In Inter-America, study shows Sabbath School attendance declining, improvements needed
Teachers lead Sabbath School at the Narvarte Adventist Church in Mexico City, Mexico. The Inter-American Division’s Sabbath School department conducted a survey research that revealed that most church members need more training to teach Sabbath School classes across the thousands of churches in the territory. Image courtesy of Keila Trejo/IAD
November 18, 2015 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD
A recent survey conducted by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Inter-American Division (IAD) revealed that there are less church members attending Sabbath School classes and less of those members studying Sabbath School bible guides every week.
The main purpose of the survey research was to examine issues affecting nurturing, evangelism, mission, programming and equipping the Sabbath School in the IAD.
IAD Sabbath School Director Pastor Samuel Telemaque explains the findings of the survey to year-end committee members on November 2, 2015. Image by Libna Stevens/IAD
The research findings were reported by IAD’s Sabbath School department to the church’s executive committee body during year-end committee meetings held earlier this month in Miami, Florida.
The comparative analysis of the data was collected from 1,653 church members across the IAD territory through an online survey tool in English, Spanish, and French.
Two major issues will help address the needs throughout the more than 20,000 churches and congregations in Inter-America, said Pastor Samuel Telemaque, Sabbath School director for the church in Inter-America.
First, church members need to have more access to quarterly Sabbath school study guides. Most members across the IAD have to purchase their study guides in hardcopy form and very few churches make it a part of their budget to offer Bible study guides free of charge to its members in all Sabbath School classes.
Out of 894 men and 759 women mostly ranging from 25-54 years of age, 79 percent of those in the English Caribbean territory said the church purchased study guides for them, 70 percent in the Spanish territory said members had to purchase study guides, and 42 percent in the French territory said members had to purchase study guides themselves.
Those percentages affected Sabbath school classes because almost half of members did not receive the study guides. In addition, about 50 percent of those surveyed indicated they attended Sabbath School regularly.
“This is a challenge that still affects the church member who needs access to study and be prepared for the lesson study,” said Telemaque.
Total number of the online survey participants. Courtesy of Samuel Telemaque/IAD
Secondly, Sabbath school lesson time is not always run by trained teachers who facilitate learning and in-depth study of the Bible.
When asked if there was a “need for innovative Sabbath School program resources for Sabbath School Directors in your local church?” 80 percent in the English territory, 75 percent in the Spanish territory, and 83 percent in the French territory responded with a “Yes.”
“Over the years we have seen how a number of social factors, economic factors and world view factors affect our people in attending Sabbath School every week,” said Telemaque. “Many because of economic pressures can only make it to worship services because they are tired from working several jobs during the week.”
Sabbath School, as far as an internal structure goes, has become routine and less innovative for the members, explained Telemaque. The survey did not surprise leaders as indicators from past years showed less attendance and involvement of members in Sabbath School classes.
“We need to go back to why Sabbath School was instituted in our church, and that was with special emphasis on the study of the Word of God,” said Telemaque. “The church then added funding for missions to focus on the global mission, as well as an evangelism unit in communities and conservation of members.”
Another finding showed that a low percentage of Sabbath School teachers are well prepared every Sabbath to teach the class. Only 37 percent in the English and Spanish territory agreed and 41 percent in the French territory said their teacher was prepared to teach Sabbath School class.
Fellowship is a big part of the Sabbath School class every week, but the main study of the Bible needs to be its number one priority. Keeping to that priority means church members who volunteer as Sabbath School teachers every Sabbath morning need to be properly trained to teach the class, added Telemaque.
Sabbath School needs to carry a special emphasis on the study of the Word of God as it was established for years ago, said Pastor Telemaque. Image by Alejandro Solís Martínez/IAD
“Spiritual transformation begins with the study of Scripture, so Sabbath school teachers at all levels must be equipped with new knowledge, skills, and attitude to facilitate the study and application of Biblical principles in the Sabbath School class,” said Telemaque.
Additional research questions included: What deficiencies exist in the Sabbath School that affect nurturing of new and existing members? What is the frequency with which evangelism and mission occur in the Sabbath School? What types of innovation are needed in the Sabbath School? What types of equipping or training would enhance the effectiveness of Sabbath School?
Executive committee members included administrators from the IAD’s 24 unions or church regions. They were strongly advised to ensure that every member has a quarterly Sabbath School Bible study guide available for free.
That is easier said than done. For many countries in the IAD the costs of printing is paid by the $1.00 to $3.00 cost of the guides, many church leaders said.
In Mexico for example, there are nearly 717,000 church members in the five church regions and yet GEMA Publishing prints and sells some 300,000 lesson quarterlies and some 120,000 teacher’s lesson guides. Some purchase one per family, others obtain the lesson online, yet most of the members have to purchase each quarterly, with a few churches making the lesson guides available for free to its members.
In Venezuela, with the political and economic situation, study guides are no more than $2.00 but that cost represents 10 percent of a member’s monthly salary right, said Josney Rodriguez, president for the church in East Venezuela based in Caracas. “We want to offer the quarterly for free to every member but our local printing costs are high, and our members are struggling to obtain basic needs now,” he said. Rodriguez said that his administrators will discuss ways in which they can change things about having study guides available for free.
IAD top leaders pleaded with church administrators from across Inter-America’s 24 unions earlier this month to make Sabbath School study guides available for free to members. Pictured is a Sabbath School class at Colonia Morelos Adventist Church in Tecate, Baja California, in México. Image by Alejandro Solís Martínez/IAD
IAD President Israel Leito pleaded with leaders to ensure that members each have access to free Sabbath School Bible lessons.
“Make a serious effort to ensure churches in your territory make this material available for free to members, because this is an urgent matter, it’s part of growth, retention and evangelism in each church,” Pastor Leito said.
Recommendations voted also included, to have new resources developed to help Sabbath School leaders with Bible-based programs, policy guidelines and skill-based training, systems be designed to care for and assimilate new members in the Sabbath School, and structures be designed to foster mission and evangelism in the Sabbath to renew, strengthen and sustain.
Pastor Telemaque has already scheduled regional trainings across 13 of Inter-America’s unions where church administrators, pastors, and Sabbath School teachers will be trained and equipped to better lead, starting in January 2016.
Herbert Fletcher University—Inter-America’s institution offering online education—will begin to provide Sabbath School certification program for teachers starting in September 2016, according to Telemaque.
The goal is to have all of our 30,000 Sabbath School teachers fully trained to provide in-depth study of the Bible every week, he explained.
“Our main goal of the Sabbath School is to develop members capable of applying spiritual disciplines to resist temptation, to cope with crisis, to enjoy victorious living in Christ, to live in readiness for the coming of Jesus and to participate in God’s mission in the world,” Telemaque added.