NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Despite the trends and variations seen within churches today, one thing rarely changes, says David Francis, director of Sunday School for LifeWay Christian Resources. Sunday School is the backbone of a healthy church.
“It is called many things by many churches, but in a lot of ways, Sunday School has not changed,” Francis said. “The setting has changed a little bit, but for the most part Sunday School is kind of a classic … because it’s a movement of laypeople.”
Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 10, Francis will author a monthly column for Baptist Press, the news service of the Southern Baptist Convention, addressing issues related to Sunday School strategy, growth and curriculum.
As LifeWay’s director of Sunday school, Francis is the leader for the program ministry of Sunday School for Southern Baptists nationally and the leader for Sunday School curriculum development within LifeWay.
During a podcast interview for Inside LifeWay, released today at www.lifeway.com/insidelifeway, Francis noted that Sunday School is much more than spending an hour together on Sunday morning and in many ways is experiencing a comeback as people understand the Kingdom implications of Sunday School ministry.
“Sunday School is the church organized to accomplish the Great Commission: reach people for Christ, teach people the Bible and minister to people. And you can do all of those things through the Sunday School,” he said.
Prior to his current LifeWay assignment, Francis served as director of regional operations for LifeWay’s church resources division. He also served as associate director of the church leadership group.
Before joining LifeWay in 1997, Francis was associate pastor and minister of education at First Baptist Church in Garland, Texas, where he served 13 years. While attending Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, he served Kiestwood Baptist Church in Dallas for two years as minister of education and administration.
Francis was called to vocational ministry and ordained as a deacon while serving in the United States Air Force. He and his wife, Vickie, have been married 34 years, and have three sons and four grandchildren. They live in Hendersonville, Tenn., where they teach pre-K Sunday School at Long Hollow Baptist Church.
Francis is the author of four LifeWay resources: “Spiritual Gifts: A Practical Guide to How God Works through You,” “The Five-Step Formula for Sunday School Growth,” “The 3D Sunday School” and “I-6: A Six-Lane Strategy Toward an Inviting Sunday School.”
–30–
Compiled by Russ Rankin of LifeWay Christian Resources.
