June 7th came and went, and many churches reopened for worship at a time that signals the start of summer. My church reopened on May 31, and there are others that cannot open yet because of the state in which they are located. But no matter whether or not your church has reopened for worship, I imagine that it has not reopened its Sunday School. As we anticipate regathering for Bible study in groups, there are 3 things you can do while you wait for Sunday School to reopen.

1. Contact everyone on your group’s ministry list. There’s no time like the present to reach out to each person on your group’s ministry list. Write a note, make a phone call, send an email, or go all-in and make a porch visit. You’ll find people who have not been in church for a while (pre-COVID 19), and you just might help them reconnect with your group, the church, and God.
2. Read a book about teaching or a book about the people you teach. Search my company’s website and you’ll find some good books about the age group you teach, or books that can help you improve your teaching skills. While we all wait for Sunday School to reopen, we don’t have to waste our time! Let’s improve our skills and knowledge so we are even better leaders when we come back to the church campus. Check out my friend Jana Magruder’s book for kids ministry leaders. If you are a leader in your church’s student ministry, why not read Ben Trueblood’s excellent book Within Reach? And for all of you adult group leaders, there are six chapters in my book Breathing Life Into Sunday School that will help you lead and teach your group.
3. Clean up your classroom. Although your classroom isn’t open on Sundays right now, there’s no reason you can’t work with your church staff to set an appointment in order to spend time cleaning it up.  Take a few hours during the week and go to your church to do some good old-fashioned cleaning. Your classroom probably has a few things that need to be straightened, thrown away, cleaned, dusted, or replaced. Use this down time to prepare your room for the eventual return of your group members.

While we experience the joy of returning to worship with our church families, let’s spend this time preparing to return to the church campus and teach our groups. There’s no time like the present, so pick one or more of the ideas above and get going! I am.