposes, or the main continuous purpose is Christian

culture.

MAIN PURPOSE OF SUNDAY SCHOOL 259

Having in mind the frequent irrelevant moralizing, one may

conceive of a Sunday school being more strictly, and even profit-

ably, a school, were it not obliged to deal with the spiritual

point of individual conversion — that is, if the church were other-

wise attending to this matter.

That we admit our great need of trained teachers is acknowl-

edgment that ours is a real school, having for its main, all-com-

prehensive purpose Christian culture, of which ethics, conversion,

and spiritual growth are parts. Mr. Moody was a great soul-

winner without culture, but his later years were devoted to

schools for the thorough training of soul-winners and soul-

instructors. We should more carefully select teachers, and go to

greater pains and expense to train them. This conception would

make a teacher more devoted to thorough preparation.

This conception of the main purpose of the Sunday school

would afford opportunity for more real educational work in the

school held on Sundays. The Sunday school is to teach the way

to Christ, but it has also to give very much more time to train-

ing lives for Christ. W. J. Semelroth,

Editor International Evangel.

St. Louis, Mo.

The main purpose of the Sunday school is: (1) to fulfil

that part of the church's function to nurture life in the Christian

ideal which is best accomplished by graded teaching; (2) to

supplement the parental instruction and training of children, and

the home culture of character, or partly to compensate therefor

where lacking; (3) to supply the first centers for religious

instruction and cooperation in districts destitute of churches or

of organized Christian effort.

The following classification and coordination of nurture

agencies, in accordance with their predominant aim and efficiency,

are suggested to show the place which the Sunday school should

occupy among them: (1) For the first, most constant, and

formative influence — the family. (2) For training children in

observation and discipline, rudimentary knowledge and experi-

ence, industrial habits, and religious practices — the kindergarten,

260 THE BIBLICAL WORLD

training classes conducted by pastors or others, industrial

schools, organizations for little boys and girls. (3) For graded

teaching — the Sunday school. (4) For fellowship in the exercise

of the gifts, graces, and service of the Christian life — Young

People's Societies of Christian Endeavor, leagues and unions,

brotherhoods, etc. (5) For preoccupying and prepossessing

youth, principally through a Christian environment — the Young

Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations. (6) For pre-

ventive agencies against the specific vices of intemperance, impu-

rity, and cruelty — Bands of Hope, White Cross League, Bands of

Mercy. (7) For reformatory and restorative purposes — schools

for the defective, dependent, and delinquent. (8) For edifica-

tion — pulpit and pastoral nurture, university-extension and

Chautauqua circles.

There are many signs in evidence that the churches are

falling back upon their primitive dependence on nurture, for their

normal growth not only, but for their greatest conquest as well.

As of old the greatest catechists became the great missionaries,

and the catechumenate actually brought the post-apostolic

church to its conquest of the Roman empire, so now the greatest

teachers are becoming the best evangelists, and the educational

propagandism of Christianity is beginning to be recognized as

the new evangelism which is supplanting the spent forces of

the old. Graham Taylor.

Chicago Theological Seminary,

Chicago, 111.

The purpose of the Sunday school, as I conceive it, is :

i. To instruct children, youth, and, in fact, the entire

membership of the church, in the biblical and other records of

Christianity. This is very broad, but none too broad. The Old

Testament contains the principal antecedents of Christianity,

and the New Testament gives an account of its rise and early

development. The Bible must therefore be the primary and

chief text-book. Of this there is a surprising ignorance in the

church. Superficial acquaintance with it is common ; accurate

knowledge of it is rare.

MAIN PURPOSE OF SUNDAY SCHOOL 26 1

To the Bible should be added the large outline of history, in

so far as it concerns the development and missionary enterprise

of the church. The beginnings of this history are in the Acts

and the epistles, but only the beginnings. A clear understand-

ing of Christianity demands, therefore, much more than a

thorough knowledge of the Bible.

2. The purpose of the Sunday school is to inculcate system-

atically the ethical and spiritual principles of Christianity as a

scheme of thought and life. The history must be applied.

Moral habits of thinking and action must be developed. Char-

acter must be formed. The norm of religious thought and

character is furnished in Christ. In him, too, is the attractive

force that most effectually raises mind and will to the highest
level. An important function of the Sunday school is to inspire

and guide. This is the finest sort of instruction. The end to

be sought is an intelligent, principled, and earnest Christian life.

Catechetical methods judiciously used are very valuable. There

is a great need of wise and adequate catechisms suited to each

of the main departments in the Sunday school. With catecheti-

cal instruction should be joined practical training in benevolence,

and various forms of religious and charitable work.

To phrase the whole matter a little differently, without

changing the essential principle, I should say that the main pur-

pose of the Sunday school today is, or ought to be, to stimulate

a love for truth, to give accurate and adequate instruction in

religion and morals, and to draw children and youth to Christ as

the ideal and Lord of their lives.

Mr. Green was a great Sunday School teacher. I was in third grade at a little Baptist church in Southern California and,
frankly, and I don’t remember a single lesson he taught in class. But he was my best teacher ever!

How can that be, you ask? Because Mr. Green had qualities about him that transcended the ability to take a lesson from
the curriculum and get me to understand it. Mr. Green was a great Sunday School teacher because he was willing to be
and was willing to do what it took to make a difference in my life.

He exhibited 8 Qualities of a Great Sunday School Teacher that I think are present in every great teacher.

The 8 Qualities of a Great Sunday School Teacher:

1) A heart for God

This is where all ministry begins, whether you are teaching Sunday School or leading the entire church. In fact, this is
where our ministry should flow from – our deep, sincere, committed heart for God.

2) A love for people

Scripture teaches that the two greatest commands are to love God and to love . . . people (Mark 12:30-31)! Our teaching
ought to flow from our love for God but because of our love for people. This means we are not only committed to the
lesson, but to actually understanding and building relationships with the people we are teaching.

3) A passion for God’s Word

A heart for God and a love for people set the stage for the content of our teaching. And that content needs to be solidly
based on Biblical truth. As a Sunday School teacher, it’s our responsibility to dig in to God’s Word not just to teach our
lesson, but to understand it fully and allow it to permeate every part of our life. As we do this, every element of our
teaching becomes based on and saturated in the Word.

4) A habit of praying
Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost For His Highest, said “Prayer does not equip us for greater works, prayer is the
greater work.” A great Sunday School teacher knows that it is the power of God that brings about transformation, so a
deep dependence on God, exhibited through the habit of praying, is essential for a great Sunday School teacher.

5) A commitment to personal growth

Any great teacher is only a great teacher as long as they continue to grow. This is true of a Sunday School teacher, as
well. Luke 2:52 says that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and all the people.” Basically, he grew
mentally, physically, spiritually and socially. A great example for any great Sunday School teacher.

6) An ability to teach

Some people have the gift of teaching, while others learn enough to become competent at it. Either way, no one can be
a great Sunday School teacher if they don’t have the ability to teach!

7) A willingness to prepare

It really doesn’t matter if you have an ability to teach if you’re not willing to prepare. Sure, great teachers can “wing it”
in a pinch, but they know that that’s not the way to be effective. Preparation takes time and effort, and great Sunday
School teachers are willing to give both.

8) A dedication to the people they teach

One of the things I loved most about Mr. Green was the fact that he was dedicated to us. No, I would not have been able
to articulate that in third grade, but I could see it in who he was and what he did. He was there every Sunday, he visited
my Little League games, he planned outings for us, he talked with my parents about what we were learning, he was
interested in my life outside the classroom, he prayed for and with us often, and so much more. He was dedicated to me
and the other guys in the class, and it showed.

Yes, Mr. Green was a great Sunday School teacher. I may not remember the lessons, but he taught me a lot in that third
grade Sunday School class. He taught me to love God and love His Word. He taught me to love others and to practice the
principles that God wanted me to practice. And, perhaps most of all, he exhibited all the important qualities of a great
Sunday School teacher – not because he had to, but because that’s who he was. And it forever changed my life for good.
And whether it’s third grade, junior high or adults you are teaching, practice these 8 Qualities and you’ll be a great
Sunday School teacher, too!