Sunday School Superintendent's Handbook

The Handbook is designed to help you accomplish your ministry goals. It allows you to unify lessons and link church to home. Here are some suggested ways to use this Handbook:

1. The Church/Home Theme: Each Sunday, this theme serves as the foundation for your entire Sunday school. Every activity in every age level revolves around this one theme. This provides a "big picture" for the church. By revealing the big picture of the Echoes lessons, you gain the unity and order that leaders need. Teachers can see the value of their individual service within the larger teaching ministry. Families can feel a greater sense of unity when you give them this theme that shows how their different lessons are connected. All family members can study the same theme as it applies to each of their lessons.
   
   
2. Order of Service: Each Sunday, the Order of Service provides Opening exercises including suggested songs, Scripture readings, prayer, and responsive reading based upon the quarterly Church/Home Theme. Lesson exercises include the Theme Talk (which can be used as a short devotional), Age-Level Summaries, and guidelines for conducting Lesson Reviews, including a Closing program.
   
   
3. Lesson Reviews: Each Sunday's Church/Home Theme Talk can be repeated during the Review time. The Age-Level Summaries are the superintendent's guidelines to ensure that learning stays on track and that reviews are meaningful to the whole congregation. The Superintendent's Link to Next Week reminds the entire church congregation of the importance of unity and continuity.
   
   
4. Sermon Coordination and More: If you want to coordinate the Sunday sermon with the Sunday school lessons, use this Handbook to assist in identifying specific points to make and bringing out truths in each Sunday's message. You may also choose family Bible study topics, small-group Bible studies, as well as youth and children's activities that fit with the quarter's theme.