[Back to Resources]

Son Seekers:  

An Outreach-Oriented Bible Class

Duane Jenks

(From Church Growth, 2nd Quarter, 2005)

            The Son Seekers Class at the Richland Hills Church of Christ began with only eight people and has grown to more than 130 in attendance within twelve years and has been instrumental in hundreds of baptisms.  Many of those baptized have moved on to age-related Bible classes while others have moved away to other cities and congregations.  What empowers this class to reach so many people from the world?  Read on for a description of a visitor’s experience.

           When John Doe walked into our building, he was met by a host of smiling, happy people (greeters at our Welcome Center).  A greeter by the name of Steve introduced himself and, after a couple of quick questions, ascertained that John Doe was an unchurched, first-time visitor who was invited by one of our members.  Steve told him that we have a Bible class called Son Seekers that is tailor-made for him.  As he walked John to class, Steve told him how much he has enjoyed the class himself.  (In fact, Steve is a fairly new Christian himself.)

            As they entered the Son Seekers Class room, they encountered the registration table and three friendly people behind it.  Steve introduced John Doe to Marcelle Simmonds and told him that he was in good hands. Marcelle gave him a nametag (like everyone else wears) to write his name on just as her husband, Bill, walked up, introduced himself to John and welcomed him to the class.  Bill then walked John over to the refreshment table for some coffee and donuts.  Bill found out what John does for a living and introduced him to Ernest who, like John, also works in heating and air conditioning.  Ernest helped John get his refreshments and, while talking a bit about their trades, found out that John is an avid hunter, so Ernest invited John to go hunting with him the next week.  He then introduced John to their teacher.  More pleasantries were exchanged, questions were asked and answered to learn more about this visitor and how to help him get connected in addition to where he might be on his spiritual journey and how we might help him.  Ernest invited John to sit with him, and as they got to their seats, a couple nearby welcomed him and class soon began.  After an interesting Bible study with practical application, the class broke into small groups for 15 minutes of sharing and prayer time.  Hopefully, John Doe was invited by some of the people he met to join one of their groups.  Usually he will go to the newcomers group in which the teacher meets everyone, explains what this class is all about, takes prayer requests, and prays for them.  So John Doe should have left the class having met six to twelve people, heard Scripture explained and applied to his life, prayed, and been invited to sit with some class members in worship.  In short, he feels like he is being befriended.

            Very little of his experience occurred by accident.  Class members have been trained and encouraged to get out of their comfort zones in order to reach out to the lost.  This article will set forth the five main components of an outreach-oriented Bible class like Son Seekers:  purpose, people, plan, program and prayer.

ITS PURPOSE

             The primary component that sets Son Seekers apart from other classes is its purpose.  An effective outreach class must have a purpose that the class leadership and a majority of its members have bought into it and practice.  Son Seekers exists to mature and equip believers to share their faith with seekers.  Everything the class does must fit into this purpose of winning people to Jesus.

 ITS PEOPLE

             A purpose must have good people involved for the purpose to be fulfilled.  Strong leadership is vital to any group of people fulfilling its purpose.  Son Seekers Class leadership begins with its two lead teachers.  One is the deacon over outreach and the other is an outreach minister.  They not only teach, but they lead by example in outreach and have recruited and trained others from the class to lead care groups, prayer groups, Bible studies, and service groups.  All of these folks together form the leadership team which meets monthly over Sunday lunch for a couple of hours for training, working through any difficulties, and planning.

             And then there are the people whom the leaders lead and train the rest of the class.  A major part of their training involves recognizing each person’s gifting for the building up of the body of Christ in outreach.  No job is insignificant in the team effort of reaching the lost.  Every involved person is a highly esteemed member of the team.

             Each member of the class is taught that he or she plays an important role on the outreach team in the process of evangelism.  For example, some are prayer warriors lifting up seekers and teachers before God’s throne.  Others are servants who serve seekers at points of need and put in a good word for Jesus as they put flesh on theology.  Many class members play the role of inviting friends and acquaintances to class, worship, and outreach events at which our relational people meet the seekers and make them feel special and important and introduce them to other members of the class who have similar interests and backgrounds.  A few of our class members have the testimonial style of evangelism because God has done great things in their conversions or in their prayer lives.  The seeker gets to hear these powerful stories (testimonies) of God’s work in these Christian’s lives and begins to believe that faith in God really does make a difference in everyday life.  As time goes on, those who have the gift of teaching, whether in large groups or small groups or one-on-one settings, explain the Bible’s teachings and answer the seekers’ questions.  And at the right time God puts the right person in the seeker’s path to confront him with his need to obey the gospel, and he does, and the whole class rejoices in their victory to God’s glory as another sinner becomes a saint.

             John K. is an example.  It took 29 people having significant contact and relationship with him over 13 months as he came to class and went through two different Bible studies with two different teachers before he finally saw the light and his need for a response to Jesus’ saving grace.  It takes a team to reach people!

 ITS PROGRAM

             Next comes the component of the multifaceted program.  The atmosphere of the class is so important because we only get one opportunity to make a good first impression.  The leaders and many of the members get to class early in order to meet newcomers and those who have been coming for a short time.  The seeker needs to see smiling, happy people who are fellowshipping together.  He must be engaged in conversation by some of those people and introduced to others.  Class members are rightfully taught to see their jobs of service as ministry for Christ, whether they are serving refreshments, cleaning up, running the sound, ushering, greeting, or just meeting people.  It is ministry!  It is a team effort, and it takes all of us to reach out to others and to glorify our God.

             Another essential part of the program is Care Groups, which normally meet for a little over two hours twice a month.  Typically care groups meet in someone’s home, they eat a meal together, have a Bible study, and pray for seekers and special needs among themselves.  The leader stays in touch with his members, and the group ministers to those who may have a special need.

             Every fifth Sunday night of the month a Son Seekers Class party is planned by a different care group.  It generally involves a theme (such as a major holiday or fad like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”) with table decorations, ice breakers, pot luck food, games, and a lot of fun.  It is an ideal event for class members to get better acquainted with seekers or a non-Christian spouse.  The party is a non-threatening time used to build relationships with non-Christians so that barriers to class and worship attendance can be removed.  These parties have been instrumental in winning a number of people to Christ and showing new converts how to have real fun.  Oftentimes a service project is included in the party such as a food drive for the pantry or providing school supplies for some needy children.  The whole program must be focused on people.

ITS PLAN

             Of course Son Seekers must have a plan for teaching.  The plan is basically built around a one-year curriculum.  The first quarter is spent in teaching the basics of the Christian faith one year and how faith gets us through life’s difficulties the next year.

            The second quarter is spent in the gospel of Matthew using the Visual Bible video.  One year the whole gospel of Matthew will be shown of video in 20-minute segments with 20 minutes of discussion questions following.  This takes 14 weeks showing two chapters per week.  This is especially helpful for new converts who have never studied the Bible in that it gives them excellent visual images of what New Testament times were like.  This material also encourages the class members to use these videos and outlines as a home Bible study for friends and neighbors.  The next year shorter segments such as miracles are used to illustrate the biblical text as deeper lessons are taught on the theme of outreach.

            The third quarter deals with how to share one’s faith.  One year the Seven Styles of Evangelism (prayer warrior, confrontational, intellectual, testimonial, relational, invitational, and servant) will be taught and each member will realize how his style fits into the process.  Another year will focus on how to write and tell a good testimony.  Not everyone has a great conversion story, but everyone should have testimonies about prayers answered and what God is doing in their lives.  The next year may focus on the joy of sharing one’s faith.

            The fourth quarter uses the Visual Bible video again with the book of Acts.  Special emphasis is put upon the beginning of the church and the conversion stories in Acts.  Different conversion stories and events in Paul’s life are used each year so that it takes three years before class members begin to realize that stories are being repeated.  At that point some class members prefer to move on to another class and hopefully they will be outreach oriented in that class.  Others stay indefinitely because of the relationships they have developed and the joy of being involved in a team effort for outreach.

            In addition to this Sunday school curriculum, two more evangelistic studies have been developed.  New Life Bible Study is a topical 12-lesson Bible study covering subjects like “Basic Bible Facts,” “The Inspiration of the Bible,” “Seeking and Knowing God,” “The Abundant Life,” “Knowing and Following Jesus,” “Discipleship,” “The New Birth,” and “The Church:  Your New Family.”  An evangelistic seven-lesson textual study in the gospel of Mark is also used.  All care group leaders and many members have been trained to use one or both of these teaching tools.  They have also been trained to lead a small group with the video and workbook study series, “Living Proof:  Lifestyle Evangelism.”  The plan is all about equipping people.

IT’S ALL ABOUT PRAYER

            And now we come to the empowering part of the class – prayer.  Prayer is the foundation and the force behind Son Seekers.  Every care group member is encouraged to have a list of 10 lost people for whom they pray daily.  At the end of every class period on Sunday mornings, the class breaks into small groups and spends 10 to 15 minutes praying about needs and people. There is also a composite prayer list of four groups of people:  those currently being studied with; people who have studied and need to make a decision for Christ by repenting and being baptized; people whom we pray will accept an invitation to study; and finally praise for those who have surrendered to Christ in baptism.  Prayer warriors regularly pray for all these people.  One group met on Sunday mornings at 7 a.m. for 18 months to pray for an hour for these lost souls.  Another group prays for seekers and new Christians.

            Prayer is the foundation and the power source in all the efforts for Son Seekers to reach out to people.  In fact, a Bible class that depends upon prayer to focus its purpose and people into a program that plans for the unsaved will be a blessing to any church.

[Back to Resources]

[Top]