This following plan was refined by Rev. Tommy C. Higle through 40 years of starting Bible classes. This is a step-by-step guide that he followed. Of course you will need to be flexible to fit your circumstances. But this is a proven outline to get you started.
You can download a printable version of this worksheet at this link:
Some suggested Bible study curriculums to use for these classes are:
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The following plan has consistently tripled and quadrupled church attendance on Sunday and Wednesday nights. This plan has been tested and proven in hundreds of churches of all sizes across the United States. Omitting any of the following steps will result in some loss of effectiveness. Therefore, please follow these procedures step by step and on time.
Five Weeks Before the Study:
_____ Familiarize yourself with the text to be studied so you can briefly explain and promote the study. Don’t forget to pray for God’s blessing on your efforts and the study itself.
_____ Print at least twice as many enrollment cards as you think you will need.
Four Weeks Before the Study:
_____ Publicize the study in the church bulletin, newsletter, etc.
_____ Encourage your Sunday school teachers to begin enrolling pupils in the study.
_____ In every worship service, begin enthusiastically promoting the study and enrolling people. Use a sentence statement to summarize the research and the personal benefits it will have for those who attend.
_____ Have plenty of enrollment cards available so people can enroll their friends at work, school, etc.
Three Weeks Before the Study:
_____ Continue prayer, promotion, publicity, and enrollment.
Two Weeks Before the Study:
_____ Order a text for each person enrolled and at least 10% more for late enrollees. You will also need to order at least two extra copies of the text for occasional visitors to your class. (Books will be shipped within
48 hours of receipt of order.)
_____ Continue to publicize and enroll.
_____ Run an ad or news release in a local newspaper. Use the inside cover sheet of a book for clip art.
One Week Before the Study:
_____ Continue to publicize and enroll.
_____ Make sure each Sunday school teacher has plenty of enrollment cards. Don’t run out!
_____ Get excited! And get your people excited, especially during this week.
Important Class Procedures:
(1) Be thoroughly prepared to teach the lesson. Try to keep your lesson time at most 45 minutes. When you get through, STOP! It is always better to dismiss your class with the pupils saying, “It was too short; I would like more,” rather than, “It was so long; it got boring,” or “The teacher kept talking when he ran out of anything to say.”
(2) Always pray for the leadership of the Holy Spirit before you begin to teach.
(3) Use an overhead projector or PowerPoint® to reveal the answers to the questions. Many people are poor spellers, and having to write the answers may be embarrassing for them. You can make your own transparencies (use at least a bold 16-point font) or PowerPoint® slides. However, answers on overhead transparencies, as well as masters, are available for a nominal cost from the publisher. For a few of the studies, answers on PowerPoint® are also available. Many people are visual learners, and this makes it much easier for them to learn. Anything visual will make the class more interesting and even exciting.
(4) Don’t get too deep or complicated. Keep the study simple by staying with the subject matter and lesson outline.
(5) Add your own comments and illustrations as often as possible, but stay with the lesson.
(6) Try to enroll visitors who might attend any session and ensure they feel welcome.