Sticking to the Script: 7 Steps to Keep Your Sunday School on Schedule

It can sometimes be challenging to fit everything ABC offers into the allotted time you have for Sunday school. But good time management and “sticking to the script” can help you fit everything in and have your Sunday school always run smoothly.

Here are seven steps to help you do that:

1. Prepare well. Have the lesson ready to go. One of my professors once gave me a wonderful piece of advice, “The best discipline for a classroom is a good lesson plan.” Knowing what you want to do will help keep your class—and your kids—organized.
2. Thoroughly read the material. This ties in with preparing well. Know what you are going to teach by thoroughly reading through the lesson and all the supplemental games and activities you are planning on doing.
3. Know your audience. As you teach, you’ll quickly learn about your specific group. How long each portion of the lesson will take depends on the age of your kids, whether you are teaching multiple age groups, and even the kids themselves (e.g., do any have special needs, are easily distracted, or are rather disruptive?).
4. Keep kids from being distracted. Minimize distractions by cleaning up the classroom of any toys the children may have been playing with before the class started. Separate children who may talk or distract one another or kindly let them know they can visit during other activities.
5. Bell-ringer or “come on in” activities. Have something for the children to do right when they arrive. When I was teaching, this was called a “bell-ringer” activity. We have several suggestions under “Come On In” that you can use, such as activity sheets or games that teach the books of the Bible. This gives structure right away, helping eliminate distractions and getting the lesson started on time.
6. Keep the audience involved. Ask the students questions while you’re teaching to keep them engaged. This minimizes distractions and helps keep the lesson running on time.
7. Time it out and be flexible. Time out each portion of the lesson for two or three weeks so you have a good idea of how long each section will take. If one section is running over time, you’ll know you need to speed up the next section.

I hope these tips will help you stay on schedule each Sunday so your class can get the most out of ABC. Learn more about this curriculum, and enjoy a free month of lessons, at AnswersBibleCurriculum.com.