As most of you know, we have just started a new fiscal year. Usually a new fiscal year comes with new leadership or re-elected leaders. I am privileged to be the General Sabbath School Superintendent for this fiscal year, (2005 - 2006). Please pray that God uses me for his service.

After reviewing the job description of a General Sabbath School Superintendent, I came to the understanding and realization of how important this ministry is to church growth. I am glad to tell you that I am committed to the growth of our church. Not just in numbers, but also in the spiritual growth of each and everyone one of our members and that includes you.

Since this ministry involves your spiritual growth, I believe that it is very important that you know what this ministry is all about. Here is the information that you need to know about Sabbath School.  

What is the Mission of the Sabbath School? 

 The mission of the Sabbath School is to be a system of local church religious education that builds faith and practice. The Sabbath School is based at the local church. It builds faith through the study of the Scriptures and the doctrines and teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist church. It builds practice through the application of biblical principles and the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist church to the individual lives of the Sabbath School members. 

Now that we are familiar with the mission,

What are the Objectives of Sabbath School?

The Sabbath School has four specific objectives:

1. Study of the Word.
2. Fellowship.
3. Community Outreach.
4. World Mission Emphasis.

These four objectives are the basis for every activity of the Sabbath School in all divisions. Here is the explanation of each.

Study of the Word.

The Sabbath School will help the students understand the gospel and make a personal commitment to it. It will help them grow spiritually through study of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. It will help students develop a prayer program and teach them how to interpret and apply the principles of the Scriptures to their lives.                  

Fellowship.

The Sabbath School will foster fellowship among members in the weekly Sabbath School program, develop projects for recruiting new members, integrating new members into church life, and find ways of restoring inactive members.

Community Outreach.

The Sabbath School will help its students catch a vision of the church's mission in the community, train them for service, and inspire them to witness. It will develop programs to involve them in soul-winning activities.

World Mission Emphasis.

The Sabbath School will present a clear vision of the global mission of the church. It will promote a personal, systematic, and self-denying commitment to the support of world missions, and foster in all a desire to help fulfill the gospel commission.

Let’s just recap; we have outlined the mission and the objectives of the Sabbath School. This mission and objectives cannot be carried out by one person. I am glad to let you know that the Sabbath School Team is united in implementing these objectives.

From now on, please stay tuned for the news of what’s going on. Next month, we will continue to inform you about our Sabbath School. I will let you know who is included in the Sabbath School team. I will have profiles of each your leaders. All this to make an informed, knowledgeable, well-versed member of our church about our Sabbath School program.