WHY DO SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOLS GROW FOR A WHILE, REACH A PLATEAU, THEN DECLINE.?  A rough draft by Grady E. Lee

VITAL CONCEPTS:	1.  Everything has within itself the seeds of its own destruction.
2.  There is no perpetual motion. Without upkeep things run down.
3.	The cycle of Natural Law - birth - growth patterns - maturity - old age – death The same  in organizations, but  rejuvenation is possible with the good leadership.	
4.	There is only one thing in life that is constant. That, is change. To meet this change the leader must analyze the needs, study the possible solutions, plan an attack deputize helpers, and vitalize the plan. Someone has said, The primary source  of success or failure is between your ears.
5.	To Sustain growth - Investigate failures, Prioritize needs, begin again, 
6.	Dont let a spirit of failure invade or control. Develop a can do spirit.
7.	Sunday Bible Schools can be re-invented
8.	Point of satiety. Economics teaches there is a point of satiety. When something must be done immediately or diminishing returns sets in. This process also operates in every organization.

PROBLEMS CHURCHES FACE AND THE NEED FOR EXCELLENT SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS.  Who is teaching your children? What are they learning? Parents actively direct their childrens learning process or by parental default others do it.

....Television:   A child watches conservatively, 
5 hrs a day, (7days)     35 hrs. a week,    150 hrs a month,    1825 hrs. a year.
....Public Schools: 
7 hrs. a day, (5 days)   35 hrs. a week,    140 hrs. a month    1260 hrs. a year. (180 days)
....Church: (maximum)
Sunday & Wednesday,  4 hrs, a week,     16 hrs. a month,       108 hrs. a year.

INTRODUCTION:
THE MAJOR REASON WHY THE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL CAN OR WILL GROW IS; because of the one in charge. There is absolutely no way to discount the one in charge. He will be behind the growth or failure. This concept is fully understood by the board of directors and leaders of large corporations. If the CEO does not get the job done, he is fired and a new one obtained. Behind every church that grows or fails is the leader. It is his spirit, wisdom, knowledge, ability, human relations, choice of heads of departments, delegation of authority, planning or lack thereof  that brings whatever the end result is, or will be. 

Pastors who dictate, or do everything themselves, or who believe that all they have to do is open their mouths and God will fill it and people will come, is of the greatest detriment to a church. He is doomed to failure. The leader is the change agent for improvement or decline. God will not bless a lazy preacher.

Some pastors may declare, but you do not know the people of this church. True but God does. If God truly called the pastor there, then he expects the pastor to rise to the occasion and do what ever is necessary to grow a spiritual church. Either the pastor learns (1) what the problems are, (2) learns the wisdom and skills necessary to accomplish the good God intended, and (3) be wise enough to preach nourishing messages to build up the faith and confidence of the people under their leadership, or (4) failure is inevitable. A pastor himself must constantly grow, by investigating, learning and developing, or else perish. It would be far better to resign and leave, than drive a church into the ground. 

CONCEPTS THAT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD FOR SUCCESS:
Philosophy & climate - beliefs - vision - priority - effort
Personnel - spirit - ability - ego - power - control - direction - preparation
Organization - records - mechanics - personnel - promotion - preparation
Enthusiasm - spirit - desire - goals - direction - levels of which constantly changing
Space - grow to space - expand or die
Curriculum - designed - growth - build - values - principles - action - change behavior
Promotion - analyze perception - change necessities- invigorate - change attitude - give vision

WHAT CONCEPTS TO ANALYZE AND LOOK FOR:

I.  WHY WILL A SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL GROW FOR A WHILE?
Philosophy & climate
Personnel
Enthusiasm motivated by a new approach, new lessons etc.
Promotion
Space
Organization

II.  WHY THE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL MIGHT REACH A PLATEAU AND STOP GROWING?
Space.  Sunday Bible Schools may fill the space available. If expansion plans are not forth coming                            growth will level off then a decline begins.
Energy.  Some churches drive their people until they are worn out. All are willing. Some are willing                            to work and others willing to let them. Planning must be made for conserving energies.
Loss of vision.  Goals are reached. New ones are not set. Boredom can set in.
Problems within the church itself.
Lack of recognition of the efforts of the personnel. They may begin to feel used, unimportant, and                                                unappreciated. There must be feedback and positive reinforcement.
Lack of new blood in the personnel. On the job training is a must. 
Lack of keeping up the spirit, promotion, goals etc., of the personnel.
Change in philosophy by the leader. 

III. WHY WILL THE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL DECLINE?
Leadership
Philosophy & climate, Loss of vision, loss of motivation, physical health of leader, anger and                            bitterness, lack of forgiveness, envying and strife
Personnel
Recognition
Promotion
Enthusiasm
Organization
Space