December 9, 2002

Program breathes LIFE into Sunday School
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___VICTORIA--A South Texas congregation has revived its dying Sunday School by breathing LIFE into it.
___Years ago, Templo Jerusalem Baptist Church began focusing on the worship service as the primary feature of the church, said Sandra Cisneros, minister of education. The Sunday School steadily declined as church members no longer believed they needed to participate in the Bible studies, she said.
___Because they were not involved in consistent Bible study, church members were unable to wrestle with life issues in a Christian manner, she said.
___"I felt we needed to bring some fresh input in as far as ministry was concerned," Cisneros said. "I felt our people were becoming complacent."
___Then Cisneros encountered Dennis Parrott, who leads Bible study and discipleship work for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Parrott explained a program called Add LIFE that ignited Cisneros' desire to bring the plan to her church.
___The Add LIFE concept helps churches that are serious about reaching people for Christ to rejuvenate their efforts by making a ministry entry point for new believers.
___BGCT staff help walk the church through a six-step process to improve the ministry. The church may move to the next step in the program only when the consultant has seen the church complete the previous step.
___Cisneros first presented the project to her husband, Theodomiro Cisneros, who is pastor of Templo Jerusalem. He was excited by the project, which the church soon adopted with a goal of modifying the Sunday School.
___With Parrott's guidance, the church gathered volunteers to fill all its Sunday School positions and set up leadership meetings for the studies. The congregation has re-emphasized the need for Sunday School attendance and has stressed this is the way the church will grow.
___Although the church is only halfway through the process, the staff is pleased with the results, Theodomiro Cisneros said. Sunday School attendance has doubled to about 100 people a week and continues increasing.
___"To undo everything after 18 years is tough, but it's working," he said.
___Parrott's assistance has been a tremendous help to the church because he has objectively helped the church assess where it is in the process and verify all steps are done properly, the pastor said. "A lot of times in church we hear about a good plan and we fail because we don't implement it right."
___Using the principles he has learned from Parrot, Cisneros has sparked a growing Sunday School program at Primera Iglesia Bautista La Grange, where he also serves as pastor.
___The Sunday School there, which was essentially nonexistent, now draws about 70 people weekly.
___"The Add LIFE program was just the right thing," he said. "It's helped to solidify the ministry in about 10 months."
___Both churches demonstrate that the Add LIFE program can work in any church, Parrott said. "These principles will work everywhere. If a church takes those principles and works them, it will work. Guaranteed."
___For more information about the Add LIFE program, contact the BGCT at (800) 355-5285.

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