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Abstract

This study was carried out to examine the impact of Sunday school campaigns on Church Growth using Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District as a case study. In order to understand the Sunday school campaign movements, it will be necessary to investigate the history of Sunday school and growth in orthodox churches. The research will be based on interviews, and personal perspectives, it will describe lessons that were learned and the principles that are more effective for Sunday school and church growth. The methodology adopted is historical and field work. The researcher discovers that the quality and organizational development of the Church involves good and well-structured Sunday school which is a divinely mandated program. This study showed that Sunday school aids fulfillment of the great commission and discovery of more workers for kingdom service. The researcher concludes by recommending workshop, training, proper and well structure, preview class for all Teachers, good record keeping for all the class assessment of the entire student, and keeping attendance of student to know the regular student, funds and manpower to aid a proper and standard Sunday school department

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Sunday school has long been an important part of many orthodox churches including some Pentecostal churches in the 21^st century. From the inception of the Church of God in the 18^th century, Christian education has played a crucial role in the life of the movement. One of the most concrete ways, in which Christian education has influenced the Church of God, is through the Sunday school. For decades, the Sunday school has played a primary role in congregational life and in its broader sense, national organizational structure of the movement (Phil Stone 2006). Sunday school is basically a ministry of small groups within a local church providing religious instruction. Sunday school is not like other recognised education institutions which offer grades and transcripts. However, it does focus on learning, training and the equipping of people. Nicholson in his book, God’s Shepherds and Sheep, elaborates that Sunday school strives to offer meaningful instruction concerning Christian doctrine (Stephen, 2010, p.78).

Stephen (2006), describes Sunday school as biblical education in action; the mortar that holds the bricks together and the foundation of the house. This programme carries out teaching of God’s word to the people in a systematic way. According to Dr. Darren W. Thomas in his book “the role, history and decline of the Sunday school” quoted Thom Rainer who identifies seven primary methods and programs that contribute the most to effective assimilation: special events, weekday ministries, recreational activities, youth programs, preschool programs, Sunday school, and children’s programs. He said that Rainer’s research revealed the Sunday school as being the most effective of these methods and programs at closing the back door of the church and assimilating individuals into the life of the congregation. When it comes to reaching people and effectively assimilating them into the life of the church the Sunday school ministry still remains one of the most effective tools some 200 years after its beginnings. Thom Rainer also said that the “Sunday School has been among the key methodologies of the past two centuries to train adults and youth in the depths of the Bible.” Experts are telling us that the Sunday school still works.

Dr. Darren W. Thomas also referred to Harry Piland who also identifies the Sunday school as being a key role in the health of a church accomplishing its mission. “Because of the nature and mission of a church revealed in the Scriptures, and because of the centrality of the Bible in Sunday school, the Sunday School is at the heart of the mission of the church. It is central – not a side issue; it is major – not minor”. He further made mentioned of Dr. George W. Bailey, President of the World’s Sunday School Association 1910-1913, who wrote that the goal of the Sunday school was to, “put the open Bible into the open hand of every opening heart that is quickened by life from God”. Even with its effective record Sunday school still has its critics that claim it is no longer relevant as an outreach and assimilation ministry to the church. This debate over its relevance is nothing new. With each new generation, the question arises and with each new generation the answer is clear, the Sunday school is still effective.

Even though, from the research, it has also been debated and realized for many years that one of the most potent agents of church growth is the Sunday school. The worship activities that culminate into a complete service are praise and worship songs, sermons, alter calls, prayer and Sunday school. The preacher preaches with the word of God coming down like fire and hammer that break the rock and stony heart of man, with signs and wonders. There are the questions in the minds of worshipers unanswered. Hence, a forum whereby such question could be discussed gave birth to Sunday school. The Sunday school is an arm of the Christian education program of the church. It is meant to teach believers and unbelievers the infallible word of God. This could hold before or after the sermon for the day. A look at the scripture reveals the needs for people to be tutored in the word.

Jesus Christ was a great teacher who commanded His disciple to teach all nations. Therefore, the Sunday school department of a church is used by the Holy Spirit to effect the children of God to be as great people found in the scripture. The researcher believes that the training and equipping that occurs when Christians meet together to study the word of God is one of the significant activities of the church that God has chosen to use in promoting church growth.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The Assemblies of God church from the general council to the smallest branch in Ikwerre have always been known for organizing Sunday school classes for children, teenagers, youths and adults every Sunday morning. Although there are many human methods, some of which are manipulative, that may be used to bring in a large number of people into a church building, ultimately the growth of the church, just like individual spiritual growth, is divine in its origin. No person can cause spiritual growth to occur in the Body of Christ without the working of the Sovereign God. Yet growth is not just a mystical thing that God does on His own. Growth cannot happen in the local church without a synergistic partnership between God, the church leadership, the congregation and the leader (Blomberg 2002:34). Since some of the churches in Nigeria seem to be healthy and more vibrant than some churches are. When some pastors look at other churches that are growing more than their own churches are, they do not know what to do. Although they want their own churches to grow (although not always for the right reasons), they have no idea how to reproduce the growth other churches have in their own churches. Other leaders feel resigned to simply carry on with their own small number of believers, affirming that “wherever two or three are gathered in the name of the Lord”, He is in their presence (Matthew 18:20). Some pastors believes that, it really does not matter how many people are attending church services, they conclude by saying “as long as we have any attendance (at all) we are fine.” These leaders seems to believe that growth in the church occurs only by divine arrangement. They tend to feel that there is really nothing much that the leader of a church can do to encourage church growth, since it is all in the hands of God. The above motivated this research to see if this is true, and to discover whether there are factors, such as a healthy Sunday school campaigns that contributes to church growth.

1.3 Aims/Objectives of the Study

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of Sunday school campaigns to the growth of the church, with particular reference to Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District. To achieve this primary aim the following sub objectives will be carefully consideration.

To examine how to use Sunday school campaigns in motivating and strengthening backsliding church members in Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District.
To determine the rate of church growth attained during Sunday school campaigns in Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District.
To examine the spiritual growth of Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District as a result of Sunday school campaigns.
To ascertain the growth between the Sunday school attendance and the members of the church.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study;

Does Sunday school campaigns help in motivating and strengthening backsliding church members in Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District?
Is there any significant relationship between Sunday school campaigns and church growth?
Does attaining Sunday schools boost the spiritual growth of members in Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District?
How do you compare the numerical growth of Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District in relation to Sunday school campaigns?

1.5 Significant of the Study

This study will help church leaders to improve on the existing mode of Sunday school campaigns in their various church.

It will also motivate church overseers, pastors, and other arms in the church to work at having a well-organized and administered Sunday school campaigns that can give an assurance to the growth of their church.

The findings of this study will also serve as a reference materials to scholars and academia who intends to embark on a study on this nature in future.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study is confined to Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District in Rivers state, Nigeria. This research will be carried out mainly using the Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District as a case study and it will be centered mainly on the children, teenagers, and the adult’s ministries of the church.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

Not all the churches in Nigeria conduct Sunday school every Sunday, but there are some, which do, this study, is limited to Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District where there is witness that there is assurance of the existence of Sunday school. Due to inability of time to ensure effective coverage and record keeping that are up to date to ensure that the study is effectively carried out the limitation of the study to Sunday school in Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District.

1.8 Research Methodology

This research work is the adoption of writing based on library research as well as internet sources which is the compilation for current events in Sunday school works. Questionnaire will be given out to conduct the survey and statistics of the pattern and operations of Sunday school within Assemblies of God church, Ikwerre District, Rivers State, Nigeria. Opinions of the people will be conducted through oral interviews Sunday school teachers within the church will be a guide to collate and to arrive at a recommendation to be made from this research work.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Impact: It means to have a strong effect on someone or something.

Sunday: Is the day of the week after Saturday and before Monday, when most people in Western countries do not go to work.

Sunday school: Sunday school is a church sponsored educational agency, which functions on Sunday and provides a curriculum of Bible study and evangelistic emphasis for all ages.

Campaigns: A campaign is a planned set of activities that people carry out over a period of time in order to achieve something such as social or political change.

Church: A church is an assembly of professing believers. The word “church” is used to refer to the building where people gather together with other Christian. In addition, it is referred to a particular grouping of churches or denominations. The Greek word ecclesia, which is used in the New Testament, refers to people not building or organization structure. Biblically church means either universal church or local church. The universal church refers to all members of the body of Christ in all places and all ages.

Church Growth: Church growth is the balanced increase in quantity, quality and organization complexity of a local church.

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