Sunday School Teacher Recruitment: Five Small Changes That Help Teachers Want to Keep Teaching

Teachers are more likely to keep serving when they feel supported, equipped, and part of a team.

Keeping good teachers doesn't happen by accident. But it also doesn't require a complete overhaul of your ministry.

Last week, I suggested that one of the best teacher recruitment strategies isn't recruiting at all—it's helping the teachers you already have remain successful.

Most ministers don't need to be convinced of that. Every fall, churches look for Sunday School teacher recruitment ideas, but keeping experienced teachers engaged is often the most effective recruitment strategy of all.

If you've ever started the fall one teacher short, you know the challenge.

Maybe you've combined two classes. Maybe you've taught the class yourself while looking for someone permanent. OR

Maybe you've relied on a rotating list of faithful substitutes, quietly hoping one of them would eventually agree to take the class.

So the real question isn't whether we should retain teachers.

It's how. Fortunately, helping teachers stay encouraged doesn't usually require sweeping changes. More often, it's the small things you do consistently that make the biggest difference.

Whether your teaching ministry is healthy or you're rebuilding after losing teachers (or inherited a ministry that's struggling), I hope one of these ideas will help you make this year just a little better than last year.

I'm going to suggest five small changes. But let me encourage you not to try implementing all five at once.

Pick one.

If one teacher has a better year because of one change you made, you're moving in the right direction.

Sunday School Teacher Recruitment Starts with the Teachers You Already Have

1. Call one teacher this week.

A simple conversation can remind a teacher that they aren't serving alone.

Not because something is wrong.

Just to ask how they're doing.

Ask how they're feeling about the upcoming year. Ask if there's anything you can do to help. Listen more than you talk.

Many volunteers quietly carry burdens that ministers never hear about because no one asked.

Sometimes a five-minute conversation can encourage a teacher more than an hour-long training session.

2. Remove one burden from every teacher.

Most teachers aren't looking for more information.

They're looking for a little more breathing room.

Preparing a meaningful lesson every week takes time. Anything you can do to make that preparation (even a little bit) easier helps teachers feel supported instead of overwhelmed.

Teachers who consistently feel overwhelmed eventually begin wondering whether they should keep teaching.

Teachers who consistently feel prepared usually don't.

Sometimes that means sharing ideas. Sometimes that means recommending a resource that saves preparation time while helping them lead a more meaningful discussion. One burden removed often does more to retain a teacher than one more inspirational speech.

3. Encourage one teacher with something specific.

Generic appreciation is nice.

Specific encouragement changes people.

Instead of saying, "Thanks for teaching," try something like:

"I noticed how patiently you handled that difficult question Sunday."

Or:

"Your class seems more willing to participate than they were a year ago."

Teachers remember sincere encouragement far longer than they remember criticism.

4. Equip your teachers to succeed.

Confidence grows when teachers experience success.

That's one reason I believe discussion-based teaching is so effective. Teachers don't feel like they have to lecture for forty-five minutes or have all the answers. Instead, they guide people through God's Word together.

I know one very experienced teacher who jokingly says his biggest preparation each week is reading the passage every day and thinking about it as he goes through the week. Then on Sunday he simply walks his class through the discussion questions.

I'm not recommending that as a model for everyone. His confidence didn't happen overnight. It grew out of years of studying God's Word and leading discussions.

But I do think there's a lesson there:

He isn't trying to impress his class with everything he knows. He's helping them discover what God is saying through the passage.

The class does much of the talking. Their honest answers often give him opportunities to speak into real life situations that would never surface during a lecture.

That's the kind of success that builds confidence.

When teachers leave class thinking, "That discussion really connected," they're much more likely to look forward to teaching again next Sunday.

5. Remind teachers why their ministry matters.

Most teachers didn't volunteer because they wanted another job.

They said yes because they wanted God to use them.

Don't assume they remember that every week.

Share stories.

Celebrate changed lives.

Remind them that faithful Bible teaching shapes marriages, strengthens families, encourages believers, and helps people grow in Christ.

Teachers who remember the mission are much more likely to persevere through the difficult weeks.

Of course, none of these ideas help much if we only think about them once a year. Teacher encouragement works best when it becomes part of the normal rhythm of ministry.

Years ago, many/most churches had a weekly teachers' meeting. It gave ministers a natural opportunity to encourage teachers, answer questions, and remind everyone why they served.

Most churches don't do that anymore. Life is simply too busy.

But the need hasn't disappeared. If anything, it's greater than ever.

That means we have to find simpler ways to accomplish the same goal. Whether that's a weekly teachers' meeting, a monthly breakfast, or simply a few intentional conversations each month, the goal is the same: help teachers know they aren't serving alone.

Small, consistent habits often have a greater impact than one big training event each fall.

This Week's One Change

Don't try to implement all five ideas this week.

Choose one.

Then write these five words somewhere you'll see them before Sunday.

Call. Reduce. Encourage. Equip. Remind.

Review this list each week.

Over time, they'll become more than a checklist. They'll become a rhythm of ministry.

If your teachers have one reason to believe this year will be just a little better than last year, there's a good chance they'll want to keep teaching.

And if they keep teaching, next fall you may discover that the best teacher recruitment strategy was helping the teachers you already had remain successful.

I mentioned this earlier, but I think it bears repeating: You don't have to transform your entire teaching ministry this fall.

If one teacher has a better year because of one change you made, you're moving in the right direction.

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Want to Make Preparation Easier for Your Teachers?

One of the five ideas above was "Remove one burden from every teacher."

That's exactly why I create discussion-based Bible study worksheets.

They reduce preparation time while helping teachers lead meaningful discussions that engage adults with God's Word.

If you'd like to see how discussion-based worksheets can reduce preparation time while encouraging meaningful Bible conversations, take a look at the free samples and other resources on my What's New page.

Whether you're looking for ideas for yourself or resources to share with your entire teaching team, I hope you'll find something that helps make this your best year yet.