Sunday School Teacher Recruitment: They've Said Yes. Now What?
- steveguidry
- Aug 15
- 5 min read
You found them.
You asked.
They prayed about it.
And finally, they said yes.
Congratulations.
Your Sunday School teacher recruitment problem is solved.
Well...sort of.
Getting someone to agree to teach is certainly worth celebrating. If you've spent the last few weeks filling empty positions, you may be relieved just to have everyone's name on the list.
But now comes the part that can shape what happens in those classrooms all year.
You've recruited your teachers.
Now you have to help them become successful ones. OK - - if you're a teacher reading this, this may sound like a little ministry "inside baseball." But stick with me. There's something here for you, too. You'll know what kind of help to ask for from your church leaders.
Besides, this really is about you - - just from the leader's perspective.
Sunday School Teacher Recruitment Doesn't End When Someone Says Yes
There's a temptation when the last teaching position is filled to breathe a sigh of relief and move on to the next ministry problem.
I understand that.
There is always another problem.
But especially for a new or inexperienced teacher, the first few weeks matter.
They're discovering how much preparation teaching really takes.
They're learning what to do when nobody answers a question.
They're figuring out how to handle the person who answers every question.
They're wondering whether they're talking too much—or not enough.
And they're probably comparing themselves to the experienced teacher down the hall who seems to make all of this look easy.
What happens during those first few Sundays can begin building confidence.
Or eroding it.
That's why I think the weeks immediately after teacher recruitment deserve more attention than leaders sometimes give them.
Help New Teachers Get an Early Win
If I could choose one goal for a new teacher's first month, it wouldn't be:
Teach a great lesson.
I'd choose:
Experience a good discussion.
There's a difference.
A new teacher can walk out of class convinced the lesson wasn't very good because he forgot something he intended to say.
Meanwhile, the class members may be walking out talking about something another member said during the discussion.
That's a win.
Someone asked a question the teacher hadn't anticipated.
That's a win.
A usually quiet member joined the conversation.
That's a win.
Someone connected the Scripture to something happening in his life.
That's a big win.
Those moments help a new teacher discover something important: I don't have to carry the whole class.
Give Them Permission Not to Be the Expert
One of the biggest burdens new Bible teachers put on themselves is believing they need to know everything.
They don't.
They should study.
They should prepare.
They should take seriously the responsibility of helping people understand God's Word.
But they don't need an answer to every question. Sometimes they need to hear their minister tell them that.
In fact, one of the most useful things a teacher can learn to say is: "I don't know. Let's see if we can figure that out together."
That's not failure.
That's honest Bible study.
Questions-based teaching can help here because it changes the teacher's role.
Instead of standing in front of the room trying to deliver forty-five minutes of information, the teacher becomes a guide:
Ask a good question.
Listen.
Ask a follow-up question.
Bring the conversation back to Scripture.
Help people discover what the passage says and what it means for their lives.
That's a much more manageable job for a new teacher.
And, in my experience, it's often a much more rewarding one.
Don't Just Give Them Curriculum
Curriculum is important.
But handing someone a teacher's book and saying, "See you Sunday" isn't really equipping them.
A new teacher may need help figuring out what to do with all that material.
What is the main point of this lesson?
What can I leave out?
Where should I slow down?
What question might get people talking?
What do I do if the discussion goes somewhere I didn't expect?
A few minutes of practical coaching can save a new teacher an hour of frustration.
Don't just give your new teachers material - - Help them learn what to do with it.
Ask About the Class, Not Just the Lesson
After they've taught a week or two, check in.
But instead of asking,
"How did your lesson go?"
try asking,
"How did the class respond?"
That's a slightly different question.
It shifts the teacher's attention away from his own performance and toward what happened among the people in the room.
Who participated?
What generated conversation?
Where did people seem confused?
Did someone say something that surprised you?
Was there a moment when the passage seemed to connect with something happening in someone's life?
Those are the things we're really trying to accomplish.
We're not trying to produce polished presentations.
We're trying to help people engage with God's Word.
And if you're that new teacher - - and you're still reading - - it's OK for you to initiate this conversation with your minister or Sunday School Director.
Don't wait for someone to ask.
Tell your leader where you're struggling. Ask for some help. Ask what you might try differently next Sunday.
Your church leaders want you to succeed.
Make this a Matthew 7:7 moment: Ask.
This Week's One Change
If you've recently recruited new teachers, have one conversation with one of them this week.
If they've already started teaching, ask how it's going.
If they haven't, ask what they're most excited - - or nervous - - about.
If you've recently recruited new teachers, have one conversation with one (or all) of them this week.
If they've already started teaching, ask how it's going.
If they haven't, ask what they're most excited - - or nervous - - about.
Then listen.
Don't immediately correct.
Don't immediately recommend another book, training session, podcast, or website.
Ask what seems to be working.
Ask what's harder than expected.
Ask what happened in class that encouraged them.
And if they're struggling, help them identify one small change that might make next Sunday better.
Sometimes the best teacher training doesn't happen in a workshop.
It happens in a ten-minute conversation between someone who wants to become a better teacher and someone who wants to help.
The Recruitment Season Is Ending. The Equipping Season Isn't.
Over the past few weeks, we've talked a lot about Sunday School teacher recruitment.
We've talked about keeping good teachers.
We've talked about encouraging them.
We've talked about creating a rhythm of communication and support.
But ultimately, recruitment isn't the goal.
Neither is retention.
The goal is helping ordinary Christians faithfully lead other ordinary Christians into God's Word.
So now that the names are on the list and the new church year is beginning, maybe it's time to ask a different question:
How can we help our teachers become better at leading Bible discussions?
That's where I'd like to turn next.
Because getting teachers to say yes matters.
Helping them discover the joy of watching people engage with Scripture matters even more.
Want to Give Your Teachers a Head Start?
One way to help a new teacher get that early win is to put good discussion questions in their hands.
That's one reason I create discussion-based Bible study worksheets. They're designed to help teachers move from simply presenting information to leading meaningful conversations around God's Word.
If you have new teachers—or experienced teachers who'd simply like some fresh help—you can see free samples and this month's resources on the What's New page.
Sometimes one good question is all it takes to get a class talking.
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